66 premiership player Allan Davis Chats with the coodabeens

[mcadam05]

From last Saturdays Show

http://www.abc.net.au/coodabeens/podcast_footyshow.htm

24 mins in

[perfectionist]

Not my favourite Saints player for all sorts of reasons. As a 17yo in his 10th game, he did nothing in the GF and was replaced by Travis Payze in the last quarter, who at least took a mark. To be fair, Davis kicked three goals in the PF, but that was our day, one of the few that we have ever had in finals. Ian "Doggie" Rowland, who had played every game for the year until the GF (except for 2 when he was injured), was dropped for the big one (Davis was named as second rover) and never played for the Saints again, leaving as a 25yo. Allan Davis was never a team player - on or off the field. He finished up playing for 4 clubs (us, Melbourne, Essendon and Collingwood). Allan Jeans said he played Davis to get a bit of pace on the forward line. He also said that dropping Doggie was the hardest decision he ever had to make in football. Talking to him a couple of years ago in Launceston, I got the feeling that he regretted it, but he said that was the burden of being a coach.

[Verdun66]

Have read a few times that Jeans gave Davis strict instructions to take his opponent well away from the play to keep him away from the Doc. Apparently he'd given him a hard time in previous games and the Doc was injured in the lead up to the GF.The name of the opponent escapes me at the moment.Bald looking bloke if I remember.

Only problem was that Jeans never told Davis the reason for staying out of the play. He just told him to stand next to the point post. No wonder he hardly got a kick! Apparently Davis took his non contribution quite hard.

I thought Davis was a gun, but read he had quite a tough upbringing, and this affected his personality. Perhaps some of the older Sainters on here know more.

[oh when the]

He kicked 10 goals against Collingwood at Vic Park in 1970 - we were miles in front at half time and loss - Umpire Don Jolley B.O.G.

[Verdun66]

John Henderson was the guy on Davis I'm pretty sure. He had a history of getting at Baldock and playing well around him. Davis took him away, although as I said, he didn't know why.

I remember a few 9,10, 11 goal hauls from Davis. He played FF quite a bit, and was under 6 foot. He left when we were becoming a basket case, but I remember him as an exceptional player.

[onlooker]

Alan Davis was a difficult player to follow. He certainly had a heap of skill. Looked as though he had all the time in the world (in slow motion) when he had the ball as he was one or two steps ahead of the opponent although for someone with his talent he didn't do it often enough. He was an exceptionally tough player. At about 5' 11'' (don't know the metric off the top of my head) and a little over 13 stone he was a lethal combination when he had a direct run at a player. Leigh Matthews will attest to that. He ran into Matthews so hard in one game I saw at a centre ball up H'thorn put Matthews in a forward pocket hoping he would come good and eventually took him off the ground. I think some of the reasoning for Davis swapping clubs at the time was monetary. Stk didn't have a lot of money at the time and Davis needed it as his house burnt down.

[perfectionist]

John Henderson was the guy on Davis I'm pretty sure. He had a history of getting at Baldock and playing well around him. Davis took him away, although as I said, he didn't know why...

Nope. John Henderson was a reserve and came on in the last quarter to replace Errol Hutchesson. It turned out to be Henderson's last game for Collingwood. Ian Montgomery played in the back pocket and picked up the resting rover who, for almost all of the day, was Allan Davis. Ross Smith did the bulk of the around the ground work.



I note, as an aside, in THAT game, we got 37 frees and they got 25.

[Verdun66]

Good spot. Must have been Montgomery then.