Rodney Eade - what was he like as a player?

[Dry Rot]

Never saw him play - what was he like? Position(s)?

Can you see anything from his style of play in his coaching at the Dogs or the Swans?

[Twodogs]

Re: Rodney Eade - what was he like as a player?

He was a lairy wingman with pace and a biggish mullet at first before becoming a smart back pocket. Wasnt really the classic lock em down back pocket type but used to run off forwards.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Rodney Eade - what was he like as a player?

He was a lairy wingman with pace and a biggish mullet at first before becoming a smart back pocket. Wasnt really the classic lock em down back pocket type but used to run off forwards.

Agree, I reckon this is one of the reasons that Gilbee has flourished during Eade's tenure as he has similar attributes minus the mullet!!

Whilst I was a just a kid when Rocket played, thanks to Fox Footy I've seen quite a bit of footage of Eade in his Hawk Prime and it has helped jogged my memories of him.

I think Eade would've thrived playing in modern day footy as he really was adept at both creating or setting up play out of defense or into the attacking area. A true utility in the sense that his real strength was his ability to be equally suited to multiple roles.
He also was particlarly clever in his body positioning in contests or around packs and his attacking versatilities as a defender/wingman/forward would've seen him not look out of place in say........the Western Bulldogs lineup of 2006-2007!

[Dry Rot]

Re: Rodney Eade - what was he like as a player?

Interesting. Sounds like a player ahead of his time?

And of course not letting Gilbee go was his first decision with us.

[Bornadog]

Re: Rodney Eade - what was he like as a player?

They don't call him Rocket for nothing, he was very quick and ran down the ground from the back line with a bunch of about 5 players together. The Hawks in the early 80's were very intimidating and ran in packs. One game , I think it was 1983, we got absolutely trounced at home. All I can remember was the Hawks running in packs down the ground and god help you if you got in the way. They won by about 20plus goals.
Thats the way I believe Rocket coaches, the way he and his team mates played, except these days the boys are fitter but not as strong.