Congratulations Buddy Franklin - Coleman Medalist!!

[Swansongster]

What this thread needs is a few easy links to Buddy highlights.

Find your faves and post them here.

If you've got eight minutes, this compilation includes a lot of this year's highlights plus more. We are so lucky to have this guy in red and white. All through his career, he has been getting better every year. I'm not sure he's hit his peak yet. He could very well win us a flag this year with something outrageous on the big day (with a lot of help, of course).

Go Buddy.

Buddy Franklin 'Legendary' 2017 - YouTube

[bloodspirit]

I can't wait until 2024 when the Swans celebrate 150 years of existence and hopefully name their best side of 150 years ... imagine a forwardline boasting Bob Pratt, Plugger Lockett, Buddy and Laurie Nash. Even Capper might have to admit there's no room in there for him!

This is a good topic and does deserve its own thread. Thanks for mentioning Laurie Nash. I didn't really know much about him and so googled and found this on Wikipedia (footnotes omitted):

Nash was a superbly fit athlete who never smoked, drank rarely, and dedicated himself to a punishing exercise regime; something rare in 1930s sports circles.
Legendary Richmond Football Club player and coach Jack Dyer asserted that Nash was "Inch for inch, pound for pound, the greatest player in the history of Australian Rules",[197] adding "He was the only man I knew who could bite off more than he could chew and chew it."
In the view of champion Collingwood full-forward Gordon Coventry, whose record of 1299 VFL career goals between 1920 and 1937 would not be surpassed for 62 years, if Nash had played at full-forward for his entire career, he would have kicked more goals than anyone, Coventry included. In 1936 Coventry stated that Nash was the best player he had seen; "No player is more versatile, for he can play anywhere. He is fast, has great control of the ball, kicks with either foot and has that little bit of "devil" so essential in the makeup of a champion of to-day."
Fellow footballer Vic Richardson wrote in 1968 that Nash "was faster than any player I have seen in getting the ball moving to players running on. Add his high marking ability and speed to his quick thinking and you had a player who practically originated today's style of play and one who would be unbeatable at it."
In retirement, Nash was asked why he never won a Brownlow Medal (the award for the Best and Fairest player in the VFL). He replied, "I was never the best and fairest but I reckon I might have been the worst and dirtiest. I played it hard and tough."

Sounds like he was the player with a bit of mongrel and was also awesomely good. Perhaps not better known because he didn't play all that long and didn't win Brownlows and B&Fs.

[bloodspirit]

It's fascinating to speculate about the new players who would make the 150 year team - and who would have to make way for them! It's difficult to do too when most of them played long before our time and we have to make do with reading about them.

I meant to say too that the Swans' best 22 of all time would have to rate well compared to other teams' all time bests, wouldn't you say?

[goswannies]

This is a good topic and does deserve its own thread. Thanks for mentioning Laurie Nash. I didn't really know much about him and so googled and found this on Wikipedia (footnotes omitted):

Nash was a superbly fit athlete who never smoked, drank rarely, and dedicated himself to a punishing exercise regime; something rare in 1930s sports circles.
Legendary Richmond Football Club player and coach Jack Dyer asserted that Nash was "Inch for inch, pound for pound, the greatest player in the history of Australian Rules",[197] adding "He was the only man I knew who could bite off more than he could chew and chew it."
In the view of champion Collingwood full-forward Gordon Coventry, whose record of 1299 VFL career goals between 1920 and 1937 would not be surpassed for 62 years, if Nash had played at full-forward for his entire career, he would have kicked more goals than anyone, Coventry included. In 1936 Coventry stated that Nash was the best player he had seen; "No player is more versatile, for he can play anywhere. He is fast, has great control of the ball, kicks with either foot and has that little bit of "devil" so essential in the makeup of a champion of to-day."
Fellow footballer Vic Richardson wrote in 1968 that Nash "was faster than any player I have seen in getting the ball moving to players running on. Add his high marking ability and speed to his quick thinking and you had a player who practically originated today's style of play and one who would be unbeatable at it."
In retirement, Nash was asked why he never won a Brownlow Medal (the award for the Best and Fairest player in the VFL). He replied, "I was never the best and fairest but I reckon I might have been the worst and dirtiest. I played it hard and tough."

Sounds like he was the player with a bit of mongrel and was also awesomely good. Perhaps not better known because he didn't play all that long and didn't win Brownlows and B&Fs.

Nash knew he was good. Once asked who the greatest player he'd ever seen was, he replied "I see him every morning in the mirror when I shave". He was probably right. In 1934 playing for Victoria at CHF he'd kicked a couple of goals, but was moved to full forward after quarter time where he proceeded to kick another 16. 18 for the match is still a Record for a Victorian I think. And IIRC, I think he's the only player to have played Test cricket for Australia without playing Shield cricket. He represented Tassie, but I don't think they played shield cricket at the time, and he never got a game for Victoria.

There is a wonderful biography called "The Great Laurie Nash" by Ned Wallish - a tremendous read about Nash if Yu can get your hands on it.

[goswannies]

It's fascinating to speculate about the new players who would make the 150 year team - and who would have to make way for them! It's difficult to do too when most of them played long before our time and we have to make do with reading about them.

I meant to say too that the Swans' best 22 of all time would have to rate well compared to other teams' all time bests, wouldn't you say?

I would say better than most. We had some absolute champions (the golden era of the 1930s - there are 2 great books on them "Swan Lake Spectacular" & "Bloodstained Angels" that detail it beautifully and a great reads) produced many champions. As does our current crop. Then there are the lean periods that yielded players of individual brilliance (Skilton, Bedford etc) in a struggling side.

It also depends on your criteria (ie how many games they had to have played/coached). IIRC they had a minimum of 90 games (that allowed Plugger to qualify with 98 games for us). And if you could include players/coaches who were with us but their best was elsewhere (eg the coach could be Barassi or Norm Smith) what an incredible side we could name - in fact there should be 2 sides named

1) our best sides from players coaches during their time with us (perhaps minimum 50 or 75 games)

2) best associated with the Swans at the peak of their prowess (minimum 1 senior game with the Swans