Players you thought were going to be good but?.

[josie]

What are the players that you thought had a good chance of forging a reasonable AFL career, but unfortunately didn?t? I?m thinking moreso of players that were not high draft picks or big name trades. Perhaps you first saw them at junior level, in the VFL, or another AFL club. And what do you think was the missing ingredient(s) in them not quite making it? Preferably dogs players but can be other clubs too.

Here?s mine:
I thought Ben Cavarra would make it after watching him at VFL level, both at clearances and as a small forward. I thought he was quick thinking, natural player with very good hands and a decent kick. I was so convinced he was going to make it with us that I bought his badge. With benefit of hindsight he was perhaps too slow for small forward role, which is where we played him in his few AFL games with us, too small for clearance role (and enough top midfield types back then), but part of me also thinks he wasn?t gifted the opportunities others were at senior level.

Also thought Fergus Greene had good goal sense and moved pretty well from his VFL form. Injuries ruined his chances with us. He is lightly built so perhaps his chances of making were and still are not high. I was happy to see Hawks give him a go. Hopefully he has a few more opportunities at AFL level and he can grab them. From the 1 or 2 Hawks games I?ve seen him play in I?d say his chances of making it are a bit slim now.

[SonofScray]

Christian Macri would be my number one pick. Looked every bit the classy player, but didn’t really get near it.

I’m still convinced Tim Walsh was going to make it, until he got injured down at Geelong and then busted a finger.

[josie]

Christian Macri would be my number one pick. Looked every bit the classy player, but didn’t really get near it.

I’m still convinced Tim Walsh was going to make it, until he got injured down at Geelong and then busted a finger.

And Walsh kicked a goal with his first kick in AFL IIRC. He did look good. I asked Eade and Cameron about him at a function back then and they said he just couldn’t get in the park due to injuries.

What position did Macri play and was it the 90’s?

[The Doctor]

Adrian Campbell is my pin up boy. I thought he would be the player Chris Grant turned out to be. Injuries destroyed him.

then there were

Ben Sexton
Justin Charles
Jon Ballantyne
Shannon Corcoran
Tyson Lane
Darren Collins
Stuart Nicol
Andy Nichols
Mark West

[Go_Dogs]

Farren Ray - was still probably good, but I thought he could become a genuine top liner.

Can Faulkner - the new McLeod.

King Tutt - would probably make it in the game right now.

[GVGjr]

For the older group on here, Hugh Reimers should have been the answer to our lack of taller defenders but sadly he couldn't stay fit enough and struggles with injuries. In his 2 years at the club he couldn't crack it for a senior game and got a leg injury early on at the Kennel. Lesson learned, never trust a highlights package.

I'm with GD on Cam Faulkner, really looked close to making the mark but couldn't quite get there.

Michael Martin was another that I had high hopes for but he didn't grasp his chances.

[Grantysghost]

Tyson Lane.

Was at school with him, played school footy (Melton tech) and I've never seen a more talented footballer. I'll never forget a mark he took in a game at Melton South in school footy (as I was under it) he ascended the earthly realms and broke the bonds of gravity that day!

Shame he didn't make it further.

[azabob]

Patrick Bowden. Seriously talented but appeared seriously lazy.

I remember one game he was first emergency and he got the call up but couldn't play as he sighted a hang over, the next player they called said he could play and just happened to be who Bowden was out drinking with the night before.

[lemmon]

Andrejs Everitt - I remember he played 12 or 13 games at the back end of his first year and looked an absolute star coming off half back. Pace, height, lovely kick, real dash. I think he made a charge for the Rising Star and was given Grant's number three on the back of it. Seemed like his pace dropped off really quickly.

The other one for me was Ayce Cordy. Some of those clips of him playing school footy were terrific.

[bulldogtragic]

Jarrad Grant. My number one.

Others Stevie Tiller, Tom Williams when he destroyed Buddy is Tassie, Daniel Bandy after half a season, Josh Hill, Stringer before 2016, Birss, and any player we sunk high picks into (ie Jackovich, Winnar, Street, Koops, Rawlings as I had misplaced faith for a while that the club would invest high picks only for good players).

[Scorlibo]

The very early signs were that Jayden Schofield could have played a lot of AFL footy. Had the mongrel in him to become a great defensively-minded small defender. Still don’t know why exactly he gave his opportunity away, but was never seen in the system again after just one year.

[Go_Dogs]

Everitt and Williams are great nominations.

Josh Hill still had a very solid career, although perhaps didn’t quite hit the highs he could’ve.

[angelopetraglia]

I second Andreas Everitt. Really thought he was going to be a star.

[bulldogtragic]

Everitt and Williams are great nominations.

Josh Hill still had a very solid career, although perhaps didn’t quite hit the highs he could’ve.

With Hill I was thinking with us. Like Ward. Could’ve been something great for us, but, asked to be traded out.

If Jordan McMahon could’ve kicked well, he would’ve been a player.

[SquirrelGrip]

I thought Kieran Collins was going to be our defensive pillar for the next decade.

[Mofra]

Cam Wight - tall, brilliant runner and in an era where we just couldn't find KPPs

Adrian Campbell has been mentioned - he did 3 ligaments at once IIRC and it's still one of the worst knee injuries the AFL has seen.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Malcom Lynch. I saw him in a preseason game and he just looked like a potential star.
Did he ever crack the seniors for an AFL game?

[josie]

I thought Kieran Collins was going to be our defensive pillar for the next decade.

I remember watching him at VFL and thinking geez he looks a bit slow. Wish we could turn clock back and not split that pick.

[bornadog]

Farren Ray - was still probably good, but I thought he could become a genuine top liner.

I know what you mean but in the end he played over 200 games including GF appearances for Saints. He was more a foot soldier than a top line mid.

[Axe Man]

Malcom Lynch. I saw him in a preseason game and he just looked like a potential star.
Did he ever crack the seniors for an AFL game?

I saw him play his second and last ever game against North at the MCG in 2007 when Drew Petrie went nuts and kicked 6 in the first quarter.

After just 2 possessions he was never seen again at AFL level. I recall he went back and played well for Port Melbourne which got him rookie listed by North but couldn't crack another senior game.

[Rocket Science]

I thought Kieran Collins was going to be our defensive pillar for the next decade.

Relieved I wasn't the only one.

Saw him bring down Jonathan Patton hard on debut and had me thinking we had the lovechild of Tits Kennedy and Brian Harris incarnate.

It's the only career tackle to his name and he never played again.

[Axe Man]

Could list so many players as I tend to think most are going to be good when inevitably the majority will be average or below.

Plenty of good suggestions already but I will go with a couple of players from the 90s that showed plenty of promise but then got traded away only for their careers to quickly fizzle out in Keenan Reynolds and Michael Frost.

[The bulldog tragician]

I would agree with the nomination of two who were granted the #3 guernsey: Everett and Campbell. The letter was cruelled by injury, but if I recollect rightly, he had become disappointing beforehand compared to the obvious talent he had. Everett, just that lack of hunger or consistency held him back.

I was also convinced Lewy Young would make it. His first game itself was so impressive that it probably explains the amount of angst some of us felt that he went into the sin bin too frequently or that he would become a gun elsewhere.

There are some players over the years where you just wish technology was available to infuse Libba the first?s competitive spirit into their talented but unmotivated bodies.

[Axe Man]

Relieved I wasn't the only one.

Saw him bring down Jonathan Patton hard on debut and had me thinking we had the lovechild of Tits Kennedy and Brian Harris incarnate.

It's the only career tackle to his name and he never played again.

Patton moved like the QE2 which is probably why Collins could catch him.

[bulldogtragic]

I would agree with the nomination of two who were granted the #3 guernsey: Everett and Campbell. The letter was cruelled by injury, but if I recollect rightly, he had become disappointing beforehand compared to the obvious talent he had. Everett, just that lack of hunger or consistency held him back.

I was also convinced Lewy Young would make it. His first game itself was so impressive that it probably explains the amount of angst some of us felt that he went into the sin bin too frequently or that he would become a gun elsewhere.

There are some players over the years where you just wish technology was available to infuse Libba the first?s competitive spirit into their talented but unmotivated bodies.

Great call on Lew. What was the stat, most narks on debut since Chris Grant?

[Prince Imperial]

Every time I saw Hugh Reimers in the seconds in the mid 90s, I was impressed.

An athletic tall who could find plenty of the ball, he never played at senior level.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Adrian Campbell is my pin up boy. I thought he would be the player Chris Grant turned out to be. Injuries destroyed him.

then there were

Ben Sexton
Justin Charles
Jon Ballantyne
Shannon Corcoran
Tyson Lane
Darren Collins
Stuart Nicol
Andy Nichols
Mark West

Incredible list of hopefuls Doc

I'd also be prepared to argue that perhaps unbeknownst to yourself, you may have some issues of loving players with mullets

I was all in on Adrian Campbell also - i remember passing the ball of his left foot to leading forwards - the guy looked silky.

Every few years we do need to remember Mark West, and Tyson Lane seemingly had a lot going for him, Charles had a world of talent as he later showed at Richmond - Sexton and Ballantyne just werent quite up to it

[ledge]

Tyson Lane.

Was at school with him, played school footy (Melton tech) and I've never seen a more talented footballer. I'll never forget a mark he took in a game at Melton South in school footy (as I was under it) he ascended the earthly realms and broke the bonds of gravity that day!

Shame he didn't make it further.

He did carve out an okay career though if I remember . Ended up at the pies and clicked up a few games.

[mjp]

Is anyone else reading through these lists and chuckling away to themselves?

What I remember most about so many of these is reading the press clippings ('Cam Faulkner = Andrew Macleod") then seeing the player and wondering exactly WHERE that comparison came from...the cleanest player below his knees in the history of footy to one who literally needed a handle super glued to the ball in order to pick it up...

Aahhh well.

I did love the Mark West era, brief as it was.

[GVGjr]

Is anyone else reading through these lists and chuckling away to themselves?

What I remember most about so many of these is reading the press clippings ('Cam Faulkner = Andrew Macleod") then seeing the player and wondering exactly WHERE that comparison came from...the cleanest player below his knees in the history of footy to one who literally needed a handle super glued to the ball in order to pick it up...

Aahhh well.

I did love the Mark West era, brief as it was.

I keep shaking my head :)

The lesson for me was to try and view players before getting too excited about them.
I was conned by so many of them based on what I read. At least now there is a lot more points of views being shared.

I had high hopes for Paul Gow from WA and he was built like Adams but other than roughing Brereton up he was a very limited player.

[ledge]

Wasn’t a bloke named James supposed to be the next big thing ? Ended up being an absolute madman.
Tutt and old man Georgadies fell quicker than they rose.
Extraordinary first games then gone in a flash .
Two players I saw that played reserves that were absolute guns but didn’t make it due to other interests were Butch Litchfield and Bucky Shepperbottom.
Honeychurch, watched his early games in the reserves and thought he could play . Sadly his kicking and height just didn’t cut it in the higher grade .

[Bulldog4life]

Wasn’t a bloke named James supposed to be the next big thing ? Ended up being an absolute madman.
Tutt and old man Georgadies fell quicker than they rose.
Extraordinary first games then gone in a flash .
Two players I saw that played reserves that were absolute guns but didn’t make it due to other interests were Butch Litchfield and Bucky Shepperbottom.
Honeychurch, watched his early games in the reserves and thought he could play . Sadly his kicking and height just didn’t cut it in the higher grade .

Agree Ledge he played with us when aged 16 or 17 if I remember correctly. I too thought he was going to be a star but it all came crumbling down.

[Mofra]

I thought Damian McCormack would play a lot more football than he did.

[Hotdog60]

Shane Loveless I think in 1980 had something like 8, 7, and 8 goals in the first few games and pushed KT to CHF in a year he won the Brownlow.
I thought what a combo and would be something the dogs hadn't had in my time watching them play.
But it was never to be although I think he killed it in the country leagues.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I was only 10 years old, but I seem to recall Ian Rickman regularly kicking goals in the Ressies and thinking he must be a future star.
I reckon I may've seen him play a rare senior game out at VFL Park in 84?

[bornadog]

Shane Loveless I think in 1980 had something like 8, 7, and 8 goals in the first few games and pushed KT to CHF in a year he won the Brownlow.
I thought what a combo and would be something the dogs hadn't had in my time watching them play.
But it was never to be although I think he killed it in the country leagues.

He was a good shot




TM
G
B
%


Michael Murphy
NM/AD/BB
63
19
76.8


Tory Dickson
WB
181
61
74.8


Mathew Capuano
NM/SK
37
13
74.0


Nick Larkey
NM
191
69
73.5


Barnaby French
PA/CA
40
15
72.7


Shane Loveless
FO
72
28
72.0


Ben McEvoy
SK/HW
106
42
71.6


Peter Jones
CA
284
113
71.5

[SquirrelGrip]

Shane Loveless I think in 1980 had something like 8, 7, and 8 goals in the first few games and pushed KT to CHF in a year he won the Brownlow.
I thought what a combo and would be something the dogs hadn't had in my time watching them play.
But it was never to be although I think he killed it in the country leagues.

Shane Loveless deserves a thread of his own. I'll never forget his multiple one handed marks in the wet at the Western Oval.

[azabob]

Jimmy Plunkett managed to get a truckload of possessions the reserves but couldn't translate to the next level. Maybe a touch slow?

[bornadog]

Jimmy Plunkett managed to get a truckload of possessions the reserves but couldn't translate to the next level. Maybe a touch slow?


Didn't he end up at carlton?

[Bulldog4life]

Didn't he end up at carlton?

Yes he did.

[lemmon]

I thought Lukas Webb was going to be the best of our picks from the 2014 draft - smooth mover and had a terrific left foot. I think he never really adjusted after being moved from half-back and then had that neck/back injury.

[MrMahatma]

Great thread!

Patrick Veszpremi could still make it.

There was an article about Zeph Skinner about him "being able to fly" or something, and I was on board. Not sure he ever played a match?

Wayde Skipper should've been a hall of famer.

[Grantysghost]

Wasn?t a bloke named James supposed to be the next big thing ? Ended up being an absolute madman.
Tutt and old man Georgadies fell quicker than they rose.
Extraordinary first games then gone in a flash .
Two players I saw that played reserves that were absolute guns but didn?t make it due to other interests were Butch Litchfield and Bucky Shepperbottom.
Honeychurch, watched his early games in the reserves and thought he could play . Sadly his kicking and height just didn?t cut it in the higher grade .

He kicked 27 goals on a mate of mine who is about 75 kgs wringing wet.
No joke.

Edit it was 23

23 - Vic Aaron James - Sunbury Kangaroos (v Rockbank) - Riddell DFL ? 2006

[Mofra]

I was only 10 years old, but I seem to recall Ian Rickman regularly kicking goals in the Ressies and thinking he must be a future star.
I reckon I may've seen him play a rare senior game out at VFL Park in 84?
I really remember Chops as more of a VFA star for Williamstown. Back in the days where the gap between the two competitions wasn't as big.

[Grantysghost]

I really remember Chops as more of a VFA star for Williamstown. Back in the days where the gap between the two competitions wasn't as big.

Me too. My folks were from willy, and they were our second team during the 80s and early 90s.

Chops was a dead eye. Had that low centre of gravity.

[Axe Man]

He kicked 27 goals on a mate of mine who is about 75 kgs wringing wet.
No joke.

Edit it was 23

23 - Vic Aaron James - Sunbury Kangaroos (v Rockbank) - Riddell DFL ? 2006

I was going to say if it was Mitch Honeychurch that kicked 27/23 on him he should probably give it away. :D

[lemmon]

Great thread!
There was an article about Zeph Skinner about him "being able to fly" or something, and I was on board. Not sure he ever played a match?


Great call. There was a video the club released of him running up a wall 'Spider Man' style and doing a back-flip off it.

He played a handful of games and kicked a few cracking goals. I think his endurance was always a huge issue.

[jazzadogs]

Bucky Shepperbottom would have challenged Steele Sidebottom in that best name competition he won a few years ago.

Kieren McGuinness was one for me - from eastern suburbs of Melbourne and think we had a loose connection through school or family, he kicked three in his debut and I thought we've got one here!

The Cam Faulkner/Andrew McLeod was definitely a thing, very funny in retrospect. Although he was good in the Brad Johnson Canberra goal line scramble game from memory.

[Bulldog4life]

I really remember Chops as more of a VFA star for Williamstown. Back in the days where the gap between the two competitions wasn't as big.

Pretty sure Chops kicked 5 goals for us against North if I remember correctly.

[1eyedog]

I thought Cam Wight would be better than he was.

[Prince Imperial]

Pretty sure Chops kicked 5 goals for us against North if I remember correctly.

6.

I remember the game. My older brother arrived from London that morning and we went to the match. A fair effort from him.

After a decade of them completely lording it all over us, including beating us by a combined total of 208 points the season before, we belted them by 10 goals.

It was our last ever match at Arden St and it was glorious.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1984/071219840414.html

[The Pie Man]

Kieran McGuinness was impressive on debut, could never really get going after that.

Lewis Young surely qualifies?

[Bulldog Revolution]

Malcom Lynch. I saw him in a preseason game and he just looked like a potential star.
Did he ever crack the seniors for an AFL game?

I liked the way he moved and his neat left foot also

[bornadog]

I liked the way he moved and his neat left foot also

We drafted Lynch and rookied Harbrow - should have been the other way

[Mofra]

We drafted Lynch and rookied Harbrow - should have been the other way
Took Hill and Stack that same year. Big year for WA

[bornadog]

Took Hill and Stack that same year. Big year for WA

Stack is a player I thought may make it.

Stack the only player to come in and help Barry


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES6FjT5IVIQ&ab_channel=Anthony1357911

[jeemak]

Brad Murphy's early games had me thinking he was going to be a versatile player, same with Steve Tiller.

[azabob]

Brad Murphy's early games had me thinking he was going to be a versatile player, same with Steve Tiller.

I remember when I first joined I started a thread about Steven Tiller - basically saying why isn't he our full forward.

Sockeye Salmon gave me a punch between the eyes basically saying another shit thread on the same topic. We did have some unforgiving old school posters.

[1eyedog]

Stack is a player I thought may make it.

Stack the only player to come in and help Barry


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES6FjT5IVIQ&ab_channel=Anthony1357911

And the only ex-player to publicly belt his ex-missus.

[bornadog]

And the only ex-player to publicly belt his ex-missus.

That we know of

[FrediKanoute]

Adrian Campbell is my pin up boy. I thought he would be the player Chris Grant turned out to be. Injuries destroyed him.

then there were

Ben Sexton
Justin Charles
Jon Ballantyne
Shannon Corcoran
Tyson Lane
Darren Collins
Stuart Nicol
Andy Nichols
Mark West

Ahhhhh Adrian Campbell -the boy from Traralgon - I would rave to mates at school that he was going to be amazing;

I thought Sam Philipou would be a gun......and Paul Gow......and Patrick Bowden........and mor recently Gowers.

[Mofra]

A bit more recent, but Ghosty Lynch had an incredible first three games. Record braking. Just didn't kick on sadly.

He rocked up at the 2021 prelim in Adelaide wearing a Bulldogs Marvel jumper so as far as I'm concerned, give him life membership.

[EasternWest]

What was the stat, most narks on debut since Chris Grant?

Would not last a minute on this board then. Happy Days would run him out of town.

This thread has me legitimately laughing.

[Sedat]

I thought Ian Williams was going to be a superstar of the competition, and such was my misplaced confidence at the time that the first Dogs jumper I ever bought had no 5 on it.

In hindsight it was a precursor to my equally sage predictions on Ed Barlow and Jay Schulz.

[Twodogs]

Adrian Campbell has been mentioned - he did 3 ligaments at once IIRC and it's still one of the worst knee injuries the AFL has seen.

At VFL Park. The damage was so severe doctors at Monash Medical Centre thought he'd been in a motorbike accident.

[Twodogs]

6.

I remember the game. My older brother arrived from London that morning and we went to the match. A fair effort from him.

After a decade of them completely lording it all over us, including beating us by a combined total of 208 points the season before, we belted them by 10 goals.

It was our last ever match at Arden St and it was glorious.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1984/071219840414.html

He toweled Keith Greig up that day.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

Jade Rawlings and John Georgiadis (spelling) played great first games

[Grantysghost]

Jade Rawlings and John Geordiadis (spelling) played great first games

That first Rawlings game we thought he was going to be GOD.
7 goals in a losing side, wasn't it 24 goals WCE v 21 goals Dogs.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2004/071820040328.html

22.12 v 20.17 crazy.

[Bigdog]

I didn’t think any of these guys would be stars, but I thought they would be serviceable:

Steven Koops
Sam Reid
Brodie Moles - personal issues held him back
Fletcher Roberts - I don’t understand why the suddenly stopped playing him
Nathan Hrovat - 10 years to late in hindsight
Mitch Honeychurch
Lukas Webb
Fergus Green
Patrick Lipinski
Brad Lynch

A couple of other players were cruelled by injury:

Clay Smith - he would’ve been on jack Viney’s level
Lin Jong - I wish he had of developed and was an option to throw in at centre bounces in the 2021 grandfinal. He had the pace and power to go with Petracca. Lin Jong was too tough for his own good.

I also really liked Josh Shache in his first year with us. He showed really good signs in the second half of 2018. I still think his biggest problem wasn’t physicality it was more his athletic profile.

[Twodogs]

I didn’t think any of these guys would be stars, but I thought they would be serviceable:

Steven Koops
Sam Reid
Brodie Moles - personal issues held him back
Fletcher Roberts - I don’t understand why the suddenly stopped playing him
Nathan Hrovat - 10 years to late in hindsight
Mitch Honeychurch
Lukas Webb
Fergus Green
Patrick Lipinski
Brad Lynch

A couple of other players were cruelled by injury:

Clay Smith - he would’ve been on jack Viney’s level
Lin Jong - I wish he had of developed and was an option to throw in at centre bounces in the 2021 grandfinal. He had the pace and power to go with Petracca. Lin Jong was too tough for his own good.

I also really liked Josh Shache in his first year with us. He showed really good signs in the second half of 2018. I still think his biggest problem wasn’t physicality it was more his athletic profile.

Good calls on Lin Jong and Clay Smith. They really were (are) exactly the type of tough relentless types we've missed on our list over the last 8-10 years and would have been perfect partners in crime for the Bont.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Jimmy Plunkett managed to get a truckload of possessions the reserves but couldn't translate to the next level. Maybe a touch slow?

I think he got distracted. Had delusions of Hollywood after playing opposite Max Walker in the aerogard ad.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Great thread!

Patrick Veszpremi could still make it.

There was an article about Zeph Skinner about him "being able to fly" or something, and I was on board. Not sure he ever played a match?

Wayde Skipper should've been a hall of famer.

When Bob Murphy reported that Zeph would jump over wheelie bins at training i was sold.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Me too. My folks were from willy, and they were our second team during the 80s and early 90s.

Chops was a dead eye. Had that low centre of gravity.

And he could kick like a mule. Great career at Willy.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

6.

I remember the game. My older brother arrived from London that morning and we went to the match. A fair effort from him.

After a decade of them completely lording it all over us, including beating us by a combined total of 208 points the season before, we belted them by 10 goals.

It was our last ever match at Arden St and it was glorious.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1984/071219840414.html

That day was magic. And chops was the wizard that day.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Yep Adrian Campbell for me. Looked so good. Cruelled by injury.

Early 90's we had Campbell, Ballantyne, Grant, Charles and DelRe vying for forward line spots. Alas, only Grant prevailed and prospered.

[Jeanette54]

Back in the day, I remember Rod Coutts came to us amid much fanfare, as a sure-fire fix for our lack of full forward. Although he played a number of games for us, he never approached the heights of the hype behind his recruiting.

[Bulldog4life]

Back in the day, I remember Rod Coutts came to us amid much fanfare, as a sure-fire fix for our lack of full forward. Although he played a number of games for us, he never approached the heights of the hype behind his recruiting.

I have mentioned him before in another thread for his accurate kicking. Rod Coutts scored 22 goals and 0 behinds in his 16-game career with the Footscray Bulldogs. He began playing during the 1963 season and last took the field during the 1964 campaign.