Jump to content

Sunday footy show - Who is the greatest Demon of all time?

mpc
mpc
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

Posted

Came across this video randomly, thought others might enjoy it also:

 

  • Quote
    • Like 4
    • Thanks 1
     
    4 minutes ago, Winners at last said:

    Robbie ... obviously.

    Sadly he played at a time when the Demons were deplorable.

    Even sadder was his premature death.

    They had Ron Barrassi at number 1.

    Hard to argue with his record and all.

    Had really good things to say about Robbie though.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
     
    6 minutes ago, Winners at last said:

    Robbie ... obviously.

    Sadly he played at a time when the Demons were deplorable.

    Even sadder was his premature death.

    Flower is clearly the best I have seen. But I didn't see either Barassi play in his prime or Norm Smith play at all.  

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Love 1

    I was only a kid but I remember RDB .... It was a vastly different game then.

    For mine Robbie and Neitz were the greatest of former players but there are couple of today's Demons who may go on to top them for the 'greatest ever' accolade.

    We should revisit this topic in a few years.

  • Quote
    • Like 6
    • Thanks 1

     
    • Author

    I can only remember from the 90s onwards so my early favourites were Jakovic, Stynes and ... Darren Bennett. My earliest football memory from my first live game was him having a shot from 50 out and the ball landing/hitting on the top of the post.

    Then it was Neitz, Schwartz and Farmer for the Daniher era. Special mention to Matty Whelan.

    Watts and Jurrah during the dark years. So much potential just at the wrong time with no support or development pathway.

    More recently the obvious ones like Trac, Clarry and Max are going to obviously be in the ballpark of greatest ever.  Fritta is also a favourite of this era.

    If I have to choose one, it's probably recency bias but Gawn for everything he has done in helping turn the club around both onfield and off, and the only (men's) demon to hold up the premiership cup in my lifetime, would have to be the greatest for me.

    Also special mention to Daisy Pearce - she is the clear leader for our women's team.

    Edited by mpc

  • Quote
    • Like 4

    Had Robbie had the luxury of playing in the teams of RBD's era he would be just about the greatest.  Vividly recall David Parkin, after a 40 disposal game for Flower representing Victoria, stating that he was just about the best player he ever coached. RDB very good player but his leadership and toughness were his greatest qualities,  not his skill. 

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Love 1
    23 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

    Imagine if we had Flower now. Unstoppable, Gary!

     

    Robbie.

    We could even play him in position. How good would that be!

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Clap 1
    6 minutes ago, Deemist said:

    We could even play him in position. How good would that be!

    He played against Malcolm Blight at full back one day at the MCG!!

  • Quote

    I saw Flower come on the ground @ Victoria Park as 19th /20th man in the Reserves. Comments made were " Lookit the Shiela" as he had "athletic glasses"    10 minutes later he got the ball , showed it to half the Collinwood side and the comments were "kill the shiela" My favourite moment. .........He was silk !!!

    Barassi was brutal, but lifted sides through shear will,like nobody except for Maximus.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Love 1

    Robbie Flower.  He was special   

    Could kick 50 metres plus on left and right foot 

    Could run and bounce and handball and run past and evade two tackles and then kick a goal 

    Could twist and turn and spin and weave through opponents whilst dodging elbows and knees trying to bring him down 

    Could rise and lift and reach for a mark either on the wing or in the firward line to kick a team lifting goal 

  • Quote
    • Thanks 1
    • Love 1
    • Clap 1

    Depends on your h criteria.  On pure skill and talent Flower.  No one has come close to him. 

    Even older people (Knowledgable footballer) here I have spoken to were in awe of his skill when they watched him play for Victoria in WA.  He was a class above everyone else.  

    More sadly was his early passing as he was such a great guy.  Used to like the chats with him by Peter Russel Clark on his show, when he was always visiting Robbie in his store.

    As others have said, if you want sheer force of personality for success, RDB is the clear stand out, even better than anyone else that have led the Dees. 

     

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    RDB clearly the winner.

    Warne Smith - Captain, 2 Brown lows & a Premiership has to be 2nd.

    Robbie the best I've seen followed by Lyon.  

  • Quote

    Norm (10 flags as player/coach)

    RDB

    Robbie

    Mueller (reading the book 125 year history of MFC Mueller was ranked by Hobbs/Palmer as 7th in a list of best 50 VFL players in last year's 1933-1983 - big game player who arguable won the 48 flag off his own boot)

    La Fontaine

    Chadwick

    Warne-Smith

    Neitz

    Max

    *Checker for his impact on the club though not as a player

    Edited by Dr. Gonzo

  • Quote
    • Like 3

    RDB and Robbie are clearly at the head of the pack in my lifetime, although we are incredibly lucky to have CP5, Max and Clarry, all of whom may be in the conversation.

    Can I mention David Schwarz, who if he had not been injured and have maintained his 1994 form would be right up there.

  • Quote
    • Like 7

    Reading this (thank you, everyone!) I just had the pleasant rush of imagining all of these playing together in some 'Bang!Bang!Bang!'-level-and-more-type passages.

    Imagine that game's list of goal scorers...

    Though that makes me also think: like the Brownlow, etc, no backs? Can this thread have a 'backliner sub-thread'?

    I'll start with G. Hardeman. With recency bias providing S. May. And, from the pre-me vault, J. Beckwith.

  • Quote
    •  
    19 hours ago, layzie said:

    1. RDB

    2. Tulip

    3. Maxy

    This seems a bit of the vibe for me, but a little hard to answer given how the game has changed and also due to the fact i was born in 84, so i don't really remember anything pre early 90s. 

  • Quote
    3 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

    Though that makes me also think: like the Brownlow, etc, no backs? Can this thread have a 'backliner sub-thread'?

    I'll start with G. Hardeman. With recency bias providing S. May. And, from the pre-me vault, J. Beckwith.

    David Neitz was every bit as good a backman as he was a forward & I will always have a soft spot for Sean Wight. Could easily throw Steven Smith in there, too, though Neitz would be the only one of those who could even be mentioned in the "greatest Demon of all time" debate.

    Edited by Checker Mate

  • Quote
    • Like 2

    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • NON-MFC: Round 05

      Gather Round is here, kicking off with a Thursday night blockbuster as Adelaide faces Geelong. The Crows will be out for redemption after a controversial loss last week. Saturday starts with the Magpies taking on the Swans. Collingwood will be eager to cement their spot in the top eight, while Sydney is hot on their heels. In the Barossa Valley, two rising sides go head-to-head in a fascinating battle to prove they're the real deal. Later, Carlton and West Coast face off at Adelaide Oval, both desperate to notch their first win of the season. The action then shifts to Norwood, where the undefeated Lions will aim to keep their streak alive against the Bulldogs. Sunday’s games begin in the Barossa with Richmond up against Fremantle. In Norwood, the Saints will be looking to take a scalp when they come up against the Giants. The round concludes with a fiery rematch of last year's semi-final, as the Hawks seek revenge for their narrow loss to Port Adelaide. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

      • 10 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Geelong

      There was a time in the second quarter of the game at the Cattery on Friday afternoon when the Casey Demons threatened to take the game apart against the Cats. The Demons had been well on top early but were struggling to convert their ascendancy over the ground until Tom Fullarton’s burst of three goals in the space of eight minutes on the way to a five goal haul and his best game for the club since arriving from Brisbane at the end of 2023. He was leading, marking and otherwise giving his opponents a merry dance as Casey grabbed a three goal lead in the blink of an eye. Fullarton has now kicked ten goals in Casey’s three matches and, with Melbourne’s forward conversion woes, he is definitely in with a chance to get his first game with the club in next week’s Gather Round in Adelaide. Despite the tall forward’s efforts - he finished with 19 disposals and eight marks and had four hit outs as back up to Will Verrall in the second half - it wasn’t enough as Geelong reigned in the lead through persistent attacks and eventually clawed their way to the lead early in the last and held it till they achieved the end aim of victory.

        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Geelong

      I was disappointed to hear Goody say at his post match presser after the team’s 39 point defeat against Geelong that "we're getting high quality entry, just poor execution" because Melbourne’s problems extend far beyond that after its 0 - 4 start to the 2025 football season. There are clearly problems with poor execution, some of which were evident well before the current season and were in play when the Demons met the Cats in early May last year and beat them in a near top-of-the-table clash that saw both sides sitting comfortably in the top four after round eight. Since that game, the Demons’ performances have been positively Third World with only five wins in 19 games with a no longer majestic midfield and a dysfunctional forward line that has become too easy for opposing coaches to counter. This is an area of their game that is currently being played out as if they were all completely panic-stricken.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Essendon

      Facing the very real and daunting prospect of starting the season with five straight losses, the Demons head to South Australia for the annual Gather Round, where they’ll take on the Bombers in search of their first win of the year. Who comes in, and who comes out?

        • Thanks
      • 212 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 04

      Round 4 kicks off with a blockbuster on Thursday night as traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton clash at the MCG, with the Magpies looking to assert themselves as early-season contenders and the Blues seeking their first win of the season. Saturday opens with Gold Coast hosting Adelaide, a key test for the Suns as they aim to back up their big win last week, while the Crows will be looking to keep their perfect record intact. Reigning wooden spooners Richmond have the daunting task of facing reigning premiers Brisbane at the ‘G and the Lions will be eager to reaffirm their premiership credentials after a patchy start. Saturday night sees North Melbourne take on Sydney at Marvel Stadium, with the Swans looking to build on their first win of the season last week against a rebuilding Roos outfit. Sunday’s action begins with GWS hosting West Coast at ENGIE Stadium, a game that could get ugly very early for the visitors. Port Adelaide vs St Kilda at Adelaide Oval looms as a interesting clash, with both clubs form being very hard to read. The round wraps up with Fremantle taking on the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in what could be a fierce contest between two sides with top-eight ambitions. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

        • Thanks
      • 273 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Geelong

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 7th April @ the all new time of 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect another Demons loss at Kardinia Park to the Cats in the Round 04. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human.

        • Thanks
      • 62 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All