Who are our 'enforcers'?

[Saint wagga]

GWS are a tough, they have some tough and niggly characters in their side and their prelim against the dogs was full of sledging, niggle and great footy as well. If we go toe to toe with them, I ask, who are our tough guys? I mean really tough at it who can play physical and thrive in the heat of a full on niggle and sledgefest??

Our two small defenders, Geary and Webster are both kamikazee and hard as they come. Carlisle has a bit of Mongrel about him and is a big unit, excellent addition to our 'toughness' in the back 6. With Robbo and Gilbert both at home with some lip and niggle, our back 6 is certainly primed to match it.

Some of our young guns like Billings, Acres,, Steele and Gresham...not sure how they will go, but there is only one way to learn i guess. Extra motivation for Steele.

Guys like Ross and Weller will have to front up, Newnes as well. Stevens is a pretty tough customer, seasoned now and will likely relish to tough stuff.

Really looking forward to Friday night and seeing how our guys go against GWS...I hope we don't bring a knife to the gun fight!!

[saynta]

Brown is as tough as an old boot as is Stevens.

[mad saint guy]

Weller and Carlisle are the two I would expect to fly the flag and go close to getting themselves suspended. Lonie certainly tries but he's just too little

[spert]

Don't need enforcers- just be first to the ball, beat your opponent, and win the game!

[Johnny Member]

Yeah, I think the days of 'enforcers' are over.


No one can whack you anymore, the only way to really intimidate someone these days is to go hard at the pill.

[White Winmar]

Geary, Weller and Carlisle. What I'd give for a Carl Ditterich to top this side off. Great ruckman and the equal scariest man in the history of the game. Shares the podium with Lethal, according to no less of an expert than Ex Senior Sergeant Allan Jeans.

[Saint wagga]

Yeah, I think the days of 'enforcers' are over.


No one can whack you anymore, the only way to really intimidate someone these days is to go hard at the pill.

Agree to a point, but as they say, a lot of the difference in elite sport can be between the ears, and so having players that can thrive in a real cauldron environment where both the physical and verbal niggle can be really high are important. For young players or players who don't love this aspect of the contest, knowing they have guys around them who will go hard and back them up is very important i reckon! Certainly going hard at the ball and going when it's your turn are equally important!

I'm not saying we should be the instigators, but having seen how GWS go about it in big games, they like to verbal and physically niggle, so it's the response that i was thinking about. We certainly need to make tackles count, effective tackles are so much more valuable than tackles where the opponent still gets an effective offload!

[Proph3t of egan]

Chuck Weller on shaw, see the fireworks, should be fun

[BigMart]

The most ridiculous notion in footy

'Flying the flag'

It looks stupid, puffing out your chest and doing nothing... it's embarrassing

I'd rather players like Roo, Gears and Jack Steven who put their head over the footy and don't deviate over dickheads who push and shove and throw little jumper punches

[borderbarry]

If we are playing Carringbush I would play Jimmy O'Dea, just for the Death Threats. Otherwise Mad Dog and eric Tough Guy.

[borderbarry]

Although the last player we had that let the boys walk tall was probably Lazar Vidovic.

[stonecold]

Although the last player we had that let the boys walk tall was probably Lazar Vidovic.

Aaron Hamill!!!!!

[ROLS-LEE]

Although the last player we had that let the boys walk tall was probably Lazar Vidovic.

Aaron Hamill!!!!!

Steven baker

[ace]

Geary, Weller and Carlisle. What I'd give for a Carl Ditterich to top this side off. Great ruckman and the equal scariest man in the history of the game. Shares the podium with Lethal, according to no less of an expert than Ex Senior Sergeant Allan Jeans.

Ditterich in the ruck these days, a 194cm plodder.
They would taunt him as little pee wee.

[Vazelos]

Weller, Carlisle, Brown and Jack Steele for mine capable of being the tough guys.

[whiskers3614]

The most ridiculous notion in footy

'Flying the flag'

It looks stupid, puffing out your chest and doing nothing... it's embarrassing

I'd rather players like Roo, Gears and Jack Steven who put their head over the footy and don't deviate over dickheads who push and shove and throw little jumper punches

Start doubting my sanity when I can't disagree with Big Note!

[skeptic]

Although the last player we had that let the boys walk tall was probably Lazar Vidovic.

Aaron Hamill!!!!!

Steven baker

Stephen Powell wasn't to be messed with either

[White Winmar]

Geary, Weller and Carlisle. What I'd give for a Carl Ditterich to top this side off. Great ruckman and the equal scariest man in the history of the game. Shares the podium with Lethal, according to no less of an expert than Ex Senior Sergeant Allan Jeans.

Ditterich in the ruck these days, a 194cm plodder.
They would taunt him as little pee wee.

I bet you wouldn't say it to his face, ace. He'd still make the pansies of today look over their shoulders. They might call him peewee until his fist or elbow crashed into their faces. The modern player isn't as hard as the older models.

[Scollop]

I Get Really Faarrrken Aggressive After A Few Too Many Coffees.
What's Wrong With The Capitals? Go f*** Yourself!!!

[happy feet]

Geary, Weller and Carlisle. What I'd give for a Carl Ditterich to top this side off. Great ruckman and the equal scariest man in the history of the game. Shares the podium with Lethal, according to no less of an expert than Ex Senior Sergeant Allan Jeans.

Ditterich in the ruck these days, a 194cm plodder.
They would taunt him as little pee wee.

Frogshit, Big Carl in his day was mobile, skilled and fearless. As he grew older he became intimidating and feared. Any rough stuff and there was retribution, the little blokes stood tall when 'the Shadow'was on the ground

[happy feet]

Hmm, toughest players, in no particular order, except no1.

1. Eric guy - toughest to play the game, ever
2. Carl Ditterich
3. Alan Morrow
4. Kevin Neale
5. Greg Burns
6. Geoff Cunningham
7. Aaron Hamill
8 Steven Baker
9 Nathan Burke
10. Jimmy O'Dea



of the modern era, hard to say as the game has changed - Heath Black had some mongrel about him, I saw Jimmy Webster whack someone in one of his early games and I thought to myself, good one - don't take any crap.

[Winmar]

What was it about Eric Guy that made him tough? I've read his name in this context more than once, but he was over two decades before my time.

[happy feet]

What was it about Eric Guy that made him tough? I've read his name in this context more than once, but he was over two decades before my time.

Eric Guy was made of granite - I heard Neal Roberts describe him as an anvil of a man and said Lethal and Dirty Dermie were cream puffs in comparison. Toughest on the ball player ever. Charged the packs at full throttle and was fearless, but not a dirty player like Sheedy or Balme.

One day at the junction oval he shirtfronted Bobby Skilton - my Dad was there and told me about it. He thought Skilton was dead. Nothing dirty about it, he lined Skilton up and ran right through him. From what I have read about this incident, Killa had to take Eric Guy off at 3/4 time as he feared for his safety the Swans crowd were so insenced. On the other side, when Skilton came around said...tell Eric we're still mates. Such was the measure of the man, and of a different time, different game. To read more about him find a copy of Heroes with Halo's

[loris]

Geary, Weller and Carlisle. What I'd give for a Carl Ditterich to top this side off. Great ruckman and the equal scariest man in the history of the game. Shares the podium with Lethal, according to no less of an expert than Ex Senior Sergeant Allan Jeans.

Ditterich in the ruck these days, a 194cm plodder.
They would taunt him as little pee wee.

I bet you wouldn't say it to his face, ace. He'd still make the pansies of today look over their shoulders. They might call him peewee until his fist or elbow crashed into their faces. The modern player isn't as hard as the older models.

Ace - did you see him play?
One could hardly call Ditterich a plodder. He had the leap of a high jumper, incredible speed across the ground, don't be misled by his loping gait. . It was a joy to see him chase players like Barassi, run them down & rob them of the ball. He could take impossible marks when out of position. Even when he was playing with Melbourne, he would have been one of the quickest big men going around.
It's a myth Carl was just all elbows and shirtfronts, a bit of a thug. He was a very skilful player - never in his career could he described as a plodder. His supreme athleticism would make him very adaptable to play the modern game, leaving many current ruckman in his wake.

[borderbarry]

I am sure others will remember this, but I remember Eric Guy standing at the boundary getting his face stitched by the club doctor, then turning around and running back into play.