GT on Robert Harvey - Aug 2008

[Templar]

"He does not have a nasty bone in his body but he was unbelievably nasty to his opponents. It was a nastiness that cut much deeper than a stray elbow, fist or shirtfront – he pummelled them into the ground and challenged the very core of their existence – their integrity. He would take them on a journey that they all knew they couldn’t survive – the courage to provide maximum effort with severe pain."

[saynta]

Who the ruck is RH ?Just asking.

OH, f***. i just realised....Banger...of course.

[B.M]

Robert Harvey

8 time All Australian

The greatest ever Saint

[saynta]

Robert Harvey

8 time All Australian

The greatest ever Saint

Can't argue with that as he stayed loyal.....a one club player.

Stewart and Lockett were better footballers but pissed off to greener pastures. Better footballers but not better saints.

[B.M]

Why were they better footballers?

[saynta]

Why were they better footballers?

Stewart won three brownlows and was a much better kick. Plugger was the greatest goalkicker the game has seen,and there will never be another like him.

[Templar]

The whole interchange bench thing changed the game so dramatically that we won't ever get to see sustained Robert Harvey like heroics again.

Interchange also killed off those marathon like one on one battles between opposing champions.

And I blame Kevin Sheedy and the leagues desire to appease the alpha coach of that time - one game where Essendon had a bunch of injuries in a game that led to a loss, Sheedy complains and knee jerk reaction before you know the game has a 4 man interchange. Players running off and on every few minutes, sprinting around, the end of the "stayer", and then the emergence of flooding.

The subsequent flooding then leads to 35 other rule changes. Games totally changed. A different game IMO. The demise of the one on one sub-plots that were so fascinating in a game. The jeering when a coach realised a match up was doomed and moved a player to a different match up.

A game that was more of a marathon, where players would have to pace themselves to last four quarters. And the exceptional player like banger who would just keep running relentlessly for four quarters.

Old school but I used to love going to a game and watching the matchup dramas or following Banger for four quarters with the glasses.

[B.M]

Harvey is the leading possession winner of all time

And hardly wasted one of them

Magician

[saynta]

Harvey is the leading possession winner of all time

And hardly wasted one of them

Magician

yep.

Look, don't get my wrong , I loved Banger, still do but he was nowhere near as good a kick as Stewart and strugged throughout his career to kick more than 40 metres where Stewart who played in the centre was noted for hitting the doc on the chest more times than could be counted.

Both fearless though.

Both are considered amongst the greats, not just with the saints but in the competition.

[bangaulegend]

Too young to see Stewart at his best but in my old man's opinion Ditterich & Stewart were the best Saints players of his era . For me Tony Lockett just a 1 in a life time player even when we were average he was still brilliant so disappointed when he left . Robert Harvey well the consummate professional could blind turn a bloke in a telephone box such a talent couldn't kick 50 meters but didn't need to hardly missed a target ,never stopped running never stopped trying no matter the scenario the bloke is a legend . Had the pleasure of meeting him a few times not only a phenomenal player but a phenomenal bloke as well

[mr six o'clock]

Hard to compare era's but if I had one choice of who I'd pay to see it would be plugger .
The thing about Tony's greatness is during his mid twenties when he should have been at his best , he missed allot of games injured .
Could have played more than 50 games extra at the saints
And at his strike rate of almost 5 goals a game he would have kicked more than a thousand goals for us before he went to the swine .

[Templar]

Something about the way the ball came off Plugger's boot. Zen like perfection.

But what the hey. This thread is meant to be about Harvs!

And the crap about loser club, jinxed and stuff.. Long suffering but watching those two (amongst the many other greats) is stuff of legend.

[samoht]

Banger had a pin-point accurate and perfectly weighted 20-30 metre pass, which usually came after a dash of 15 or so metres - which was much more damaging and reliable (and harder to react to and punch away) than a 45 metre kick from anyone else.
Just ask Lockett and Loewe.

He also was a brilliant handballer ... either left or right hand - dishing out 20-30 metre handballs to team mates in the clear.
I'm not sure how Ian Stewart fared in comparison?

Incredible player.

[perfectionist]

Too young to see Stewart at his best but in my old man's opinion Ditterich & Stewart were the best Saints players of his era ...

In the period where it mattered, 1965-66, Ian Stewart was not only our best player, but the best in the League. I rate Bob Murray as our second best player with Darrel Baldock, Ian Cooper, Daryl Griffiths and Ross Smith close behind. Brian Mynott was our best ruckman in 1966. Big Carl never really came into his own until 1971. He was an impact player before that, sometimes making an impact on the head of an opposition player which led to a 6 match suspension in Round 17 of 1966.

[B.M]

The most important skill in football - is being able to get the ball - an inherent ability to read the play! Be it at stoppage or in general play.

And that is what Banger was better than others at?

No good being a good kick, but can’t get the ball, otherwise Arryn Siposs and Brodie Murdoch would have been stars. Btw Harvey was a brilliant kick - because I judge kicks on whether they hit targets.

If we are judging footballers by those who get crowds to games then those with nice highlights packages are the best - which I don’t necessarily agree with! Ie/Tony Modra
I’d rather a player do 10 good things in a game than 1 or 2 great things

Another part of greatness is longevity and durability
Getting 3 Brownlow votes in 1990 and 3 votes in 2007 is astonishing that’s 2 generations of footy!!!

[Mr Magic]

IMHO, the Doc was the best player I’ve seen play.
Stewart was uncanny and brilliant
But they played in a different era back then and it’s very difficult to compare champions of differing eras
Harves changed the game with his running prowess and ability to keep going.
Plugger was in a league of his own. If you get the opportunity to ask SOS about that game at Moorabbin you’ll get an amazing response

[Sebastian Tombs]

Its 34yrs since Robert Harvey made his debut and I have never seen him referred too as "RH" so why start now? If you have trouble putting his full name in the title of this thread please feel free to copy and paste it from my post

[B.M]

Doc was a great footballer - obviously a favourite of mine being from the NW coast and the reason I support StK

But only played 119 games and 40 of those with a dodgy knee.

His career carried nowhere near the weight of Harves

Put it this way - Doc played 7 seasons - Harves was an AA for 8 seasons and played for 21

I think it’s very different question
Who was better at their peak in one game
And who had the greatest career as a saint

Just going on Accolades- Harves and quite easily

IMO Reiwoldt is the only player that comes close

At their Peaks
Harves 94, 97-98
Baldock 62-65
Stewart 65-66
Lockett 87, 91-92
Riewoldt 2004, 2007-2009

As Legends

Then you’ve got
Smith, Ditterich, Barker, Winmar, Loewe, Burke, Hayes, Steven

As Champions

[Templar]

Its 34yrs since Robert Harvey made his debut and I have never seen him referred too as "RH" so why start now? If you have trouble putting his full name in the title of this thread please feel free to copy and paste it from my post

Done was just copying and pasting from a note i must a saved in 2008. Subject now Robert Harvey respect

[Templar]

Do I have to change GT too?

[happy feet]

Doc was a great footballer - obviously a favourite of mine being from the NW coast and the reason I support StK

But only played 119 games and 40 of those with a dodgy knee.

His career carried nowhere near the weight of Harves

Put it this way - Doc played 7 seasons - Harves was an AA for 8 seasons and played for 21

I think it’s very different question
Who was better at their peak in one game
And who had the greatest career as a saint

Just going on Accolades- Harves and quite easily

IMO Reiwoldt is the only player that comes close

At their Peaks
Harves 94, 97-98
Baldock 62-65
Stewart 65-66
Lockett 87, 91-92
Riewoldt 2004, 2007-2009

As Legends

Then you’ve got
Smith, Ditterich, Barker, Winmar, Loewe, Burke, Hayes, Steven

As Champions

No Verdun Howell?

[stevie]

For what it’s worth my top 3 Saints are Plugger, Roo and Banger

[whiskers3614]

Doc was a great footballer - obviously a favourite of mine being from the NW coast and the reason I support StK

But only played 119 games and 40 of those with a dodgy knee.

His career carried nowhere near the weight of Harves

Put it this way - Doc played 7 seasons - Harves was an AA for 8 seasons and played for 21

I think it’s very different question
Who was better at their peak in one game
And who had the greatest career as a saint

Just going on Accolades- Harves and quite easily

IMO Reiwoldt is the only player that comes close

At their Peaks
Harves 94, 97-98
Baldock 62-65
Stewart 65-66
Lockett 87, 91-92
Riewoldt 2004, 2007-2009

As Legends

Then you’ve got
Smith, Ditterich, Barker, Winmar, Loewe, Burke, Hayes, Steven

As Champions

Jack Steven not good enough to tie BJ's boot laces!

[Wayne42]

the point of this thread is ?

[B.M]

Maybe

Going to Essendon, bit like Plugger takes a bit off for mine. Don’t undersell Jack Steven - stood up in tough times and was a 4 time club champion!

Point of thread
To discuss the great man!!!

I fkn hate it when his achievements are undersold!!!

Especially the crap about him being good because he was a good runner!!! What a load of s***!
Being a Good runner don’t make you a champion footballer, being able to read the play, run to the right spots and handle it cleanly, be evasive be powerful make good decisions and use it well!!!!

Harves did ALL those things… not just run!

Gives me the s***s that old throw away line. Being elite at running probably elevated him from champion to legend, but that’s like say being 110kg elevated Lockett from champion to legend!
It is a part of the f it but not the reason