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Changed my mind. Def declan donohue.
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Teams................................
Pekay mentioned how good was the Campbelltown team that went to play in the ACTAFL....had some Army guys and they were serious footballers. Good point Pekay.
I also liked Ron Thomas' Wests teams (they were probably scared of facing up to Ron if they lost !)
And Balmain Tigers team that won back-to-back - that was the team that had Reid who someone else mentioned.
For discipline and structures, it's hard to go past Rhys McAlister's Bulldogs from the year before last.
But, much as I hate to say it, any team that does a three-peat is something special so Baulko from four years ago would beat most.
Hate that.Comment
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Didn't Ruskuklic have his jaw broken in one season and still manage to kick 130 odd?Comment
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Podbury was the best I saw in opposition.
For the Dogs, apart from Rampe...definitely Robbie Kerr; Chris O'Dwyer and Jason McPherson were both guns, Super Abbott and Mark Parmenter were standouts. Cameron Templeton was a brilliant FF for us as well, back in the day.Comment
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Podbury was before my time - when did he stop playing Sydney footy ?Comment
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1980-1993. Won four Phelan medals and runner up once for Campbelltown.Comment
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I agree great thread.
I only played against Rod Podbury at the end of his career but he showed how clever he was in the middle - 4 Phelans (across two clubs - Bankstown & Campbelltown) & a host of top tens as well as the naming of the Podbury Medal is probably good enough for me to have him as the best. I remember about my old man raving about him & the Brooks family back in 1980 when they played u/18 for NSW in Gaelic Football & just dominated the round ball game. Perhaps someone who knows his story better can fill us in about the story about how the Swans midfield of the 1980s (including Brownlow medallists Williams and Healy) rated him & why he didn't play at the Swans. Peter "Hair Bear" Rickett used to always say that when he was out of form he would "tag" Podbury because he knew he would be lead to where the ball was going & remarkably would find form again.
Here are some of my memories of other notables in some different positions around the ground. Playing against Rod "Tilt" Carter at Sydney Uni he showed stuff that he did off the ball that was totally team orientated & very disciplined. It was always great watching Mick Partridge at both Parra & Wests weave his magic as he played ruck as a ruck rover - a bit similar to David West's magical year in 1993. John Ironmonger was number 1 in the ruckmen although a special mention to his "bunny" Tony Smith (North Shore & Sydney Uni) because he made bunnies out of the rest of us. Darren "Keg" Foster was a great full-forward but it was a shame that we only saw him for a year - I would loved to have see the Peter Rusculikic show at Easts in the 1970-80s as 200+ goals in a year is something special. Trevor Burnett was a joy to watch even if as an opponent. The way he would arch his back to get free is something that was freakish - he has a great collection of league medals (including I think a unique treble of Phelan, Podbury & Premiership in the one year!). One of the nicest blokes to boot. I probably played more footy with Salem Kassem than anyone else & it is probably disappointing that he & his family will probably be remembered for the negatives rather than the positives because he had some career in Sydney footy starting as a 15 year old in the State League with Parra in 1986. I thought that Mac Uni had an absolute freak in Phil "Cha Chi" Cianci in their three-peat as well as the late John Benson. It is a pity we didn't see more of Leigh Campbell - I first remember him tearing us apart in an under 19 semi final that we were expected to win easily & then seeing him subsequently win his own collection of Phelans & premierships. Ex-AFL players always show you something special in Sydney fields that you don't necessarily see from the sidelines - Troy Luff (2 Phelans), Mark Eustice, Terry Thripp are just some that are my highlights reel. In more recent times, I have had the pleasure of seeing some of the best young talent in Sydney footy rep sides & looking forward to them develop their careers over the next decade. Really looking forward to seeing Kieran Emery again back in Sydney & hope he can continue the trajectory which I believe he can achieve.Comment
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You mention some memorable names Taxman.
I wish I'd seen Rod Podbury because the consensus seems to be that he might be the best; I met him at a final at Henson and he seemed a total gentleman and I was pleased to have made his acquaintance.
I go along with your comments about Trevor Burnett, Lee Campbell and Kassem (who was able to play and coach for so many years) - I think you're right in hoping that history should remember him for his best, not for his family and the other stuff.
And didn't we love to hate Campbell because he was so bloody good and could play various positions.
Bit surprised that you saw fit to mention John Ironmonger and Mark Eustice - I hate negativity (as readers of this forum will have observed) - but I only remember Ironmonger playing just a few games for Pennant Hills. He slung the opponents around like they were ragdolls (nothing unfair that I saw) but I don't remember him standing out, other than because he was a behemoth in the Gus Seebeck style. I think he got his picture in the paper for chomping into a raw porterhouse steak and that was the last we heard of him.
I remember Mark Eustice playing a season or two for North Shore, under Rod Looker, but I don't remember him as anything special either...probably a top bloke but we saw him past his prime. I think he played with Jamie Duursma who maybe was getting flown in from interstate each week to play.
Things sure have changed in Sydney suburban footy !Last edited by justabaraker; 24 February 2014, 07:01 PM.Comment
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I remember only seeing Podbury in his twilight but those who played against him constantly referred to him as a clich?d "freak". Apparently the only reason he didn't play at the swans was because he was like fully bald at the age of like 20 and everyone thought he was much older. By the time people realised otherwise that ship had sailed which was a real shame. It was also in the era when the VFL was becoming professional but nothing like today.....family and work came first. Hard to top as the best particularly as he played in Sydney for his whole career.
Mick Partridge was unbelievable. At about 6ft 4 and he could ruck or alternatively play on the ball(I kid you not) then drift into the forwards and kick goals. I can only assume he could play back too. I've never seen anyone take pack marks like Mick. So why didn't he play AFL? As the story goes he was playing down the south coast as a teenager and carving up but disappointed he never received an invite to the Swans. When he was in his 20s he was speaking with a Swans official who got stuck into him for never responding to their letters. What letters??? The Swans had sent multiple invites to his club asking for him to travel to Sydney to trial for them but he didn't ever respond and they assumed he snubbed them. The truth was the invites were never forwarded because someone at the club allegedly wanted him to stay playing where he was. I think that guy copped a fist to the head when Mick found out. Once again all too late and a shame.Last edited by Coastal Boy; 24 February 2014, 08:15 PM.Comment
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Isn't that incredible. Shows how much undiscovered talent there may have been in Sydney footy. Matt (Sanford) Wheeler was a product of my junior club at Seven Hills, was playing at the Goannas when he was discovered by the Swans I think. How many more slipped through the cracks, especially a 6ft4in on baller that pinch hits in the ruck!Comment
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Does anybody remember how Nathan Lenton went, he came down from the bush to trial for the swans and ended up at Wests.Comment
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Interesting thread. I was a league man until around 2000. I did some googling on Lenton and seems he had some fire in him. In 1994 in a finals match, copped a week for a dust up in the goalsquare, then it appears he thumped a Blues runner as well.
Records were $1 then - can't give them away now, and finals entry was $6.
Here is a link to the 1994 Semi's "Record"
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