Russell's Top 25 Saints

[The OtherThommo]

And, from Wikipedia again, this bloke, Fred Root is attributed with being probably the 1st successful exponent of Leg Theory. His work didn't involve short pitched bowling at the body, but it did rely on boring batsmen into error by bowling at their legs, and well outside, with 6 or 7 blokes stationed in a cordon behind square leg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Root

Much of that attribution came from Bradman, himself, in his original version of "The Art of Cricket".

[bigcarlosis]

The Doc. . . Best Saints player I have seen!! Doc could perform feats of magic, I swear he could pass through players like a ghost walks thru walls. As prev poster said given all the mod-cons of today's game Doc would dominate ala G. Ablett jnr.

Stewie . . .Friend of mine played with Stewie at Richmond, then went on to play in North's star studded mid 70's teams. According to him Ian Stewart was the best player he had ever seen/played with by a mile, he told me that whenever Stewart wanted the ball he could just go and get it (somehow)!

Suggestion for a spot in the 20 . . "Cat" Colling! He was all St Kilda! A club Captain, tough and rugged, prototype athlete/footballer, 250+ games, helped change the role of the defensive player.

Personal indulgence: Big Carl . . obviously not from Earth!!

[suss]

Heaven's above ... I was just curious about the order of the top five. Sigh.

[Jacks Back]

I thought this was a thread about Russell's top 25 St Kilda Saints players of all time.

[stevie]

I thought this was a thread about Russell's top 25 St Kilda Saints players of all time.

Exactly. Have no idea how Bradman and his sport got involved. Might as well talk about Di Maggio, Pele or Joe Montana

[Jacks Back]

I thought this was a thread about Russell's top 25 St Kilda Saints players of all time.

Exactly. Have no idea how Bradman and his sport got involved. Might as well talk about Di Maggio, Pele or Joe Montana

Well Joey Montana is a Saints player at least.

[saintbrat]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2015-01-0 ... top-25-no5

.No 5 Nick Riewoldt ( - )
Born: October 17, 1982
Debut: Round 15, 2001
Games: 281
Goals: 619
Height: 193cm
Weight: 96kg

From Queensland club Southport he was the No.1 choice at the 2000 National Draft and St Kilda's hopes of grooming him as a ruckman and centre half-forward were halted when he injured a knee prior to the 2001 season. He came back late in the year for half a dozen games which was a good springboard for the future. Fully fit in his second season of AFL football he showed the sort of form that justified the huge wraps placed on him.

It wasn't just the fact that he took more marks than any other AFL player or his hard-running for a tall player that impressed pundits throughout the land. It was the way he showed a maturity and leadership in his football that ensured he was a runaway Rising Star winner and then took off the club's best and fairest. He was generally regarded as a superstar in the making.

[chook23]

Nearest the pin?
I'll go Harvey 3, Riewoldt 4

Think Roo should be above baldock.

Baldock was magical but played only 119 games (237 goals)

Being the only premiership captain has grown the legend IMO

[plugger66]

Nearest the pin?
I'll go Harvey 3, Riewoldt 4

Think Roo should be above baldock.

Baldock was magical but played only 119 games (237 goals)

Being the only premiership captain has grown the legend IMO

Did you see him play? I saw him when I was 7. No idea if he played like Plugger or Sean Godsell.

[chook23]

Nearest the pin?
I'll go Harvey 3, Riewoldt 4

Yep think you have it right. Cant possibly see how plugger wasn't one but I could never see him lower than 2. Maybe Rooy ahead of Harvs.

Yes I did see him play. I was 11.

I think you may have had him in front of the doc yourself.

[longtimesaint]

I first watched in '58 at 10 y.o. when Neil Roberts won the brownlow so I saw all the modern day stars.
I think Lockett was the best as if he set himself he could win a game off his own boot.
I would put Doc next then Riewoldt and Harvey.

[plugger66]

Nearest the pin?
I'll go Harvey 3, Riewoldt 4

didsee
Yep think you have it right. Cant possibly see how plugger wasn't one but I could never see him lower than 2. Maybe Rooy ahead of Harvs.

Yes I did see him play. I was 11.

I think you may have had him in front of the doc yourself.

I have never really seen Stewart or the Doc play so I go by my dad on those 2 and he would have the Doc second to Plugger. I would have plugger, Roo and then Harvs because its unfair to have people you haven't seen play on the list.

[borderbarry]

I have had the honour of seeing all the Saints since WW2. I would rate my five best Saints (not my favourites) as follows:-

1, Harvey. (Plugger would have had more impact on the games, but Harvs remained a Saint and is about 3rd on the all time game played list. Plus two brownlows. Must count for something)

2. Baldock. You should have seen him in the wet. Fantastic.

3. Plugger. Really impose himself on the game.

4. Coco. 3rd in the Brownlow behind behind Brian Gleeson, Autumn Leaves won it the next year. Fantastic leader.

5. Ian Stewart, 2 brownlows for us, magic to see in action.

[borderbarry]

For those interested, my favourite five, in particular order, were
Harvs.
Nicky Winmar
Verdun
Jimmy Ross
Nick Reiwoldt or Stewy Loewe.

Plus Paul Dodd would have been on one of those lists despite having an injury interupted career.
For those of you who have no knowledge of Paul Dodd, No.6, he was a young rover at a time when there were great ones. When the Victorian selectors picked the State team, they picked three, Micky Aylett, Bobby Skilton and Paul Dodd. Unfortunately Killa our coach, encouraged Paul to play injured, which he did, and as result his career was stuffed. But he was absolutely brillian on his day.

[White Winmar]

For those interested, my favourite five, in particular order, were
Harvs.
Nicky Winmar
Verdun
Jimmy Ross
Nick Reiwoldt or Stewy Loewe.

No Doc, plugger or Stewart?

[borderbarry]

Was anyone else at the Carlton ground the day Bruce Philips leant the goal post over so the ball went on the wrong side of the post? Bedlam in the Carlton crowd!

[saintbrat]

Nearest the pin?
I'll go Harvey 3, Riewoldt 4

Think Roo should be above baldock.

Baldock was magical but played only 119 games (237 goals)

Being the only premiership captain has grown the legend IMO

he may be when career finished but hard to put him higher when against players who have finished.

[SuperDuper]

I dont have the stats... but IMO Reiwoldts weakness at set shot goal kicking is the difference between no. 5 and no. 1.

I am not old enough to have seen Stewart or the Doc.... but comparing Plugger to Roo.... I would rate Plugger ahead...
Their skill sets are obviously very different... but I do think I may rate Roo ahead, if he converted more set shots.... it may have tipped the balance..

Having said that.. imagine Plugger if the "no chopping arms" rule existed in his day, and was enforced in the same way it is today..
He would have kicked a zillion more goals for the Saints, definitely would have broken 150 in a season. Defenders simply could not get to the ball, due to Pluggers strength and skill, so they spent all day hanging on to his arms, chopping his arms.

[Stephen Theodore]

Dementia is yet to set in with me - Stewie is the best player I've seen in a Saints' jumper in the past 53 year, slightly ahead of Doc. Plugger third, I reckon Nick's 6 B&F's just shades Harves.

+ 1

Agree.

[plugger66]

Nearest the pin?
I'll go Harvey 3, Riewoldt 4

Think Roo should be above baldock.

Baldock was magical but played only 119 games (237 goals)

Being the only premiership captain has grown the legend IMO

he may be when career finished but hard to put him higher when against players who have finished.

Why is that? Unless he is AA again this season I doubt Russell would have him higher in future. I don't think Judd will get higher in future at Carlton and he is still playing. He just ratyes him 5 and there is nothing wrong with that with one being Stewie, 2 being Plugger, 3 being The doc and 4 being Harvs. I would have swapped Harvs and Rooy and also Had Plugger at one but its someone else's opinion and it is hard to argue.

[Linton Lodger]

Thanks for the mail, Kosi. I know these lists are subjective, but he has to be kidding. I'm an admirer of Russell's work, but even that initial best twenty is bizarre, to say the least. I wait with great anticipation for the next list. Honestly, why do we place so much value on the heroes of yesteryear? I know that champions of any era deserve respect, but seriously, most of them would struggle in the modern game. Watson, Eicke, Cumberland, McNamara, et. al. Alan Morrow better than Winmar, Barker, Harvey (even pre- Brownlows) and Loewe? Surely you jest, Russell.

My OPINION

Stewart & Lockett will still probably be 1 & 2 (I'll leave it to Russell to chose the order)

Riewoldt & Baldock will take the next 2 spots, again which order?

Harvey will be at No 5 (was 17 in 1995. 2 Brownlows and 378? games)

Milne & Hayes will be somewhere in the top 20

It wouldn't surprise me to see Nathan Burke in there either

I never saw some of those names mentioned BUT you can only base an opinion on their standing in the game at that time !!

Can't really see Milne ahead of Barker and Winmar but I've never really been a big fan of his!

Milne is the best small forward in the history of the game. Unless you count Leigh Matthews as a small forward.

[saintbrat]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2015-01-0 ... top-25-no4
4. Robert Harvey (17)
Born: August 21, 1971
Debut: Round 19, 1988
Games: 383
Goals: 215
Height: 181cm
Weight: 86kg

The dual Brownlow Medallist was universally regarded as one of the modern game's greats. He covered an amazing amount of territory and opposing sides often alternated taggers on him because no one individual could keep with him for more than a quarter. His twinkle-toed evasion in packs was a great natural talent.

He was a remorseless individual on the training track and coach Stan Alves would tell him to go inside for a rest only to find out that Harvey went for a long run around the streets. Measures of his excellence were club best and fairest awards in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 1998 and three E.J. Whitten Medals for Victoria's best player in state games.

His father Jeff was the son of Merv Harvey who played one Test for Australia. Robert was therefore the grand-nephew of Test great Neil Harvey. His father Jeff once said that Robert had the "Harvey waddle".

[Saints43]

Milne is the best small forward in the history of the game. Unless you count Leigh Matthews as a small forward.

Milne's record is unbelievably underrated. I can only imagine it's the personal impression people have of him.

[older saint]

Interestingly Lockett rates Harvey the best player he played with. Unfortunatekly idiots in the media like Mike Sheahan always talked him down because he didn't kick enough goals( as he said when you can pass to Lockett, Loewe, Gehrig, Roo why would you kick yourself), and refuse to put him with Hird , voss, Buckley. Clearly better than Buckley, at least the equal of Voss if not better and probably only Hird better as he could play multi positions.

Lockett to me is No1. I didn't see Baldock or Stewart but my guess is Baldock 2 and Stewart 3.

[Trev from the Bush]

Interestingly Lockett rates Harvey the best player he played with. Unfortunatekly idiots in the media like Mike Sheahan always talked him down because he didn't kick enough goals( as he said when you can pass to Lockett, Loewe, Gehrig, Roo why would you kick yourself), and refuse to put him with Hird , voss, Buckley. Clearly better than Buckley, at least the equal of Voss if not better and probably only Hird better as he could play multi positions.

Lockett to me is No1. I didn't see Baldock or Stewart but my guess is Baldock 2 and Stewart 3.

Your a "Younger Saint", then!

I placed Roo in front of Harv but overlooked his 8 All Australian selections (and the 4 B&F's to go with the 2 Brownlows. Oh, the drawer full of E J Whitten Medals as well). I don't mind getting that one wrong at all!

Russell's original list placed Stewie ahead of Doc. If your too young to have seen either of them then take my word (all of you!) - they were both out and out champions and mercurial in the manner they could find each other with the ball. Think how good a combination Nicky and Plugger were. Then double it! Remember these two played with the ball on a string during our club's greatest era. Modest Stewie has always acknowledged Doc as the greatest Saint but anybody who watched his courage as he ran backwards into packs, take a mark then hit Doc or Cowboy on the chest 50 metres down field - sometimes in the same action - might think otherwise.

Stewie 1, Doc 2, Plugger 3. As great as Plugs has been in the past three decades - he is certainly the full forward in any best-of team - he was the big fish in a small pond. The two Tasweigians were the greatest in an era where we head great players and great success.