Seriously, brings me to tears every time I see those highlights...

The greatest Demon.

There is one and only one player playing today that Flower would have made look exceptionally silly, because he would have played on him, and you would have just stood up in the members and clapped, because that is the sheer gracefullness and humility of the guy.

I'm trying to remember if Flower was clapped for an individual effort or not? I think he was.

1 hour ago, FarNorthernD said:

Just watching this from someone that also missed him by a fair margin age wise… he ran at odd angles? As in he was very aware of his space and was able to anticipate which angles would cut through lines/players. Also stopping ability from running at full speed looks very evident

Robbie was a skinny bloke who played in an era of thuggery and king hits.

Yet somehow .... he played a game that was both cerebral and aesthetic .

He was truly a champion of the game. Everything said already is spot on and one I will add is that he never fell over. A sign of a great player. Mate of mine was the fitness guy in those days and went to just about every game and in the rooms after with my young son (who is now late 40's) and yes, we were [censored] for most of his career but was loyal to the Demons and happy to chat after a game. Brilliant, brilliant player on the wing when most teams had great wingers then in the backs.

I recall seeing him regularly burst our of the centre, dodge the opposition and kick a goal on the run. If you didn't know who he was, you would soon pick him out, as he made it seem everyone else was playing at half the speed.

There was one time when the Melbourne coach instructed the team to line up for kick ins by having Robbie on one flank and everyone else on the other. It didn't matter who was on Robbie - we would back him to win the contest.

One of a kind: skilled, fast, aware, humble and loyal. RIP Tulip.

16 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Robbie was a skinny bloke who played in an era of thuggery and king hits.

Yet somehow .... he played a game that was both cerebral and aesthetic .

By the looks of his highlights, he was too agile and quick for them!

3 hours ago, demon3165 said:

I called him SOG, SON OF GOD. He was the best pound-for-pound footballer to ever play the game, both hands and both feet, a great mark. There will never be enough superlatives to say about him.

agreed in a dark period of winning games hardly ever he was a reason to turn up. The best I have seen

2 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

I love that a thread like this comes up seemingly every year or even more often.

Clearly the legend is passed around and the 'young folk' get curious.

I love that none of the 'old folk' ever get tired of retelling the story of a player who went beyond excellence into some form of art.

I love hearing about those days. The 24/7 nature of footy news and media, especially at the moment when there is a lull in between finals and the off season sometimes makes people forget that there was a simpler time. When footy players still had jobs and interacted with the community and weren't on a pedestal above it.

I listen to the podcast regularly and often hear @binman mention Robbie. I've even heard opposition fans say that he was the best we've ever had. I thought it was about time I tried to find out about the man.

I can see from the replies just how much he means to a lot of people. Just as many have mentioned what a nice guy he was as they have how good at footy he was. Speaks volumes of his character as well as footy calibre.

1 hour ago, Heart Beats True said:

Genuinely a lovely guy. As a kid, I used to love visiting him in his sports store at Forest Hill shopping centre. He was always very generous with his time and would be just as interested in hearing our stories as I was in his. Superstar ⭐️

Still think of that Sportsco shop every time I go past or into Forest Hill Chase.

Time stood still when he got the footy. Only one other that I've witnessed had the same effect - Peter Daicos. Both of them in the same era was incredible

Simply the best.

1 hour ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Robbie was a skinny bloke who played in an era of thuggery and king hits.

Yet somehow .... he played a game that was both cerebral and aesthetic .

Hardly ever shadowed by opposition's best players, usually marked by the fastest, dirtiest thugs.

We ran into him outside the G one time, (probably a 2000 final), he signed my GO DEMONS sign (still have it right here). "To Robbie", as that's also my name, you can probably guess around what year I was born

All great posts here, and so accurate. He is the absolute reason I became a member of MFC. I was always a supporter, but because footy was a Saturday game only and I played, I rarely got to VFL (then) matches. When I did, it was usually to see North as my best mate was a fanatic, so I saw a lot of finals.

Then Robbie started. I first saw him on TV, but when I saw him live, I was mesmerised. He was different. He was an artist. I used to call him Nureyev, as he danced when others scrambled. As Ali changed boxing, Robbie showed what could be done on a footy field, but only by him. I just had to see him live everyweek.

His bravery was underestimated too. Wouldn't shirk an issue, despite knowing pr*cks like Rhys-Jones and Dipper would line him up or whack him behind play. I saw it many times because I only watched him as our side was [censored]. Robbie never retaliated. Not because he was afraid, he was just a better person.

I still have the 'Give Robbie one more chance to play finals' donation certificate and the signed photo on chipboard.

I have never seen, nor will I, a better footballer in the purest sense than Tulip. I wept uncontrollably when he passed, and have tears in my eyes writing this now.

GOAT.

We were so spoilt Robert Flower and the Beatles in a lifetime....here in Melbourne

Agree with everyone else here. And yes, he WAS that good!!!

One thing that no one else has mentioned was his bravery. He never shirked a contest despite his slight frame.

RIP great man.

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by At Least I Saw a Flag

10 hours ago, sam6172 said:

Sounds a champion in every sense of the word. Thanks everyone. I wish I could have seen him play.

Sam, there are many you tube videos out there that are available, some put to music. My favourite one was enhanced by the song "Silent Running" by Mike and the Mechanics, I created one years ago from many hours of video footage, some of which is featured on some of these compilations, but I have no idea of how or who posted them because there were only a couple of copies made and I still have one in VHS format.

Just a sensational player, can't really think of a modern day like for like but had silky skills on both sides, pin piont kick which could hit a targets effortlessly, courageous pack mark, goal kicker, elusive and very quick! His brother Tom played 26 games and was an elusive winger/ H.F.F who averaged a goal a game, but once kicked 5 vs the Filth, could have been anything but wasn't perservered with. As iterated champion people as well. Hope that paints a picture! Cheers P.F.

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by picket fence

Agree with everything so far. I add this. I watched him play many times and still couldn't say for sure whether he was a natural right footer or a natural left footer..

My favourite Robbie moment, which I was lucky enough to see live but is available on many of the YouTube videos, was this. Problem: you are running towards the goals with the ball some distance in front of you. Coming towards you is an opposition player (Collingwood) and the ball is right in the middle of the two of you. Run at it and you will certainly be tackled. What do you do? Robbie's answer: run very slightly to the side of the ball, grab it, blind turn and run into goal, leaving the opposition prayer stranded. It was incredible.

There are quite a few of his contemporaries, even opponents, that rave about him. He wasn't necessarily the best player of his time but many of these players insist there should be a statue of him at the MCG, and similar.

Working Dog/D Generation comedian Rob Sitch got to chat to Flower about playing football. Flower would be answering "oh I'd just do this" or " just do that" and it was obvious he couldn't explain his natural flair and talent which was highlighted when he did the spectacular.

1 minute ago, Ollie fan said:

My favourite Robbie moment, which I was lucky enough to see live but is available on many of the YouTube videos, was this. Problem: you are running towards the goals with the ball some distance in front of you. Coming towards you is an opposition player (Collingwood) and the ball is right in the middle of the two of you. Run at it and you will certainly be tackled. What do you do? Robbie's answer: run very slightly to the side of the ball, grab it, blind turn and run into goal, leaving the opposition prayer stranded. It was incredible.

He was a Football savant. He was a Gazelle to the predators that roamed the field.

Loved watching Robbie, loved that he was 'ours' . There were times we really didn't deserve him but he stuck with us through it all.

The Murrumbeena Man was amazing.

That particular day at Artic Park was all the more solemn for it being Tulip's last dance in the Red and Blue. I doubt it was lost on many of the faithful that as we started to process our exit from the finals that an even greater darkness descending upon us was we had just watched Robbie for the last time. Even after all these years that thought alone brings a tear.

He encapsulated everything that you'd ever want to see in a Melbourne Guernsey. Hard to believe that game is getting on to near 40 years ago.

I don't think ive ever heard a bad word spoken about Tulip. How often does that ever happen.

He played 269 games without seeing September action - and then booted 5 goals in his first final, followed by 4 the week after.

The goal at the 1.50 mark of this highlights clip is one of the all-time greats.

Notice how no one who saw him is nominating a current day player who is like him? RF was one of a kind.

For the young ones, I remember being young too and of course you have your favourite players and the media has them as , guns, jets, superstars and the like.

We have had lots of very good players recently, Trac, Clarry and of course the best ruvkman I have seen in Max.

So how was Robbie different? Some here have beautifuly described , his grace, agility, bravery and acceleration , all true.

However for me, this way true for the vast majority. We would be playing a far better team. Even as an optomistic supporter I didnt have much confidence modt weeks. It was a 12 team comp and the big teams were big , we were always outnumbered supporter wise. Typically the good sides , Carlton, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Essendon and others had 18 very players

Us on the other hand seemed to just have half a dozen very good players, half a dozen ok or promising and half a dozen complete battlers, some loveable for their particular type of inability to kick, mark,follow directions or even seem interested.

But there at the start of every game was Robbie, leading the team out with enthusiam, doing a tight lap of the ground and getting close to the boundary as the team ran past our small pocket of supporters. A quick toss of the coin and Robbie would make his way to the wing for a 100 minute 1 on 1 dual with a very capable or great wingman.

Typically the other sides supporters dominated the cheering as they outplayed us, but then Robbie, would outmark their best, hit the ground perfectly balanced, fodge, weave head forward and you knew no one could catch him. If he got within forty he was a certainty to kick it but as if for our further pleasure sometimes he would choose to dodge one or two more until he was at the goal line before using his perfect kicking skills.

And then it was our turn to cheer and look to hear admiration from even the most hardened opposition supporters.

The best I ever saw in the red and blue. If there's a knock on him, you might say that singing wasn't his strong suit.