Who remembers 1985?

[alwaysadog]

Simon Beasley's recent health problem has had a lot of more senior posters trawling their memories about Simon's playing days and the great 1985 team that went so well and got so close.

Here's your chance. Below is a chart of results in every game that season, just to get the cerebral juices flowing. Don't feel inhibited to just talking about the games share the characters and the incidents and your most treasured memories.

[Twodogs]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

One word.



Lally.



Wish I could find a picture of the great man.

[alwaysadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

And here's the end of season ladder

[GVGjr]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

And here's the end of season ladder

What a season. Probably the most enjoyable one I can recall. You went out every week expecting to win. There was a fair gap between the top 4 teams and the others that year and we were as good as anyone. The fact that we tuned up the top placed Bombers during the season highlights how strong we were.

We fell short when it counted but it was a hell of a ride.

[Bornadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

1985 was one of my most memorable years of watching the dogs at home and also away but especially home games. No one expected us to finish where we did. Essendon lost only three games and one was against us at home. The other match we played against Essendon at Windy Hill was also very close but we went down by 4 goals. The highlight of that game was the surprise to see Lally run out on to the ground as he wasn't even picked in the team due to having his appendix out only a few weeks before. I have heard from sources in the past that as long as Essendon didn't play us in the Grand Final, they were confident of winning the premiership. We of course went down to Hawthorn in the preliminary final by 10 points after some coaching blunders by Malthouse in the last quarter, when Matthews came on and carved us up (we had the wrong players on Matthews in the last quarter as he had been kept quiet all day)

The 1985 team was made up of players from WA ,SA , Tassie and recycled from other clubs. Of the WA players, Hardie was sensational winning the brownlow as was our Ruckman Purser. There were other great players from WA such as the Pieman, Sewell, shorty Daniels, Ian Williams, as well as some great home grown players like Hawkins (absolutlely brilliant especially in the finals), Chocco Royal, the Cordy brothers, Ricky Kenndey, the McPherson brothers, Magic McClean, Les bamblett, Peter Foster, as well as some recycled players likeTony Buhagiar, Emmett Dunne, Phil Maylin, Mark kellett and captained by Jimmy Edmond. It was a pretty good team and one that could have taken out the premiership.

There were many games during the year that I could go on and on about, but the finals were great to be apart of. In the first final we got trounced by the hawks, it was a total embarressment, especially after we had beaten them a few weeks before at home. The first semi final was very special with the pieman kicking his 100th and Lally his 50th as well as the brillance of Dougie on the wing and Chocco's five or six goals, what a rover. The preliminary final was also a great game even thou we lost, I still remember just walking across the ground after the match, thinking so close yet a chance to see the dogs in the big one gone.

Many many memories of that year, however, the sad part was we fell away after that year till the early nineties as we didn't recruit any youngsters and kept trying to get ready made players, which was a trade mark of the recruitment manager, Sullivan. I have plenty of videos of that year stored away as well as some footy records.

[GVGjr]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

Bornadog raises a great list of players and really we had a great mixture of youth blended to some excellent re-cycled players. The success we enjoyed in 1985 should have been something that should have followed the club for many years to come. It's a great mystery why we faded so quickly after 1985 both on and off the field.

[alwaysadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

Let's leave the falling away bit for a while, I've got an old VP from that time I'm still hoping to talk to. I'd like to do another thread on that but what I really am keen to do is to explore the joy and anticipation we built all season. As well as recalling the greta players.

How many did Rick K. biff that year and how good was Rod McPherson till he did his knee?

There was also a young defender that year who many now make a joke about, and he quite likes a joke at his own expense, but he looked like he had the world at his feet and played some pretty good games. One that comes to mind is the round 13 clash against North and our come from behind victory. Late in the game he took some really important marks which turned the initiative out way.

Yes, come on down it's Zeno Tsatsaris. It just underlines how when confidence is up so much more is possible and hard things get done easily, and a brighter future emerges.

[alwaysadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

1985 was one of my most memorable years of watching the dogs at home and also away but especially home games. No one expected us to finish where we did. Essendon lost only three games and one was against us at home. The other match we played against Essendon at Windy Hill was also very close but we went down by 4 goals. The highlight of that game was the surprise to see Lally run out on to the ground as he wasn't even picked in the team due to having his appendix out only a few weeks before. I have heard from sources in the past that as long as Essendon didn't play us in the Grand Final, they were confident of winning the premiership. We of course went down to Hawthorn in the preliminary final by 10 points after some coaching blunders by Malthouse in the last quarter, when Matthews came on and carved us up (we had the wrong players on Matthews in the last quarter as he had been kept quiet all day).

Two top points; my Essendon mates were very happy they didn't have to meet us and the players of the day I have met are adamant that they could have beaten Essendon. As regards the tactics of Mickey M. the least said the better. How we kept Matthews out of the game for so long only to be suckered at the very end after we had hit the front is little short of scandalous. Mind you had it occurred in the 1920s everybody would have said we were bribed.

The 1985 team was made up of players from WA ,SA , Tassie and recycled from other clubs. Of the WA players, Hardie was sensational winning the brownlow as was our Ruckman Purser. There were other great players from WA such as the Pieman, Sewell, shorty Daniels, Ian Williams, as well as some great home grown players like Hawkins (absolutlely brilliant especially in the finals), Chocco Royal, the Cordy brothers, Ricky Kenndey, the McPherson brothers, Magic McClean, Les bamblett, Peter Foster, as well as some recycled players likeTony Buhagiar, Emmett Dunne, Phil Maylin, Mark kellett and captained by Jimmy Edmond. It was a pretty good team and one that could have taken out the premiership.

There were many games during the year that I could go on and on about, .

This is the perfect opportunity to do so. Sit back, relax and take us on the ride through some of those.

but the finals were great to be apart of. In the first final we got trounced by the hawks, it was a total embarressment, especially after we had beaten them a few weeks before at home. The first semi final was very special with the pieman kicking his 100th and Lally his 50th as well as the brillance of Dougie on the wing and Chocco's five or six goals, what a rover. The preliminary final was also a great game even thou we lost, I still remember just walking across the ground after the match, thinking so close yet a chance to see the dogs in the big one gone.

Many many memories of that year, however, the sad part was we fell away after that year till the early nineties as we didn't recruit any youngsters and kept trying to get ready made players, which was a trade mark of the recruitment manager, Sullivan. I have plenty of videos of that year stored away as well as some footy records.

Pease feel free to get out your videos and records and remind us of what went on. Those who have never been around when we were close to a premiership would love to know as well.

[alwaysadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

One word.



Lally.



Wish I could find a picture of the great man.

TD, there is a photo of him somewhere. He's weaving out of a pack with the ball, body on an angle balancing the left turn towards goal, all tight shorts etc. Can't rememeber where I saw it. Will have a look.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

TD, there is a photo of him somewhere. He's weaving out of a pack with the ball, body on an angle balancing the left turn towards goal, all tight shorts etc. Can't rememeber where I saw it. Will have a look.

I reckon I could locate one as well. I had better start having a browse.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

Zeno Tzatzaris. I actually went to school with Zeno. A top guy & from a lovely Greek family. You went to Zen's house in Melon Street Braybrook, you got fed, didn't matter if you had already eaten, you got fed.

I remember he played a blinder on Garry Ablett in about 1989 down at Kardinia Park & even tho we lost Zeno got 3 votes.

Regarding that game agains North out at Waverley in '85 he was pitted agains Phil Krakouer for most of the last quarter & his body strength helped enormously. I later asked him how he felt against Krakouer & he just said, "I was ****************ting myself".

At Primary School Zeno was one of the fastest kids in all of Victoria, often coming back from the State Championships with the gold medal.

[alwaysadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

I wondre if Bornadog has got one that could be scanned in those old Footy Records. I'll have a look in mine as well.

[alwaysadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

I reckon he got a bum rap. I think it was the next season against Hawthorn he tears into a pack in the goal square, collects a stray boot in the head. He's concussed and there's his blood everywhere and the ump gives the Hawks a free kick right in front because when he went down the ball was underneath him.

Glad to hear he was a top sort of person, always thought he carried himself like one. Do you see or hear of him these days?

[Bornadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

How many did Rick K. biff that year and how good was Rod McPherson till he did his knee?

Rick did biff a few that year and in other years. One day (I think in 1987) he was sitting on a player, could have been a North player and the player said something to him so he let go with a right hook and busted the guys jaw. I think he got a couple weeks for that. Today he probably would have got at least 10 weeks.

As for Rod McPherson, in 1985 he was just a kid with plenty of skills, but his brother Steve was sensational. He flashed in and out of games, but "Super Mac " truly was super. He just did those freaky things like win a game off his own boot due to his supberb skills. I will never forget the winning goal he kicked from about 60 metres out in the wet and cold at home against Hawthorn in 1985. That win clinched us second spot on the ladder. It was a close match all day and very few goals were kicked, but Supers huge roost in the last went through. Rod was going on to be a top player but of course injury got the better of him. In fact Steve was always injured as well.

[Bornadog]

Re: Who remembers 1985?

I wondre if Bornadog has got one that could be scanned in those old Footy Records. I'll have a look in mine as well.

I will have a look.