I laugh when I read about some people talking about players as a utility type player. Almost always they confuse a utility with a top up type player. For those that refer to Bannister as a utility @#$%&! @#$%&! and just for good measure @#$%&! off.................

Im not having a crack a Banno here nor any other, including a personnal fav in Wiggo who is also seen in the same light as some.

Im sick of so called experts who live in Victoria and have the luxury of attending games week in and week out dismissing us inter/outer staters -outside Aust etc etc from having no idea about the game or our club becuase the closet we come to it generally means a reliance upon television.

Fact: Many of us see a a hell of a lot of live games at all levels week in and week out - Does that mean our understanding is lessenned because we didnt see it from the "Heatley Stand" shit sorry Im mean the Lockett oh @#$%&! me I mean the Coventry end?

Heres a bit of information - Utilities are players who defy desciption becuase of their abilities. Some may never be regarded as greats by everyday supporters, yet they go onto illustius careers and if lucky premerships.

As a club we have been blessed with many utilities over the years and I was about to waffle on about a number of them but decided to remind your all of one of our greatest(at least that I have seen), in hope that some of you so called experts who decide to brand they so called "losers" as utitilies wake the " " up.

Jezza played in more positions than most can poke a stick at - Was he a forward - midfielder - backman? What was he? He was a coaches greatest delight, thats what he was. A player who could play any position on the park and still make the opposition look like "monkeys" can I say that?


A true relection of these players is the fact they could quite often be named on the bench - Not becuase they were last picked but becuase they were considered the coaches trump card come game day.


For those who feel it right to bag players try and at least get it right - Calling someone a utilitry is not a slur but rather an honour because very few can play everywhere so at least get you norrow minded slights right!

That may well be true. But back in the day, Scanlens used to put 'utility' on a player's footy card if he was 'wiggo-like' in his skill levels.

I guess my view is that there are elite utilities (Kouta) who can pretty much play dominate anywhere, and workmanlike utilities who can do a bit of a job in a few positions.

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John I would love to see Wiggo survive but when sent to defense I cringe because he isnt a backmans ***********. Up forward and thru the middle he has somethind to offer.

Back to what you said though your right! Scanlons and co (was there another after the cigarette cards?other than them) did pigeon hole players as utilities. I guess I have made a mistake as giving Carlton supporters with more credit

It's a fairly generic term these days and it would appear to be on the way out. Kouta was originally classed as a utility but most on reflection would consider him a midfielder who could "pinch hit" elsewhere if required.

There aren't that many utilitys going about any more. Pavlich perhaps.

If Kouta wasnt a utility i have never ever seen a utility.

Vs Brisbane in the first final in 95 - goes forward kicks 3 goals when we were in trouble... game over

Vs Essendon* 99 Prelim - kicks goals, gets clearances, takes marks in the defensive 50.... won us the game

Has played ruck on occasions... has gone back on occasions.... he changed the way the game is played when he came on the scene.

That run of games in season 2000 in the second half of the season was the sort of domination we will never see again. That was unbelievable. Statistics like 36 touches, 15 marks and 3 goals.... unheard of these days

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Matty Kruzer you star!

Not quite sure why you would say this. We've got about 6 or so on our list. Walker, Bannister, Judd, Russell, Gibbs, without giving it much thought.

The drafting trend towards recruiting taller running players actually suggests that there are more and more utilities running around these days. Which is not surprising because of the flexibility they give to a club's playing list.

I would have thought it's neither. Being a utility is descriptive of the amount of flexibility a particular player can provide. It's not a comment on how good or poor they are.

Of course having said that, they do provide list advantages, so longer as they're good enough.

Waite is our current 'utility' player with Setanta a close second. But I wish they would stop using them as utilities and let them settle down in one position.
By the way, I reckon calling Jezza a utility player is very true. I was thinking about him the other day whilst doing the best 4 ever for that thread. He played anywhere well and then kicked a lazy 115 at FF. Nice one. And he was about 180 cms IIR.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

I agree.
You can have gun half back flankers (Andy McKay) and average half back flankers.
The same goes for any other positional description, including utility players. In my opinion, some players are described as utility players because they excell in several positions, adding flexibility to the team. (Kouta)
Others can play OK in several positions but cannot cement one spot. (Prender)

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

James Hird was one of the better examples of a utility player.

Walker and Gibbs fit the bill very well for us now.

In fact, given the move towards taller midfielders and attacking players from half-back, there's probably more utilities now than ever before.

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Its called Ruck-Rover

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I have a large SOS poster that refers to him as a Utility.

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I thought this thread was about Monopoly.

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Its all about versatility and not locking players into position these days.......unless you are very small or very tall you can be asked to play anywhere....most players are utilities.
Even my old friend Ryan Houlihan has been asked to play down back, midfield, forward.......he would be a mid sized utility.
Andrew Walker is the classic example.....trouble shooter, can play anywhere except ruck.....

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- Conor Gillen

I always liked the Coodabeens defintion.

Utility- not good enough to hold down a regular position, too good to trade.

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Everything before the word "but" is horseshit - J Snow

do we have "utilities" any more in the modern game?