James Hird: Robert Harvey One Of The Greats

[TimeToShineFellas]

This is really good article, thought I would bring it to people's attentions!

Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

Robert Harvey is one of the greats, says James Hird
James Hird | August 08, 2008 12:00am

ROBERT Harvey effectively finished my career. It was Round 4 last year and Essendon was playing St Kilda.

Coming off the back of a few good games, Sheeds asked me to pick up Harvey halfway through the first quarter. By halftime Harvey had 15 touches, a goal and had completely destroyed me.

In the rooms after the game the reality hit me that I was no longer fast enough, strong enough or prepared to work hard enough to compete at AFL level.

Frustratingly, this lesson had not been taught to me by a 21-year-old kid but by the oldest man in the game.

Harvey's efforts over the past two decades have been amazing. No player has run further, touched the ball more or given more to the game than Harvey.

Courage is used loosely in this game to describe a player's efforts. It is normally coupled with a player running back with the flight of the ball or when a player makes a split-second decision to put himself at risk.

Yes, this is courage, but most of the time players don't think about the consequences. The type of courage that epitomises Robert Harvey is true courage, courage that takes consideration and endless hours of hard work to achieve.

He gets the hard ball, but it is his ability to hurt his body time after time and run himself into the ground that impresses me.

Never have I witnessed a player run until complete exhaustion, stop, look as if he could give no more and then go again. His ability to do this shows a mental will that only the greatest of competitors have.

I was blessed to play in an era where my peers included Wayne Carey, Nathan Buckley, Michael Voss, Mark Ricciuto, Anthony Koutoufides and Shane Crawford.

People will always ask who was the best and why, but I don't have a definitive answer.

Yes Carey was the most dynamic, Voss the obvious leader and Buckley the ultimate professional, but only those who played alongside those greats could truly split them.

Harvey slides into that company with great ease. He, along with Crawf, are probably the last of a generation. A generation that started when the game was semi-professional and finished with a game that is tougher to play than ever before.

Through the semi-professional era and into the modern day, Harvs has always been considered one of the game's elite.

Elite on the field and off it. Never has there been a rumour or doubt on Robert Harvey's character.

The ultimate family man, he has the respect of all for his morals and ideals.

I know that whenever he comes on the TV my wife always says: "I really like Robert Harvey. He stands for all the right things."

You can tell by the way he handled himself in his retirement press conference that he has a great respect for his wife -- as she for him.

My lasting memory of Harvey would be of him in full flight in the 1990s.

I remember watching Friday night footy back then and time after time he would gather 35 possessions and, through his skill and desire, cut up the opposition.

You can picture it, Harvey hands on knees bent over before winning the ball at a stoppage, shrugging a tackle from his tagger, cutting one way then the other to baulk two players, having a bounce and then kicking it long to his mate Stewie Loewe.

Congratulations, Robert, to you and your family. You are truly one of the greats of the game and we will all miss watching you play.

[SaintWodonga]

Great article.. Well done Hirdy!

[HarveysDeciple]

terrific article.

Archer has often said that Harvs is the best player he's seen from an opposition club, Buckley said he tried to emulate himself on Harvs....


Universally admired is Bangers.

[WayneJudson42]

Why get upset when media tools don't rate him? In the end, I'd say it's more important how his peers judge him.

Just ask Hiird and Archer.

[St DAC]

It was last year I think that Buckley wrote a similar article about Harves. The modern greats recognise class when they see it, don't they.

[TimeToShineFellas]

Why get upset when media tools don't rate him? In the end, I'd say it's more important how his peers judge him.

Just ask Hiird and Archer.

Yeah that is 100% spot on, they're the ones in the know!!!

[WayneJudson42]

Why get upset when media tools don't rate him? In the end, I'd say it's more important how his peers judge him.

Just ask Hiird and Archer.

Yeah that is 100% spot on, they're the ones in the know!!!

Yep, and I'm sure the 200+ players who spent hours chasing his backside will also agree.

Sad part is that he could probably play again next year.

[evertonfc]

Why get upset when media tools don't rate him? In the end, I'd say it's more important how his peers judge him.

Just ask Hiird and Archer.

Yeah that is 100% spot on, they're the ones in the know!!!

Jake Niall put together the most glowing bit of prose in favour of Harvey earlier in the week, and Mike Sheahan wrote a fine piece as well - but hey, whack on the blinkers and stick to the evil media line, eh?

[yipper]

Why get upset when media tools don't rate him? In the end, I'd say it's more important how his peers judge him.

Just ask Hiird and Archer.

Yeah that is 100% spot on, they're the ones in the know!!!

Jake Niall put together the most glowing bit of prose in favour of Harvey earlier in the week, and Mike Sheahan wrote a fine piece as well - but hey, whack on the blinkers and stick to the evil media line, eh?

I think ppl on here are referring to the constant omission of Harvs when Journos rate the all time greats. Always we get Buckley, Hird, Voss - never a mention of Harvs. The point is now being made that his peers actually rate him just as high. Not journos. So what if they have written nice testimonials of late. Fact is- they never include him in the discussions about greats, even though they all confess they should!! At least his peers see him for what he is. Perhaps when he is retired officially - we will then get the foursome spoken about instead of the threesome.

[Grimfang]

Video Tribute on the Herald-Sun website:
Video Tribute to Banger

[esaint66]

I apologise Hirdy .. i said i wouldn't expect you to complement the great man and you did ... Sorry. Great story and video tribute

[WayneJudson42]

Why get upset when media tools don't rate him? In the end, I'd say it's more important how his peers judge him.

Just ask Hiird and Archer.

Yeah that is 100% spot on, they're the ones in the know!!!

Jake Niall put together the most glowing bit of prose in favour of Harvey earlier in the week, and Mike Sheahan wrote a fine piece as well - but hey, whack on the blinkers and stick to the evil media line, eh?

I think ppl on here are referring to the constant omission of Harvs when Journos rate the all time greats. Always we get Buckley, Hird, Voss - never a mention of Harvs. The point is now being made that his peers actually rate him just as high. Not journos. So what if they have written nice testimonials of late. Fact is- they never include him in the discussions about greats, even though they all confess they should!! At least his peers see him for what he is. Perhaps when he is retired officially - we will then get the foursome spoken about instead of the threesome.

At the risk of being shot down... let's get some perspective about the great 35. We all love him and adore him.

Just because some one doesn't agree with our views, it doeasn'rt make them a clueless flog.

Oh, wait a minute... this is Saintsational. Journos have different views, just as we have different views on players. Some we rate, others we sh1tcan (including our own).

Talk about double standards

Who cares what others think. If you believe that the the other 3 get more praise because of media exposure, then go tell 35. He's the one that's shied away over the years.

That's just the way of the world in the 21st century. Why get angry? Enjoy his last games and treasure the memories.


OUCH! I just fell off my high horse and did a PCL

[brown-coat]

Good to see Hird humbling himself before the Great One!

[perfectionist]

...Mike Sheahan wrote a fine piece as well - but hey, whack on the blinkers and stick to the evil media line, eh?

Bit hypocritical from Sheahan seeing he has never rated Harvey at all. Just look at the lists of "best players" that he has produced over the years.

[st.byron]

Well my estimation of Hird just went up a hundred fold. Excellent tribute from him.

[StPeter]

An indication of him being under-rated was his shock(in my opinion) omission

from the Age's recent 50 alll-time greats.

[st.byron]

An indication of him being under-rated was his shock(in my opinion) omission

from the Age's recent 50 alll-time greats.

that's a total indictment on whoever wrote that article. Was it Sheahan?

[The Fireman]

I have always had a huge amount of respect for Hird and that article only strengthens my beliefs.

[kickittokosi!!!!]

Bit hypocritical from Sheahan seeing he has never rated Harvey at all. Just look at the lists of "best players" that he has produced over the years.

not so sure...
sheahan did put Harvey ahead of Buckley in his top 50 players ever.
from memory, harvs = 30, bucks =35.

re: players respect for harvs...
aparently last year when Bucks/Hird/Ruccitto(?) & Archer all retired, there was a AFL lunch, with all the modern legends in attendance, which a work friend was lucky enough to attend.

If i can recall the story correctly,...
Half way through lunch, the lights went out and spotlight went onto Roo who spoke of his respect for hird... who then spoke of his respect for Bucks, who in turn spoke about Archer who then spoke about Robert Harvey who in turn spoke about his respect for Ruccitto...
All paying tribute to each others contribution to the game.

Apparently, it was pretty moving stuff.

I think, regardless of the media's opinions of harvey, he will continue to be remembered as a modern legend because of the respect and admiration shown by his peers (aka leigh matthews/deisel williams).

He's a legend and a model ambassador of what makes our game great.
We're all very lucky to have watched the greatest Saint ever.

[WayneJudson42]

An indication of him being under-rated was his shock(in my opinion) omission

from the Age's recent 50 alll-time greats.

Yes, but is he top 50 of "all time" greats?

We've seen a lot of true champions over the last 20 years alone.

You could pick at least 6 from each club IMO.

[HarveysDeciple]

An indication of him being under-rated was his shock(in my opinion) omission

from the Age's recent 50 alll-time greats.

Yes, but is he top 50 of "all time" greats?

.

without a shadow of a doubt

[Con Gorozidis]

Why get upset when media tools don't rate him? In the end, I'd say it's more important how his peers judge him.

Just ask Hiird and Archer.

media are retarded. lets be honest.

if u dont rate harves as the best you have no idea about footy.

[Con Gorozidis]

Video Tribute on the Herald-Sun website:
Video Tribute to Banger

holy hell. i just cried.

[TimeToShineFellas]

media are retarded. lets be honest.

if u dont rate harves as the best you have no idea about footy.

Are you talking ALL TIME?

[st.byron]

An indication of him being under-rated was his shock(in my opinion) omission

from the Age's recent 50 alll-time greats.

Yes, but is he top 50 of "all time" greats?

We've seen a lot of true champions over the last 20 years alone.

You could pick at least 6 from each club IMO.

Jesus Wayne you're a hard man to please. Soon will be third on the all times games played list, more seasons played than anyone else, averages over 26 disposals per game for 376 games. 8 times All -Australian, second on the all-time Brownlow votes list. And they're just stats. Never mind the manner in which he's played the game and being an embodiment of all things good about the game. Guts, courage, never say die, skills, sportsmanship etc etc
6 true champions from each club!!!!
Of players who've played over the last 20 years, name me six from Fremantle, Melbourne, Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond,
the Doggies, Adelaide ( I can think of two obvious ones, but after that????) etc. You're stretching it Wayne.

Harvs is top 20 all-time. No doubt.