Brother to Brother. Who was better?

[bulldogtragic]

Stealing some IP from Twodogs. Of brothers who were listed at our club, who may or may not have not necessarily played a game, who was the better brother?

The first famous surname with brothers at our club that come to mind is Cordy. So I will stick to this generation and my lad, and say Premiership CHF Zaine is better than first round father/son draftee Ayce.

Hopefully we are talking about Ollie & Tom Libba in this thread in years to come.

[merantau]

Of the Cordy brothers I thought Neil was the better player.

[bornadog]

Simon Atkins was better than his twin brother Paul. Paul played reserves but couldn't crack a game in the seniors.

[bulldogtragic]

I think Chris had it over his older brother Jamie Grant. Just.

[Twodogs]

Simon Atkins was better than his twin brother Paul. Paul played reserves but couldn't crack a game in the seniors.

Not if you believe the rumours about Paul filling in for Simon from time to time.


Ted Whitten was better than his brother Don.

[Twodogs]

Of the Cordy brothers I thought Neil was the better player.


Neil was a talented player but on output give me Brian. There was just something about Neil Cordy that annoyed me.

[Webby]

Neil was a talented player but on output give me Brian. There was just something about Neil Cordy that annoyed me.

Perfectly put. Neil had loads more talent, but Brian was all honesty from
An application perspective. Just on what annoyed you about Neil, was it?:
A) His lack of concentration?
B) His propensity to do the brilliant and then go missing for two quarters?
C) His lack of off the ball pressure?
D) His lack of defensive accountability?
E) The fact that he finally worked it out and became the best of the three at Sydney?
F) Or, was it just his super slow-talking news reporting style?!

Malthouse certainly didn't rate Neil's defensive efforts. I think he played 95% of our games pre Mick and about 60% during Mick's tenure. That as one of the most talented players on our list.

Points to me that he mustn't have followed instructions too faithfully - which is probably what you picked up on.

I remember my dad saying in about 83-84 that he thought Neil Cordy would develop into our best player. He just didn't blossom under Malthouse - which was a frustrating waste.

[LostDoggy]

Super over Rod.

[bornadog]

Super over Rod.

Agree,and Rod was a very good player.

[KT31]

Hard to split the Reid brothers, Bruce ahead for me.
Both had longer careers than their Dad, but it looks like Bruce's two sons will (if not already have) surpass him.

[BulldogBelle]

Better make a list so that we get them all in. Maybe this is not all in the last few years.

Neil, Graeme, Brian Cordy - Neil
Ayce, Zaine Cordy - Zaine
Dennis, Daryl Collins - Dennis
Ted, Don Whitten - Ted
Chris, Jamie Grant - Chris
Rod, Stephen MacPherson - Steve
Simon, Paul Atkins - Simon
Bruce, John Reid - Bruce
Allan, Jack Collins - Jack
Barry, Graham Ion - Graham
Marcus, Liam Picken - Liam
Bob, Ricky Spargo - Bob

My favourite would be Chris Grant.

Some others - mixed teams
Ben, Michael Sexton
Jim, Bob Edmond
Joel, Patrick Bowden
Peter, Andres Everitt
Paul, Andrew Dimattina
Adam, Brett Goodes
Graham, Richard Osborne
Luke, Sam Power
Jade, Brady Rawlings
Daniel, Michael Talia
Patrick, Simon Wiggins
Scott, Paul Wynd

Did David Thorpe have a brother who played?

[Bulldog4life]

John and Robert Schultz.....John

[Bulldog4life]

Graham and Barry Ion.....Graham

[Twodogs]

Perfectly put. Neil had loads more talent, but Brian was all honesty from
An application perspective. Just on what annoyed you about Neil, was it?:
A) His lack of concentration?
B) His propensity to do the brilliant and then go missing for two quarters?
C) His lack of off the ball pressure?
D) His lack of defensive accountability?
E) The fact that he finally worked it out and became the best of the three at Sydney?
F) Or, was it just his super slow-talking news reporting style?!

Malthouse certainly didn't rate Neil's defensive efforts. I think he played 95% of our games pre Mick and about 60% during Mick's tenure. That as one of the most talented players on our list.

Points to me that he mustn't have followed instructions too faithfully - which is probably what you picked up on.

I remember my dad saying in about 83-84 that he thought Neil Cordy would develop into our best player. He just didn't blossom under Malthouse - which was a frustrating waste.

The first picture that enters my mind when I hear the name Neil Cordy is him standing about 5 metres away from Tim Watson and watching him kick the ball to Nobby Clarke (Cordy's direct opponent) who was standing in the Geelong rd goal square all by himself 40 metres away from Cordy at the 30 minute mark of the last quarter. It as that day against Essendon when it just poured buckets (second wettest day I can remember at Whitten Oval and that's saying something) when they won by 2 points, 3 goals something to 3 goals a few less. I cant remember ever being as hacked off at one of our players as I was with Neil Cordy that day.

Did we get anything at all from Sydney in exchange for him?

[Webby]

Alister and Brian "Fruity" Ford?

One was lauded as a potential great, but it was the plucky little brother who made it!

... They were brothers, right?

[bornadog]

Alister and Brian "Fruity" Ford?

One was lauded as a potential great, but it was the plucky little brother who made it!

... They were brothers, right?

I don't remember a Brian. There was Michael Ford?

[Twodogs]

Alister and Brian "Fruity" Ford?

One was lauded as a potential great, but it was the plucky little brother who made it!

... They were brothers, right?

Cousins.

[Webby]

I don't remember a Brian. There was Michael Ford?

Yep, Michael. That's it. Always called him Fruity or Brutus as an in joke with the bloke over the road. There was a WWF wrestler called Brutus Beefcake during Ford's time with us. I believe Fruity's nickname was a shortening of "fruitcake", so, for some reason my mate and I called him Brutus - as in Brutus Fruitcake.

We also called the wrestler "Fruitcake."

[Webby]

The first picture that enters my mind when I hear the name Neil Cordy is him standing about 5 metres away from Tim Watson and watching him kick the ball to Nobby Clarke (Cordy's direct opponent) who was standing in the Geelong rd goal square all by himself 40 metres away from Cordy at the 30 minute mark of the last quarter. It as that day against Essendon when it just poured buckets (second wettest day I can remember at Whitten Oval and that's saying something) when they won by 2 points, 3 goals something to 3 goals a few less. I cant remember ever being as hacked off at one of our players as I was with Neil Cordy that day.

Did we get anything at all from Sydney in exchange for him?

No, I believe he was released. It was common knowledge that he was a capable player whose coach (Malthouse) underrated... Or, more accurately, openly disliked. Meant that he was cherry ripe for picking at "unders" by the then cashed up Swans.

He was a good player for them - which frustrated Dogs fans. He probably enjoyed Hafey more than Malthouse.

[Twodogs]

was he one of the big name Geoff Edelsten funded recruits they got in under Hafey? Williams, Healyand Bolton I think all got big money to go and to play at Sydney. It must have been '86 or '87.

Malthouse played favourites and had his crackpot theories didn't he? I guess he indulged Tony Liberatore a spot on the list for years even though he wasn't getting a game because he liked his endevour so that worked out pretty well for us.

[Webby]

was he one of the big name Geoff Edelsten funded recruits they got in under Hafey? Williams, Healyand Bolton I think all got big money to go and to play at Sydney. It must have been '86 or '87.

Malthouse played favourites and had his crackpot theories didn't he? I guess he indulged Tony Liberatore a spot on the list for years even though he wasn't getting a game because he liked his endevour so that worked out pretty well for us.

Yeah it was '87 that Cordy went up there. A year after Edmond. Doc Geoffrey was still engaged at that stage. Funnily enough, as Cordy was headed up there, Jock Edmond was on his way to the Bears. I believe '87 was the first year of the salary cap and there was a fair bit of player movement.

The Bears and WCE started up at the same time. So there were a few players who were sent around the place. I think every club had to give up two players, so they did so for two main reasons:

1. The player was a dud
2. The player was past his prime
3. The player was over priced and relieved pressure re the cap; or
4. The player was past his best, toppy on salary, or just disliked by the coach

The result was that the Bears actually had an okay list for a start up. Experienced guys like Eade, Hardie, Fidge, Mickan, Raines, Rod McPherson, Williams, etc.

Meanwhile, WCE started pretty strong AND had the pick of WA's talent pool to themselves. Glendenning went back, as did Rance, Narkle, Annear etc.

On Libba, VFL lists ran into the 50's at certain points. He'd have been virtually playing for free. Malthouse simply didn't rate him, but let him hang around in the ressies. It was all the more remarkable that he became the player he did. Spoke to a mate of the late Ronnie James. He said Ronnie was pumped that Malthouse was gone and Wheeler in the summer in which he was killed.

Back to player movements, I believe the cap was reined in for a second phase in '88. That led to some further big names moving. Names like Capper and Merrett to the Bears, for example. It made it all the more remarkable that Bradley and Keenahan were retained by Carlton when the Crows were formed.... Although time revealed the reasoning! Salary caps didn't matter to the Blues!

Although we weren't lillywhite... I believe we were caught paying Hardie's wife or girlfriend $50k odd p.a. to perform (or not!) some kind of light administrative duty for the club! Coupled with his falling out with Mick, he ended up at Brisbane..

[Twodogs]

I think that payment to Hardie's GF was part of an inducement to win him back after Malthouse left. Part of the penalty was a ban on him signing with us for 2 years and he ended up signing with Collingwoid instead. I'm thinking it must have been 1991 or so? Typical Footscray recruiting snafu. We end up paying the girlfriend of an opposition player a huge salary to do a non-job for us while he transfers to another club!

[1eyedog]

Neil was a talented player but on output give me Brian. There was just something about Neil Cordy that annoyed me.

He had an annoying head.

McLeod Wood goes alright. Gives EW a good run for his money.

[Twodogs]

He had an annoying head.

McLeod Wood goes alright. Gives EW a good run for his money.

Both brothers are captains.

[Webby]

I think that payment to Hardie's GF was part of an inducement to win him back after Malthouse left. Part of the penalty was a ban on him signing with us for 2 years and he ended up signing with Collingwoid instead. I'm thinking it must have been 1991 or so? Typical Footscray recruiting snafu. We end up paying the girlfriend of an opposition player a huge salary to do a non-job for us while he transfers to another club!

Really? I know we tried to get Hardie back in 1990. That was as soon as the club had beaten the merger, cashed itself up and appointed Wheeler. My understanding was that the AFL blocked it as the Bears were their baby and that the girlfriend payments were made years earlier.

Although perhaps it is the reason the AFL blocked it. Nonetheless, Hardie joined the Pies in '92 and was well past it.