Who are the best balkers/dummy sellers you've ever seen play the game?

[Franc de Borges]

Not sure I agree with that. I really enjoyed digging out the footage of Cattoggio and watching it, but I think in todays far higher intensity and pressure on the ball carrier a bloke who tried that stuff would get buried. Way too much time for the bad guys to close in.

Possibly. The game isn't as inspirational to watch these days though, just my opinion.

I think mid-80's to mid-90's was when skill and flair were at their zenith, and football was better to watch.

 

[Camo1902]

I agree with the op. Mick Mcguane was amazing at it, check out his 7 bounce running goal against Carlton. He sells candy and makes the Carlton blokes look foolish.

Boomer Harvey is a good one from the modern crop who i can recall making blokes look stupid with a baulk.

There's so many of em, but i can't seem to pick one as the best i have seen do it.

 

[Camo1902]

Darren Jarman in the early '90's wins this easily.

Poetry in motion.

How did i forget Jarman. Debate over in my opinion, this bloke had the sweetest skills i have ever seen.

 

[Atomboy]

[youtube]6be84THbdag[/youtube]

game, set match. this is the true meaning of untouchable. there is one at about 5 minutes where you can see he is just looking forward and steps around the bloke almost without even looking.

edit: oops, fixed

5:48 is an absolute classic !!

The dude couldn't even lay a finger on him...

 

[stefoid]

Dancing Dougie

 

[snrub]

He had to baulk because he couldnt kick with his left boot and couldnt/woulndt handball with either hand!! The only option he had to straighten up and kick the ball in the right direction was to run around his opponents. And he did it well.

Robert Harvey, Tim Watson and Kevin Bartlett were the best in the business. Peter Daicos was hard to tackle too.

KB had the benefit of the old holding the man rule whereby he would bounce the ball just a fraction of a second before he was tackled, but he would actually throw it too far ahead of himself so it didn't come back. The umpire awarded him a free kick as he was tackled when he didn't have possession of the ball. They changed the rules to outlaw this. Leigh Matthews was also very good at the dodgy bounce tactic.

 

[Leapingleobarry]

I loved Mick O'Loughlin's baulking. It was just as good at 33 as it was when he was 18. Kennelly was very good too. I have a feeling we'll see a bit more of it this year.

 

[Spook]

R. Harvey 3 votes

I am not sure that Harvet actually sold a dummy, he actaully just shrugged tackles with a shake of his hips.

 

[yirra_kurl]

forgive me if it has been mentioned, as i haven't read the whole thread

R.Harvey the best i've seen

Stand out moments that stick in my head:

1) J.Leppitschshchsh (sp?). Took a mark about 50 out from goal (can't remember the opponent) went back to have a shot at goal...ran in with every intent to have a shot, out of no-where, baulked the man on the mark, had a bounce to get inside 50, slots the goal. Beauty....

2) S.Taylor...yes you heard me right. Vs brisbane in '08

Gathers the ball just outside the centre square (members side at the G). Weaves around one player, then sells some of the most beautiful candy ever seen to another, then sort of weaves his way past another brisbane player all in the space of about 5 metres. But is now in the clear.
Im sure his thought process must have been something like "how the hell did i do that". He then handballs the ball straight up in the air, to be turned over and brisbane go forward and kick the goal. Never, ever forget that moment. Not sure why though....

Cheers

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

So by my count that's:

Harvey - 62
Jarman - 21
Hodge - 3
Taylor - 2

 

[bookers]

My vote is for Darren Jarman too, beautiul player

 

[Crow-mo]

Andrew Jarman.

darren was very good, Andrew sold it better than a used car salesman.

 

[Crow-mo]

You're not biased mate, it's fact.

D. Jarman is the most skillful footballer I've ever seen, one of my all-time favourites. Dunstall agrees, that's good enough for me.

Actually I think Rhys Jones' skills might have been as good.

 

[Crow-mo]

yes....but Harvey did it weekly....Jarman did it when he was "on"........

oh please. 1 of Jarman's possessions were worth 4 of Harvey's.

 

[Crow-mo]

Darren Jarman.

[YOUTUBE]U1TX62MZCQE[/YOUTUBE]

Jesus, he could play couldn't he.

 

[Ricmel]

My vote is for Darren Jarman too, beautiul player

I think his evasiveness was more to do with the opposition not wanting to get too close to that head.

Not beautiful.

 

[nthblood]

I would have to say the very best I have seen was Bobby Skilton with a very close second Darren Jarman.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Haven't read through all the posts - but i haven't seen any mention of Peter Matera - he along with Dean Kemp would be the best our club hs had.

Would have to say that i didn't think Harvey was so much of a baulker - but would just hold blokes off tackles with his hips/thighs. Nothing better than seeing him run up and down the mud all day at Moorabbin. Not sure we'll ever know if we get a runner like that again

 

[rose jam]

best at the moment is Scott Pendelbury
best baulker while moving was Robert Harvey
best baulker from a static start was Darren Jarman
best baulker from a set shot was Derrick Kickett
best baulker of goals was Richo (oh snap)

 

[Pheasant Plucker]

This thread was devoted to one D Jarman. One of the most devastating players in traffic I've ever seen. One of the Saints supporters earlier in this thread suggesting he only did it when he was 'on' is laughable, but then I guess they would've seen his efforts of when he's 'on' first hand.

Jarman wins this hands down for me, probably put Harvey down as number two for players I've seen but Jarman is clear cut #1. Literally he's one of the few footballers you could put into a 4,5 or 6 on 1 situation and still not be 100% certain that the six could stop him. He was just a ridiculously talented man and probably my all time favourite footballer, always had all the time in the world and never seemed to get flustered. Don't let the fact that he weighs as much as an aircraft carrier these days fool you, his efforts in the early days at Hawthorn and then continued on at the Crows were worth the price of admission alone.

 

[sr36]

I can't believe that I read this whole thread. Oh well I've learnt something. It would seem that a baulk - as defined by god knows who- must involve pretending to dispose of the ball. Avoiding and wrong footing an opponent by pretending to go one way and then going the other is not a baulk. We clearly need a new word to describe this style of tackle avoidance. I suggest the 'gazzump'. with this in mind it is obvious that while Jarman was the best baulker, Harvey was the king of Gazzump.

In terms of sheer tackle avoidance, Harvey and Gary Ablett Jr are streets ahead of the rest. They are/were both so strong through the hips that they could just shrug the tackle if they weren't able to wrong foot their opponent.

 

[Damon_3388]

Tom Hislop can do a good blind turn

Seriously though, that Ben Cousins baulk in the back pocket during the first quarter tonight was a thing of beauty. And yes, it was a proper baulk.

 

[blues4flag]

Marc Murphy's improving at it by the year. Has amazing deceleration.

 

[wce4premiership]

Ben cousins really is brilliant at this.

 

[stfan]

I can't believe that I read this whole thread. Oh well I've learnt something. It would seem that a baulk - as defined by god knows who- must involve pretending to dispose of the ball. Avoiding and wrong footing an opponent by pretending to go one way and then going the other is not a baulk. We clearly need a new word to describe this style of tackle avoidance. I suggest the 'gazzump'. with this in mind it is obvious that while Jarman was the best baulker, Harvey was the king of Gazzump.

.

Some commentators when Harvey was at his prime used Jinking (from the aerial dogfighting term) to describe what Harvey was doing.

Quite appropriate if you think about it as a pilot had to "outhink" his opponent and not just "outfly" them.