Just watched it again last night (it would have to be one of my fave games of footy) and I reckon it probably should have gone to Johnno.... but if it wasn't for the move of Harmes the revival may not have started.... and god, wouldn't it be great to have a Bazza Amrstrong in the current side, just kept on getting the ball... and the Swan was great as well

The other thing that strikes me every time I watch the game is the number of soft frees the Filth got... and we didn't get

But the players just got on with it... and stuck it up the Filth all the same

As I said, it's one of my fave games, no one takes a backward or half step

Sh#$, I almost forgot to mention Bruce (as per Bazza)

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Carlton - Nothing's changed
I still love you, oh, I still love you
Only slightly, only slightly less
Than I used to, my love

Interesting post. Any year there are usually a few contenders and 79 was no exception, but really we couldn't buy a goal early and it was the shift of Harmesy to the middle that turned the game. He didn't get a lot of possies but his running and contesting was great. I think in the end he was deserving of it. Johnno could have three 79, 82, and 87. I thought he had an ordinary game in 81 (apart from whacking Gubby Allan) . I thought Fitzy and Marcou were the main rivals to Doullie in 81. After the 82 GF, when I was feeling pretty magnanimous, I thought Rioli had played pretty well. I usually never notice oppo players much, but I noticed Rioli. But when you think that Colin Robertson and Paul Dear have Norm Smith's it seems a travesty that Johnno missed out.

Given that the AFL decided on retrospective Brownlows maybe they could give retro Norm Smiths.

1978, Dipper; 77 Schimma; 76 Hendrie; 75 Crosser; 74 who cares (dare I say Sheedy); 73 definitely no award; 72 Wallsy; 71 who cares; 70 Crosser; 69 no award; 68 Nick or Gary Crane....etc.

I'm suprised Peter Francis hasn't got more votes. I reckon that on the day Francis was outstanding.

Plenty of run, no fumbling on a greasy day, no wasted posessions and a great snap goal in a game with a margin of 5 points and he was also prominent early when we were struggling.

And as posted earlier, an honourable mention to Trevor Keogh's elbow which was just as much a game turner as Harmesy being moved into the centre.

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If you'd given me the choice of going out and beating four men and smashing a goal in from thirty yards against Liverpool
or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice. Luckily, I had both. - George Best

A lot of people still say that Peter Francis was B.O.G.

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Harmes got us going when moved into the middle, clearly the difference between the 2 sides on what was a shocking day for footy...the tap just put an exclaimation mark on it i reckon!!!

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Blue blood is running through these veins!!! Go Blueys!!!

1968 - Nicholls
1970 - Crosswell
1972 - Percy Jones / Walls
1979 - Jimmy Buckley
1981 - Fitzy
1982 - Dominator
1987 - Dominator
1995 - Kouta (by a country mile!!!)

IMNSHO......

moshe! .....Rhys in '87.....did Dom play? ......

You cannot be serious!....and Diesel not B.O.G. in '95?.....those two assertions are almost laughable if you are serious.

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

The AFL didn’t give retrospective Brownlows as such; what they did was get rid of the rule that said there couldn’t be joint winners, and applied that retrospectively. There has been no attempt to give out Brownlows for the seasons prior to its introduction or when suspended during WWII, because the AFL has no way of knowing how the umpires would have voted in each match.

Similarly it would be difficult to give out retrospective Norm Smith Medals because they have no objective way of knowing how a 5 person panel would have voted for each GF. They have a subjective way, by looking through old newspapers, etc, and seeing what the scribes said in their organisation’s 3-2-1. But it means they could select a panel which would achieve a specific result (which wouldn’t be a bad thing if it meant that Sheedy didn’t get the 1974 Retro-Smith….)

They’ve given out retro Coleman and McHale Medals, but there the awarding doesn’t come down to anyone’s opinion.

1 - Yes, Dom did play. Took the first kick when there were 5 Hawks in the square for the opening bounce. Pretty much set it up like he did in 82.

2 - There were so many good players in 95 that almost any Blue would have been a chance for the Smith. Kouta was awesome in the opening half when it needed to be won, Diesel was great all game.

3 - I didn't really notice Francis all that much when I watched the 79 GF. Still reckon Harmes moving into the centre was the pivotal move.

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Cer 'ch 'n alluog Blues

half.....I was being sarcastic about Dom.....I was at the game and still think both Norm Smiths in 87 and 95 were obvious selections.

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Robert Klomp was very good IMO.