It was turtle, Deano loved the turtle.
I remember an article after he lost all the weight. they were comparing his weight to Michael Voss and hyping him up big time. a season or two later, he was big jiggly Rioli again. Had some great moments, but definitely wasted a lot of his potential due to his love for cheeseburgers.Rioli had a say in his knee issues?...Unlike Rioli, Rama didn't have much say in the sad affair.
Yes.
Carrying an extra 10-15kg and trying to do the running required for AFL does damage to your knees. As fantastic as Rioli was (and one of my personal favourites) he never put in the dedication required to get his body right.
Turtle burgers
Deano. Sheer magic.
It was the turtle diet that made him so good. We should feed the whole team on turtle.
Rubbish.
Rioli had a say in his knee issues?...Unlike Rioli, Rama didn't have much say in the sad affair.
Yes.
Carrying an extra 10-15kg and trying to do the running required for AFL does damage to your knees. As fantastic as Rioli was (and one of my personal favourites) he never put in the dedication required to get his body right.
Which came first the knee problems or the weight.
There is no evidence that Rioli was a poor trainer and undisciplined in terms of his diet.
He was fat. What more evidence do you need? What are you gonna tell us next, he was big boned?
Fat? Yeah, but he had nice eyes and great personality.
I have nothing to add.
I'm just posting in the hope that Nifty Nev's previous post stops updating every ten minutes.
Dean Rioli was the most talented player on that list without a doubt. Had all the tricks, sublime delivery, and a top shelf football IQ.
I cant remember who it was, but I'm sure he laid a SBW style shoulder charge on some opposition muppet once and I remember thinking there was nothing he could not do.
Ball?
There has to be a joke to do with Gladstone Small poking his head out and Rioli.
Surely!
GUMBY
This thread definitley highlights the ups and downs of AFL and how a lot of hopes are based on 'potential' or one good season.
Didn't McPhee get AA one year? If he'd done a knee and never played again would he have made this list? Let's face it, EFC players on the AA team have been pretty rare in the last decade.
Unfortunately I never saw Rama play prior to his first battle with cancer, though I remember being excited about his return. He certainly didn't strike me as a particularly good player (when he came back), so I guess I must have missed out on his best footy by a long shot. I read his book and he definitely had the makings of a good player though I don't recall him really dominating - the accounts in his book may have been fairly modest though.
I saw Rioli's last couple of games that got him to 100, and yeah he seemed very overweight but you could tell he had the skills. Kind of like when you see the old blokes playing in the legends matches.
I didn't see much of Cupido at all, not pre-knee injury anyway, so I can't really comment, though people seem to be fixed on his attitude being the let down and not his knee injury. Don't forget physical injuries can have a lasting mental impact too...
Not sure what I think of Lovett. He was a good, exciting player but I think we got to see him at his absolute best (so the loss isn't based on potential like some of the others), and while his brillance was astounding those moments were too few and far apart for me to think of him as a huge loss.
He sure added a dimension to the team and we have been unable to replace him but I'm not blaming any of our woes on the Lovett trade.
I'd be interested in comparisons to our current players abilities.
Was Rama as good as Heppel is now? Or Melksham? Or Jerrett?
If we lost Dempsey would that be like when we lost Lovett?
Can you compare Rioli to anyone? Was he similar to Cupido?
Rioli for me purely because of his x-factor...he made the difficult things look so easy.
One of the most talented players we have had on our list over the 48 years I can remember supporting the team (went to my 1st game when I was 6)
This thread definitley highlights the ups and downs of AFL and how a lot of hopes are based on 'potential' or one good season.
Didn't McPhee get AA one year? If he'd done a knee and never played again would he have made this list? Let's face it, EFC players on the AA team have been pretty rare in the last decade.
Unfortunately I never saw Rama play prior to his first battle with cancer, though I remember being excited about his return. He certainly didn't strike me as a particularly good player (when he came back), so I guess I must have missed out on his best footy by a long shot. I read his book and he definitely had the makings of a good player though I don't recall him really dominating - the accounts in his book may have been fairly modest though.
I saw Rioli's last couple of games that got him to 100, and yeah he seemed very overweight but you could tell he had the skills. Kind of like when you see the old blokes playing in the legends matches.
I didn't see much of Cupido at all, not pre-knee injury anyway, so I can't really comment, though people seem to be fixed on his attitude being the let down and not his knee injury. Don't forget physical injuries can have a lasting mental impact too...
Not sure what I think of Lovett. He was a good, exciting player but I think we got to see him at his absolute best (so the loss isn't based on potential like some of the others), and while his brillance was astounding those moments were too few and far apart for me to think of him as a huge loss.
He sure added a dimension to the team and we have been unable to replace him but I'm not blaming any of our woes on the Lovett trade.
I'd be interested in comparisons to our current players abilities.
Was Rama as good as Heppel is now? Or Melksham? Or Jerrett?
If we lost Dempsey would that be like when we lost Lovett?
Can you compare Rioli to anyone? Was he similar to Cupido?
Lovett not in the same league as the other three.
Cupido and Rioli just made time stand still the way Hird did, like Ablett Jnr does. Sublimely talented.
Rama was Rama. An exquisite talent. Superb balance and vision, good speed, great disposal - off the absolute top shelf
Lovett was a quick, inconsistent footballer; nothing outrageously talented like the others. In fact to me, quite pedestrian in that company. Those guys should be bracketed with Wanganeen rather than Lovett.
This thread definitley highlights the ups and downs of AFL and how a lot of hopes are based on 'potential' or one good season.
Didn't McPhee get AA one year? If he'd done a knee and never played again would he have made this list? Let's face it, EFC players on the AA team have been pretty rare in the last decade.
Unfortunately I never saw Rama play prior to his first battle with cancer, though I remember being excited about his return. He certainly didn't strike me as a particularly good player (when he came back), so I guess I must have missed out on his best footy by a long shot. I read his book and he definitely had the makings of a good player though I don't recall him really dominating - the accounts in his book may have been fairly modest though.
I saw Rioli's last couple of games that got him to 100, and yeah he seemed very overweight but you could tell he had the skills. Kind of like when you see the old blokes playing in the legends matches.
I didn't see much of Cupido at all, not pre-knee injury anyway, so I can't really comment, though people seem to be fixed on his attitude being the let down and not his knee injury. Don't forget physical injuries can have a lasting mental impact too...
Not sure what I think of Lovett. He was a good, exciting player but I think we got to see him at his absolute best (so the loss isn't based on potential like some of the others), and while his brillance was astounding those moments were too few and far apart for me to think of him as a huge loss.
He sure added a dimension to the team and we have been unable to replace him but I'm not blaming any of our woes on the Lovett trade.
I'd be interested in comparisons to our current players abilities.
Was Rama as good as Heppel is now? Or Melksham? Or Jerrett?
If we lost Dempsey would that be like when we lost Lovett?
Can you compare Rioli to anyone? Was he similar to Cupido?
Lovett not in the same league as the other three.
Agree Reboot, but l felt l had to put him in for a bit of contemporary reference for the young 'uns.
the late recruitment and (somewhat) early retirement of Leon Baker might have been more costly in terms of flags than any of those listed.
the late recruitment and (somewhat) early retirement of Leon Baker might have been more costly in terms of flags than any of those listed.
And Tony Antrobus could have been anything ;)
I loved Dean Rioli he was the limousine.
Instead of Colorado how about Gleeson,Ashby, Hams and Gregory head up to Melville Island and get on the turtle meat with Deano.
Rioli - had incredible balance and poise and a wonderful effortless kicking style. Still vividly remember some exquisite things he did in the 3rd Q of that Godforsaken 99 prelim final which bought us back into the game and lifted the side. Was really sad he did his shoulder/collarbone on the eve of the finals (was it in that infamous Dogs game in R21?) so he missed out on the flag.
Lovett has been sorely missed over the past couple of years. When you think that we really didn't get anything for him - throw Lovett into the side now and we're a 2-3 goal better side instantly - not because he would kick those goals necessarily, but his carry and dash and breaking the lines, especially with the Bombers game style, he would be a absolute weapon in the side right now.
For differing reasons, both players were HUGE losses to both the Bombers and the AFL in general.
I have word on Cupido from one of his ex-GF's than he was never going to make it due to his level of commitment among other things (won't say anymore).
And Rama, well I wouldn't call him a loss because he still played 134 games, won a premiership and had a 9 year senior career, with two years taken from him due to his treatment, but they were pretty dark days for the club anyhow (05,06).
Rama wasn't the same player after his treatment however. Pre-cancer I honestly thought he would win a Brownlow.
As I've said before, Rioli was my favourite player to watch ever, and considering the era he played in that's pretty significant. He would win games in a quarter with his kicking skills and decision making. Opened up a game like no one I've ever seen, and made it look easy.
Then he'd get injured.
I will have to youtube Rama to see what all the fuss is about, as his stats don't really tell the story. Ignoring his 1st year when he payed only 2 games, if his best years were 2000/1/2 he was only averaging 15.7-17.4 disposals, looks like he was about 3rd in line for the rising star in 2000 (his 2nd year) and he got 4, 3, & 7 BL votes respectively for those years. He got 13 goals in each of those years which is pretty good I suppose from 24, 25 and 23 games.
I guess he had a lot of good players around him at the time and was in a dominant side, this would have both helped him and limited his opportunities (it's not lost on me that breaking into that side and playing every match for 3 years required serious talent!). Also the game was played differently then.
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pc-essendon-bombers--adam-ramanauskas
In comparison, Heppell at about the same age (first 3 years) averages about 21 disposals a game (averaging 28 disposals this year) but hardly any goals (16 for his whole career to date), has won a rising star (1st year) and has similar BL votes (4, 3, & 10).
Now just so I can compare, was Rama better than Heppel? And was he going to be better than Heppell will be?