Comrades.

Please do not get me wrong - anyone who dons a Red and Blue jumper and then takes to the field should always command a certain level of respect. It is, after all, a man's game.

Over the years, however, there have been players of whom it might be said that at their careers fell short of the ideal. As a supporter, one was left with a sense of longing for a much better outcome, all to no vivid end. In many such cases, the circumstances were beyond their control (say, a Paul Prymke).

Here is my list:

- Diamond Jim Tilbrook.

- Kelvin Templeton.

- the Fidge Clan.

- David Schwarz. As much as he ended up achieving, O to erase that day in January 1995.

- Michael Reynolds.

- Adrian Battison.

- Les Bamblett.

- Dean Irving

- Sean Charles.

- Greg Healy - freed of the captaincy, he looked a much happier player. And then he suffered that knee injury.

- Paul Prymke.

- Earl Spalding.

- Kelly O'Donnell.

- Cutherbertson (sorry, I cannot remember his first name).

- Jacko - in a sense.

I would be interested to learn what other people think re this subject.

Cutherbertson. First name... Darren!

For mine, Jackovich and Schwarz promised so much, but due to injuries did not fufil their potential. They both could/should have dominated the game through the mid-late 90's.

Travis Johnstone (despite a stellar season) should probably still be on that list. Two good seasons out of eight is a disapointment. I expect he'll make amends over the coming years though.

Which Jacko do you mean - Alan or Mark?

Alan was sort of OK, Mark was a joke!

I would say Heffernan is one disappointing player. Looked alright at Essendon, did nothing for a few years before finally leaving.

dalrot i gotta agree with u for 1nce heffernan had 1 desent game againt Geelong cant remember what year

Luke Molan is another disappointing player, for someone drafted so high in the so called 'super' draft you would of hoped he played a few games at least.

John "Diamond Jim" Tilbrook would have to be the most disappointing in my book. He was recruited to the club from Sturt SA in 1971 and was probably one of the first highly paid Demons after the club had let other clubs lead the way in terms of professionalism. Our golden era was over and we hadn't played in the finals since 1964. Tilbrook had been a member of a sensational Sturt side which had won six SANFL flags in a row. His clearance from Sturt had been held up in the first half of the season but Melbourne was having a bit of a revival in 1971 winning 8 out of the first 9 games. Tilbrook was cleared to play at last in Round 12 at VFL Park against South Melbourne and, although the team has just lost two matches in a row (to top sides Richmond & Hawthorn), it was expected to surge into the finals with their new forward.

It was another typically wet day at Waverley but when "Diamond Jim" ran out every Melbourne supporter at the ground would have had their hearts in their mouths. The guy was built like a brick shyzenhausen. Wearing the Demon jumper he lacked only a red cape and a yellow S across his chest and he would have been the spitting image of Superman. When he got his first kick the resemblance with the man from Krypton was even more pronounced. The other mere mortals on the ground were kicking the ball around about 30 to 40 metres in the wet conditions. Tilbrook let loose with one that went 70! We were in heaven. Melbourne won 6.13.49 to South's 2.6.18.

The following week, The Dees lost a close one to the Bulldogs by a point but Diamond Jim didn't disappoint - he booted three through the big sticks. However, as the season went on, the Dees started losing games and slowly but surely they sunk out of the top 4 and Tilbrook went down to the bottom of the harbour with them. A consolation prize was the night premiership (the day finallists didn't take part in those games) and Tilbrook played in the centre.

John Tilbrook battled on until 1975 when he played just 2 games for a career total of 56 games in 5 seasons. By that time, he was an object of derision in the press and Lou Richards labelled him "Diamonte Jim" - diamontes being imitation diamonds.

He had turned out to be a false messiah and Melbourne languished for more than a decade after that before it made the finals. But for one brief wet day at Waverley, we thought all of our Xmases had come at once.

Phil Gilbert , Adrian Campbell & Darren Kowell

Big expectations on all & None fired a shot.

Jack, you scare me man.

  discworld demon said:

Which Jacko do you mean - Alan or Mark?

Alan was sort of OK, Mark was a joke!

Jokes don't kick 80 plus goals a season, not to mention the bags that G. Healy skived in the pocket alongside him. Jackson had his limitations but don't ever kid yourself into thinking he couldn't play.

Other disappointments - Spud Dullard. Bobby Skilton once said that Spud could have been the best CHF in the league if he'd actually applied himself on the training track.

Stephen Bickford - just looked a footballer. Had balance, time, poise - everything but the footy

Paul O'Brien - through no fault of his own. Was blossoming as a footballer & looked like being anything until his knee went. Effectively ended his career

Glenn McLean - for pissing off to Collingwood

I don't know if this fits into the category of disappointing but Leigh Newton could have been anything if not for his wretched OP.

There was a game against Carlton in 1997 when Newton seemed to be playing at both ends of the ground.

In terms of disappointing fit players, B. Grgic is right up there. When he helped beat the Pies single handedly in 1998 it seemed the sky was the limit for our young number 4 but low and behold he seemed to tread water for the next 3 years until being moved onto Geelong. I think he's now off playing country footy !

  Whispering_Jack said:

John "Diamond Jim" Tilbrook would have to be the most disappointing in my book.

Great Post WJ.

I was there that day in the wet at Waverley in truly shocking conditions. Ball was a like a bar of soap.

So much was expected of Tilbrook an ex SA decathalon champ. I recall MFC paid an astronomical $38,000 to Sturt to secure him. Deal was arranged just before the cut off time for new recruits(half way through the season).

Legend has it that he could kick 80 metrs right foot 70 metrs left foot.

Came into the game off the bench and I remember that first kick. When everyone was kicking 35 -40 metres in shocking conditions, Diamond Jim thumped it 70 metres. Our hope was well and truly false.

I remember that day that Barry Bourke kicked 5 behinds from six shots at FF.

DJ was the biggest receiver in SA footy and never won much contested ball.

Found his niche in footy with Old Melburnians after 5 years at MFC.

Over the years I have been disappointed in the following:

Ross Dillon - Knee injury cruelled a capable player.

John Clennett - Tasmanian star that was too much of party boy.

Graham Molloy - SA Tassie medallist who did little at MFC.

Glenn Swan - Kicked 8 in a game in the dark days against Geelong. Thought we had found a star. Realised we had not.

Kim Smith - Prahran VFA goal kicking machine who could not touch the leather in VFL.

Carl Ditterich - As a player and a coach did not live up to the hype.

Ken "Bomber" Roberts - Recruited him and thought in the dark 70s he might give us a spark. First in a long line of Essendon duds that cruelled us.

Paul Hurst/ Michael Young - In the 70s 2 ex Carlton premiership players who proved that some footballers are in the right team at the right time.

Ron Barassi - As a coach a false dawn again.

Kelvin Templeton - Best football behind him. Already had achilles problems.

Gary Baker - one fantastic year then did a knee and was never the same.

Many of Ray Jordan's early 80's U19 stars who never lived up to the hype.

John Fidge- Saw him play a blinder at HBF at Waverley. Thought this guy had everything. Later realise application and attitude was not one of them. His brother was a dud.

Adrian Battiston - Hard ball rover who after his first year could not win the hard ball

Les Bamblett - Lally was a ball magnet but did not have the application for VFL/AFL. Swapped him for Strawbs.

David Cordner - Blond 6'4' from a most famous family kicked over 100 goals in the U19. Then oppositions noted that he heard footsteps and it was good bye white hope.

Glenn McLean- Could play but then just didn't. Lucky we dudded Collingwood with him.

Mark Jackson- Could play but just an out and out nutcase. Flicked from three clubs for his antics. Makes Chopper Read like an altarboy. Well almost!

Gerard Healy - Shattered at the time he went to Swans. Brownlow there vindicated my sense of loss.

Glenn Lovett - Dodgy hamstrings killed a skilled player

Steven Tingay- Back/hamstrings robbed MFC of his brilliance for many years. When fit in 1994 an 1998, it was no co incidence that we made the finals.

  Rhino Richards said:

Graham Molloy - SA Tassie medallist who did little at MFC.

His son Glenn didn't do any better for us either, in fact he was worse !

Brent Grgic.

and I blame us for his mental decay.

  DemonWorshipper said:

His son Glenn didn't do any better for us either, in fact he was worse !

Was going to mention his son but he did not disappoint because I had no expectations about him.

Molloy senior came with track form in the SANFL and in the State Carnival. He flopped. Ended his days Capt Coach thug at Vermont

  Finks said:

Brent Grgic.

and I blame us for his mental decay.

Finks I think Grgic always had a slack demeanour about him and other Clubs exploited it.

i'm talking about the way we all psyched him off his game.

don't deny it people, you all helped in Grgic's demise.

(buy someone you luv an xmas pressy and all will be forgiven)

*Guilt*

the Cockatoo Collins boys......

Good one Don.

First time I saw them against Geelong in 1996, I thought we could not have recruited two undersized out of their depth footballers. Let alone one.

  Rhino Richards said:

Good one Don.

First time I saw them against Geelong in 1996, I thought we could not have recruited two undersized out of their depth footballers. Let alone one.

Donald C-Collins was an absolute nut case. I remember the night at AAMI in 97 when he head butted some Port bloke for no apparent reason!! I can't even remember David playing a game??

Martin Heppel, David Grant, Robert Pyman, Nick Pesch, Brent Williams and Ross Funcke come to mind as players who hardly set the world on fire for us!

They came to us as fringe players and never made the grade.

I think the one's that disappoint were those that were either high draft picks or players with a high reputation that bombed at MFC.

Unfortunately MFC's history is riddled with them.

We've had a rough run with injuries to key players in recent decades - thinking Schwarz, Lyon, Prymke, Tingay, G.Lovett, Jakovich, go back further to Chris Connolly etc.

A team of disappointments:

B: Ken Roberts, Phil Gilbert, Darren Kowal

HB: Graham Molloy, Ross Dillon, Paul Hurst

C: Les Bamblett, Glenn Lovett, Steve Tingay

HF: John Fidge, Kelvin Templeton, Warren Dean

F: David Corder, Mark Jackson, Barry Norsworthy

R: C Ditterich, Gerard Healy, Adrian Battiston

Int: Paul Prymke, Glenn Swan, Glenn McLean, Glenn Elliott

Apologies to those that did not make it. There was muich depth in this list!

Yeah but on their day they would beat anyone :D

Did I miss Vinnie Cattoggio, now there was a player?

Shane Fitzsimmons, started same year as Robbie and was supposed to be a champion.