Before the video replays - mad & dirty players

[Rusty Brookes]

Originally posted by localyokel
I also have a video of a game from the late '30s or early '40s. The footage is supposed to show how good a player Haydn Bunton is and comes from a Richmond/Fitzroy game from before the war. Just as the umpire bounces the ball a player-I think its Don "Mopsy' Fraser just runs through the centre with both elbows sticking out. Bunton just waltzes around him and just as the umpire turns to watch, Fraser drops both his elbows and turns to follow Bunton, classic stuff.

Wasn't it Mopsy Fraser who laid out Ted Whitten in his first game? If my alcohol induced memory serves me right, Mopsy introduced himself to EJ with a comment along the lines of "If you go near that ball, you're going off the field on a stretcher". Sure enough Teddy got a kick and was subsequently knocked out cold.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Originally posted by Rusty Brookes
Wasn't it Mopsy Fraser who laid out Ted Whitten in his first game? If my alcohol induced memory serves me right, Mopsy introduced himself to EJ with a comment along the lines of "If you go near that ball, you're going off the field on a stretcher". Sure enough Teddy got a kick and was subsequently knocked out cold.

Teddy had goaled with his first kick and when they manned up Fraser told him he wouldnt make it of the ground under his own steam.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Originally posted by macca23
Thanks for that. You're right as to the result. I was so captivated in a macabre manner by the non-football elements of the game that I did forget the football aspects and that the Bays got up in the end by a point. As for the push in the back to Granger that could be seen from 100 metres away, but I think the umpires wouldn't have dared pay the free after Granger's activities for the day.

Macca are you thinking of the 81 Grand Final but confusing Cornes with Neville "Twiggy" Caldwell?
He was thumped by Granger,and never played again.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Originally posted by Leaping Lindner
Macca are you thinking of the 81 Grand Final but confusing Cornes with Neville "Twiggy" Caldwell?
He was thumped by Granger,and never played again.

Apologies in advance for interjecting on Macca's behalf, but the "atrocity after atrocity" final was definitely the 1982 Prelim Final where Cornes copped a fair bit of treatment from Dave.

The 1981 KO of Caldwell was pretty much the only incident of note from that game, and at the time no one seemed to have much idea what happened. The umpires missed it, Cornes had just missed Bucky Cunningham with a flying elbow, Wayne Phillis was in the area and no one remonstrated with Granger - of course that was never a good idea either ... then Harry came along with the video and Dave copped 6 weeks. It didn't help that Dave told Bob Scholefield the next day on the Footy Show that he'd done it ...

 

[BrainOfMorbius]

Originally posted by Rusty Brookes
Rhys Jones was definitely a nutter on the ground but like you my memories (fuelled by the Electrifying Eighties DVD) are of Rhys copping it. I think he was second or third on the all time suspension/reported list though: he is up there with Brereton and Big Carl.

The fact that he was such a nutter on the field made him such a popular target. No-one seemed to mind too much when he copped it.

The other player that I remember as being particularly nasty was Brian Wilson (the one that wasn't a Beach Boy, Lioness).

 

[Captain Sensible]

Originally posted by BrainOfMorbius
The other player that I remember as being particularly nasty was Brian Wilson (the one that wasn't a Beach Boy, Lioness).

Braybrook boy. They start on the angry pills young in Braybrook.

 

[wagstaff]

Originally posted by Foxtrot
(Along with Footscray's Jim Edmund breaking Russel Morris's jaw in a very similar incicent).

That incident occurred in Carrara in 1987, Edmond's first year at Brisbane after being dropped off the Sydney list in 1986 because of Salary Cap pressures.

The elbow he gave Morris was a vicious one - if you play it in slow motion you can actually see a tooth fly out of Morris' mouth after Edmond did his business.

As for Banks/Rhys Jones incident, that was actually at the MCG in 1986 as the VFL had moved the game in one of the earlier examples of moving a game to a bigger stadium because they knew they would get a big crowd to it.

 

[Foxtrot]

Originally posted by BrainOfMorbius
The other player that I remember as being particularly nasty was Brian Wilson (the one that wasn't a Beach Boy, Lioness).

At least he (footy Brian) didn't hang out with Charles Manson!

 

[macca23]

Originally posted by Ford Fairlane
Apologies in advance for interjecting on Macca's behalf, but the "atrocity after atrocity" final was definitely the 1982 Prelim Final where Cornes copped a fair bit of treatment from Dave.

The 1981 KO of Caldwell was pretty much the only incident of note from that game, and at the time no one seemed to have much idea what happened. The umpires missed it, Cornes had just missed Bucky Cunningham with a flying elbow, Wayne Phillis was in the area and no one remonstrated with Granger - of course that was never a good idea either ... then Harry came along with the video and Dave copped 6 weeks. It didn't help that Dave told Bob Scholefield the next day on the Footy Show that he'd done it ...

Beautifully described. Exactly as it happened.

 

[myee8]

Would any of these blokes or incidents be on one of the Biffs, Bumps, and Brawlers videos? I must get it then to see these blokes for myself as i wasn't around for some of what happened.

 

[gozzo]

Originally posted by Wally
'Rotten' Ronnie Andrews..was, in Leigh Matthews' own words " the only man to make me nervous on a footy field".

Did some despicable things on the footy ground, but he was ours, and we loved him.

Amen to that.

Although I reckon he'd get at least one game a season

 

[karnaby]

Some great picks amongst the above lot

Ricky Maclean certainly was dangerous as mentioned by localyokel, we'd always be worried about which of our players he'd hit next, he was certainly unpredictable.

I reckon I saw Mal Brown play his best game of vfl footy one day at Moorabbin. Just a regulation amount of physicality from him that day, however the real standout was one K Sheedy who played on & completely blanketed firstly George Young & then Glenn Elliott, both pretty good players, the method he used was a simple belt in the head each time they went near the ball.

Ditter was often pure filth, generally it was flailing elbows & swinging fists in amongst the normal legal hip & shoulder type hits. One day I saw Neil Balme 'accidently' trip &, while ditter was on the ground, knee him the head - that was pretty ugly (but many would say deserved).

Don Scott had a reputation about that time but much & all as I always wanted to see him & Ditterich fight it never happened (to my knowledge). I suspect they may have had a fair amount of respect for each other.

Didn't see this myself, but friends told me about a stoush between sydney & essendon. Supposedly 34 players were in a melee somewhere near the middle of the ground & Rotten Ronnie & Stewart Gull were going one out in one of the forward lines. Gull used to fight on TV Ringside & presumably decked Andrews with a series of text book punches, I thought that was wonderful rough justice when I heard about it as Andrews certainly got a few in his time.

Lockett was pretty tough, so as a consequence I never saw Rick Kennedy create much of a problem for us, too busy worrying about the thug he was playing on :^)

Just reading back I saw the phrase 'ankle tapper', as far as I'm concerned all collingwood rovers of the 70s &, at least, early 80s had to prove their proficiency at ankle tapping just to get a game. No doubt something Richards & his predecessors taught them!

All in all I think Matthews was right at the top of the toughness tree. As he was also such a fantastic player (I reckon at least the equal best I've seen) I hesitate to include him on the tough & filty list with ditter, wild robbie, rhys, dermie & ricky maclean. However he certainly did besmirch his record a few times & I'm sure others would suggest he deserved to be there.



A question for the essendon supporters; who was a red haired bloke with a bad attitude who played for a couple of seasons around the time Tuddie was your coach. In boasting competitions with bomber mates about tough/filthy incidents we'd seen he was someone often mentioned by your side. Also, having mentioned Tuddie, I heard that he used to get the team virtually chanting "Kill the c....s, kill the c...s" before a game, any truth in that one?

 

[Generalissimo]

I saw a practice match between Geelong and Melbourne in the early 90s, and the Dees had a big redheaded ruckman who was the dirtiest player I've ever seen. Our ruckman would have had a bruise the exact size and shape of this guy's boot in his stomach cause he'd kick him in every ruck contest.

I don't know that guy's name, but I doubt if he ever played senior footy.

 

[NathanD]

I'm amazed that no-one's mentioned Mark "Jacko" Jackson. Surely one of the craziest players, but oddly a uniquely talented one.

 

[Grendel]

Originally posted by Wally


Ronnie wouldn't get a game these days. Did some despicable things on the footy ground, but he was ours, and we loved him.



Disagree with you there Wal, pre the knee Andrews wasnt a bad CHB at all. After it though he was the slow menacing B$&*%d you Dons loved (and I didnt blame you).

Though Stewie Gulls three knock down and Rons 'uno mas' after the 3rd is a great memory too.

 

[Anton Grbac]

Originally posted by Grendel

Disagree with you there Wal, pre the knee Andrews wasnt a bad CHB at all. After it though he was the slow menacing B$&*%d you Dons loved (and I didnt blame you).

Though Stewie Gulls three knock down and Rons 'uno mas' after the 3rd is a great memory too.

Never doubted his ability Gren, Ronnie could play. Wouldn't have affected the result, but i still think his non-selection in the '83 GF was a mistake. With Ronnie in the side maybe Colin Robertson wouldn't've won the 'Norm' ............if ya know what i mean

Too young to remember the Gull incident, but some of my older mates who were there still laugh about it now.




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EFC: We Hate You Too

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Big red headed ruckman from Melbourne?-sounds like Steve O'Dwyer, used to hit a few then have a wa-wa if he got hit back

Ivan Eckerman from Port Maggies is supposedly the only guy ever to put lethal Leigh to sleep on the footy field

I've seen a couple of SANFL season review tapes from the early 80's and they've got quite a few examples of Grangers 'handiwork' including a knee splitting open Kim Klomps face plus the classic bout between Eckerman,Trevor Sorrell and Ralphie Sewer in a semi final.

 

[Anton Grbac]

Originally posted by skilts
I used to work for a brick company in Oakleigh. One of the drivers who delivered clay to us was a bloke called Jack 'Basher' Williams. This bloke was suspended for about twelve weeks after the 1945 'Bloodbath' GF between Carlton and South Melbourne. One of the charges was "adopting a fighting stance towards an umpire".

I said to a bloke I worked with one day how gentlemanly this so-called ogre was. He told me not to be deceived. Apparently this bloke had played a game against 'Basher', in a lesser competition. He related how he'd gone up and taken a speccy over 'Basher', right in the middle of the ground. As he came down from taking the mark, he made the mistake of looking into 'Basher's eyes and smiling. He became extremely worried by what he saw. 'Basher's eyes were buried so far into their recesses as to be invisible.

The bloke I worked with wisely decided not to go near 'Basher' or the ball for the rest of the day.

The eyes sinking into the back of the head is a dead giveaway.

An horrific sight.

My grandad grew up watching South Melbourne,

He's seen 'em all, from Pratt to Skilton, from Bedford to Teasdale, 'til the present day.

He was at the 1945 'Bloodbath' GF, and told me many very funny stories about 'Basher' Williams. "the b*stard was crazy, not a bad footballer, but crazy".




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EFC: We Hate You Too