Rucci's Top Ten Players

[am Bays]

He won many GF's of his own boot but never received the medal, 94 being the more memorable one.

Pfft if it wasn't for Timmy and the mid-field getting the ball down there Hodges would've as useless as tits on a bull that day.

One of the great captains GFs (IMO) that day played by Ginevar. His work in the 2nd and 3rd qtrs in an under the packs to get Port back into the game and then on top was just sensational.

Williams and Wanganeen better in 1990, Buckley by a street in 92...

Good player Scott and did well in GFs but IMO there was always players better than him.

[BUZZ]

He won many GF's of his own boot but never received the medal, 94 being the more memorable one.

Pfft if it wasn't for Timmy and the mid-field getting the ball down there Hodges would've as useless as tits on a bull that day.

One of the great captains GFs (IMO) that day played by Ginevar. His work in the 2nd and 3rd qtrs in an under the packs to get Port back into the game and then on top was just sensational.

Williams and Wanganeen better in 1990, Buckley by a street in 92...

Good player Scott and did well in GFs but IMO there was always players better than him.

Port didnt have the ball for most of the day, so i guess every player was 'useless'. It was only the last 1/2 of the 3rd qtr and the last qtr when the side stepped up, and in the last Hodges kicked 5..

[Leaping Lindner]

LL, Im interested in your top 10, 20 or 50 players seeing as you have a great historical understanding of the SANFL.

Remembering this is players who only played SANFL. (Disregarding Ebert's 'holiday' late in his career). This going from what I have seen and what I read from journalists (whose opinions I value). I also cheated and put Quinn and Hank equal 5th.

1 – Barrie Robran (North)
2 – Russell Ebert (Port)
3 – Tom Leahy (West, North)
4 – Ken Farmer (North)
5 – Bob Hank (Torrens)
5 – Bob Quinn (Port)
7 – Dan Moriarty (South)
8 – Wacka Scott (Norwood)
9 – Michael Aish (Norwood)
10 - Tom McKenzie (Torrens, North)

Apologies to many including John Daly (Nd), Lindsay Head (WT), Bos Daly (Nd,WT,WA,NA), Shine Hosking (PA), Brenton Adcock, Paul Bagshaw (St), Snowy Hamilton, Ian McKay (NA), Ken Eustice (WA,CD, G), Peter Carey (G),

[GWW]

What was it about Leahy such that you'd put him above Farmer, LL? I'm not questioning your selection, just curious about your reasoning because obviously Leahy played a long time ago and is not that well know to the average footy follower (what also interests me is that you've included him but not Moriarty who played at a similar time and won 3 consecutive Magareys). BTW, i think your top 10 is pretty spot on and lot more credible than those published in the Tiser last Thursday.

Also interesting you've left out Eustice out of the top 10. I've heard he was an absolute star and gave Barassi a bath in a state game one year. Other points of interest for me are McIntosh not listed in your "apologies" list despite Aish being ranked at number 9 (personally i always thought Aish was a better footballer), and Hank included in the top 10 but Head not.

[Leaping Lindner]

What was it about Leahy such that you'd put him above Farmer, LL? I'm not questioning your selection, just curious about your reasoning because obviously Leahy played a long time ago and is not that well know to the average footy follower (what also interests me is that you've included him but not Moriarty who played at a similar time and won 3 consecutive Magareys). BTW, i think your top 10 is pretty spot on and lot more credible than those published in the Tiser last Thursday.

Also interesting you've left out Eustice out of the top 10. I've heard he was an absolute star and gave Barassi a bath in a state game one year. Other points of interest for me are McIntosh not listed in your "apologies" list despite Aish being ranked at number 9 (personally i always thought Aish was a better footballer), and Hank included in the top 10 but Head not.

Farmer was a freak no question and I am a big fan (for obvious reasons ) but everything I have read about Leahy leads me to believe that he was absolutely extraordinary. Things like the fact that teams would use two players "to block" him in the ruck (as the rules at the time didn't protect ruckman) and he would still be best on ground and dominate. He played in every state game from the time of his debut to his retirement. He was scragged and tagged every week, week in week out and was often assaulted by opposition fans as he left the field and never lost his temper. The list goes on.

Moriarty was brilliant but didn't quite play enough football for mine (he is still pretty high). To be fair though he did have a late start to his career due to WW1. Merv Agars named him, Scott and Hamilton as the best half back line SA had produced to that time in 1978 (and they all played together for the state team in the early 20's)

Aish was the only one I "ummed and arred" about in the top 10 but the way he played was poetry. A superb footballer a joy to watch - unless Norwood were playing North.

Hank as I said earlier every old Torrens supporter I know ranks him over Head and from what I've read him and Quinn dominated the post war years.

Eustice was close. But who to leave out??? That was the thing.

And apologies to Gary McIntosh. Again a superb footballer and wonderful to watch. Again unless Norwood were playing North.
I should have included John Cahill in the apolgies as well.

[GWW]

Also no Ron Phillips either, consecutive Magareys as a kpp..

[bulldogproud]

Definitely agree with Ken Farmer deserving a very high spot.

One player of note seems to be missing: Brendan Maguire!

After all, Brendan Maguire is playing quite well.



Cheers

[blueandwhite]

I whole heartedly agree that Farmer should be among the first mentioned in the all time greats. I am somewhat puzzled however that Jim Deane doesnt rate a mention, is disregarded or found somewhere at the bottom of everyones list.
Deane won the Magarey medal 2 times, he was runner up 3 times,was one of the first picked in the state side in an era that saw him do battle against the likes of Hank,Quinn and Head. While I never saw him play I am told by plenty of impartial people who did he was at least the equal of the previously mentioned trio.

[Leaping Lindner]

I whole heartedly agree that Farmer should be among the first mentioned in the all time greats. I am somewhat puzzled however that Jim Deane doesnt rate a mention, is disregarded or found somewhere at the bottom of everyones list.
Deane won the Magarey medal 2 times, he was runner up 3 times,was one of the first picked in the state side in an era that saw him do battle against the likes of Hank,Quinn and Head. While I never saw him play I am told by plenty of impartial people who did he was at least the equal of the previously mentioned trio.

I would have had Deane as top ten but his stint at Richmond ruled him out.

[Adelaide Hawk]

How do you rate a Full Forward compared with a ruckman? How do you rate a contemporary player compared with one from a bygone era? How do you rate players you haven't seen? It's all too hard for me, but it's fun reading other peoples' opinions