Offensive Description of the Doc

[SteveStevens66]

Apologies if this has been taken up in another thread.

Was anyone else offended by the very lukewarm description of Darrel Baldock in The Age's 50 Greatest Players?:

DARREL BALDOCK

(St Kilda 1962-68, 119 games)

St Kilda's only premiership captain, and an AFL Hall of Fame Legend, "the Doc" led the Saints for six seasons and won three best-and-fairest awards. Although his career was comparatively short, Baldock won a huge reputation as an undersized but tremendously skilled and courageous centre half-forward.

I think it is a cheek to describe the greatest ball handler to ever play the game in the way they have. It is the kind of disrespectfulness that St Kilda has come to expect.

Compare, for example, the far more effusive descriptions of:

NATHAN BUCKLEY

(Brisbane Bears 1993, 20 games; Collingwood 1994-2007, 260 games)

One of the modern greats, the Magpie legend was a gifted and strong onballer, a penetrating kick, dangerous near goal and a great leader. Was already an accomplished senior player in the SANFL on debut with Brisbane, then climbed to greatness with the Magpies, winning six bestand- fairest awards.


Or

JAMES HIRD

(Essendon 1992-2007, 253 games)

One of the modern masters, Hird was an inspirational leader for the Bombers, courageous and with silky skills and tremendous vision either in attack or on the ball. Won the 1996 Brownlow Medal and five best-and-fairest awards, played in two flags - the second as captain - and was an All-Australian five times.

Again, it is a further example of AFL conflicts of interest with guys in the media waxing rhapsodic about their media colleagues. (That Harvey didn't make the cut is further evidence).

Buckley was a good player while Hird was a wonderful player, no doubt, but to give the former title of "modern great" and the latter, "modern master," while merely saying The Doc was "undersized" "tremendously skilled" and "courageous" is a disgrace. He is entitled to far more generosity than that.

For those of us fortunate enough to not only see him play on Saturdays but watch him at training as well, one saw Baldock do things with the ball (often on sub-par playing surfaces) that absolutely defied physics.

Yes, he was "undersized," "tremendously skilled," and "courageous" but that describes a lot of players.

Darrel Baldock was astonishing, mesmerizing, a genius. Indeed, HE was the modern master.

[Saintschampions08]

Harvey wasn't included??

Hird and Buckley both were...and Harvey wasn't...

I'm going to send a letter to the age, i used to respect them as a newspaper...

[Hurricane]

I never read any of those "Top 50" lists becuase you are gaurenteed they will cream themselves over Buckley, Hird, Voss and Riccuto and leave Harvs out in the cold.

IMHO they are opinion lists only written by biased media jack asses. I wouldnt use Mike Sheehans anual "look at how much I love Wayne Carey list" for toilet paper

BANG BANG

[Solar]

Harvey wasn't included??

Hird and Buckley both were...and Harvey wasn't...

I'm going to send a letter to the age, i used to respect them as a newspaper...

more the fact that they put cousins in there ahead of harvey....

the other two are champions, ben cousins was a good player for a period of time.

[Dan Warna]

Harvey wasn't included??

Hird and Buckley both were...and Harvey wasn't...

I'm going to send a letter to the age, i used to respect them as a newspaper...

more the fact that they put cousins in there ahead of harvey....

the other two are champions, ben cousins was a good player for a period of time.

I read that and thought wtf?

and you have to wonder about some of cousins 'second half' performances.

Harvey >>>>>> cousins by the length of the field and then some.

Harvey has sustained form over 2 decades, cousins had a few good years.

idiotic.

[Solar]

Harvey wasn't included??

Hird and Buckley both were...and Harvey wasn't...

I'm going to send a letter to the age, i used to respect them as a newspaper...

more the fact that they put cousins in there ahead of harvey....

the other two are champions, ben cousins was a good player for a period of time.

I read that and thought wtf?

and you have to wonder about some of cousins 'second half' performances.

Harvey >>>>>> cousins by the length of the field and then some.

Harvey has sustained form over 2 decades, cousins had a few good years.

idiotic.

agree dan, champions are great players who play at a high standard for over 10+ years. Thats why I rate hird and buckley up there. Those two plus harvey have also come up against hardships to go on to be better players.

[Saintschampions08]

Harvey wasn't included??

Hird and Buckley both were...and Harvey wasn't...

I'm going to send a letter to the age, i used to respect them as a newspaper...

more the fact that they put cousins in there ahead of harvey....

the other two are champions, ben cousins was a good player for a period of time.

I read that and thought wtf?

and you have to wonder about some of cousins 'second half' performances.

Harvey >>>>>> cousins by the length of the field and then some.

Harvey has sustained form over 2 decades, cousins had a few good years.

idiotic.

agree dan, champions are great players who play at a high standard for over 10+ years. Thats why I rate hird and buckley up there. Those two plus harvey have also come up against hardships to go on to be better players.

f****** downright disgrace.

How do they justify putting a bloke who has played 370 odd games, won 2 brownlow medals, Leads his club best and fairests overall, 8 Times All Australian, he captained his team...he's basically won every award except the coleman and a premiership medal.

I can't see one feasible excuse for putting either of: Hird, Buckley or Cousins ahead ... or even in the same league as Harvey.

[Dan Warna]

there are arguements for hird and buckley, but cousins?

he's a disgrace and I would suggest that except for the naive, some of his performances would be questionable.

hird and buckley were champions, where they sit on the pantheon of players is the question.

[goodie]

We already knew the whole thing was bull****, I'm not surprised their write-ups sucked as much as their list

[bergsone]

From the early 60 up until the present day IMO baldock is the best i have seen Whitten Matthews Harvey etc all greats but the doc was something else ,feel sorry for those that didnt see him live,really could get that grandstand at linton st jumping .5 foot nothing going bald didnt look the part but sh*t could he play

[saintspremiers]

Fig Jam, Turd, Voss and Junkie Boy were all champion players and deserved to be in the Top 50, just like Sir Robert who should've been included.