Melbourne Legend Robert Flower passes away.

[Worm4]

Hard to believe it's been 10 years since he has passed away. Great player despite his frame size. Deceptively elite despite playing in such a poor side back in the 80's.

 

[Rabish Binney]

Hard to believe it's been 10 years since he has passed away. Great player despite his frame size. Deceptively elite despite playing in such a poor side back in the 80's.

Wonderful player. Did he only play 3 finals?

Makes a mockery of the media's narrative that to be a great player you need to have a premiership under your belt.

 

[Robroy22]

He was a superb footballer. One you felt lucky to see play. Courage, skill and tenacity all wrapped up in that tiny frame.

 

[Rabish Binney]

He was a superb footballer. One you felt lucky to see play. Courage, skill and tenacity all wrapped up in that tiny frame.

And a humble man both on and off the field

 

[lumpinee]

Sorry for the bump. This was the only relevant thread on Rob.

For those who never saw him play, just how good was he?
Are there any player's in the game today who were comparable?

marlion pickett

 

[lumpinee]

Best way I can explain it was one day at the Western oval in the 80’s we had a free about 50 odd out. I’m sitting right behind the goals wearing my number 2. A half a dozen big men are in the goal square. Almost unnoticed Flower moves behind them all. On the fence between the right goal and point post. I can almost touch him. As the ball is kicked he begins a slow run up behind the pack, and I knew - knew- it was his. And sure enough that skinny had no right to be on the football field player had soared between those players that were much taller and heavier than him to take a screamer in the goal square.
And he did things like that week in week out for 272 games.
I can’t think of a comparison in today’s players. Maybe peak Pendles for that ability to slow down time, but it’s more than that too. He just knew where the ball was going to be a second before anyone else and knew what the opposition players were going to do before they did.
Everything he did was pure silk.

Pendlebury ? wouldnt get to tie Flowers' bootlaces,different realms my friend,Flowers is the realm of Greig n Schimma,Hawkins,Gary Wilson,Leon Baker,those types,speed,balance, skill either side,Pendleburys a level or 2 below that lot

 

[JackFlash]

A great player, imagine if he played for a top team like Carlton, Richmond, North or Hawthorn at the time? The amazing thing is he won Melbourne's Best & Fairest just once playing in a crap team. Were they blind?

 

[iameviljez]

Wonderful player. Did he only play 3 finals?

Makes a mockery of the media's narrative that to be a great player you need to have a premiership under your belt.

Ehh, that's old VFL thinking from the days when most great players did finish with a flag.

 

[iameviljez]

A great player, imagine if he played for a top team like Carlton, Richmond, North or Hawthorn at the time? The amazing thing is he won Melbourne's Best & Fairest just once playing in a crap team. Were they blind?

Not all that easy to win them from a wing in the old-fashioned game before positional flexibility became a Thing.

Dougie Hawkins only won one. Mick Turner never did.

 

[JackFlash]

Not all that easy to win them from a wing in the old-fashioned game before positional flexibility became a Thing.

Dougie Hawkins only won one. Mick Turner never did.

Yes, that's a mystery too, both should've won multiple times, but they were playing in better teams. Melbourne were awful in the 70s and early 80s. Surely Flower was the best Demon for 15 seasons? He finished 3rd the 1979 Brownlow when his team finished 2nd last and only lost by 3 votes to the eventual winner whose team played off in the GF!

 

[iameviljez]

Yes, that's a mystery too, both should've won multiple times, but they were playing in better teams.

Think it's a simple as saying that you're generally going to struggle to get enough BoGs if you're stuck on one side of the ground.

 

[Hawksboy72]

Best pure footballer I've ever seen.

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[western royboy]

Best pure footballer I've ever seen.

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

He and Bernie Quinlan were pretty close to thst

 

[Gavin Excell]

marlion pickett

Can only assume a joke

 

[Cookie]

Can only assume a joke

Bad one at that

 

[T2B_]

Can only assume a joke

Probably the obligatory insert Richmond into any conversation tactic

 

[FrustratedTiger]

marlion pickett

On behalf of all Richmond supporters, I apologise for this imbicile. Robbie Flower was one of the most talented players to ever play the game.

 

[Osho]

I was at one of those MCG Richmond games in the highlight reel when Robbie absolutely dominated. He kept marking from the Dees kick in, and proceeded to run and bounce and zig zag around Tiger players and get the ball into the attacking zone. It happened so much I thought there may have been a bit of shimsham going on. But of course not. He was just brilliant, on either side, left right, like a dancer or acrobat. Damn good mark too.

 

[Blind Turn]

marlion pickett

No

 

[Blind Turn]

One of the few players who danced his way through a career. It was an acceptable ballet to attend for your average pub patron type.

The blind turn survives now only in memories of players like Flower, Dougie Hawkins, and Leon Baker, and online entities like myself.

 

[Sttew]

Wonderful player. Did he only play 3 finals?

Makes a mockery of the media's narrative that to be a great player you need to have a premiership under your belt.

It’s the narrative of a few rabid yellow and black posters too