Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

[Bornadog]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

The VFL/AFL pre season Cups started in 1988, Hobbs' knee was in 1966. I concede that I didn't attend any of the preseason training sessions in 1966 so rely on the unreliability of memory of what was in the Footscray Advertiser or Footscray Mail (ah, memories). What's the source ?

source here

He hurt his knee in the final minute of the last practice game the following year and came back for six matches at the end of the year.

My memory it was a cup game, but looks like it was a practice match, not a training mishap

[D Mitchell]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

Interesting fact is that the last defeat ever suffered by Herb Elliott was over 1000 yards with a loss to Tasmanian Greg Blake.

Greg was personally known to me and unfortunately passed away with MND about 25 years ago.

According to Gordon, lesser athletes training under Percy Cerruty at Portsea would routinely defeat Elliott in training. There's a claim by Eastern Tasmania Athletics Club that its Greg Blake defeated Elliott over 880 yards "in the 1950s". I can't locate a reference to a 1,000 yards race. Bradman and Elliott, in that order alphabetically, are the nation's 2 best. Herb and the Don leave Ted and the Bont in their wake.

[D Mitchell]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

source here




My memory it was a cup game, but looks like it was a practice match, not a training mishap

The quote refers to 6 matches later in the season, AFL stats record no games in 1966, don't look at me, I was too busy enhancing my own stellar sports career to go to VFL games. Aren't threads more interesting when some clown (pointing at you, Axeman) derail them ?

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

According to Gordon, lesser athletes training under Percy Cerruty at Portsea would routinely defeat Elliott in training. There's a claim by Eastern Tasmania Athletics Club that its Greg Blake defeated Elliott over 880 yards "in the 1950s". I can't locate a reference to a 1,000 yards race. Bradman and Elliott, in that order alphabetically, are the nation's 2 best. Herb and the Don leave Ted and the Bont in their wake.

I found the following quote relating to a Tasmanian Family History Publication.

"Meanwhile, on 9 January 1960, at. Sorrento, Victoria, Greg Blake became one of the few people to defeat Herb. Elliot, when he won a 1000 metre race in. 2.26.06 ..."

So that may have been at Sorrento while the 880 yd race was at North Hobart.

Pretty sure that 1000yd loss was the last time Elliott was defeated in his career.

[Axe Man]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

The quote refers to 6 matches later in the season, AFL stats record no games in 1966, don't look at me, I was too busy enhancing my own stellar sports career to go to VFL games. Aren't threads more interesting when some clown (pointing at you, Axeman) derail them ?

I think you and BAD have your wires crossed here. We were talking about Merv Hobb's knee injury and BAD is talking about Templeton for some reason.

[jeemak]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

This is Twodogs levels of thread hijacking! The two subjects confused aren't even in line with the thread topic.

[D Mitchell]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

I think you and BAD have your wires crossed here. We were talking about Merv Hobb's knee injury and BAD is talking about Templeton for some reason.

Thankyou Axe Man, you are the cause of all this trouble.

[D Mitchell]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

This is Twodogs levels of thread hijacking! The two subjects confused aren't even in line with the thread topic.

How to derail a thread. Axe Man is the expert.

[EasternWest]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

This is Twodogs levels of thread hijacking! The two subjects confused aren't even in line with the thread topic.

[hujsh]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

[1eyedog]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

Friends who knows how much I love the doggies ask me this a fair bit. "Is Bont your greatest player of all time?"

My answer is always the same. "I never saw EJ play. I can't answer that. All I can tell you is he's easily the best I've ever seen.

Now someone who DID see EJ play, and is one of the most respected names on the football media, thinks Bont may have caught him.

I would love to get everyone's thoughts on this.

I'm good with this.

[mjp]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

Herb and the Don leave Ted and the Bont in their wake.

Well...

I don't want to throw shade on the greats of our nation - and those two athletes are 100% in that category - but Elliot raced against 7 other caucasians in his most famous win (world record, Olympic final in Rome) and no athletes from Africa...things are quite different in modern times.

The Bradman arguments are a similar.

No doubt in their time they were peerless athletes. But at least some of that could be attributed to their time.

[1eyedog]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

Chris Grant had the yips but kicked 550 goals in half a career, coming second in the Brownlow as a CHB and polling the most votes as a CHF. Criminally underrated, unfortunately playing for a team that didn't get as much coverage as we might have liked.

Bont in his career to date is level with Grant as the best I've seen. He'll have him covered by the time it wraps up.

EJ was the defining player of his era, I struggle to wrap my head around how Bont can be considered better than him in lieu of him not being considered in the top five of his.

Does Bont have more competition than EJ did?

We're quarter of the way through this century. Do we think Bont will be named captain of the All Australian Team of the Century in 2100? Hard to know. E.J was.

[Axe Man]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

[Bornadog]

Re: Mike Sheahan Ready to Put Bontempelli on E.J's Level at the Western Bulldogs

How to derail a thread. Axe Man is the expert.

sorry I thought we were talking Kelvin? my fault