How good was....Brian Royal?

[Prince Imperial]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

I seem to recall reading that he was a Footscray supporter before he came to the club so extra kudos goes to him.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Out and Out Superstar.

Devastatingly good in partnership with Flea Weightman in the Vic Sides of the mid to late 80's.

Choco was subjected to a heap of punishment from the opposition each week, becuase if you stopped Choco, you went a long way towards stopping Footscray.

[Mofra]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

I seem to recall reading that he was a Footscray supporter before he came to the club so extra kudos goes to him.

Part of that may have been the zoning factor - if you were in Gippsland and were any good, get used to wearing red, white and blue.

[Remi Moses]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Absolute superstar
Was as good as having a key forward, he was that good overhead .
Sad he didn’t quite get 200 games

[Remi Moses]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Brilliant on both sides as well

[Jeanette54]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Brian was a great player, good above his head, and excellent at ground level. He was also a real contested ball winner, before the day when such things were "statified". Brian was a very good forward, getting a fair number of possessions with forward craft rather than crumbing. He was a good lead and positioned well to receive the incoming ball. The 1985 1st Semi vs North Melbourne is a fair showcase of his game style, and I fondly remember that game as a very rare finals win in the period.

[Doggy]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

I remember reading somewhere he once kicked 7 goals and had over 30 touches in a game and did not earn a Brownlow vote ��

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

He was good for at least five goals a game when he moved to the forward line

[Mitcha]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Absolute gun and a shame he didn't make it to 200 club games. Was under rated by most non Bulldog people but had an uncanny ability to read the game as well as higher profile types like Greg Williams. When playing forward was incredibly strong overhead and also the master at the front and centre making him a difficult match up and was more often than not a multiple goalkicker.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Choc was a gun. Won the B & F in his first season. I was there when he won his award and I reckon he was best "off the field" that night too. Held at the old 501 Receptions. Saw a lot of his games and his reading of the game was sublime whether roving or in the forward pocket. A terrible shame how his career ended.

[Axe Man]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Part of that may have been the zoning factor - if you were in Gippsland and were any good, get used to wearing red, white and blue.

Not all of Gippsland, was a Hawthorn zone around these parts.

[Twodogs]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Not all of Gippsland, was a Hawthorn zone around these parts.

Correct:

...the Dogs only got east Gippsland, while the Hawks greedily gobbled up west Gippsland along with the Mornington Peninsula...


From; https://thehickeystand.com/2016/05/1...our-club-today

And the zones were supposed to rotate every couple of years but never did.

...Country Zoning laws were introduced in 1967, on the basis that the zones were to be rotated between the clubs. However, clubs such as Hawthorn and Carlton invested quite a lot of time and money into making their zones as productive as possible, through advanced development of the
up-and-coming young footballers and were (unsurprisingly) unwilling to give up their access to these zones

http://economicstudents.com/2014/08/equalisation-in-the-afl-a-historical-look/

[Axe Man]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Came across this on Facebook. A book on the history of the Bairnsdale Football Club, with a major focus on their 1981 flag (I assume that is the source of the photo). That's got to be Choco at the front, yeah? And is that Tom Alvin over his right shoulder?

[Bornadog]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Came across this on Facebook. A book on the history of the Bairnsdale Football Club, with a major focus on their 1981 flag (I assume that is the source of the photo). That's got to be Choco at the front, yeah? And is that Tom Alvin over his right shoulder?

Yes it is Choco, and possibly Alvin

[Bulldog4life]

Re: How good was....Brian Royal?

Fairly certain it is Alvin Axe.