Top 10 Roo heroes

[windsock]

Originally posted by mighty mick
matts first game as captain if i remember rightly was against melbourne and he thought that to acert himself as captain he had to go the punch on a couple of players.

recently has been playing footy in a local team as he has been unemployed and been through a bad stint with depression due to personnal things that have happened, i only know this as my mate was playing in the team run by les twentyman.

Thats sad to hear and all but you can only go on the experiences you have had. He was pretty ordinary to me and a couple of mates on one occasion (at the Tunnel no less!). Thought I'd try again with him a couple of times when he wasn't so ratfaced and he wasn't much better. I also heard a story of him being rude to a group of roo supporters lining up for GF tickets in 99, also after a night on the tiles.
Whenever I saw him out after that I just stayed away. He was my absolute hero, wearing his number in my teams and on a lace up jumper i had made. I guess what they say about meeting your heroes and being disappointed can be true.
Just another interesting thing, I too had Phil Kelly on my dufflecoat. Couldn't have been too many of us! I look back on that now with a tinge of embarrassment i must say.

 

[daggles]

mccann was a taller version of Mick Martin. My favorites-Carey, Blight, Greig,Dench, Kekovich,Crosswell,Snake Baker,Briedis,Johnny Burns,Rantall( only guy to consistantly beat Leigh Matthews), Boomer, Archer, Scwass, Glendinning, Icke,both Krakouers,Michalczyk,Mick Nolan,Schimma,and the gutsiest of em all, Stevo.Doug Wade was pretty good for us too!

 

[Pres]

Carey
Greig
Laidley
Fridge
Larkin
Archer
Stevens
Schimma
Blight
Wade (reason why I changed from Cats to Roos at age 3!)

Apologies to Rick Norman and Carl Dilena.

Really sad to hear that story about Matty Larkin. He was a champion player dogged by injury late in his career. Should have been in the TOTC for mine.

Re the earlier post about Steve Hickey he was indeed a madman. Surely only in the side to clean up blokes.

 

[Rooboy 34]

Originally posted by windsock


Thats sad to hear and all but you can only go on the experiences you have had. He was pretty ordinary to me and a couple of mates on one occasion (at the Tunnel no less!). Thought I'd try again with him a couple of times when he wasn't so ratfaced and he wasn't much better. I also heard a story of him being rude to a group of roo supporters lining up for GF tickets in 99, also after a night on the tiles.
Whenever I saw him out after that I just stayed away. He was my absolute hero, wearing his number in my teams and on a lace up jumper i had made. I guess what they say about meeting your heroes and being disappointed can be true.

Actually now that you say that, I just remembered. On GF day 96, I had lined up outside the AFL Members from about midnight, so after the game I was stuffed. I decided to get an early night and then go to Arden St the next day. ANYWAY, I received a phone call from a mate at about 4:00am who just spoke drunken crap for a couple of minutes when he said, 'Here - talk to my new mate Matt'. So he put him on and I spoke to this drunk bloke Matt for a couple of minutes. When my mate came back on, he told me that it was Matty Larkin that I had been speaking to. He seemed like an alright bloke - just a pretty p1ssed one at that...

 

[Carlos]

Apart from the personal trauma that you guys are saying this bloke has been through, one thing i find particularly sad is that a past Captain, multiple Best and Fairest winner and absolute champion of our club has to line up with the common person (us) to get GF tickets?!?! Thats tragic!!

 

[Aussie_Roo]

Originally posted by windsock

Just another interesting thing, I too had Phil Kelly on my dufflecoat. Couldn't have been too many of us! I look back on that now with a tinge of embarrassment i must say.

Why? He was more than a good player, and may have gone on to be one of our bests - if he didn't get so many injuries.

 

[Davo01]

My favourite ten, roughly in order:

Blight
Greig
Carey
Schwass
Schimma
Archer
Larkin*
Cable
Both Krakouers
Martyn

* How Matty Larkin was left out of the team of the century has me absolutely buggered!


Honourable mentions to:

Dench
Rock
Pickett
Longmire
McKernan
Ischenko
Stevens
Smith R
Sholl
Spargo
Dempsey
Harvey
Glendinning
Roberts

 

[windsock]

1. Sorry i didn't make it clear - Matty wasn't doing the lining up. He was going past the queue at the Vic Arts Centre at about 8am.
2. About Phil kelly - well let's just say in latter years I realised he was more of an 'outside' player.
3. Matty Larkin not being in the TOTC? What about Jim Krakouer?
4. Rick Norman. For a bloke who only plyed about 2 games for the club, I loved this guy. Me and a couple of my bros saw him an a praccy at Arden St in 1985. He absolutely blitzed, but more importantly took on about 5 blokes in an old fashioned stoush in front of the members' stand. In the ultimate tribute, I named my dog after him!
5. Anthony Furey played in one of his many ill-fated comeback games in the same match. I wore 21 in school and uderage footy cos of this bloke. Another career cursed by injury.

 

[Back Seat Of A Taxi]

Originally posted by windsock
In the ultimate tribute, I named my dog after him!

 

[Carlos]

Originally posted by windsock

4. Rick Norman... In the ultimate tribute, I named my dog after him!

Love it!!

 

[CURVE]

Originally posted by NorthBhoy


I admittedly have only seen him on video, but this is a huge call.

How much better than Carey?

A Lot. I've always thought Carey and Blight were overrated. I was never a fan of either of them, although I was happy they were playing for North. Grieg on the otherhand, is grossly underrated. His speed, evasiveness, and long and short kicking make Robert Harvey look like a doormat.

 

[windsock]

Originally posted by DEVO


A Lot. I've always thought Carey and Blight were overrated. I was never a fan of either of them, although I was happy they were playing for North.

Just leave it guys....

 

[Z_K]

Originally posted by DEVO


I've always thought Carey and Blight were overrated.

I am not going to comment on Greig. Have not seen the man play footy live.

I am the first to nominate overated footballers. I cannot cop the above however. It is impossible for a person my age to ever think that there was ever a man alive a better footballer than Wayne Carey, and I doubt there ever was. Seriously.

 

[Carlos]

Originally posted by windsock
Just leave it guys....

I'd like to Windsock. Really i would.

BUT, i loved Keith Greig. Grace, skill, fluency, courage. He had it all. One of my earliest memories of following this club is seeing him running with the flight of the ball late in a game (too young to remember which one but i remember it was at Waverly) into the defensive goal square, never taking his eyes of it, with big forwards coming towards him and getting a touch on the ball to force a behind when we were clearly out of the contest. Was just the perfect clubman and had everything.

But to say he was easily better than Carey, and that Carey and Blight who are 2 of the most dynamic, skilled and influential players ever to pull on a pair of footy boots are over-rated is just a gross over-statement.

Its an opinion, and you're entitled to it Devo, but gees you must be hard to please mate.

 

[CURVE]

Originally posted by Carlos

I'd like to Windsock. Really i would.

BUT, i loved Keith Greig. Grace, skill, fluency, courage. He had it all. One of my earliest memories of following this club is seeing him running with the flight of the ball late in a game (too young to remember which one but i remember it was at Waverly) into the defensive goal square, never taking his eyes of it, with big forwards coming towards him and getting a touch on the ball to force a behind when we were clearly out of the contest. Was just the perfect clubman and had everything.

But to say he was easily better than Carey, and that Carey and Blight who are 2 of the most dynamic, skilled and influential players ever to pull on a pair of footy boots are over-rated is just a gross over-statement.

Its an opinion, and you're entitled to it Devo, but gees you must be hard to please mate.

I'm not doubting their skills, even I'm not that stupid, but Blight was the most aggrovating player... ever. One day kicks 75m torps to defeat Carlton, next he plays against the saints and fails to get a touch. When he was good he was soooooo sooooo good, but when he was bad... damn.
As for Carey. I hated the fact whenever we ran over the top of teams, it was Carey that won us the game, especially in the mid nineties, when Schwatta, Stevo, Rock and co worked their butts off in the centre and got none of the cudos. The press only ever saw Carey. Most North supporters knew Carey's true worth to the club, but outside everybody thought Carey was the North Melbourne Football Club, and that's what I mean by over rated.

As for Grieg being the best ever, I've believed it since I was 4 years old, and nobody has been influenced me enough to change my opinion.

 

[Z_K]

I agree that some players in the mid 90's were not given the public reward that were owed to them.

How you have devised that this takes away from Carey's standing as the best off all time is a bit weird.

How many times did he pull North out of a deep hole?

Do you think we would have won 2 flags without him?

 

[pastie37]

mccann was like a taller micky martyn?????? purlease! if anyone has mccann laying a bump or shepherd on video it would be worth a mint. dont get me wrong he was handy but he was nothing like mick in the way he played.

my top 10 faves in order

carey - simply the best ever
blight - a freak, the ablett of the 70's
schimma - gutsiest player ever with pace and skill
rosco - pure class
greig - only robert flower comes close as a wingman
arch - tough as nails and never beaten
dench - changed the way backmen played
stevo - heart and soul of the club during the best years
jimmy k - never knew what he would do but it was always fun
rossy smith - ever reliable, still bleeding he missed in 96.

 

[mighty mick]

Originally posted by NorthBhoy
I agree that some players in the mid 90's were not given the public reward that were owed to them.

How you have devised that this takes away from Carey's standing as the best off all time is a bit weird.

How many times did he pull North out of a deep hole?

Do you think we would have won 2 flags without him?

/QUOTE]

carey could bring anyone into the game and the amount of games he won off his own boot are to numerous to list so think it over before you state the bleedin incorrect info.

as for blight i think u have to take a good damn look at yourself before stating blight is overated, from player to coach to special comments there is none better and if we did lose pagan blight would be first on my list,


the most talked about mark and kick in football blight at princes park to win us the game, how far did it co again?

 

[Woodson]

Originally posted by pastie37
mccann was like a taller micky martyn?????? purlease! if anyone has mccann laying a bump or shepherd on video it would be worth a mint. dont get me wrong he was handy but he was nothing like mick in the way he played.

LOL Had to burst out !!! that is so hilarious...I totally agree Pastie37.....did you want to see the most 'aggressive' S.McCann?
Get the Battle of Britian game out and you'll need to freeze frame when McCann grabs a young Kernahan and sticks his his head in the bin...that was unbelievable so FUNNY, the game had everything you could want...Alistair Clarkson's (cowardly) KING HIT
from behind, BigMac and the Filthy Rhys-Jones going head to head
with knuckles sandwiches....oh boy! what a treat! and we won the game as well...also #43 made his debut at a tender age of 16 (?) ....went to become a Premiership player in '99.

McCann seem to have rubber chest... (sorry ladies)

 

[Woodson]

Team Game

Originally posted by NorthBhoy
I agree that some players in the mid 90's were not given the public reward that were owed to them.

How you have devised that this takes away from Carey's standing as the best off all time is a bit weird.

How many times did he pull North out of a deep hole?

Do you think we would have won 2 flags without him?

Mentally NO WAY!! And that's what these ppl saying that he was 'overated '....they think it's body & skill out there...they don't know much about the mental effect that GENERALS like Carey could turn a good player into a great player.

Look at the Hawks of the '80's ......I'm sure there were more passengers going around who fitted in and played great footy then when the Hawks power-reign faltered, they vanished.

North only had a few but not as much as the Hawks.

 

[Rooboy 96]

in order of time...


Barry Cable
Stan Alves
Wayne Schimmelbusch
Ross Glendinning
Jimmy Krakouer
Phil Krakouer
Peter Jonas
Johnny Longmire
Wayne Carey
Mick Martyn

Daniel Harris... to be the next... if he ever gets completely fit again...

 

[ianl]

Carey
Schimma'
Archer
Blight
Greig
Glendinning
Dench
Cable
Longmire
Stevo'

 

[Rooboy 96]

Originally posted by Carlos
David Dench - as a little kid, for me this guy was a standout for the way he attacked the contest. Safe as houses but still so creative and flary.

as a little kid what I most remember of Denchie... was how fast he could run from the old bookies covered area at North... where all the players parked... to the change rooms...

his autograph was gold....

 

[CURVE]

Originally posted by NorthBhoy
I agree that some players in the mid 90's were not given the public reward that were owed to them.

How you have devised that this takes away from Carey's standing as the best off all time is a bit weird.

How many times did he pull North out of a deep hole?

Do you think we would have won 2 flags without him?

It doesn't, I've never considered Carey to be the greatest to begin with. The player of the nineties, yes. But the greatest of all time, no.

As for pulling North out of a deep hole, he was never the only one, and thats the what I hate. Sure he was a major influence in the final decision, but when his scoring goals at one end, he wasn't defending them at the other. It's a team game, and I'd like to see the team get the kudos, and not just Carey.

IMO he wasn't that great in either Grand Final. He took the opposition primary defender and opened up the forward line for others, but McKernan and Archer were catalysts for 1996 and Grant and Bell in 1999. Carey was quiet by his standards in both, although he was brilliant in the lead up games.

 

[Z_K]

I will argue until I die that Carey was unbelievable in the 96 GF. Drag up the stats and tell me that is not a great game by a CHF. He was instructed to play up the ground to allow Scholl and Crocker space behind him. In my opinion he was the most influential player on the ground that day.

98 he was well beaten.

99 he was subjected to the most disgraceful display of cheating by a backmen that I have ever seen. I have watched that game many times and Silvagni should have been hauled up for sexual assault. When he went to the midfield he steadied the game and it was no coincidence we ran away with it.