Simon Beasley

[GVGjr]

Did everyone hear that Simon Beasley was admitted to hospital after suffering a mild stroke?

I'm sure we will read more about this tomorrow but apparently he is OK and doing well.

[The Coon Dog]

Thanks for that GVJ. I wasn't aware of it. I hope he is OK.

[Dry Rot]

What as he like as a player?

I only know of some stats and a couple of photos.

Is there a current FF who is similar?

[GVGjr]

What as he like as a player?

I only know of some stats and a couple of photos.

Is there a current FF who is similar?
I don't think there has been too many FF like him before or after for that matter.

I think he played for 7 or 8 years for the club and played over 150 games. Long arms and a decent mark and kick. Very gangly type. He was over or about 194cm and a difficult match-up for most defenders. Kicked 575 goals during his career with us. Coach Malthouse had him pegged as a dry weather footballer and would drop him if he thought the WO was too wet.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Beasley was like no other player that I can think of.

He came over quite late, he was about 22 or 23 from memory, from Swan Districts in WA. It was in the days when you bought players and we paid about $100K for him - a fortune at the time.

His first game was against Essendon and I think he got one kick and put it out on the full. I remember going home shattered that we had spent so much money on someone who was so obviously a mega-dud.

He was tall, about 6' 5", in an era when tall full forwards weren't all that common. Dunstall was 6' 2, Ablett 6' 1" and they both started after Beazer. He was built like Cam Wight with the palest skin and white-blond wispy hair that was almost gone by the time he retired.

We wasn't quick, had terrible endurance, was dreadful beneath his knees, couldn't ruck, was way too skinny to hold his own in a marking contest and couldn't play anywhere else than full forward. He even got left out of the side once because it was raining. I don't remember him getting a mark-of-the-day nomination in his entire career.

Oh yeah, and he kicked more goals in the 80's than any other player in the comp.

Beazer timed his leads expertly and he had very sure hands. When he got a metre on his opponent and put out those long arms he was near impossible to spoil if the pass was half decent.

He had a weird kicking style where he basically put his right hand under the ball and kicked it the way you teach kids how to kick. He very rarely missed.

[bresker]

Did everyone hear that Simon Beasley was admitted to hospital after suffering a mild stroke?

I'm sure we will read more about this tomorrow but apparently he is OK and doing well.

Bad news, hope he's OK. I never saw him play footy but I've heard the stories & always use his services in the betting ring at Moonee Valley.

[southerncross]

Very popular player and as Sockeye pointed out one of the most unique footballers. Very quirky but effective kicking style and a better mark than some gave him credit for.

I heard a great interview on SEN one time where his daughter phoned through and asked what time he would be home because tea was just about on the table.

Hopefully this is just a minor setback

[alwaysadog]

I've just posted a profile of Simon as part of a blog on the '85 side. It seemed an appropriate time to do it. Bog title 1985 and all that 1. Simon Beasley

[Dry Rot]

I've just posted a profile of Simon as part of a blog on the '85 side. It seemed an appropriate time to do it. Bog title 1985 and all that 1. Simon Beasley

Thanks - that was a really good read.

But as a member of the BHAS I'm looking forwad to reading about the other bookend - he sounds like a real hard man.

[Twodogs]

Thanks - that was a really good read.

But as a member of the BHAS I'm looking forwad to reading about the other bookend - he sounds like a real hard man.



Brian is a ballerina compared to Tits.

[BulldogBelle]

Did everyone hear that Simon Beasley was admitted to hospital after suffering a mild stroke?

I hadn't heard about that, hopefully all is well. Reflecting back on his playing days he slotted in the role of Full Forward very nicely.

[southerncross]

This from the Age



Beasley recuperating after a mild stroke

Andrew Eddy
January 29, 2007


Leading Melbourne bookmaker and former champion footballer Simon Beasley said he had had a mild stroke last week, which served as a big "wake-up" call.
Speaking from Cabrini Hospital in Malvern, where he has been recuperating since the stroke at Mornington races on Wednesday, Beasley said the episode had come as a shock as he had been in good health.
"I am certainly not bullet-proof and no one is," Beasley said yesterday.
"It's come as a real wake-up call with respect to attention to diet and so on, but look, I'm feeling really well."
Beasley, 50, said he first felt ill after getting "a funny feeling in my arm" at the Mornington races. After scans on Thursday, he was taken to the Cabrini Hospital, where he will remain until further tests are conducted early this week.
"I am very grateful for all the messages of goodwill that I've received and I hope I won't be too long out of action," he said.
"I kept an eye on how we went on the weekend and, thankfully, I've got fantastic staff, who have been able to carry on without me."
Beasley was quick to make his mark as a full-forward for Footscray when he came to Melbourne from Perth club Swan Districts in 1982.
He was the Bulldogs' leading goalkicker from 1982 to 1988 and in 1985 won the Coleman Medal for the VFL's leading goalkicker with 105 goals that season.
He booted 575 from 154 games and managed to snare 12 goals in three VFL matches before a knee injury curtailed his career in 1989.
Beasley went stockbroking after his retirement from football, but the lure of the racetrack was always strong and, on Boxing Day in 2001, he stood as a bookmaker for the first time when he ventured to Penshurst races. He now turns over more than $100 million each year on racing and sports betting.

[bornadog]

15Put on a bit of weight these days, maybe he is eating too many pies. Needs to exercise and get back to being fit.

[LostDoggy]

15Put on a bit of weight these days, maybe he is eating too many pies. Needs to exercise and get back to being fit.


There is an article in the Sun today where he admits he has a sweet tooth.

[GVGjr]

There is an article in the Sun today where he admits he has a sweet tooth.


Just having a read of it now. I'd expect to see a slimmer Beasley within 12 months

[BulldogBelle]

Just having a read of it now. I'd expect to see a slimmer Beasley within 12 months

I would think that he would change his eating style after that scare.

[LostDoggy]

Naughty naughty boy Simon :p

[The Coon Dog]

Naughty naughty boy Simon :p
Again, here:

Bookmaker Beasley pleads guilty to two charges (http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=4356)

[KT31]

The Pieman was and is a legend of the S'cray.
A very underrated footballer who in the 80's kicked more goal than any other player.
A much better footballer than Capper or Jackson but because he doesn't talk it up so you don't know his achievements.

[LostDoggy]

...A much better footballer than Capper or Jackson but because he doesn't ....

He certainly matched them in the opposition supporters hate stakes. The abuse that used to be screamed at him ! I never knew there were so may words for homosexual and all started with the f adjective. It was fun to watch the crowd around you go ape when her received a free kick.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he has the best conversion rate of all the heavy goal scorers. I've never laughed so much at the footy as when I did, seeing him clean up other teams. He would give other supporters the sh-ts. I remember one irate opposition supporter yelling out, when Beasley took yet another mark, and carefully steered through yet another goal, "Beasley, ya white pastey bastard". One thing I can't forgive him for is recommending the merger with Fitzroy!

[The Coon Dog]

He was terrific to talk to when I did one of the Legends & Larrikins interviews.

[LostDoggy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he has the best conversion rate of all the heavy goal scorers. ...... One thing I can't forgive him for is recommending the merger with Fitzroy!

Don't know about conversion rates but he averaged just under 4 a game. That's a pretty good return in anyone's book.

Beasley was a good mate of Nick Columb's then. Had the club gone under, which was the only alternative offered by the then VFL, Columb would have been held to his bank guarantee as would a number of others including non board members. It's easy to be critical when you've nothing at stake. For all those taking pot shots at Columb at the time, none were guarantors. Columb was a successful entrepreneur and race horse owner at the time but he was nowhere near Smorgon's level. He faced being held to debts of $1.5 mil, in 1989, coincidentally a recession too - interest rates approaching 18 %. I'm guessing that that would have wiped Columb out.

Beasley preferred merger to death. 6 years later, the "saviour" board did too. We've all acquiesced in an identity change. I imagine Beasley couldn't see any alternative, few could until the Sunday rally when, from memory, $500,000.00 of the required $1.3 mil was raised that day.

I recall hearing Beasley saying on radio after the rally that he had been wrong, that he was excited and that he wanted to be part of it. He's an all time great of the club. It's in good hands now and is going place. We can be gracious.

[alwaysadog]

Don't know about conversion rates but he averaged just under 4 a game. That's a pretty good return in anyone's book.

Beasley was a good mate of Nick Columb's then. Had the club gone under, which was the only alternative offered by the then VFL, Columb would have been held to his bank guarantee as would a number of others including non board members. It's easy to be critical when you've nothing at stake. For all those taking pot shots at Columb at the time, none were guarantors. Columb was a successful entrepreneur and race horse owner at the time but he was nowhere near Smorgon's level. He faced being held to debts of $1.5 mil, in 1989, coincidentally a recession too - interest rates approaching 18 %. I'm guessing that that would have wiped Columb out.

Beasley preferred merger to death. 6 years later, the "saviour" board did too. We've all acquiesced in an identity change. I imagine Beasley couldn't see any alternative, few could until the Sunday rally when, from memory, $500,000.00 of the required $1.3 mil was raised that day.

I recall hearing Beasley saying on radio after the rally that he had been wrong, that he was excited and that he wanted to be part of it. He's an all time great of the club. It's in good hands now and is going place. We can be gracious.

I agree with you on most points and I would add at the time Simon was working for A major share broking firm so he would have had a certain view of the world.

The bit that still rankles in all this and that needs to be remembered IMHO is that firstly Nick engaged in a fairly destabilising campaign for the presidency and secondly that he negotiated secretly behind the members backs with the AFL to merge us on very poor terms.

As for Simon's part in it, well it was so small that it didn't matter at the time once the playing group decided to stick with the club.

Now that Andy has said we are safe and given that the 20th Aniversary of those aweful events is fast approaching I'd like to see a major event at the WO with Wheels and Gordon and Irene as special guests.

[LostDoggy]

...The bit that still rankles in all this and that needs to be remembered IMHO is that firstly Nick engaged in a fairly destabilising campaign for the presidency and secondly that he negotiated secretly behind the members backs with the AFL to merge us on very poor terms.

....

Columb's campaign was backed by influential people around the club at the time. The East West lot, the cheer squad and a couple of disaffected former board members were in it. Their gripe was that the club was going backwards after the '85 near miss. Capes & Galimberti were running the club conservatively with an eye to the bottom line. The discontents complained that the team was good but needed a more adventurous administration. Columb brought with him the whiff of fresh income streams. There were no serious issues on which to engineer a coup that would see him as president immediately. He joined the board and got there without a coup in the end.

I don't think there was much negotiating in it. Oakley pounced and held the gun of withdrawing the licence to the club's head. All the board members were at the meeting when Oakly pounced. Columb says the board authorised him to negotiate. Members of football clubs only count for anything when it comes to finance raising. Gordon's board is the only board I can recall ever consulting members, on the purchase of the baseball club and merger options in '96. Smorgon's board waltzed in and changed everything unilaterally, jumper, name, ground, pretty well all the non negotiables in the members' survey a year earlier.

I like your signature line. Of all that was said that day, that's the one that stood out for me, too.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Don't know about conversion rates but he averaged just under 4 a game. That's a pretty good return in anyone's book.

Beasley was a good mate of Nick Columb's then. Had the club gone under, which was the only alternative offered by the then VFL, Columb would have been held to his bank guarantee as would a number of others including non board members. It's easy to be critical when you've nothing at stake. For all those taking pot shots at Columb at the time, none were guarantors. Columb was a successful entrepreneur and race horse owner at the time but he was nowhere near Smorgon's level. He faced being held to debts of $1.5 mil, in 1989, coincidentally a recession too - interest rates approaching 18 %. I'm guessing that that would have wiped Columb out.

Beasley preferred merger to death. 6 years later, the "saviour" board did too. We've all acquiesced in an identity change. I imagine Beasley couldn't see any alternative, few could until the Sunday rally when, from memory, $500,000.00 of the required $1.3 mil was raised that day.

I recall hearing Beasley saying on radio after the rally that he had been wrong, that he was excited and that he wanted to be part of it. He's an all time great of the club. It's in good hands now and is going place. We can be gracious.


Your account seems to come from a close following of events, and has a ring of truth about it. So it seems Columb and Beasley can be excused for their parts in the turmoil. It really does underline the magnificent resurrection of the club via the rally and the fighting spirit of Footscray's supporters and the football public. I heard at the time, could be urban myth, that after the rally, the club actually donated a sinificant amount of money to Richmond Football Club, who were also under the hammer.
Alwaysadog I agree, the club should acknowledge the 20th anniversary of the gallant survival and in particular Wheels and Irene Chatfield. Written at the Belsen Nazi Concentration Camp: " those that forget history are forced to relive it".
We have been declared safe by Demetriou, but without the rear guard fight of the Footscray supporters at the time, we may have only had the Fitzroy Bulldogs, in Fitzroy jumpers to follow.

[LostDoggy]

Your account seems to come from a close following of events, and has a ring of truth about it. So it seems Columb and Beasley can be excused for their parts in the turmoil..

I've no quarrell with Beasley. I admired him for not spitting the dummy or carrying on when Malthouse used to drag him when it rained. Pity Hawkins and Hardy didn't have the same grace. I understand what influenced Nick Columb but he's not entirely blameless. He should have involved the members earlier, before it got to the crisis stage.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the a re union of '89 at all but let's not dwell on it. I'm so much happier that we don't need that sort of rear guard action now. What supporters achieved was great but I'd rather get my next inner glow from a flag.

[alwaysadog]

Columb's campaign was backed by influential people around the club at the time. The East West lot, the cheer squad and a couple of disaffected former board members were in it. Their gripe was that the club was going backwards after the '85 near miss. Capes & Galimberti were running the club conservatively with an eye to the bottom line. The discontents complained that the team was good but needed a more adventurous administration. Columb brought with him the whiff of fresh income streams. There were no serious issues on which to engineer a coup that would see him as president immediately. He joined the board and got there without a coup in the end.

I don't think there was much negotiating in it. Oakley pounced and held the gun of withdrawing the licence to the club's head. All the board members were at the meeting when Oakly pounced. Columb says the board authorised him to negotiate. Members of football clubs only count for anything when it comes to finance raising. Gordon's board is the only board I can recall ever consulting members, on the purchase of the baseball club and merger options in '96. Smorgon's board waltzed in and changed everything unilaterally, jumper, name, ground, pretty well all the non negotiables in the members' survey a year earlier.

I like your signature line. Of all that was said that day, that's the one that stood out for me, too.

I don't want to get into hysterics about this, and I have no angst in relation to Nick Columb, but my recollection is somewhat different. I think real life is like that it's complex and contested.. and subject to different but equally valid interpretations of events.

About the removal of Tony Capes, I don't recall it being very pleasant and a lot of claims were made that were critiqued at the time and subsequently proven to be totally without foundation. Like improving the financial position of the club and the performance of the team, just to mention a couple of fairly high order concerns. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and perhaps it suggests that Capes and Galimberti had a better grasp of the operating imperatives of the AFL than Nick Columb did?

Equally you can't really compare what Smorgon and his board did to the attempted merger, though I've seen the odd academic article in recent years which has tried to advance that argument. Sure both might have said this is the way it's going to be but there is more than just a little difference in terms of the magnitude of the consequences between the two that make such a comparison meaningless; it's between the trappings and the substance.

Columb says the board authorised him... interesting... where was his responsibility and leadership in all this and why did Gumboots have to bell the cat and not the President, why submit to a secrecy that can only work against your own best interests?

I've always assumed that Columb had the best of intentions from his perspective and only a small amount of ego driving him, but there must have come a point before Oakley pounced when he realised the situation was out of hand and he needed to find a successor. MacBeth like he seems to have got himself so far in that going back was more difficult than going on.

Thanks for the comment on the signature line; I always liked Tery Wheeler's values, pity Peter Gordon didn't, I use it because we have come to the point where we just can't continue to exploit without putting back or act without taking heed of the consequences.

[LostDoggy]

...About the removal of Tony Capes, I don't recall it being very pleasant and a lot of claims were made that were critiqued at the time and subsequently proven to be totally without foundation. Like improving the financial position of the club and the performance of the team, just to mention a couple of fairly high order concerns. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and perhaps it suggests that Capes and Galimberti had a better grasp of the operating imperatives of the AFL than Nick Columb did?

...Columb says the board authorised him... interesting... where was his responsibility and leadership in all this and why did Gumboots have to bell the cat and not the President, why submit to a secrecy that can only work against your own best interests?

I've always assumed that Columb had the best of intentions from his perspective and only a small amount of ego driving him, but there must have come a point before Oakley pounced when he realised the situation was out of hand and he needed to find a successor. MacBeth like he seems to have got himself so far in that going back was more difficult than going on.

Thanks for the comment on the signature line; I always liked Tery Wheeler's values, pity Peter Gordon didn't, I...

Towards the end of the season, after the Carlton game at Princes Park, I ran into Nick Columb near the player's race and I asked him if we were likely to survive. Beasley was with him. He raised his eyes heavenward and grimaced and muttered something about it being tough. That worried me. He knew we were in trouble then. Your McBeth analogy describes it, in my mind. Perhaps another way is the indispensible man theory, perhaps just procrastination.

I don't know anything about the Capes to Columb succession, just that it happened but I agree that Capes and Galimberti did have more emphasis on the financial wellbeing of the club.

Columb allegedly handing back the licence, Gordon sacking Wheels. Imagine the pressure those blokes were under. It's a tough job being president of the Footscray Football Club.

[alwaysadog]

Towards the end of the season, after the Carlton game at Princes Park, I ran into Nick Columb near the player's race and I asked him if we were likely to survive. Beasley was with him. He raised his eyes heavenward and grimaced and muttered something about it being tough. That worried me. He knew we were in trouble then. Your McBeth analogy describes it, in my mind. Perhaps another way is the indispensible man theory, perhaps just procrastination.

I don't know anything about the Capes to Columb succession, just that it happened but I agree that Capes and Galimberti did have more emphasis on the financial wellbeing of the club.

Columb allegedly handing back the licence, Gordon sacking Wheels. Imagine the pressure those blokes were under. It's a tough job being president of the Footscray Football Club.

It certainly was. That year if my memory is correct the then VFL had to give Sydney another $1m to stay afloat, refused to go guarantor for a loan for Fitzroy, I think on the grounds that if Fitzroy went belly up and the guarantee was called in, the VFL might be insolvent, and to top it off the VFL had a $400,000 loss on the balance sheet. Out west the Sunshine footy club had pulled up stumps mid season, and empty factories were multiplying by the week. Perhaps someone should remind the Libs about what happens if you don't stimulate the economy in such circumstances.

Given the economic religion then dominant, of which Oakley was only a minor priest, we could expect to be targetted. I have never been able to understand Nick's allowing himself to be bullied into silence by Oakley. His only weapon was to expose the skullduggery and he didn't.

[aker39]

He'll have plenty of spare time to come and watch the doggies.

[strebla]

He stated in an article in the little paper today as now he has spare time on the weekends he will get to watch the doggies.
What do people think about a posistion at the club for him I tend to think that with his connection Smorgan could do a lot worse than to approach him possibly with a posistion on the board.

[LostDoggy]

It's a bit weird how he wore number 18, and had 1818 bets not accurately recorded.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

It's a bit weird how he wore number 18, and had 1818 bets not accurately recorded.
Numerology at play.
That discussion between D. Mitchell and Alwaysadog about Beaser, Columb and the near merger is fascinating and revealing. It seems two closely attentive and perceptive Footscray observers met minds in this thread.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Beasley made a huge impact during his time at the Western Bulldogs. He was named at FF in our team of the century and was an inductee in our Hall of Fame. Beasley made a huge impact both on and off the field and was highly regarded. Along with Collins and Templeton he has been a stand out as one of our best key forwards in the past 50 years. He is still a strong supporter of the WB.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Towards the end of the season, after the Carlton game at Princes Park, I ran into Nick Columb near the player's race and I asked him if we were likely to survive. Beasley was with him. He raised his eyes heavenward and grimaced and muttered something about it being tough. That worried me. He knew we were in trouble then. Your McBeth analogy describes it, in my mind. Perhaps another way is the indispensible man theory, perhaps just procrastination.

I don't know anything about the Capes to Columb succession, just that it happened but I agree that Capes and Galimberti did have more emphasis on the financial wellbeing of the club.

Columb allegedly handing back the licence, Gordon sacking Wheels. Imagine the pressure those blokes were under. It's a tough job being president of the Footscray Football Club.

The Capes to Columb didn't in fact occur. Tony Capes had resigned in favour of former player Barrie Beattie who then stepped down to allow Nick Columb to become President. It is worth mentioning that Terry Wheeler as part of a 5 man Hall of Fame Committee that elevated Peter Gordon as an Hall of Fame inductee for his role in saving the Club in '89. It perhaps highlights the true Bulldog spirit of Wheels.

[FrediKanoute]

I was at one of the games where he kicked 12 against Geelong. Went with my Uncle ("Dogs supporter") and my aunt ("Cat's fan") and its were I learnt most of my foul language from......the things she would call Beaser!

[Twodogs]

The Capes to Columb didn't in fact occur. Tony Capes had resigned in favour of former player Barrie Beattie who then stepped down to allow Nick Columb to become President. It is worth mentioning that Terry Wheeler as part of a 5 man Hall of Fame Committee that elevated Peter Gordon as an Hall of Fame inductee for his role in saving the Club in '89. It perhaps highlights the true Bulldog spirit of Wheels.


You're right Beatie did come between them. Didnt he step down early?