The toughest ever players for North...

[Groggyk]

I remember Schimma when I was a kid. Always seemed to be running around with a three inch bandage on his head! I can recall seeing him regularly coming off the ground and just collapsing in to the arms of Kanga Kennedy he'd run himself in to the ground so much. Very tough bastard that one and the main reason I loved North Melbourne. Then along comes Archie....

 

[Loeymay]

Dench, Larkin and Aylett should get a mention.

Toughest ever is hard to judge, maybe the toughest you know about.

 

[Loeymay]

Definitely "The Tank"- Teasdale, Archer & Byron Pickett

 

[Hojuman]

Catching the 59 tram home one day post Sat.arvo victory at the MCG in the mid 90's. Get to the Vic.Market stop and old fella gets on the tram ( from the Stork Hotel ) and sits next to me ( NMFC hat, scarf )
" Good game today " he says and we start chatting. Tells me " l played a few games for North a long time ago " l asked him his name, " ahhhh.....you won't remember me, Pat Kelly "
Of course my pop & father had told me all about the tough old Shinboners as a kid. I said l'd heard all about him and we chatted amicably until he got off the tram in Flemington rd.opposite Royal Park. Walked past his house for many years until his passing.

 

[Kanga Glory]

Catching the 59 tram home one day post Sat.arvo victory at the MCG in the mid 90's. Get to the Vic.Market stop and old fella gets on the tram ( from the Stork Hotel ) and sits next to me ( NMFC hat, scarf )
" Good game today " he says and we start chatting. Tells me " l played a few games for North a long time ago " l asked him his name, " ahhhh.....you won't remember me, Pat Kelly "
Of course my pop & father had told me all about the tough old Shinboners as a kid. I said l'd heard all about him and we chatted amicably until he got off the tram in Flemington rd.opposite Royal Park. Walked past his house for many years until his passing.

My dad also told me stories about Pat Kelly and Ted Jarrod. They would put the fear in many a player

 

[The Talent Scout]

My dad also told me stories about Pat Kelly and Ted Jarrod. They would put the fear in many a player

Yeah times have changed over the years, to an extent, laughing and joking after a game is what a lot of players do now from all clubs but not all, I get that its nearly 2025 and not the 80s or the 90s but leave that for off the ground, too many players that want to be seen as "a nice guy".

 

[Themanbun]

After 17 years since this thread was active, surely Ziebell gets added to the list

 

[muttley45]

Catching the 59 tram home one day post Sat.arvo victory at the MCG in the mid 90's. Get to the Vic.Market stop and old fella gets on the tram ( from the Stork Hotel ) and sits next to me ( NMFC hat, scarf )
" Good game today " he says and we start chatting. Tells me " l played a few games for North a long time ago " l asked him his name, " ahhhh.....you won't remember me, Pat Kelly "
Of course my pop & father had told me all about the tough old Shinboners as a kid. I said l'd heard all about him and we chatted amicably until he got off the tram in Flemington rd.opposite Royal Park. Walked past his house for many years until his passing.

Good call Hoj

 

[Disco Dew]

Sleevo.

 

[Hojuman]

 

[Hojuman]

Johnny Burns ( 1975 N.S. medallist, retrospective ) never, ever took a backward step. Even as the Courthouse Hotel publican in Errol st !

 

[DuckYeah]

Carey. Not even debatable

 

[Duck the GOAT]

Surprised cunners not getting a mention.
Looks like an Ox. Played like an Ox.

 

[Arthur Cloke]

Great question. Arch & A Stevens come to mind. A lot of guys at the gym reckon I'm the toughest guy there. They have a point - I mean I can bench over 100lbs, and I'm talking free weights, not on a machine. And to be honest, that hasn't always been the case. Years ago I was only little, but I knew if I wanted to mix it with the big boys, I'd need to clean up my diet and live in the gym. Being a keen angler, I' was good mates with Dean Lukin. He gave me some great advice back in the late '80's when I was out on a charter with him in Port Phillip Bay. Instead of a box of Tim Tams (or the Franklins equivalent Tom Tums) for breakfast, he'd get me to eat a whole chicken - slow roasted overnight. Lunch was no longer a dozen dimmies, a big bag of Toobs and a litre of Tab, but instead a large tofu pad thai & a bowl of Nutri Grain with a litre of Rev, and then dinner would be my light meal.

And I mean, look at me now. I'm flying.

 

[lockheed]

The Pascoe Brothers, Bob and Barry along with Noel Teasdale, Phil Baker was OK too, gave Robert Walls a good elbow one day.

Have to love Phil just for that

 

[Harris 10]

Colbert was stupid brave, I feared for his life at times.
Archer, Stevens, Carey all mentally and physically tough.

I'll give Jimmy a shout out as well, he was a tiny man who copped more than he gave out, but he kept pushing through.

 

[Eatosk]

View attachment 2190854

My great uncle is Les Reeves. He played half back for North in the 50’s. I see he’s mentioned at the start of that article about the formidable backline we had in those days.

 

[pooley]

I was going to nominate Phoenix Spicer but I may not get a seconder.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Over recent years you’d have to include Ziebell, Cunners and Greenwood.

Levi Greenwood’s courage and toughness was underrated imo.

All 3 would’ve been at home playing in the early 90’s.

Swallow another one too

 

[DuckYeah]

Surprised cunners not getting a mention.
Looks like an Ox. Played like an Ox.

Cunners was tough.. just with what he overcome definitely top 10

 

[DuckYeah]

Swallow another one too

Nahhh… Sorry but Spitta wasn’t that tough.

 

[LB2Snake]

Might have missed it, but not much love for Schwatta. Was like a rabid dog at the ball.

 

[travelli]

The Pascoe Brothers, Bob and Barry along with Noel Teasdale, Phil Baker was OK too, gave Robert Walls a good elbow one day.

Motlopfan made me think of this one - maybe not the toughest player, but the toughest act I've seen was Daniel Motlop backing into a pack to take a mark.

I was right on the fence at Sydney and the game was in the balance. Motlop ran back at pace, took the mark on his chest and twisted his body just enough to save himself before the pack smashed him. THey were only a few metres away from me and the meaty thud of all the bodies clashing together was horrifying. If you only watch from a distance, or from tv, you forget how hard these guys go sometimes.

 

[lockheed]

One vote for Anthony Stevens, if only for playing in the 1999 GF with torn ligaments and a hairline fracture of an ankle. Thought he played very well until he tore his pectoral muscle. Sadly, he could only manage another 10 minutes after that last injury - https://www.afl.com.au/news/197648/i-was-sweating-buckets-stevos-race-to-play-in-99

 

[Cookiemon]

Posted this somewhere else thought it might suit this thread
A few tough buggers in here albeit a few cheap shots thrown as well



No Johnny Law or Arch in this clip but those two along with Duck & Jimmy get the votes from my time following the Roos