Unlucky Talents who were ruined by injury.

[TigerGoneNorth]

Ahh Blair Campbell - king of the banana kick.

 

[HK Tiger]

My list of key players lost to injury...

Royce Hart retired at 27?
Michael Mitchell knocked senseless
Scott Turner - the one guy who COULD stop Ablett, Lockett and Dunstall too early to retire
Tony Free - captain courageous KO'd by mongrel Brereton off the ball, knees gave out
Stuart Edwards - fine mark and kick for Goal
Michael Roach - back damage

 

[Otis]

Matthew Knights suffered a pain in the ass called Frawley

 

[pahoffm]

Wigney is an interesting story.

Spoke to Jim Malone about 1998 and the topic of Wigney came up.
He ran into Wigney playing in the SANFL. Wigney had lost some weight and looked really fit, and told Jim that he was training very hard.
Jim asked him why he didn't work as hard at training during his AFL years at Foots/Ade/Rich.
Wigney just shrugged his shoulders.

Disappointing that sometimes talent never becomes anything more. :-\

 

[Hayfever]

Justin Charles

 

[pahoffm]

Here's some more:

Michael Nugent
Colin Waterson
Steven Pirrie
Mark Stockdale
Mark Summers - mentioned.

 

[mk33]

I remember Summers had knee problems as with Pirrie
I didnt think Stockdale was up to it, what was his injury Phantom
All I remember of Nugent and Waterson is I have/had their Ardmona footy cards

 

[Hayfever]

Here's some more:

Michael Nugent
Colin Waterson
Steven Pirrie
Mark Stockdale
Mark Summers - mentioned.

Agree with you re Nugent , Phanto. A real shame it was to lose him.

Michael worked in the computer department at BHP whilst he was playing at Richmond in 1980 and I used to talk with him often. He was a natural young talent if ever there was one. Very tall, strong and versatile.

   

 

[BendItLikeBrown]

What about Nathan Brown? How do you think he will go this year after his leg operation?

Kristi xx

 

[BendItLikeBrown]

yeah now that you say that I think you are right, Gale was shoulder and both returned for the first final

Yes I also agree with you.

Kristi xx

 

[richo33]

pat steinfort??????????? anyone remember him i dont think he played a game but was apparently quite good

 

[mk33]

pat steinfort??????????? anyone remember him i dont think he played a game but was apparently quite good

Was a first round draft pick and was BOG in our reserves grand final victory but suffered a lot of knee problems

 

[Legends of 2017]

Was he on our list for something like 5 years? Every time he was about to be called up to play seniors he's do a serious injury it seemed.

 

[Chiang Mai Tiger]

Barry Richardson

In my 40 odd years of supporting Richmond I really believe Barry Richardson was the one player who's injury cost us missed Grand Finals.

He was a superstar, could have been right up there next to Royce Hart before his knee injury.

He famously killed Collingscum off in one quarter whilst playing CHF, kept Peter Hudson goaless when moved to FB, kicked five goals (on one leg) at FF in the 74 GF.

Would like to see young Rhett Bartlett write something about him here if he can. Of all players given Captain Blood's number 17, Barry Richardson was the most worthy.

 

[TigerGoneNorth]

Great post Changa! (although saying up with Royce is a big call!)

He was a very underrated player - one of those guys that simply did the jobs he was given and was so efficient he never really got the recognition he deserved.

Happy to say I was there for the last two games you refer to.

Definitely worthy of the no.17.

 

[pahoffm]

Interesting.

The difference in the 1972 GF was about 25-30 points, as I recall.
Walls, on Hunt, kicked 7.
Nicholls, on Boyanich, kicked 6.

Although Percy Jones' effort in the ruck, during the first half against McKellar, was the catalyst for the game, in retrospect,

Richardson on Walls
Hunt on Nicholls, and importantly,
Roberts on Jones, from the start of the game, and I believe the result would have been different.

 

[TigerGoneNorth]

Interesting.

The difference in the 1972 GF was about 25-30 points, as I recall.
Walls, on Hunt, kicked 7.
Nicholls, on Boyanich, kicked 6.

Although Percy Jones' effort in the ruck, during the first half against McKellar, was the catalyst for the game, in retrospect,

Richardson on Walls
Hunt on Nicholls, and importantly,
Roberts on Jones, from the start of the game, and I believe the result would have been different.

Reckon your're pretty right Phanto.

If I was a Spurs fan I'd demand the AFL replay it!


McKellar had a shocker didn't he - pretty much killed his career at Richmond. It certainly killed Boyanich's.

 

[Chiang Mai Tiger]

34 years later and God as my witness, I still cant bring myself to watch that Horrible Grand Final loss again. :'(

 

[TigerGoneNorth]

Was there in the Western Stand with my Old Man. As a kid reared on success (I started going when I was 6 in 1967 - not a bad year to start), this was a real reality check.

I too have never watched it since.

 

[TigerGoneNorth]

Mark Lee is another in the same boat as Roach, a top player for a long time but one who never fulfilled his early greatness due to a succession of injuries.
Imagine the headlines if it happened today: 21yo ruckman bursts onto the scene and annihilates the reigning Brownlow medallist at Victoria Park, establishes himself as the best ruckman in the land the same year, and is arguably BOG in the Grand Final. We never saw the best of him and opposition supporters would probably remember him as much for hurting their players as for his talent.

Great post I agree, he was a very talented player. As I recall continually played with a broken hand/wrist.