Robert Flower - 20 Great Goals (can never get enough of our Robbie)

[spalding 1,116]

Careful deestinga2 - some of us are still in our 50’s ?

[dpositive 1,547]

On 12/7/2020 at 3:11 PM, Deestinga2 said:

Would have to be our best ever imo.

My uncle raves about a goal he kicked at Windy Hill on a cold Saturday avro when he took on Essendrugs almost on his own but those were the days when not all the games were televised or had TV cameras at them.

Im sure some of the 60 year old and plus die hards that went to every game back in the 80s would remember this one as well.

 

You make a good point.

Melbourne was rarely televised and we would see Robbie do things that other players were praised for every match.

We often did not even have highlights from the match and when there wereselected images they involved the controversial or the final score shot.

Robbie only ever got recognised in the state games where bigger numbers of spectators and viewers saw him play.

Still can't understand why he didn't win a Brownlow, he was clearly equal to or better than a lot of winners. Perhaps he set the bar so high for himself that the umpires overlooked his ordinary brilliance and only gave him recognition when he was exceptionally brilliant.

[Fork 'em 6,507]

15 hours ago, dpositive said:

 Still can't understand why he didn't win a Brownlow, he was clearly equal to or better than a lot of winners. Perhaps he set the bar so high for himself that the umpires overlooked his ordinary brilliance and only gave him recognition when he was exceptionally brilliant.

A couple of years he polled highly and then went down with injury for half a dozen games.

[Fork 'em 6,507]

 

He just owned the World of Sport handball competition too.

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Fork 'em

[Demon trucker 1,729]

On 12/6/2020 at 8:29 AM, Deeoldfart said:

Robbie was simply the best and fairest of his era.  No Charlie makes a mockery of the system.

 

 

 

And yet he only won the B&f once in 1977

[Fork 'em 6,507]

 

[Wrecker45 3,378]

On 12/6/2020 at 12:39 AM, Cheesy D. Pun said:

I would have been about 5 when he retired so didn't see him play in the flesh but gee, his balance turn of speed and IQ was phenomenal.

Also, I'm so used to checksides/bananas/snaps, that seeing a bloke try and drop punt from the boundary almost seems like lairising.

What a gem!

I was in prep when he was in his prime. Not quite old  enough to remember  him properly but also old enough to remember he is probably the greatest demon ever.

[Wrecker45 3,378]

Can anyone believe Flower took on Demetriou in a a handball competition and beat him. There isn't a bloke I love more and hate more. It's like watching dysneyland.

[nosoupforme 3,085]

1 hour ago, Wrecker45 said:

I was in prep when he was in his prime. Not quite old  enough to remember  him properly but also old enough to remember he is probably the greatest demon ever.

Not probably,  he is IMV  you cannot compare.  However  no disrespect to our other  Greats.

[Redleg 37,473]

Spoke to his brother Tom yesterday and looking forward to a catch up over a few ales in the New Year.

 

[Winners at last 4,683]

❤️

 

[hemingway 7,583]

On 12/6/2020 at 6:13 PM, maximum bob said:

 

Those supporters who got to see Robbie were truly blessed. And I mean, truly blessed. 

Our regular team defeats were offset by the majesty of watching Robbie glide through the centre of the MCG or run the members wing. Every time he got near the ball or had the ball, a buzz of excitement went through our supporters like electricity. We rose to our feet, shouting just one word, “Robbie”.

He was a freak. He was graceful. He ran like a gazelle and leapt like Rudolph Nureyev. He turned on a sixpence and kicked his long drop punts like the ball was from a slingshot. He was untouchable at his best. He slipped out of tackles like Houdini. He was truly unforgettable.  Opponents never knew which way he was going to turn because he was  ambidextrous. They never knew where the ball was going because he used both hands and both feet whilst pivoting and side stepping like a kid jumping across stones in a creek.  And in a period of rough tough footballers and thugs, he was shaped like fine porcelain china. Arms and legs like a flamingo that you felt could snap at any time. 

The best of the best, that was Robbie. Above all his grace in defeat and his humility in victory were hallmarks of his personality. He was not only a great footballer but a great human being. 

Truly poetry in motion. A player of beauty. 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,381]

On 12/11/2020 at 10:45 PM, Wrecker45 said:

I was in prep when he was in his prime. Not quite old  enough to remember  him properly but also old enough to remember he is probably the greatest demon ever.

I'm in my early 60s so don't remember Barassi when he played for Melbourne. Is there someone out there older than me who can remember Barassi in his prime and provide an opinion as to which of Barassi and Flower was the better player?

Barassi, of course, was involved in 6 premierships while Flower shone in generally poor teams. I would genuinely love to read the reminicses of those Demonlanders who can remember both in their prime. I was privileged to have watched Flower who is unquestionably the best Melbourne player I have seen. Those who saw both play in their prime have been more than doubly privileged as they've seen some Premierships along the way.

[Pickett2Jackson 3,904]

Robbie is the greatest Demon of the last 50 years...  but not for long.  Christian Petracca will take that mantle from him in a few years.

[bazza226 66]

if Trac wins us a Flag I will agree but atm Flower is way ahead of him

Edited December 14, 2020 by bazza226

[hemingway 7,583]

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I'm in my early 60s so don't remember Barassi when he played for Melbourne. Is there someone out there older than me who can remember Barassi in his prime and provide an opinion as to which of Barassi and Flower was the better player?

Barassi, of course, was involved in 6 premierships while Flower shone in generally poor teams. I would genuinely love to read the reminicses of those Demonlanders who can remember both in their prime. I was privileged to have watched Flower who is unquestionably the best Melbourne player I have seen. Those who saw both play in their prime have been more than doubly privileged as they've seen some Premierships along the way.

Mate, a very difficult comparison. 

As to skills, Flower was way ahead. Barassi had good skills but Flower was naturally gifted whereas Ron worked on his skills with the belief that practice makes perfect. 

Flower was sublime but Barassi was a human dynamo. He never stopped in his attack on the ball or his opponent. He literally ran through brick walls. He was an inspiration and the whole team lifted when Ron was in the thick of things. If he was taken out of the game (1958 GF) or was injured the team would often struggle. 

For mine, Barassi was a match winner. His coach knew it, his teammates knew it, and the opposition knew it. 

If I wanted a player today to provide inspiration and lead from the front I would choose Barassi. 

If I wanted to go along and watch a sublime player, I would choose Flower. 

[Pickett2Jackson 3,904]

50 minutes ago, bazza226 said:

if Trac wins us a Flag I will agree but atm Flower is way ahead of him

I should have said if Trac continues on his current trajectory he will be the best.

Nothing guaranteed.

[Demonstone 19,050]

4 minutes ago, hemingway said:

He literally ran through brick walls.

Literally, Ernest?

[hemingway 7,583]

4 minutes ago, demonstone said:

Literally, Ernest?

Let’s call it a metaphor mate. 

[robbiefrom13 877]

clean ball-handling, and the ability to stop or turn on a sixpence, made Robbie virtually untackleable.  Heavier-built by miles, but Petracca does have quite a bit of those attributes.  Watching the old footage shows how Wilson had quite a bit of that too.  Exactly the things Viney and Jones don't have.  But then Viney has a bit of the Barassi unstoppability.  One of my strongest memories of Barassi was of him marking a drop-kick probably less that 10 metres from where it had been kicked.  A full-blooded low kick that at full stretch Barassi just reached.  it stuck in his grip and smashed him backwards onto the turf, as though he'd been shot by a cannon-ball.  He didn't let go of the ball.  it's imprinted on my mind as much as that famous shot of him airborne, having just kicked, with one arm stretched out to the side and the look on his face - unstoppable. 

But Robbie was a scalpel among axes.  Pure poetry, finesse, instinct for what was going on.  He struck in the split-second right moment.  Timing as perfect as that isn't likely to come around again.  

[Ollie fan 2,113]

Love reading all of this. People describe Barassi and Flower so well. I saw a lot of Flower, a little bit of Barassi and everything I’ve read, I agree with.

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,089]

On 12/13/2020 at 11:37 PM, hemingway said:

Those supporters who got to see Robbie were truly blessed. And I mean, truly blessed. 

Our regular team defeats were offset by the majesty of watching Robbie glide through the centre of the MCG or run the members wing. Every time he got near the ball or had the ball, a buzz of excitement went through our supporters like electricity. We rose to our feet, shouting just one word, “Robbie”.

He was a freak. He was graceful. He ran like a gazelle and leapt like Rudolph Nureyev. He turned on a sixpence and kicked his long drop punts like the ball was from a slingshot. He was untouchable at his best. He slipped out of tackles like Houdini. He was truly unforgettable.  Opponents never knew which way he was going to turn because he was  ambidextrous. They never knew where the ball was going because he used both hands and both feet whilst pivoting and side stepping like a kid jumping across stones in a creek.  And in a period of rough tough footballers and thugs, he was shaped like fine porcelain china. Arms and legs like a flamingo that you felt could snap at any time. 

The best of the best, that was Robbie. Above all his grace in defeat and his humility in victory were hallmarks of his personality. He was not only a great footballer but a great human being. 

Truly poetry in motion. A player of beauty. 

Superb H,  could not have described him better. 

I feel blessed to have grown up as a kid watching him play and was fortunate enough to get into the change rooms after matches regularly  and I'd look for him and Laurie Fowler who would alway give you time for a chat. 

Fond memories. 

[hemingway 7,583]

1 hour ago, Hell Bent said:

Superb H,  could not have described him better. 

I feel blessed to have grown up as a kid watching him play and was fortunate enough to get into the change rooms after matches regularly  and I'd look for him and Laurie Fowler who would alway give you time for a chat. 

Fond memories. 

As a kid, going into the dressing room at the MCG to see our heroes was the most exciting thing that could ever happen. It was the holy grail. 

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,089]

35 minutes ago, hemingway said:

As a kid, going into the dressing room at the MCG to see our heroes was the most exciting thing that could ever happen. It was the holy grail. 

I can still remember the painted wall in the rooms "There is no substitute for winning ".

Unfortunately it appeared none of the players in the 70s/early 80s could read! 

[Dame Gaga 2,453]

He was the only player I witnessed opposition supporters stand up and applaud after a particularly spectacular floating run across the grass of the MCG ending in a classic effortless Robbie goal. Good memories. To their credit, St Kilda supporters recognized greatness when they saw it.