Bring back the G-Train!

[outside66]

There is one thing that Bruce, McCartin, and Membrey have in common; They do not get physical enough nor do they seem to do very well when it's a 1-on-1 wrestle. All of them are big boys but with the way we are delivering it into the forward line (top of the goal square), they can't seem to shake off a defender. Hamill and Gehrig were two completely different forwards but were a deadly combination!

The G-Train was the master of the wrestle and was able to reinvent himself as a player (wingman to backman to full forward). If we were able to get him down as a specialist coach to work with Bruce and Paddy in particular, then I think that could only be a good thing. Danny Frawley has been superb in his role as a specialist backline coach, and if we could get someone in to compliment Hamill then who knows where that could take us.

[bigcarl]

G-Train was just a very clever footballer and a high percentage of his goals would have come from him breaking free on a lead

[spert]

I looked at an old replay with G-Train kicking a bag of goals, and one obvious thing was he was very mobile and recovered quickly when the ball went past him, and this left him with space to receive or gather the loose ball. Bruce is trying too hard to out-muscle the pack instead of running hard to make a option, and he is a mobile big guy. He was much more mobile around the forward line over the last two seasons, but maybe Richo has stuffed this up with whatever forward plays he has designed?

[Linton Lodger]

Bring back Plugger I say.

Its lamentable that he's up in Sydney working with Buddy. The only weakness Buddy has is his overhead marking and I don't think Plugger has assisted him there.

Fly the big fella down once a fortnight and get him to do a bit of work with Paddy.

[borderbarry]

I like the idea of G Train. He lived just around the corner from my current home.

Remember those cheeky runs off the mark, like an umpire would be placing the man on the mark and G Train would be off and kick a goal! There is a lot he could teach our forwards.

[Proph3t of egan]

Loved the G-train, let's bring him back

[carn_sainter]

G-Train's retirement, oddly, hit me as hard as did Burkey or Stewie Loewe's. I'm not saying he is in their company, but to me, so much of the joy of that great 04-05 team was in the G-Train. Worth the price of admission alone! I always loved the start of the game and seeing Gehrig, Riewoldt, Hamil, Kosi, Milne and a flanker leave the huddle and head to the forward 50.

I don't actually remember him as a brilliant one-on-one body player. He was good on the lead and good at getting separation but he didn't take too many, that I remember, one on one in a wrestle, even though he had a club record 150kg bench press.

He got some amazing supply too and must have sent more floaters through the big sticks than most.

As I said, he was a great joy to watch and gave the team something special.

[stonecold]

I Remember watching the North Cheer squard throwing coins at Fraser in a game at The Dome, I was discussed and let them know about!!!!!

Loved the G-Train!!!!!

[White Winmar]

G-Train was just a very clever footballer and a high percentage of his goals would have come from him breaking free on a lead

Fraser also had explosive pace off the mark. That's a major reason he was so good.

[Ellaandjohn]

Surely he is to old now. Better to stick with paddy


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[outside66]

I don't actually remember him as a brilliant one-on-one body player. He was good on the lead and good at getting separation but he didn't take too many, that I remember, one on one in a wrestle, even though he had a club record 150kg bench press.

Check out the 1 hr 29 min 38 sec mark of the link below (highlights of our 2004 season). This is one example of what I can remember the great man doing on a regular basis. If he didn't get the mark then he would either get a free or bring it to the deck.

[Joffa Burns]

G-Train was super quick on the lead and strong on on one.
He often pushed up and space was left behind him so you would see him push off his opponmenet and head back toward goal.

The current batch are different players in a different era and different game style.
None are as quick or strong as Gehrig or as big comparitively for the era in which they play.

[carn_sainter]

I don't actually remember him as a brilliant one-on-one body player. He was good on the lead and good at getting separation but he didn't take too many, that I remember, one on one in a wrestle, even though he had a club record 150kg bench press.

Check out the 1 hr 29 min 38 sec mark of the link below (highlights of our 2004 season). This is one example of what I can remember the great man doing on a regular basis. If he didn't get the mark then he would either get a free or bring it to the deck.

Awesome link!

And the moment you point out is a great grab. I can picture it more now, turning the defender inside out. We should all appreciate how much of a genetic freak Fraser was. The combo of size and speed as well as ability to work off the deck and recover once the ball is on the ground. A real powerhouse.

[SuperSaint]

Gehrig had a great combination of size, speed and power to complement his exceptional skill. Towards the end of his career he was cruelled by bad hand and finger problems. Some of his fingers almost went sideways, that stuffed they were!

Sadly, we don't have a forward on the list remotely like this now.

[barwon saint]

My memory of the G Train seated behind the goals was doing his stretches before the game on the goal post and telling his opponent that he was in for a bad day.
Then first time the ball came down he would take off like a rocket .My favourite player from that time.

[ausfatcat]

[
Check out the 1 hr 29 min 38 sec mark of the link below (highlights of our 2004 season). This is one example of what I can remember the great man doing on a regular basis. If he didn't get the mark then he would either get a free or bring it to the deck.

See the Carlton highlight? 120 to 33 at half time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Saint_J]

all the stars allied in 04 to make it a really enjoyable year (until the prelim) 04 and 09 has to be my fav years for sure apart from the bitter disappointments in the ends.

i loved our 04 team so much hope with quality and characters. we played such beautiful footy.

[carn_sainter]

all the stars allied in 04 to make it a really enjoyable year (until the prelim) 04 and 09 has to be my fav years for sure apart from the bitter disappointments in the ends.

i loved our 04 team so much hope with quality and characters. we played such beautiful footy.

Far better watching than the average game these days. To me, that was 'real' footy...a dodgy, ill-defined concept, but immensely more enjoyable than 2017.

The skill level was so high. Aussie Jones, Nick Dal Santo, Luke Ball, Brendon Goddard, Lenny Hayes, Rob Harvey all had exceptional disposal.

Brett Voss, Maguire, Hudghton, Penny were all really good defenders.

Roo, Gehrig, Kosi had great hands.

Hamill, Thompson, Blake, Powell and of course Baker were as tough as nails.

Black, Guerra, Frankie and X Clarke could all hurt the opposition and do something pretty special.

And we must not forget Stephen Milne, one of the hardest to stop and deadly players so far this century. A living masterclass in crumbing.

That highlight video is really fun watching!

[Saint_J]

i still can't believe we got Milne as a Rookie. And king Sheedy said he was too small to play AFL LOL

[ace]

G-Train was just a very clever footballer and a high percentage of his goals would have come from him breaking free on a lead

He had a great small forward in Milne to block for him so he could get free on the lead.
MIlne's work was rarely mentioned by TV commentators but us supporters were more observant.

[White Winmar]

all the stars allied in 04 to make it a really enjoyable year (until the prelim) 04 and 09 has to be my fav years for sure apart from the bitter disappointments in the ends.

i loved our 04 team so much hope with quality and characters. we played such beautiful footy.

Should've walked in the flag. Watching that highlights video again, and seeing the talent on show, it's hard to believe we didn't do a "Geelong". If we had that line up today, imagine the excitement on here! When you compare line ups, it shows how far away we still are.

[BigMart]

G was a great player for us... but the softest hard man to play the game