Forgotten Footy Folklore

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In the good old days we used to have a thread for the types of stories that tend to get glossed over and/or forgotten.

The Dean Solomon to Richmond thread is one of those. However, this thread is designed to remember and then discuss the types of stories like that, and hopefully remember them.

 

1981 preseason. Kevin Sheedy had just been appointed as coach.

My dad worked at the club part time, and Sheedy introduced Robbie Muir to him. 

Dad says he must have had a strange look on his face because Sheedy said to him "Robbie's having a look around the place, might bring some strength".

Robbie Muir had left footy in the middle of 1980, and was basically remembered as a nutcase who belted people, in particular Dennis Collins* of Carlton.

He and Sheedy grabbed a footy and they went out onto Windy Hill and were having a chat, with Muir bouncing a footy all the while.

Brian Donohue (Chairman of Selectors) came down to the rooms and asked Dad "Who's that with Sheedy?" 

"Robbie Muir"

"I thought so" Donohue shook his head in disbelief and went back upstairs.

 

For weeks I told kids at school, "just you wait, Robbie Muir is playing for the Bombers next year."

Nothing happened.

It wasn't until a few years later I found out it didn't last much longer than than afternoon.

There have been differing reports on how exactly this was handled.

The official version is now that Greg Sewell (club president) took Sheedy to lunch and politely explained that Muir didn't fit the culture we were trying to build and that we didn't need him, plus, he was more than likely not going to play much because he was suspended so often.

 

But my preferred account is from one of the trainers who was in the Social Club that night.

He recalls Sheedy bringing Muir upstairs to the Social Club to complete the tour of the facilities.

Donohue is alleged to have told Sheedy "get this farking idiot out of our farking football club, and make sure you get the farking footy back off him when he leaves. He's not playing for us, and if you fight me on this, you can fark off with him."

Robbie Muir didn't get picked up in 1981, he went to SANFL and then country football where he dominated, but got suspended a lot too. He played again for StKilda in 1984 but by then he was basically finished, and only played 2 games. He went back to the SANFL in 1985 where he finished up getting reported (and suspended), then knocked out one of his own team mates who came in, and a trainer from his club before whacking an opposition supporter on the way off. 

 

Whichever version is more accurate, or perhaps like a lot of things, somewhere in the middle lies the truth, the fact remains we were seriously looking at one of football's biggest nutcases to be one of our own. And it would have been interesting 

 

Still, it would have been interesting to see how he went against Hawthorn in some of those games where it got willing.

 

 

 

* Interesting Dennis Collins fact. His dad Jack played in our 1950 premiership side. His last three games were all against North Melbourne. Round 17, then injured for R18, Semi Final, Grand Final.

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I'm guessing that after a season or two, B Donohue wouldn't have dared address K Sheedy in that way again.

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I recall a game at Moorabbin in 1976, where Robby Muir was hitting everyone. He punched Gary Parkes (another Bomber no 5) in the back of the head and Parkes chased him up the wing punching each other as they ran after the ball. Gary then jumped on his back and they had a wrestling match. Muir was a very crazy person and would have fitted in well with some of the other Bombers of the time !

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I'm guessing that after a season or two, B Donohue wouldn't have dared address K Sheedy in that way again.

I think they were pretty good mates actually.

But yeah, at the time StG was a former Richmond player about to start as coach.

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I recall a game at Moorabbin in 1976, where Robby Muir was hitting everyone. He punched Gary Parkes (another Bomber no 5) in the back of the head and Parkes chased him up the wing punching each other as they ran after the ball. Gary then jumped on his back and they had a wrestling match. Muir was a very crazy person and would have fitted in well with some of the other Bombers of the time !

did he ever come up against ronnie andrews

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Robbie Muir, Ron Andrews, Stewart Gull, Robert McGhie, Carl Ditterich, Ricky McLean…boy there were some tough mothers playing in the seventies.

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Hey Saltbush,

you forgot  a few in Jeff Sarau, Ray Biffin, Jack Mihochek, John Cassin, Des Tuddenham, Sheeds, Mal Brown.....

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It was a tough era.

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I recall a game at Moorabbin in 1976, where Robby Muir was hitting everyone. He punched Gary Parkes (another Bomber no 5) in the back of the head and Parkes chased him up the wing punching each other as they ran after the ball. Gary then jumped on his back and they had a wrestling match. Muir was a very crazy person and would have fitted in well with some of the other Bombers of the time !

did he ever come up against ronnie andrews

Robbie Muir would not have cared if it was a bus, he just liked hitting things. I went to school with Gary Parkes and he could fight.
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[quote]Hey Saltbush,

you forgot  a few in Jeff Sarau, Ray Biffin, Jack Mihochek, John Cassin, Des Tuddenham, Sheeds, Mal Brown…[/quote]

ah yes jack mihocek

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Jack Mihocek - I went to school with him.  Was banned for life from soccer so changed over to Aussie Rules.

 

Absolutely lovely guy off the field.

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They're too quick to 'ban for life' in soccer.

 

A mate's brother was banned for life 3 times before he had even turned 17.

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I once played Soccer against a guy who was banned for life for knocking out a ref, he was playing under a different name. My side (who I had joined that season) were speculating as to whether he'd be playing that day in the changing rooms. Guess who the 195cm brick shithouse of a winger with face and neck tattoos approached to play on at kickoff...

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Used to play cricket against a bloke called Crazy. Not big but relatively rough unit, neck tatts, "crazy" tattooed across his knuckles. Fresh off a strong 3 year "pre-season" for an off the books sawn-off & attempted armed robbery.

His sledging was something else, when he threatened you, you believed it.

Then he'd pop his teeth out at you.

 

 

Really genuine & nice bloke, which was odd.

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Played in a u16 match for school that was interrupted by a massive brawl part way through.  The opposition side was deemed to have started it and were kicked out of the comp for the year, and their best player, an angry little bloodnut, was banned for life.

 

Was pretty weird from my point of view - I was way up the other end of the ground deep in the backline when the fists started flying in the forward pocket and suddenly it's all in.  To this day I have no idea what caused it.  I looked at my opponent, and he looked at me, and we didn't say a word to each other but we were obviously both thinking "I dunno what the hell's happening up there, but, um, should I be hitting you now or something?"

 

We both settled for jogging towards the fight nice and slowly, taking our time so we could be sure the umps and coaches would have broken it up by the time we got there...

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Would forgotten footy folklore be something like the 2nd siren after the game so you could have a kick on the ground?

 

I miss that.

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Played footy in the old Western Suburban Football League with a guy known in underworld circles as “Nick the Greek”. He was mad and you were always glad he was on your side.

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Played footy in the old Western Suburban Football League with a guy known in underworld circles as "Nick the Greek". He was mad and you were always glad he was on your side.

He had a run in with Chopper didn't he?

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In 2008 Brendan Fevola had gotten himself into a little strife.

His marriage had broken down, and his missus had advised him that his baby daughter was actually fathered by someone else. (A Carlton board member at the time)

Fev decided the grog and the punt were the best forms of release, and he set about partying pretty hard in his new single life.

Plenty of nights he didn't get home to Cheltenham where he lived, crashing at a variety of places near town.

On-field he kicked 99 goals, so the club turned a blind eye to his lifestyle, because he was getting results.

However, eventually the combination of grog and gambling took its toll, grog being the enemy of good judgement at the best of times, and gambling being a subject best left to the clear thinkers.

His lack of clear thinking led him to borrow money from colourful local identities, who were also supporters of the club.

It appears Fev had the impression they wouldn't want their money back. Or at least,t hey could wait for it.

But they did. And they wouldn't.

Breaking his legs was discussed, but as Carlton supporters they ended up settling on another plan.

Bet on Fev not performing, and get the money back that way.

So Fev was instructed that there would be some weeks where he wouldn't perform to his utmost.

Round 7 2009, they were playing Freo on the Gold Coast, and this game was identified as the game to make it happen.

Tens of thousands of dollars were bet on Fev, coming off 8 the week before against Hawthorn, to kick only one goal.

Unthinkable against the lowly Dockers.

He led, marked and kicked a point.

He led again, marked and kicked a goal, then left the ground, apparently injured.

But he was fine. He trained the house down and prepared for the big game against the Pies the next week.

However, all that money bet on him kicking 1 had ended up bringing down the odds.

So his benefactors needed him to 'perform' one more time, this time on one of footy's biggest stages.

This time they backed him to kick None against Collingwood at the G.

Fev was playing Full Forward but ventured so far up the ground there was no way any of his possessions were ever going to get near goal.

Eventually master coach Brett Ratten took him off and he stayed off, having not kicked a goal.

And his debts were declared: Paid.

The AFL had an investigation into the allegations, brought to them by the sponsor, a large betting company who had lost money on the sting.

But the AFL, using the best investigative powers found nothing untoward and cleared everyone of the allegations.

Fevola, coming off 99 goals and then 89 goals (with 2 games not trying) was traded to Brisbane at the end of the year. 

 

 

 

* Some or all of this may not be the truth. But it is footy folklore.

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Good yarn. It seemed believable until Round 7 2009, they were playing Freo on the Gold Coast.

 

Why would Carlton be playing Freo on the Gold Coast?

 

And also master coach Brett Ratten...LOL