Tough

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Tough

Not sure how they compare to the other acts here, but a few recent Bulldog efforts were tough. Griff playing hurt through the 2010 finals (and playing B&F footy too!), Morris with his back injury, Crossy playing with two bad ankles, Lake playing with a catalogue of injuries...

Great call, playing through serious injury is definitely tough. I remember a fantastic article Eade wrote about Grant (can't recall the specific milestone) and he went on with great admiration for the way Chris had still played at a very high level even though suffering from serious injury concerns.

Hargrave is another who springs to mind to that end.

[EasternWest]

Re: Tough

One of my mates is Peter Chitty's (one game for St Kilda, brother of Bob and winner of the Changi brownlow) grandson. The family story is that at half time he decided that the badage was doing more harm than good so he ripped it off and played the second half without it. Now that's tough!


BTW I've converted said mate from a Carlton supporter to bone fide bulldog!

Peter's son, Roger, is a friend and colleague of mine. Roger is as hard as nails and maintains his Dad is the toughest man he's ever known; humble and unassuming to boot.

If anyone is unfamiliar with the story of the Changi Brownlow, you should look it up. Remarkable story of resilience and humour.

I've held the Changi Brownlow a number of times. Quite an honour.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Tough

I think Monty's effort was as good as anything, although you (with the great memories) have all reminded me of others over the years. Turtle was as courageous as they come, and Libba snr., well we used to say "if they open him up after he has left this earth, they will likely find a heart as big as Pharlaps". I don't recall him ever flinching or trying to avoid a collision. And yes, Wally was a tough one too. Others may recall better than me, but Steve (Super) McPherson was never one to take a backward step - he could hand it out, but boy, he took it as well.

[JohnGentStand]

Re: Tough

for mine it's terry wallace after copping that shattered jaw from grinter's kinghit. His career could have been over but he had it wired up, put on a helmet and was back playing almost before he could chew. Say what you want about the man but his ticker was the size of big ben.

[dog town]

Re: Tough

Pretty sure Chris Grant played for a period in one of his last seasons with a ridiculous set of injuries. He had something wrong with his head, some type of leg injury and of course that neck problem that plagued him. He and Leigh Colbert amazed me with the way they launched at the ball and put themselves in such danger.

[GVGjr]

Re: Tough

Paul Deer. Ruined Fossie which was awful because he was a crowd favourite and never seemed to leave anything in the tank.

As for past players:

Didn't Steve Wallis play a finals series with a busted hand, and he had to crack off the plaster cast before each game?

Libba used to put his head over the ball every time, before the head was sacrosant.

If only we could get two players like that onto our list...

2 players like that? How would you go for 3. Absolutely loved 'old' Libba and Wal. But if it comes to fearlessly putting your head over the ball, Crossy, Picken and Addison never fail to put their bods on the line for the Doggies. And I cannot recall Dale M. ever ducking an issue either for that matter. I think the present line up may not be the most talented we have ever had, but I doubt we have ever had a more courageous group over all. And my recollections go back to the flag year at least.

[Twodogs]

Re: Tough

Paul Deer. Ruined Fossie which was awful because he was a crowd favourite and never seemed to leave anything in the tank.

As for past players:

Didn't Steve Wallis play a finals series with a busted hand, and he had to crack off the plaster cast before each game?

Libba used to put his head over the ball every time, before the head was sacrosant.

If only we could get two players like that onto our list...

I think there is a young Fossie waiting out there too.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Tough

I love this thread Turtle is always going to be a fave and Monty and libba personify guts Plough with his broken jaw playing the very next week was amazing but Andrew Purser was about 5 foot 2 (not really) and rucked all day each and every week against the like of monsters like monkhurst and paul kicker dear he just kept going and going and going and was as tough as any in the doggie jumper I have seen

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Tough

Libba standing on the MCG Members wing and Mick Martin charging towards him at full pace, ball tucked under arm with the intention to steam roller him.

Libba stationery, took him head-on with not one inch of side-step, jumped in the air, tackled him to the ground with Martin palpably guilty of holding the ball.

Still brings tears to my eyes.

I think the last game of 98.

Classic
"Tears to my eyes"....made me laugh out loud. Ah I love being a dogs supporter.


Liam Picken is much loved, especially when he goes toe to toe with Adam Goodes or some other heavy weight without blinking twice. There's nobody in AFL who could intimidate him.

[egan-kennedy-ford]

Re: Tough

This is a great thread.

Over my 30 years or so of watching the Dogs, there have been a half dozen or so players whose toughness were outstanding.

All bar one have been mentioned here.

The player I want to include in the mix is Steve Kretiuk.

He played the bulk of his career injured, often battled manfully against bigger opponents and gave100% at every contest.

He and Matty Croft held an undersized defence together for years over an era where we won a lot more than lost. If the team needed it, Kretiuk could hold down a full game against Carey at CHB or run with a Nathan Buckley or Hird all day and throw his battered body through the ringer week after week.

[Twodogs]

Re: Tough

The player I want to include in the mix is Steve Kretiuk.

He played the bulk of his career injured, often battled manfully against bigger opponents and gave100% at every contest.

Kretiuk could hold down a full game against Carey at CHB or run with a Nathan Buckley or Hird all day and throw his battered body through the ringer week after week.

Bloody good nomination. It frustrated me for years watching Kritter going up against the monsters in defence. What really annoyed me was thinking about how he would have dominated in the midfield-opposition teams would have had all sorts of trouble matching him up. But instead every week he'd be playing on forwards who were taller than him doing a job that taller defenders should have been doing.

I used to have a list of tall defenders that had transfered between clubs that we could have had a go at getting. Peter Caven is one that comes to mind but my list had about 12-15 names on it who changed clubs in the time that Crofty and Kritter were playing out of position.

To my mind Croft was a natural forward and Kretiuk was a natural midfielder who were forced to play out of position due to our reluctance to try and get a defender who could play on the monster forwards who dominated the comp in the mid to late '90s.

[Bornadog]

Re: Tough

Lots of great stories posted, but the toughest bulldog I have ever seen is Rick Kennedy. Not saying he played with injuries or pain, but inflicted it on others

Rick was just scary on the ground, just ask Jacko.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Tough

All Excellent choices, every single one of them. However 1 that comes to mind, and I know it's nowhere the best, was my boy Sam Reid dislocating 3 shoulders in the one game against Hawthorn last year.

He must come from Tassie to have 3 shoulders

Tom Williams in Brissy a few years ago played the whole game with a broken Foot, and showed why we kept perservering with him

[Twodogs]

Re: Tough

Lots of great stories posted, but the toughest bulldog I have ever seen is Rick Kennedy. Not saying he played with injuries or pain, but inflicted it on others

Rick was just scary on the ground, just ask Jacko.

Tit's took Jason Dunstall out surfing one day. The only problem (for Dunstall anyway) was that it was at VFL park and Dunstall was the surfboard!

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Tough

Characters: Terry Wheeler versus Cowboy Neale
Scene: Outer flank, Western Oval
Scenario: Barrell-chested Cowboy charging down the flank with a full head of steam and stealing a bounce or two. Our valiant Squirrel lines him up and delivers the most fearsome full on shirt front, immovable object meets irresistable force.........................immovable object charges on without retardation, Squirrel flat on his backside.
Tone: ****ing hilarious!!!