Analysis Did Darren Jarman play better football at Hawthorn or Adelaide?

[Duckimus Prime]

Or put a sign as you enter town 'Welcome to Adelaide: Birthplace of Darren Jarman'

In terms of statues at Adelaide Oval, am curious if Malcolm Blight or Barrie Robran ever played there? You say he's not in the same stratosphere but did any of the above names ever win their club's first flag literally off their own boot, not once but twice?

Won it off his own boot? Must've gotten two nice Norm Smith's then.

Oh wait, Andrew McLeod has those.

Riccutio and Wanganeen have grandstands named after them and I'm not sure they ever played a game there.

There are so many people far more deserving than some of the name slapped on the Eastern Stand.

Riccutio having a stand named after him is a joke. 1x Brownlow Medalist (shared with two others) that played in one Brownlow. And a whole bunch of All Australians, but never in his actual position.

Gavin Wanganeen, 1x Brownlow, multiple Premiership player. But the thing that elevates him a little bit more is being the first Indigenous player to play 300 AFL games.

Max Basheer. The SANFL should've been told they have no say in running Adelaide Oval when they suggested that. The guy who took Football away from Adelaide Oval.

Fos Williams and Jack Oatey are good options.

Darren Jarman was a bloody good footballer. But no, he doesn't even come close to Blight, Robran and Ebert.

 

[Cleric]

Won it off his own boot? Must've gotten two nice Norm Smith's then.

Oh wait, Andrew McLeod has those.


There are so many people far more deserving than some of the name slapped on the Eastern Stand.

Riccutio having a stand named after him is a joke. 1x Brownlow Medalist (shared with two others) that played in one Brownlow. And a whole bunch of All Australians, but never in his actual position.

Gavin Wanganeen, 1x Brownlow, multiple Premiership player. But the thing that elevates him a little bit more is being the first Indigenous player to play 300 AFL games.

Max Basheer. The SANFL should've been told they have no say in running Adelaide Oval when they suggested that. The guy who took Football away from Adelaide Oval.

Fos Williams and Jack Oatey are good options.

Darren Jarman was a bloody good footballer. But no, he doesn't even come close to Blight, Robran and Ebert.

Why would being indigenous mean you are more likely to get a stand named after you?
Truth be told both clubs were asked to put forward their list of preferred players.

As for the GFs, yes Darren won the games for the Crows. Everyone knows it, including Macca, who has said numerous times that DJ should have got the Norms.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

Why would being indigenous mean you are more likely to get a stand named after you?
Truth be told both clubs were asked to put forward their list of preferred players.

You don't think being the first Indigenous player to play 300 games is a significant event in the games history?

Mind you, I also don't think that Gavin Wanganeen should have his name up there, but that fact makes it slightly less of a stretch. And there are multiple SANFL greats that are more deserving than both Wanganeen and Ricciuto.

 

[QuietB]

North Adelaide

Could be. 117 games and 211 goals + Team of the Century is a pretty handy North Adelaide resume. Any North Adelaide people who saw him on here? I know Jarman came with massive wraps to Hawthorn.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

It's tough to say. It was my belief at the time Darren switched to Adelaide, he was the best footballer in the AFL. His final year in particular with the Hawks was sensational. His GF appearances with the Crows were great, should have won at least 1 Norm Smith. I've gone for equally as good at both.

 

[JimmyBC]

Apparently when he was walking to the forward line after the 3QT break in the 1997 GF and saw Shanahan waiting for him he turned and said to a teammate Happy Birthday! lol

 

[western royboy]

Could be. 117 games and 211 goals + Team of the Century is a pretty handy North Adelaide resume. Any North Adelaide people who saw him on here? I know Jarman came with massive wraps to Hawthorn.

I spent a very short period there (pre season) prior to him going to Hawthorn having seen him play live in a couple of games in 89 & 90.

His talent was off the chart. But he was certainly carrying a few kg’s and essentially played out of a forward pocket - remembering this is SANFL pre Crows.

He went to another level at Hawthorn purely because he was lean and fit.

As someone with tacit knowledge of him - there was no more happier impartial supporter when he cut loose in the final quarter of ‘97 GF. Used to go under the nickname of “Fuddy”

 

[JimmyBC]

I spent a very short period there (pre season) prior to him going to Hawthorn having seen him play live in a couple of games in 89 & 90.

His talent was off the chart. But he was certainly carrying a few kg’s and essentially played out of a forward pocket - remembering this is SANFL pre Crows.

He went to another level at Hawthorn purely because he was lean and fit.

As someone with tacit knowledge of him - there was no more happier impartial supporter when he cut loose in the final quarter of ‘97 GF. Used to go under the nickname of “Fuddy”

Hard to believe a North Adelaide side with the Jarman brothers managed one solitary goal in the 1989 GF against Port.

 

[western royboy]

Hard to believe a North Adelaide side with the Jarman brothers managed one solitary goal in the 1989 GF against Port.

No it’s not…

 

[glengowan]

Ignorant to not include North Adelaide in the OT.

It was only from 1991 the best players from all over the country played, or strived to play, in the AFL. He was drafted pick 55 by Melbourne in 1986 and again by Brisbane in 1990, but didn't come over, as many didn't.

1985-90 - North Adelaide - 117 games (211 goals) - 1987 Premiership, 1990 B&F & leading goal-kicker, North Adelaide Team of the Century
1991-95 - Hawthorn - 109 games (122 goals) - 1991 Premiership, 1995 B&F, 1992 & 1995 All-Australian
1996-2001 - Adelaide - 121 games (264 goals) - 1997 & 1998 Premiership, 1996 All-Australian, 1998,99,2001 leading goal kicker

Then there was the State of Origin games. 1993 in particular. He made a significant mark on all three clubs. Hard to go past his individual performances in the 1997 and 1998 Grand Finals as the most significant thing he did in his football career.

 

[Go the Guts]

He was an SANFL premiership player and superstar with North Adelaide before he went to Victoria. It's a kind of pointless thread as he was a rare talent in the SANFL so any club he went to had no bearing on how good a player he was. We were lucky to have him back in his home town to help us win our 2 flags.

 

[Go the Guts]

Ignorant to not include North Adelaide in the OT.

It was only from 1991 the best players from all over the country played, or strived to play, in the AFL. He was drafted pick 55 by Melbourne in 1986 and again by Brisbane in 1990, but didn't come over, as many didn't.

1985-90 - North Adelaide - 117 games (211 goals) - 1987 Premiership, 1990 B&F & leading goal-kicker, North Adelaide Team of the Century
1991-95 - Hawthorn - 109 games (122 goals) - 1991 Premiership, 1995 B&F, 1992 & 1995 All-Australian
1996-2001 - Adelaide - 121 games (264 goals) - 1997 & 1998 Premiership, 1996 All-Australian, 1998,99,2001 leading goal kicker

Then there was the State of Origin games. 1993 in particular. He made a significant mark on all three clubs. Hard to go past his individual performances in the 1997 and 1998 Grand Finals as the most significant thing he did in his football career.

So many incredible SA and WA players didn't give a rat's arse about the VFL - they despised them and our leagues had just as much talent anyway.

 

[Freomaniac]

Based on 97 and 98 GF alone the answer has to be Adelaide. But he's the most skilled player I've ever seen at Hawthorn so an 'equally good' option should be available – as that's my vote. His highlights reel in both colours is mindblowing.

Darren Jarman being the most Skilled player you have ever seen at the hawks?

That is a statement in itself considering the many Players that have played in Hawks Premierships from 1961 onwards.

 

[Freomaniac]

Or put a sign as you enter town 'Welcome to Adelaide: Birthplace of Darren Jarman'

In terms of statues at Adelaide Oval, am curious if Malcolm Blight or Barrie Robran ever played there? You say he's not in the same stratosphere but did any of the above names ever win their club's first flag literally off their own boot, not once but twice?

I am not sure if Malcolm blight played a Game at Adelaide oval, Maybe for South Australia in State of origin.

Barrie Robran Definately has . Played a few Adelaide oval games for SA state side. Played in 3 grand finals in a row late in his career 1971-3. 1971 and 1972, North Adelaide won SANFL grand finals, both years vs the Port Magpies. 1973, Robran and his North Adelaide roosters lost the 1973 grand final to Glenelg. 1973 was the last SANFL grand final in Adelaide oval until 2014.

From 1974-2013, SANFL grand finals were played in Footy park.

 

[JimmyBC]

I think it's a fair call on his skills he would easily be Top 3 by foot in the AFL era.

 

[Fastback]

I think it's a fair call on his skills he would easily be Top 3 by foot in the AFL era.

Top 1. No doubt.

 

[Mr Cannons]

The man can baulk!

 

[MadMundy]

Adelaide, easily.

 

[nahnah]

Not sure, missed his entire career. Sorry I couldn't have been of more assistance here

 

[RonnieRaven]

If Jarman was the best field kick the game has seen, his brother was the best hand baller. The only bloke to rival him would be Voss.

Diesel Williams had a great handball

 

[StillAtLarge]

If Jarman was the best field kick the game has seen, his brother was the best hand baller. The only bloke to rival him would be Voss.

Simon Black had a fair handball on him

 

[JD888]

Where he was better overall is debatable (although his 1997 and 1998 GFs performances are so much more memorable than his 1991 GF performance). However his 1995 season was his best individual season playing mostly in the Center/Midfield. This was his last at Hawthorn.

He won the Hawthorn B&F, but the fact he was 2nd in Brownlow behind Paul Kelly (he was ineligible as we was suspended that year) in a team that finished 2nd last and lost the last 7 games of the year to miss the finals for the first time in 14 years was stunning.
If Hawthorn was just a tiny bit better (or had Dunstall not missed a huge chunk of the season), and had Jarman not missed games, he likely would have won the Brownlow in a low count year where some of his 1/2 vote games become 2/3 vote games.

Ultimately at Adelaide he was mostly a forward, where as at Hawthorn he was sort of 60/40 midfield and half forward and more up the ground.

Reference his 1991-1995 Hawthorn highlights:

Wow, he could sell candy better than anyone that has gone before or after him.

 

[JD888]

If Jarman was the best field kick the game has seen, his brother was the best hand baller. The only bloke to rival him would be Voss.

Voss could handball it further than some blokes could kick it.

 

[Interceptor]

I am not sure if Malcolm blight played a Game at Adelaide oval, Maybe for South Australia in State of origin.

No SoO matches were played at Adelaide Oval.
However Blight definitely would have played club matches there in both of his stints at Woodville.
Adelaide Oval was South Adelaide's home ground during those times and also used as a neutral venue.

 

[Interceptor]

For completists, Jarman kicked 3 goals for North Adelaide's GF win of 1987.

He has rated the left foot shot here from the boundary as his best ever: