Grant - The Champion Tag?

[LostDoggy]

I was listening to SEN this morning debating if someone should be classed as a champion.

For what it's worth I think that is a vastly over used expression.

When looking back on the career of Chris Grant I would be interested to know if our loyal Bulldog supporters here really class him as a champion footballer?

I don't think we can doubt that he is a champion person and they fact that he has been fantastic for the club but I suppose when I talk to friends of other clubs there is mixed feelings about the Chris Grant = Champion tag.

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being allocated for the true champions of the game where does Chris Grant really rate?

You can use .5 ratings as well if you like.

Billy

[Go_Dogs]

Did you read the Chris Grant piece Rocket did for the AFL.com site last year, when Granty played his record breaking game? Eade summed it up perfectly. He said something along the lines of, the mark of a champion is the ability to not only play when injured, but to play courageously, and that Chris has done that time and time again, whilst suffering numerous disappointments and serious injuries. He could have easily won 2 Brownlow medals. He's a champion as much as Robert Harvey, or James Hird, or any of those blokes are.

[Twodogs]

If he'd had the brownlow(s) and the premiership he so richly deserved we wouldnt be having this conversation.

[Sockeye Salmon]

If he'd had the brownlow(s) and the premiership he so richly deserved we wouldnt be having this conversation.

I can't believe someone thought there was a need to raise the question.

Billy, I suspect you are just trying to get a bit of traffic happening on this website (which is good), but if you were serious about asking it you should have spent the last 17 years watching him rather than reading the Herald-Sun.

[Topdog]

I'd easily call him a champion. Honestly if it weren't for Carey than Grant would have been the most talked about player of the 90's There were times where Grant would just control game, after game, after game. Be it in attack or in defense. His ability to be in the top 3 in the league in 2 positions at the same time shouldn't go unrecognised.

[Sockeye Salmon]

If Grant had taken Port's money he would probably be a 3-time premiership captain and given that Port would have had the luxury of playing Tredrea at CHF, would probably be recognised as the greatest CHB of our generation.

[bornadog]

He could have easily won 2 Brownlow medals.

Yes we know what happened in 1997 but as well 1996, there is arguement to say he could have tied for the brownlow if we had have won the last game if the year. You may remember we lost by less than a goal to Essendon, Hird got three votes and Grant 2. Grant ran second in the brownlow by one vote.

Champion is an understatement when it comes to Grant.

[Go_Dogs]

Yes we know what happened in 1997 but as well 1996, there is arguement to say he could have tied for the brownlow if we had have won the last game if the year. You may remember we lost by less than a goal to Essendon, Hird got three votes and Grant 2. Grant ran second in the brownlow by one vote.

To James Hird, who pinched the 3 in the last round!

[bulldogtragic]

Billy the problem is with your opening line. Listening to the midinformed rumour peddling hacks on SEN is what kills brain cells. Chris Grant is not only a club champion, but a sporting champion of any code by any standard.

[BulldogBelle]

He is definitely a champion, he might not have a Premiership Medal to hang around his neck or perhaps that Brownlow Medal that was so unjustly removed from him. His worth, courageousness, skill and his determination is something that will never be forgotten especially when we start to reminisce his career after he hangs up the boots. As for rating Chris Grant - a 5 no doubt in my mind.

These "tags" that the media put on players really annoys me at times - l seem to remember a similar thing mentioned about Doug Hawkins because he never played in a Premiership side and because he hadn't won a Brownlow.

[Sockeye Salmon]

To James Hird, who pinched the 3 in the last round!

Steve Kretiuk tried to pass to Craig Ellis at CHB instead of going long, along the boundary. There was only 17 seconds left.

The pass went over Horse's head and Mark Mercuri run onto it and goaled from about 40 out. They won by 3 points.

One of the umpires came out last year and said they would have given Grant 3 votes had the Dogs won.

In effect, whether James Hird or Chris Grant won the Brownlow was decided on a single piece of play that neither were involved in.

[mjp]

Not to take away from the romantic nature of your post SS, but it is pretty hard to point at one passage of play as 'the reason' for a result in any game, let alone a 3-pointer.

It is like saying Westy could have won in 2005 (for example) if we had won a couple more games - in 1996 Grant was just unlucky.

In 1997, he was stabbed by Ian Collins, who is a snake. I remain convinced that the current state of the Carlton Footy club is a direct result of his despicable actions to cite Grant for striking that year. It is the only time I can really remember an administrator so aggressively targetting an individual player and having them rubbed out for something that the umpires did not believe to be reportable.

Is he a champion of the game? Well, he is a champion of the Footscray Footy Club, and to be honest that is more than enough for me. To say that I dont care how other teams supporters regard our players is an understatement.

[bresker]

Is he a champion of the game? Well, he is a champion of the Footscray Footy Club, and to be honest that is more than enough for me. To say that I dont care how other teams supporters regard our players is an understatement.

Me too, If he played for Adelaide or Collingwood or had a big mouth like Buckley we'd never hear the end of him. But he's an unfashionably modest man & plays for a less fashonable side.

Watching the old time 'scray supporters dab their eyes when he ran through the banner for his 330th game said it all for me.

[alwaysadog]

Not to take away from the romantic nature of your post SS, but it is pretty hard to point at one passage of play as 'the reason' for a result in any game, let alone a 3-pointer.

It is like saying Westy could have won in 2005 (for example) if we had won a couple more games - in 1996 Grant was just unlucky.

In 1997, he was stabbed by Ian Collins, who is a snake. I remain convinced that the current state of the Carlton Footy club is a direct result of his despicable actions to cite Grant for striking that year. It is the only time I can really remember an administrator so aggressively targetting an individual player and having them rubbed out for something that the umpires did not believe to be reportable.

Is he a champion of the game? Well, he is a champion of the Footscray Footy Club, and to be honest that is more than enough for me. To say that I dont care how other teams supporters regard our players is an understatement.

I take your initial point but when a game goes down to the wire then yes certain sequences or certain individuals directly affect the result in ways that make the the previous 100 minutes seem insignificant. Take Chris' last minute goal against the Bombers in 2000, it broke their spirits.

The current state of Carlton is in manyways a direct result of Collo but it is his ineptitude. He was very good at slagging off at us and he still never admits to a mistake but he left Carlton in a parlous state and deserted before he could be called to account. He runs the Phone Dome like a second rate doss house. The simple fact is that he gives others grief when they hit hard times but he's never experienced them himself and he couldn't manage a kindergarten.

[bornadog]

.

The current state of Carlton is in manyways a direct result of Collo but it is his ineptitude. He was very good at slagging off at us and he still never admits to a mistake but he left Carlton in a parlous state and deserted before he could be called to account. He runs the Phone Dome like a second rate doss house. The simple fact is that he gives others grief when they hit hard times but he's never experienced them himself and he couldn't manage a kindergarten.

Yes Carlton are in a State, and you know what, I am enjoying the club going through the turmoil. Over the years I worked with a lot of Carlton supporters and they were really arrogant bas....ds. I agree with your assessment of Collo as well, I hate him with a passion, not only for what he did to Chris but just his smart aleck smugness and yes your right he couldn't manage a kindergarten in a month of sundays.