In the spirit of the other thread (who did you idolise as a kid) thought it might be fun to nominate who you believe to be the softest player and hardest player each of us have witnessed play the game at the various clubs we support. Be brutal, it’s more fun this way :evil:
Softest for me at my own club SD is by far is Andy Holmes. Was quicker to get outta the way than any other player I’ve seen and at his best would jump at a shadow before it was born. Kicked goals consistently though when he wasn’t busy trying to bum a few chips on the far side flank so was still appreciated by the members.
Hardest was a toss up between Brad Shine & Danny Penny for me. Forced to choose I have to go with Danny Penny. If ever there was a footballer I would have hated to run in to it was this bloke. The King of the Shitmixer in my books. As solid as they come and used to split blokes down the middle on a weekly basis. The best executioner of the bump I’ve seen and did it with little or no emotion at times, cold & ruthless like…someone at the club should show young Rudy some footage of Danny, a watch & learn session, would be just brilliant to see another enforcer the likes of Danny Penny back on Basso Oval.
All time biggest softcock from the other clubs for me is from non other than the Handbaggers Football Club. The softest man I’ve seen play the game, Warren Ralph. I’m amazed he didn’t play in a skirt. I’ve heard rumours he had to change his jocks at every change of ends such was the fear. The fact he kicked so many goals is absolute proof that all types can succeed at footy, also the player I hated the most as a kid. The first swear words i ever spoke as a kid were “Bloody Fairy” aimed at Ralph which I only learnt because Dad told me I couldn’t call him a ‘Bloody Poofter’ …well not in front of Mum anyway. No prize for guessing where I learnt those naughty words in the first place hey old man.
Hardest player from outside of Swans, well I just don’t recall one B)
Dargie & shawcross Subi although ironically some joondy supporters would say bill monaghan woo hoo…so I’ll give him a close 2nd to shawcross. Honourable hard mentions to Ray Reeves Jeff Murray & Ali Pickett. Other clubs TI Basil Rioli Shine roo Dale Reeves Nowotney & the fag list bushell mifka bradmore beas ralph
Brad Smith for one of the hardest from EP, Graham Moss because he did not go in for the histrionics just kept on playing when getting belted, Brian France was a truly hard footballer.
Softest Max van Helden, they called him foot steps for obvious reasons, Phil Haughan and all yhose ciurrent players who stand on the outside and appeal for free kicks rather than get in and do the work.
Someone mentioned Dale Reeves mmmm dirty not tough!
Haha good work DW. :lol:
You are dead right about Shine & Penny both being as a hard as any player as I have seen in the WAFL.
Must give special mention to a few other Swannies boys from the 80’s era in Solin, Fogarty, Skwirowski, Nowotny, Boucher, Baker, Neesham, Melrose & more recently Beros & Roberts as all were as hard as a cat’s head.
From the opposition team’s Michael, Campbell, Otway, Magro, Worthington, Blackwell, Duckworth spring to mind.
As for the softest let me just preface this by saying it takes courage just to run over the white line but Barich was one who was built like Tarzan but played more like Jane!
Good thread DW…hardest for mine at Subi was Dargie and Kevin Sparks…honourable mention to Mark Haynes as well. Softest is hard to say as usually you’re pretty tough to play WAFL footy at all..but Paul Vines didn’t get too many hard balls…very skillful but an outside player nonetheless. From other clubs I’d agree with Shine and Beros..the latter had some great battles with Phil Read also Craig Wulfe from the current crop were/are very hard at it. Softest for mine was Alan Daniels aka pate and David Bushell.
Ron Webster lived in a cage and was feed raw meat, I have never seen a scarier player. Dev Perry was a very tough player too never took a backward step. Aaron Sweet at EP liked to avoid contact, and Bill Monahagn was a softy and a coward.
“Dinny Barron was a fearsome character, and never pulled out of a contest, but the head on clash between him and John Watts one day was awesome. And they both dusted themselves and went on playing as if nothing had happened.”
Those were the words of Subiaco star Kevin Merifield.
There were a few more around in those days, notably Hayden Bunton jnr,who exemplified the word “tough". One of the most memorable photos of a WANFL grand final is the one of him being chaired off Subiaco Oval by his team mates with blood pouring down his cheek.
There is also the story of Bunton receiving a torn scrotum during a league match against East Fremantle and having it sewn up at a break, playing out the match with his customary thirty plus possessions.
There have been many more from all clubs,including Basil Campbell, Noel Carter, Stan Magro, Brad Shine, Fred Castledine, Stan Nowotny, Gary Gillespie, Butch Baroni, Ken Hunter, Leon O’Dwyer, Kevin Clune, and not to forget the man the Vics feared, Malcolm Atwell.
Ron Webster lived in a cage and was feed raw meat, I have never seen a scarier player. Dev Perry was a very tough player too never took a backward step. Aaron Sweet at EP liked to avoid contact, and Bill Monahagn was a softy and a coward.
Gather you never saw “Jacko” then, especially without his teeth!
Haha good work DW. :lol:
You are dead right about Shine & Penny both being as a hard as any player as I have seen in the WAFL.
Must give special mention to a few other Swannies boys from the 80’s era in Solin, Fogarty, Skwirowski, Nowotny, Boucher, Baker, Neesham, Melrose & more recently Beros & Roberts as all were as hard as a cat’s head.
From the opposition team’s Michael, Campbell, Otway, Magro, Worthington, Blackwell, Duckworth spring to mind.
As for the softest let me just preface this by saying it takes courage just to run over the white line but Barich was one who was built like Tarzan but played more like Jane!
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Gee Beasley, you’re obviously not a Barich fan. I saw him a lot from '84 to '94 and while he was no Mal Atwell, I wouldn’t say he was soft. Big call.
Shorty Daniels played a couple of years at Perth when past his prime and he was soft.
Ron Webster lived in a cage and was feed raw meat, I have never seen a scarier player. Dev Perry was a very tough player too never took a backward step. Aaron Sweet at EP liked to avoid contact, and Bill Monahagn was a softy and a coward.
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I’d be a bit careful what I say on a public forum there Larry…comments like those on Monaghan may end up being taken further…and for the record he was neither soft nor a coward imo. Not overly blessed with talent but a no frills backman who got the job done when playing at Subi.
Chris Hicks, Mal Dobson, Ron Bentley and Eddie Donnes in my very early days as an EF supporter in the early 70’s were no nonsense hard at it players…in the 80’s really loved the toughness of Glen Hoult, Tony & Robbie Solin brought to the EF side…also Murray Wrensted was never too shy to win the hard ball back in his WAFL days.
whilst a skinny blonde wingman called Michael Jensen was one EF player back in the 80s who used to do my head in for his marshmellow approach playing footy… saying that he didn’t play many games of league from memory…
From other clubs always remember Kenny Hunter as being a guy who was never afraid to fling his body around the place, Leon Baker was a tough sort too. Boucher was just scary in terms of his size and demeanour, whilst Craig Nelson was pretty tough too in his days at WP from memory.
I will give you him or anyone else my address if you want, he can come and take five dollars a week from my single pension if he’s that desperate. Stomping on players heads fifty meters behind play is not the mark of brave man. The most cowardly act imaginable ask Ashley Hutchinson if his fractured face gives him any on going trouble. The truth BC I have always found to be a good foundation for any point of view.
I remember Michael Jenson - did he not play in the 1984 grand final? as some have posted you need courage to play this game - but i guess some are more courageous than others. Brad Shine stands out in my memory - probably because of his shirt front on Russell Waterman all those years ago at Bassendean.
if it takes courage to step out onto a field and play this game i would hesitate in calling anyone soft. but if push comes to shove - Roger “the dodger” Kerr.
Griffin from Swans was a tough customer and a young man called Nathan Brookes from EP was very wild. I remember him crawling around on the WACA turf after a night game looking for his teeth.
Griffin from Swans was a tough customer and a young man called Nathan Brookes from EP was very wild. I remember him crawling around on the WACA turf after a night game looking for his teeth.
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I cant believe I forgot about me old mate Dwayne Griffin LB sorry Griff sheesh he was a hard man on the field of battle!
sheesh he was a hard man on the field of battle!