BM you are wrongB.M wrote: ↑Thu 15 Aug 2019 10:29am The hand bagger call came from the late 80s-mid 90s when they we’re actually a good team.
It was a reference to them carrying handbags because they were soft and couldn’t handle the big occasions.
Under Blight they basically played an all out attack game, and didn’t defend, which was brilliant against weaker teams, but didn’t stand up against the best in finals. Hence, them been labelled front runners.
Read my post above .....
I was married to a Girl from Geelong football family, When I first dated her in the 70,s they were known as the handbaggers then and certainly called that by me jokingly at family functions
other football supporters I hung around with called them handbaggers
My ex father in law was at the GFC for years so he may know more than you?
My girlfriend (who became my wife) cousin played about 100 games for Geelong, and I had to put up with him and other Geelong players being in the bridal party at my wedding! (In 1978) I had to invite half the side as wedding guests.
The players actually gave me a handbag with my name on it as a joke for a wedding present (because I always got stuck into them)
In the best researched book on AFL (time and space), three is a whole chapter about it (chapter 2) called "the running game" on how they created what was called bruise free football in the late 1880,s
They were a very successful side .. your just about 100 years out
But then again you know everything don't you?
