Classic Plugger

[bigcarl]

i remember plugger running into the goals and kicking the ball low ...trying to take the head off of that white haired pr!ck who used to hog the limelight when ever the swans would sign their song...pity he missed ...

those low torps used to go like an exocet missile. iit was unusual for plugger to miss anything from point blank range so the old bloke must have moved away just in time. he was lucky because, as you say, it would have taken his head clean off.

in later years the old white-haired bloke became plugger's no. 1 fan ... one of football's complete u-turns

[st.byron]

Great story Stinger.
I missed seeing live most of Plugger's career because I lived OS and down south WA for most of it. When I came back to live in Melb. he'd gone to Sydney. I remember listening on the radio to a Saints / Swans game in 1991 and Plugger had 8 or 9 by half-time. He was so exciting because he had the freakish athleticism and ball skills, was quick, as strong as a bulldozer and took no prisoners. Loved him in a Saints jumper.

[Dan Warna]

I remember some smug pr1ck at 3/4 time dale lewis? who kicked 6.6 was already celebrating, and laughing at st kilda players

I remember another game plugger kicked 10 goals to half time against fitzroy or richmond, and then was benched to rest him (at that time in his career it was just a matter of time before he matched or bettered 18 goals in a game

another time he kicked 15 to 3/4 time and the saints just kept having pot shots instead of giving plugger a fair dinkum change.

Another time he hit a purple patch and kicked about 34 goals in 3 games. (now a forward who kicks 34 goals in a season is a legend...)

sheedy used to play 3 people on plugger.

Melbourne 'hard man' Rod Grinter wore his jumper with his collar up (for those who remember xavier school boys in the 80s lol), plugger just walked up to him, and you could see the sweat pouring out the back of his kneck...

another time a player whose name escapes me, took possession of the ball, looked up and saw plugger charging at him, he just froze, winmar tackled him from the side, but it always seemed to me like winmar was the hero rescuing the poor sap trapped infront of an incoming locomotive.

the st kilda midfield had a simple strategy, just lob it in the zone and plugger would the rest, he just wielded a zone of terror around him.

down the other end spud was just a man mountain, when spud and plugger hi-5'd you could hear the slap 10 rows back.

I saw plugger take a mark over the back of dougie hawkins, it was one of his last 'fly's you could here the thud as he hit the ground (I think he scored 3:5 that day and we score 5:15 to lose the game), he missed the goal but he cleared the ground pretty quickly.

lots and lots of plugger memories.

yes he was awesome. while dunstall got the ball delivered lace out on his chest, probably only winmar had that sort of skill at moorabin in the late 80s.

[n1ck]

I remember going to Moorabbin basically to watch him in the early 90's.

I loved that man mountain, but really didnt appreciate what a freak he was until about 1997/98.

I guess I figured there were always going to be players like Lockett or Carey, or Ablett or Dunstall.

Sadly, not.

Plugger was the most dominating man i ever saw pull on a guernsey. Nobody matched him. Also had some of the best ground skills you coul ever see. Used to pick up the ball in one hand - a move kouta made famous around '99 - and could snap it straight through the middle off either foot, or straighten up on a dime and slot it. Absolutely brilliant.

[Eastern]

There are 2 of Pluggers games at Moorabbin that stand out in my memory;

1. The day he drove Mick Martin's head about 2 foot beneath the Moorabbin mud (still kept a perfect headlock too)

2. Another game v Melb when their Full Back (Danny Hughes) got dragged after one of Pluggers many goals. Straight past the animal enclosure where plenty of advice was offered !!

[Beej]

1. The day he drove Mick Martin's head about 2 foot beneath the Moorabbin mud (still kept a perfect headlock too)

There was a game where Plugger and Martyn had a massive altercation, may have been the same game.

I remember seeing vision of the two of them standing toe to toe, nose to nose for about 5-10 seconds. The fire that was raging inside both of them was obvious when you saw their eyes. It was intense.

I'll never forget it.

[bigcarl]

there was one time when the herald sun (or sun news-pictorial as it was in those days) ran a picture of plugger pounding someone into the moorabbin mud with a massive headline that said "Fists of Fury"

he was only about 19 at the time from memory. received a two match suspension

[TimeToShineFellas]

there was one time when they ran a picture of plugger pounding someone into the moorabbin mud with a massive headline that said "Fists of Fury"

he was only about 19 at the time from memory. received a two match suspension

Think he might have been belting Rick Kennedy that day with the windmills flying.

[bigcarl]

Think he might have been belting Rick Kennedy that day with the windmills flying.

i think you might be right. one of my favourite pictures of the big champion as a young prodigy. showed admirable aggression

[aussiejones]

That game shows me how vital it was and is to get the ball down to the forward line QUICKLY

[bigcarl]

That game shows me how vital it was and is to get the ball down to the forward line QUICKLY

yep. if you got lockett one-out you could just about write it down and the way to get him one-out was to move it quickly

[JeffDunne]

Plugger was one of the few players - and the last - that could drag a crowd from one end of a stadium to the other. It was a laugh to watch the numbers grow quarter by quarter when he was on a day out.

Absolutely awesome footballer.

[bigcarl]

Plugger was one of the few players - and the last - that could drag a crowd from one end of a stadium to the other. It was a laugh to watch the numbers grow quarter by quarter when he was on a day out.

Absolutely awesome footballer.

agree. i used to follow him from end to end sometimes. one of the few joys of watching us in those days

[yipper]

He would even pull a crowd at the praccy games. I remember a huge crowd turned out on a beautiful sunny day at Moorabbin to watch him destroy the Brisbane Bears prior to the 88 season?? Kicked 12 - one goal he actually ran into the goals with no less than 3 Brisbane defenders hanging off him!!

[SB10]

what was the best game you saw lockett play for st kilda?

my personal favourite was against carlton at moorabbin the day he kicked 10 on silvagni and won it for us with virtually the last kick of the day.

another one that stands out in the memory was a match against hawthorn at the mcg in the late 80s/early 90s. lockett kicked 9 against a hawthorn side at the peak of its powers. we lost, but he played an unbelieveable game

i once saw him kick 12 straight (out of 14) against melbourne at the mcg in a losing side.

complete freak

So many unbelievable games to mention BigCarl - but you hit the nail on the head with that game against Silvagni. Moorrabin shook to its foundations when that goal sailed through. Can picture as clear as day Plugger standing with both arms aloft as soon as it left his boot. If I remember correctly the ball was thrown in from the back flank (members side) when Paul Harding tapped the ball to (Doc Grant??) who handballed onto Kenny Sheldon who's kicked slewed off the side of his boot to the far back flank where fanta pants Jack Daniels sent a wild handball to Winmar who ignored every St Kilda player (probably could have gone all the way)in search of Plugger, who was out of position and took a miraculous mark over the top of Silvagni. The rest is history!

While not a memorable game I'll never forget a match down in Tassie (Hobart) against Fitzroy when Plugger snapped a ball over his shoulder from 50 metres out (they must have fudged that 50m line) with the ball sailing through at post height. He was an absolute phenomenon. We won't see another Plugger in this day and age.

[sunsaint]

1. The day he drove Mick Martin's head about 2 foot beneath the Moorabbin mud (still kept a perfect headlock too)

There was a game where Plugger and Martyn had a massive altercation, may have been the same game.

I remember seeing vision of the two of them standing toe to toe, nose to nose for about 5-10 seconds. The fire that was raging inside both of them was obvious when you saw their eyes. It was intense.

I'll never forget it.

And if I remember rightly, Plugger had kicked about 8-9 when Pagan decided enough was enough and dragged Martyn to the bench.
He had to run from the South Rd end past the animal enclosure to the opposition bench, for a small moment I actually felt sorry for poor Mick as he copped it. I bet he never forgave Pagan after that day.

Dragging your best full back in the team, off the games best full back in history was a practice that always made me laugh. A futile peeing in the wind folly.

Burke in and under, Harvey setting it up in the middle, Winmar on the wing, Loewe at CHF, Lockett at FF.
That period will always make me smile, and cry, what should have been a 100% certainty for multiple GF's.

[Beej]

what was the best game you saw lockett play for st kilda?

my personal favourite was against carlton at moorabbin the day he kicked 10 on silvagni and won it for us with virtually the last kick of the day.

another one that stands out in the memory was a match against hawthorn at the mcg in the late 80s/early 90s. lockett kicked 9 against a hawthorn side at the peak of its powers. we lost, but he played an unbelieveable game

i once saw him kick 12 straight (out of 14) against melbourne at the mcg in a losing side.

complete freak

So many unbelievable games to mention BigCarl - but you hit the nail on the head with that game against Silvagni. Moorrabin shook to its foundations when that goal sailed through. Can picture as clear as day Plugger standing with both arms aloft as soon as it left his boot. If I remember correctly the ball was thrown in from the back flank (members side) when Paul Harding tapped the ball to (Doc Grant??) who handballed onto Kenny Sheldon who's kicked slewed off the side of his boot to the far back flank where fanta pants Jack Daniels sent a wild handball to Winmar who ignored every St Kilda player (probably could have gone all the way)in search of Plugger, who was out of position and took a miraculous mark over the top of Silvagni. The rest is history!

Good memory.

[bigcarl]

He would even pull a crowd at the praccy games. I remember a huge crowd turned out on a beautiful sunny day at Moorabbin to watch him destroy the Brisbane Bears prior to the 88 season?? Kicked 12 - one goal he actually ran into the goals with no less than 3 Brisbane defenders hanging off him!!

along with a few thousand other fans, i saw that practice match.

was billed as a battle of the full-forwards because the bears had just recruited warwick capper. capper started well and finished with five or six. plugger kicked 13.8 or something astronomical like that. i remember him booting that goal with three defenders hanging off him.

not unusual for him to carry st kilda. that day he carried the opposition as well.

[st.byron]

The way you guys are reminiscing about the era of Plugger makes me feel sad that the game has become sanitised and doubt that we will we ever see another Lockett or Ablett. Just looking at that footage of Moorabbin makes me wish that the soul hadn't gone out of the game.
Sure we have our star players now, but will we ever again see something like an angry Plugger and a very ugly Mick Martyn toe to toe? Probably not.
I saw Mick Martyn playing for Spotswood against Port Colts a few years back, after he retired from AFL.
It was down at Port Colts ground and the local heroes behind the goals were giving Mick a bit of stick.
Before kicking out, he grabbed the ball, walked right up to the fence and grunted with neanderthal menace, " Do you want this up your arse?", to the main guy giving him grief. They left Mick alone after that.

[yipper]

The way you guys are reminiscing about the era of Plugger makes me feel sad that the game has become sanitised and doubt that we will we ever see another Lockett or Ablett. Just looking at that footage of Moorabbin makes me wish that the soul hadn't gone out of the game.
Sure we have our star players now, but will we ever again see something like an angry Plugger and a very ugly Mick Martyn toe to toe? Probably not.
I saw Mick Martyn playing for Spotswood against Port Colts a few years back, after he retired from AFL.
It was down at Port Colts ground and the local heroes behind the goals were giving Mick a bit of stick.
Before kicking out, he grabbed the ball, walked right up to the fence and grunted with neanderthal menace, " Do you want this up your arse?", to the main guy giving him grief. They left Mick alone after that.

The G train was close - his batles with the likes of Scarlett were worth the admission price alone. I think there is always a chance of another Plugger,
The game is unique in that all types can play it. I reckon that Kossi has the potential to become a Plugger type - he is big, can take a ripping grab, has a smallish dose of mongrel and is highly skilled. So, let' wait and see.

[Oh When the Saints]

The game is unique in that all types can play it.

Unfortunately becoming less so IMO.

The days of a Billy Brownless or a Dean Rioli are over IMO - unless you're superfit, you'd struggle to get a game now.

Athletes are also becoming more prominent.


My grandfather reckons Plugger was the best he has seen, Saints jumper or no Saints jumper.

[Mooksy]

What a brilliant thread!!! Best. Player. Ever.

[bigcarl]

I reckon that Kossi has the potential to become a Plugger type - he is big, can take a ripping grab, has a smallish dose of mongrel and is highly skilled.

kosi does at times bring to mind lockett with those big, contested, one-grab marks and i think he'll make a very good ff for us.

[Spinner]

The game is unique in that all types can play it.

Unfortunately becoming less so IMO.

The days of a Billy Brownless or a Dean Rioli are over IMO - unless you're superfit, you'd struggle to get a game now.

Athletes are also becoming more prominent.


My grandfather reckons Plugger was the best he has seen, Saints jumper or no Saints jumper.

Correct...But being superfit isnt a problem. Football is professional now, making very little reason not to be a fitness machine.

Its the blokes that get drafted solely because of their athletic ability. Those whos kicking skills are woeful. Those that cant read the play.

Players like Shane, Clint and Jason...to name a few.

[sunsaint]

I reckon that Kossi has the potential to become a Plugger type - he is big, can take a ripping grab, has a smallish dose of mongrel and is highly skilled.

kosi does at times bring to mind lockett with those big, contested, one-grab marks and i think he'll make a very good ff for us.

Not sure about Kosi becoming the next Plugger, to date he's been too injury prone, could you imagine the role reversal, Plugger VS Giansiracusa.
Sadly I think Tom Hawkins has all the raw materials to become the next "scary" FF.