Unlucky Talents who were ruined by injury. | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
  • IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.

Unlucky Talents who were ruined by injury.

craig

craig

Tiger Legend
Aug 19, 2004
46,155
30,036
Melbourne
A list here of players over the past few years or so who showed great talent and promise only to be cut down as a result of injury or illness.


Stephen Pirrie - gun full back ruined by knee inj #27 he wore i think early to mid 80's

Bruce Lennon - Merv Keane reincarnation suffered knee injury and unlucky to be cut when lists went from 42 to 35 following 28 games in 2 seasons #5

Tony Free - inspirational skipper cruelled by knee injury. #30

Allan McKellar - struggled following injury after great start to his career #12

Bruce Tempany - Career dropped away after injury in 82 GF #14

Does anybody have any others
 
For a different take, I'd say Michael Roach. When he burst on the scene he was one of the greatest players I've ever seen. A bona-fide superstar. Big, fast, skilled, committed and could kick accurately and long. And for his first few seasons things went to plan, a Coleman, a flag. Then he was was just so good that backmen started to visciously target him, less umpires on the ground than now and Cloke left so he had less protection. Fullbacks jumped into his back and rode him into the ground endlessly. His back was stuffed and then that effected his achilles. He battled on bravely and was a very good player, but not the superstar he was early.

So, its a different take, Roachy got to show what he could do and had some sublime moments and successes, but I think injuries stopped him reaching his absolute peak and being a long-term dominant superstar. Would have been one of the undisputed all-time greats I reckon.
 
Frank Bourke - father of Francis, GF of David.

I still have a photo of him I bought at the ground with my own pocket-money!

He was what full-forwards are all about.

Take your point about Michael Roach though, Snake. :D
 
Des Ryan, had bad foot stress fractures & needed bone grafts, lost a lot of footy
Craig Smith, broke a leg, and had lots of soft tissue problems, Richomnd have never been good at managing this type of injury. They're still not.
Mark Summers, big CHF, could mark & kick, but his knees went.
In the end, knee problems finished off Scott Turner as well.
 
tigersnake said:
For a different take, I'd say Michael Roach.  When he burst on the scene he was one of the greatest players I've ever seen.  A bona-fide superstar.  Big, fast, skilled, committed and could kick accurately and long.  And for his first few seasons things went to plan, a Coleman, a flag.  Then he was was just so good that backmen started to visciously target him, less umpires on the ground than now and Cloke left so he had less protection.  Fullbacks jumped into his back and rode him into the ground endlessly.  His back was stuffed and then that effected his achilles.  He battled on bravely and was a very good player, but not the superstar he was early.

So, its a different take, Roachy got to show what he could do and had some sublime moments and successes, but I think injuries stopped him reaching his absolute peak and being a long-term dominant superstar.  Would have been one of the undisputed all-time greats I reckon.
Click to expand...

Injuries did ruin Roachys career but so did his coaches. Fancy playing the best FF we've had as a ruckman/CHB even full back at one stage! From 1982 onward he was stuffed around chronically, mainly to accomodate BT. But after BT left injuries had ruined him and he was a shadow of the 1979-1981 model...except for the first half of 1985 when he looked good before he and the whole team crumbled.
 
Ednie just wasn't much good. Typical spud pet project. If you are tiny, you've got to be highly skilled and a good reader of the play. Brent Harvey, Peter Bell. He was neither at the top level.
 
Michael Mitchell - he's puny body wasn't strong enough to hold off so many bumps he copped especially to his head. I'm glad he deserved the goal and mark of the year sometime in the early 90's.
 
Mark Merenda - Absolute gun midfielder, forward line crumber. Hit his straps at age 21. Also could take a big mark. Then damaged his back and never made it back again. With Tony Free our major loss over the last 20 years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
< Dragicevic | Dean NOTTING >
Official PRE merch now on Redbubble!
Top Bottom