Thugs and Saints

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,534]

Passage of time means older thugs are not appropriately remembered. I didn't see either play but I suspect Jack Dyer and Mopsy Fraser may consider themselves unlucky to have been overlooked. Conversely, 'Diminutive of Richard' Reynolds would likely be a saint. 

[chook fowler 18,392]

Mike Fitzpatrick was one of the worst in my opinion- and sneaky to go with it. Always makes me sick when I see him talked about in positions of power. Cowboy Neale also had very pointy elbows.

[Meggs 576]

1 hour ago, Jjrogan said:

Steven Baker gotta be the tagger.  He was suspended for 28 games in his career. 

Retired from AFL, then got suspended for 6 weeks for rough conduct in a preseason game for Sorrento!

Had to be de-registered from all forms of football but he won his appeal.  

Yes, he was an ‘Thug’.  Regularly terrorised Aaron Davey, a true Saint, and once KO’d The Whizz earning a 7 week suspension.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,556]

12 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

Mike Fitzpatrick was one of the worst in my opinion- and sneaky to go with it. Always makes me sick when I see him talked about in positions of power. Cowboy Neale also had very pointy elbows.

Elbows FMD !!!

I worked with Ditta - good bloke - but elbows !!!

I'm no midget by a long way but Ditto's elbows were the size of my kneecaps (I do not exaggerate ) and he knew how to use them!

[pitmaster 3,103]

2 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

Actually Allan Jeans should be on the thug list as well.

Damn right. Old style copper and an apologist for thuggery.

[chook fowler 18,392]

1 minute ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Elbows FMD !!!

I worked with Ditta - good bloke - but elbows !!!

I'm no midget by a long way but Ditto's elbows were the size of my kneecaps (I do not exaggerate ) and he knew how to use them!

Maybe active elbows would be more apt.

[beelzebub 22,328]

14 minutes ago, pitmaster said:

Damn right. Old style copper and an apologist for thuggery.

Really explains much about Hawthorn. 

That said... footy was a different game ...then.... 

Some bits i miss... some i dont 

Edited June 8, 2023 by beelzebub

[joeboy 2,872]

David Rhys Jones was reported and suspended for assaulting Bambi.. I mean Robbie Flower😱

That definitely puts him at the top of the sinner list

[dl4e 5,648]

Bit surprised Jacko hasn't been mentioned but then again he was more of a wannabe comedian. 

[beelzebub 22,328]

20 minutes ago, joeboy said:

David Rhys Jones was reported and suspended for assaulting Bambi.. I mean Robbie Flower😱

That definitely puts him at the top of the sinner list

Ive mentioned this before I'm sure.

Quite some years ago was shopping BigW Karingal.   Friday night.. 

Out front signing his new book was Rhys Jones.   I was torn... do i go sucker punch the [censored] or say g'day.   Again...an ok player who sought the low road all too easily. 

As i approached... well...entered the store he looked up up hopefully...   i kinda saluted with a 'gday' ..   He looked broken...forlorn...

I was happy enough...

 

[Swooper1987 2,801]

Danny Hughes was a very "robust" full back in an era when knees and elbows were weapons.  He hurt a lot of opponents and always flew the flag.  That Northey era Melbourne side had a few blokes who walked a fine line - and I loved them all! Grinter who knocked out many, but by far the hardest and at the time fairest bump was the one he laid on Chris Mew in the 1987 preliminary final.  Unbelievably Mew played in the GF the next week but barely touched it.  Strawbs O'Dwyer was another with particularly pointy knees and elbows and a pretty decent rap sheet.  Earl Spalding was another of those "ungainly" types who always managed to make contact with an opponent.  Dean "Dog" Chiron was another ripper.  He terrorised John Platten to the point that Dermott Brereton knocked him out cold in 1988 and that was the end of him.

Part of our relative success in the late 80's and early 90's was built off a very hard edge from a good number of players.  We were truly very hard to play against.

[Tarax Club 3,188]

Ted Fidge v Darren Millane

Light Heavyweight bout Waverley Park

Round 1 1988

Ted Fidge by a one punch KO

No Saint, nor an out and out thug. Ted delivered the decisive retaliatory blow, end of game for faux tough guy Darren ‘rubber legs’ Millane. Six weeks for Ted and end of his VFL career. 

Edited June 8, 2023 by Tarax Club

[John Crow Batty 8,305]

5 hours ago, layzie said:

You didn't go to Kew High by any chance? 

Yep I did.

[John Crow Batty 8,305]

3 hours ago, pitmaster said:

Damn right. Old style copper and an apologist for thuggery.

Jeans was senior sergeant at East St Kilda Police Station. The toughest most notorious police station in Victoria during the 1960-70’s. Dipper once said he was a very scary coach.

Edited June 8, 2023 by John Crow Batty

[layzie 29,760]

1 minute ago, John Crow Batty said:

Yep I did.

Nice one, I didn't but went to Kew Primary. From memory he also played for Kew FC.

[John Crow Batty 8,305]

18 minutes ago, layzie said:

Nice one, I didn't but went to Kew Primary. From memory he also played for Kew FC.

Yep he did play for Kew. At the time Kelvin Matthews, Leigh Matthews brother who also played for Hawthorn came to our school and invited all the best school footballers to go down to train at Hawthorn. 5 of them eventually made it into the Hawthorn squad. Dipper was invited also because of his size and strength. At school football games he could run hard in a straight line and bowl opponents over but that was all to his game. He could barely kick the ball. 

Edited June 8, 2023 by John Crow Batty

[Bang Na Demon 127]

6 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

Dipper was a true gentleman off the field. Went to school with him. A monster guy even then but carried himself with dignity and grace. Protected the small kids and school bullies and toughs feared him. Allan Jeans turned him into a football thug. Actually Allan Jeans should be on the thug list as well.

I went to school with him too at Hawthorn West PS, one of the 'tough' kids but never a bully. Also got a chance to chat with Robbie Flower a few years before his passing and asked him about the Dippa thing, he said he was brutal but always in the act of play. He then said without reservation Malthouse was the dirtiest player he'd encounted on the field, bashing him behind the play in a practice game one year

Edited June 8, 2023 by xiss

[John Crow Batty 8,305]

4 minutes ago, xiss said:

I went to school with him too at Hawthorn West PS, one of the 'tough' kids but never a bully. Also got a chance to chat with Robbie Flower a few years before his passing and asked him about the Dippa thing, he said he was brutal but always in the act of play. He then said without reservation Malthouse was the dirtiest player he'd encounted on the field, bashing him behind the play in a practice game one year

Malthouse learnt his craft under Allan Jeans at St Kilda. Arguably the most thuggish team at the time. 

[Great Northern Summer 689]

7 hours ago, Monbon said:

During my illness and consequent insomnia - just a bad cold apparently - I have picked 2 teams of my favourite 'Fair and Talented' players, and a list of the players I considered brutal thugs.

Saints:

Alan Johnson, Silvagni, Roos

F,. Davis  Knights, Barry Davis

Grieg Petracca Flower

Davey Hart Rioli - either M. or C.

Farmer Quinlan, Daicos- dad.

P.Farmer, Goodes. Garry Wilson.

INt: Alves, Jeff White, Woewodin, John Shultz, Wanganeen

 

Thugs: 

 

Ayres, Andrews , Wallis

Granger ( Port Adelaide) Jess, Hardwick

Rhys Jones, Williams, Dimma

Brereton, Merret, Hodge

Hocking, Lockett, Hall

Scott, Byronia Pickett Matthews

Int: Balme, Selwood, Mclean, Mal Brown, Sheedy, Clarkson

 

Garfield was not a thug thank you.

Just because he won a Norm Smith against us, doesn't make him that.

[layzie 29,760]

31 minutes ago, John Crow Batty said:

Jeans was senior sergeant at East St Kilda Police Station. The toughest most notorious police station in Victoria during the 1960-70’s. Dipper once said he was a very scary coach.

When Dipper tells the story of that night after training where he'd had a few too many and Jeans took him aside and struck the fear of God into him, saying he'd embarrassed the club and himself.

Gives me shivers hearing it every time!

[Monbon 1,537]

7 hours ago, Glorious Day said:

Garfield was not a thug thank you.

Just because he won a Norm Smith against us, doesn't make him that.

'Garfield"? He was a squeaky clean cricketer...

[Monbon 1,537]

14 hours ago, hemingway said:

Our own Rodney Balls Grinter would be disappointed. 

Rodney was molto tuffo, but actually only committed one crime - against Wallace.

I left Ditterich out because I'm sentimental as anything, ditto Danny Hughes and Ray Biffen. 

Then again, if I had to choose who was the most cunning sniper between Ditterich and Don Scott, Scott wins by a mile. Scott's specialty was picking on the little fellas...

Edited June 8, 2023 by Monbon

[FarNorthernD 5,848]

11 hours ago, joeboy said:

David Rhys Jones was reported and suspended for assaulting Bambi.. I mean Robbie Flower😱

That definitely puts him at the top of the sinner list

Sadly for Rhys-Jones he will be primarily remembered by the footy public as a thug. Having been in front of the judiciary 25 times in his career, he is the most reported player player in history. He would just snap. 
However he was also supremely talented; quick, agile and skilful. He kept Brereton goalless in the ‘87 Grand Final and won the Norm Smith. 

 

[Monbon 1,537]

I should also have Hudson at FF for the Saintly ones

And, I certainly should have included the son of Mal Brown, maybe he takes the place of Ayres.

And, Toby Greens? yes, well.

 

I have deliberately left out Muir because of the racism he faced. 

[dice 569]

2 hours ago, FarNorthernD said:

Sadly for Rhys-Jones he will be primarily remembered by the footy public as a thug
 

And remembered for being KO'ed on the wing at the G by another thug