Who was the hardest player we ever had?

[Dry Rot]

I've read many references to past hard Dogs players I've never seen play.

In my time, Libba, West and Kretuik and now Morris and Picken would be among the hardest Dogs I've seen.

But that's just since 1998 - who do you reckon was the hardest player we ever had?

[strebla]

Steve Walis comes to mind pound for pound as hard as any and Ricky Kennedy Probably my top two.Daniel Southern was another one.

[Dry Rot]

Steve Walis comes to mind pound for pound as hard as any and Ricky Kennedy Probably my top two.Daniel Southern was another one.

What exactly did Southern allegedly infamously do to that WCE player?

[Maddog37]

I will go a bit Nostradamus here and predict Clay Smith.

The game is different now but Cross is Just crazy. If he was built heavier he would have seriously maimed many players by now.

[GVGjr]

Steve 'Super' McPherson was as tough as the come.

Jimmy Edmond is well worth a mention along with Tony Liberatore.

Robert 'Bones' McGhie had a lot of players bluffed

Was there anyone tougher than Ted Whitten?

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Whitten, Terry Wheeler, Mc Ghie, Stevie Mac, Libba and Romero.
I'm sure that the AFL has edited the grand final that Cowboy Neale bashed Peter Hudson senseless. Cowboy was a huge man, barrel chested with legs like tree trunks, but he could fly and run. Once at the Western Oval, he had built up a head of steam and was boucing the ball along the wing. Terry Wheeler lined him up and shirt fronted him with everything he had. Immovable object is met with irresistable force. Wheels just bouced off Cowboy's chest and Cowboy carried on without breaking stride.

[gohardorgohome]

Libba was the hardest player pound for pound in my opinion.

Rick Kennedy was the guy who held his own with the toughest going around.

[Doc26]

What exactly did Southern allegedly infamously do to that WCE player?

He put Peter Sumich to sleep with a sleeper hold down on the boundary line in the fracas following Wallis taking out Brett Heady.

[LostDoggy]

EJ

Hawk
Steve Macpherson
Rick Kennedy

Libba

[Greystache]

I was always a fan of Bernard Toohey when he was with us. I remember as a kid one of our players telling me how they all walked taller when Toohey was in the team because any opposition player who roughed up one of ours could expect retribution.

[dog town]

Some left field players would be Stephen Powell and Adam Contessa. Loved watching them in the 2s.

[Doc26]

There are so many courageus players but Cross, Libba and Wynd for mine stand out in this category in more recent times. Assuming no minimum tenure required and given I never saw the likes of EJ play, would say Hall was our 'hardest' given the justifiable fear opponents had for him.

[Bulldog4life]

Steve 'Super' McPherson was as tough as the come.

Jimmy Edmond is well worth a mention along with Tony Liberatore.

Robert 'Bones' McGhie had a lot of players bluffed

Was there anyone tougher than Ted Whitten?

No. Or as good. Toughest and best by a street.

[always right]

Steve Wallis hurt a lot of opponents.
Scotty Wynd was as brave as they come.
Libba never took a backward step.
Rick Kennedy was a a maniac.
Daniel Cross....no-one braver.

[Remi Moses]

He put Peter Sumich to sleep with a sleeper hold down on the boundary line in the fracas following Wallis taking out Brett Heady.

Apparently he was asphyxiated but managed to train the next night!
Great bump by Steve Wallis ( not the first time) and the Eagles got cranky.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Steve 'Super' McPherson was as tough as the come.

Jimmy Edmond is well worth a mention along with Tony Liberatore.

Robert 'Bones' McGhie had a lot of players bluffed

Was there anyone tougher than Ted Whitten?

Ted Whitten was incredibly tough and a standout since the 1950's as our toughest.
Libba was a great inspiration whilst Scott Wynd's ability to overcome a serious knee injury to play 200 games plus win a Brownlow Medal must rate highly.

[strebla]

I was always a fan of Bernard Toohey when he was with us. I remember as a kid one of our players telling me how they all walked taller when Toohey was in the team because any opposition player who roughed up one of ours could expect retribution.

Oh i forgot Bernard Toohey he was tough what about Dent he was hard too!!!:eek:

[Ghost Dog]

Left field
I'd like to mention Matty Robins. Because he played with Depression through much of his career and I reckon that must be 'hard'. He still gave it his all. Never afraid to have a tussle with blokes much bigger than himself. Proof of this is the concussion injuries he now has to live with it since. Gave himself for this club.

ZP2ut4P6AOw
When I watch this clip it puts a lump in my throat.

[Twodogs]

Does anmyone remember Scott Wynd laying in the middle of Optus Oval and convulsing after he'd been hit at a ruck contest? It might have been the first ruck contest of the day but I can remember that we were running a bit late and just as we got to our seats BANG! Scotty goes down in a screaming heap after Justin madden ran right at him and took him out. I thought he was going to die in th middle of the ground.

Brett Montgomery absorbing that hit from Brodie Holland in the 2006 Elimination final and going forward and kicking 2 first quarter goals was one of the gutsiest acts I've ever seen.

[ledge]

Fruitcake Ford was a scary hard man at times

[LostDoggy]

Steve Wallis.

[Greystache]

Does anmyone remember Scott Wynd laying in the middle of Optus Oval and convulsing after he'd been hit at a ruck contest? It might have been the first ruck contest of the day but I can remember that we were running a bit late and just as we got to our seats BANG! Scotty goes down in a screaming heap after Justin madden ran right at him and took him out. I thought he was going to die in th middle of the ground.

Brett Montgomery absorbing that hit from Brodie Holland in the 2006 Elimination final and going forward and kicking 2 first quarter goals was one of the gutsiest acts I've ever seen.

I remember Scott Wynd backing into the hole in front of Lockett in the 97 qualifying final and getting smashed, he was on his hand and knees vomiting afterwards. About 3 mins later the ball was bombed back into Sydney's forward line and Wynd cut in front of Lockett and took the intercept mark.

[EasternWest]

Apparently he was asphyxiated but managed to train the next night!.

That part is actually no big deal. I've seen a handful of people choked unconscious and recover to complete a training session there and then. It can be surprisingly easy and quick to put someone out, yet they can wake up with no ill effect.


Left field
I'd like to mention Matty Robins. Because he played with Depression through much of his career and I reckon that must be 'hard'. He still gave it his all. Never afraid to have a tussle with blokes much bigger than himself. Proof of this is the concussion injuries he now has to live with it since. Gave himself for this club.

ZP2ut4P6AOw
When I watch this clip it puts a lump in my throat.

Good one GD. Love Matty Robbins.

[bornadog]

Rick Kennedy with out a doubt.

Mark Jackson once said he was the toughest player he had ever fronted. When Jacko tried to intimate opposition players, the only bloke that was never ever scared was Ricky.

[LostDoggy]

No. Or as good. Toughest and best by a street.

Agree wholeheartedly

[BornInDroopSt'54]

He put Peter Sumich to sleep with a sleeper hold down on the boundary line in the fracas following Wallis taking out Brett Heady.

The Eagles were into 16 yo Brad Johnson all day if I remember correctly and our boys got protective.

[stefoid]

Rick Kennedy with out a doubt.

Mark Jackson once said he was the toughest player he had ever fronted. When Jacko tried to intimate opposition players, the only bloke that was never ever scared was Ricky.

Locket punched him into a foetal position one day at the WO. The thing with Locket, apart from being huge, is he was prepared to take the 6 weeks suspension for out and out punching blokes in the head, and 99.9% of other players weren't, so what do you do?

[KT31]

Rick Kennedy with out a doubt.

Mark Jackson once said he was the toughest player he had ever fronted. When Jacko tried to intimate opposition players, the only bloke that was never ever scared was Ricky.

In my time I rate Kennedy.
I remeber Dunstall mentioning that one of the scariest things in football was to take a mark on the lead and know Kennedy was only a couple of steps behind you.

[always right]

Locket punched him into a foetal position one day at the WO. The thing with Locket, apart from being huge, is he was prepared to take the 6 weeks suspension for out and out punching blokes in the head, and 99.9% of other players weren't, so what do you do?

I remember that well. Can't recall exactly what Rick did to Lockett but the big man went berserk. Kennedy immediately went to ground and curled up in the foetal position, covering up up as Lockett rained blows on him. Quick thinking by Kennedy meant he wasn't hurt and he played on with no further incident.

[ratsmac]

Straight away I thought of Scott Wynd in this catagory.
I never saw E.J play but rumour has it he was hard as.
Libba, Picken, Cross, Kretiuk and Tits Kennedy all deserve a mention.

[stefoid]

I remember that well. Can't recall exactly what Rick did to Lockett but the big man went berserk. Kennedy immediately went to ground and curled up in the foetal position, covering up up as Lockett rained blows on him. Quick thinking by Kennedy meant he wasn't hurt and he played on with no further incident.

Locket did go on to kick a bag on Tits, however.

[lemmon]

Always felt Mitch Hahn was an underrated hard hitter

[Axe Man]

The Eagles were into 16 yo Brad Johnson all day if I remember correctly and our boys got protective.

Johnno didn't debut until he was 18, but he did play in that match in what was his first season (Round 24 1994).

I remember Mark West as a human wrecking ball in the handful of games he played.

[westbulldog]

E J Whitten by a light year.

and then Libba, Dempsey, Ivan Marsh and Rick Kennedy

[gohardorgohome]

Left field
I'd like to mention Matty Robins. Because he played with Depression through much of his career and I reckon that must be 'hard'. He still gave it his all. Never afraid to have a tussle with blokes much bigger than himself. Proof of this is the concussion injuries he now has to live with it since. Gave himself for this club.

ZP2ut4P6AOw
When I watch this clip it puts a lump in my throat.

I had a lot of time for Matty Robbins... Great suggestion.

[Twodogs]

The Eagles were into 16 yo Brad Johnson all day if I remember correctly and our boys got protective.


Johnno didn't debut until he was 18, but he did play in that match in what was his first season (Round 24 1994).



I think you might be thinking about a different game and player.


When Scott West was 17 he kicked 6 against Essendon at Whitten Oval in round 5 1993. The week after against West Coast Worsfold and his heroic mates battered Scooter from pillar to post.

[always right]

I had a lot of time for Matty Robbins... Great suggestion.

I really miss Matty Robbins:(

That bump on Hardwick was a ripper. He has a better highlights reel than most.

[LostDoggy]

I can only speak of players in my lifetime, but we have had our fair share.

Jim Edmond
Fossie
Tits Kennedy
Kretiuk
Super McPherson
Mick Egan
Terry Wheeler

A few of the earlier ones that spring to mind.

On the opposite side of the coin, I was at the masters golf the other day when I saw Simon Beasley, made me giggle to myself that he was our spearhead that kicked 100 goals in 1985. Such an unlikely type. :D

[Twodogs]

On the opposite side of the coin, I was at the masters golf the other day when I saw Simon Beasley, made me giggle to myself that he was our spearhead that kicked 100 goals in 1985. Such an unlikely type. :D


Sam Newman called him "Pink and shelllike" on World Of Sport one sunday.

[The Doctor]

Libba remains the toughest & most ferocious Bulldog I've seen. A real pitbull terrier. It didn't matter what size or shape they were he took them on. He went into the biggest packs, got the hardest ball and took the biggest whacks but he kept on going. He loved it.

Honorable mention to Steve Kretiuk who always fought above his weight.

Surprised no one mentioned Peter Foster. He took on and regularly beat the best CHF's in the game and then would go forward and beat the best CHB's. The most physically demanding jobs in the VFL at the time. Dermott Brereton said he was the toughest opponent he ever played against. Foster also kept Lockett goalless.

Super McPherson didn't mind unsettling the dust. not an instigator usually but a brute retaliator. I saw him beat the snot out of Chris Lewis when WCE were on their way to the 92 premiership. Lewis came over to rough him up as he liked to do and Super just went whack whack & Lewis had to leave the field. He'd get 12 months now. Got nothing then.

[The Doctor]

Sam Newman called him "Pink and shelllike" on World Of Sport one sunday.

Sam Newman is the Bogan King. Take no notice!

[BulldogBelle]

Ken Greenwood.
Infuriated Doug Wade at Geelong so much one day that Wade slapped him and got reported.

[WB4Life]

Libba snr
Kretiuk
Southern
Cross
Boyd

Mark West made people side step too, in particular I remeber a final at the g against Sydney he ran Rampart.

special mention to Liam Picken, i like the way the kid goes about his business.

[Ozza]

Libba Snr is hard to beat for hardness. Agree with the summation from 'The Doctor'.

For bravery - Chris Grant, Scott Wynd, Scott West and Brad Johnson were all champions - and one of the reasons was that they were absolute 'eyes on the ball' players who were always given the full attention of the opposition - but never flinched in going after the footy.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Sam Newman called him "Pink and shelllike" on World Of Sport one sunday.

Unusually poetic for Newman.
As Beasley plucked marks and processed goals a Melbourne supporter near me yelled out bitterly
"Ya white pastey bastard".
Made me laugh glibly each time (probably 6 or so).