Not often that a list loses credibility right from the first entry, but there you go.
3 Likes
Pickett was legit tough, hard at the ball and would obliterate any man that stood between him and the ball
5 Likes
Nobody has mentioned Roger Merrett yet?
7 Likes
Mark Johnson
I took my Canadian brother in law to the G to watch Essendon vs West Coast, ( It may have been the throat slitting game), and we had seats a row or two from the fence. MJ attached the ball as he often did, and a Weagle got there before him to take posession. So MJ picked him up, span him 180 degrees and pile-drived him into the MCG turf. Then stood over him and glared.
My brother in laws understated comment- " can you really do that?!!!"
2 Likes
Showing my age but from the 70s to now, no one compares to Ronnie Andrews.
He came from an era where outright thuggery was a tactic, and was, from my viewing, the best and longest term exponent of it.
There were a number of opposition players who came off worse for their encounter with him, and Hawthorn people talk of seeing him playing in the 83 Reserves Grand Final and feeling a lot more comfortable about being aggressive themselves in the main game.
Ron was going to retire that day, and take a few with him.
Not saying we would have won the 83 GF, but Iād be thinking Colin Robertson wouldnāt have won the Norm Smith and that heād have been unconscious in hospital at the time.
25 Likes
Actually, I thought the opposite of Pickett. IMO he often used to run past the ball to take out the man. Maybe it was to prevent himself from getting cleaned up if he put his own head over the ball.
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The throat slitting game was at Colonial Stadium (now Marvel). I was there.
1 Like
Big difference between being tough or being dirty.
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Ask Joe Misiti about the time he broke his jaw - and got off scott free IIRC
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Ronnie was also the slowest player in the league by about 3 yards with crook knees. Interestingly no one ever managed to catch him when he went for a run through the middle !
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I think Beaumont took on the whole of FC one day in the middle of Windy Hill.
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Not the toughest but i use to like ryan ārhinoā oāconnor in the 90s. I remember seeing him punch on against collingwood one day when the ball was at the other end of the field, was taking on about 3 guys like the incredible hulk.
5 Likes
However Ronnie did regret his tangle with Stewie Gull who decked him twice I think.
2 Likes
both good ballarat guys.
Aagree. Pickett was a gutless sniper.
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These players:
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Yes, I remember that wellā¦ was right in front of where we were sitting. I donāt think there was even a free kick given. Still cant believe he got away with that.
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I was at that game and saw the incident. Gull knocked Ronnie out cold with an upper-cut.
In his defense at the tribunal Gull said that when playing on an opponent like Ron you have to make sure that you get in first.
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I was at the game and this is spot on, they needed him. To this day I cannot understand why Ronnie didnāt play. To my way of thinking playing him was a no brainer.
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I think he paid the price for his reckless report and suspension against Fitzroy.