WOOF !

Ang Christou was a great kick of the ball !

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I agree with what you say about players only being able to do what is in front of them, talent is talent at the end of the day. I think Craig Bradleys era fits in with what I'm saying, it's more the guys from way earlier on that I'm talking about, guys like Soapy Valence.
Bradley proved what he could do in the torp department, but you can't say for sure if Southby would with the footy's we now have. They are geared more towards kicking the perfect drop punt than anything else. I guess you would put good coin on Southby doing just fine though if he had the chance.

To say none of our blokes could kick 5 from ten when gunning for a torp is way out IMHO. If I could do it I'm sure there's more than a handful that could, we just don't see it. To say that we only practice one kick might be a bit unfair, I mean you just have to have a look at what type of kicks our boys try from the boundary line after every training session, none are drop punts. Eddie Betts kicked goal of the year without using a drop punt. He's another player that would make soapy valences’ eyes pop out of his head, especially with the limited time he has to effect an effective disposal these days, and at Mach III. Players are far more skilful these days, but they are clearly advantaged, form genetics due to better nutrition, to facilities and utilities.

I think your right about what Harry Clover would say, but Soapy would purely wonder how Fev possibly kicks the pigskin so far without using a torp, while keeping it dead eye dick straight. He probably shudders at what Fev could do if he brought out the torp!

I hope I am making some sense Doc.

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

Three guys not mentioned are

Rod Ashman fantastic long kick for a little guy on both sides


Fraser Brown On a par with Diesel for kicking on the non preferred side of the body


Jim Buckley Beautiful long kick

There have been some great kicks . Southby , Quirk , Bradley have already been mentioned .
Ian Collins was pretty good too .
As for kicking for goal , Fev is at the top of the list I reckon . ( since the 1950's anyway ) .
Have also heard that Ern Henfrey was a regular 60 plus yard kick also , but a bit before my time .

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Get the facts first.
Then you can distort them at your leisure.

How would Fev go at kicking a wet leadened ball that was not changed every quarter, that feels like it is going to break your ankle with every kick?
Playing 100+ minutes upon mud-heap grounds with little or no drainage, and being the target for every club's resident thug/s.
Fev plays upon billiard top grounds, some with roofs, and gets looked after by the umpires.
How would he go having to work in a real full-time job for a living, turn up for training and match day and get paid very little for his efforts?
Can he drop kick, stab pass, place kick, torpedo punt, flat punt? No.
I'm sure Soapy Vallance/Horrie Clover etc. would have relished the conditions/facilities/money Fev plays under.
If those past players had all the time today's footballers have to spend on developing their skills, I'm sure they would have been just as good if not better.
Certainly most would be better citizens.

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CFC. EST. JULY 1864: PREMIERS. 1869 1871 1873 1874 1875 1877 1887 1906 1907 1908 1914 1915 1938 1945 1947 1968 1970 1972 1979 1981 1982 1987 1995

Well put bluey.

Nice to see Fraser Brown's name mentioned too. Brown would go entire training sessions kicking on his non-preferred. He practised constantly. Back in the day, when there was a reserves match as the curtain raiser and you got real value for money - Fraser would come out at half-time, dressed in his suit, footy in hand and try to kick low, left-foot torps. This happened every week, at half-time of every reserves game without fail. By the end of his career, he rarely missed one.

Wayne Harmes was a fantastic kick.

Also, one of the most reliable from set shots under 40m was Brett Ratten - the fact that he couldn't see any further than 40m ahead of him for most of his career probably explains why he didn't dob them from much further!

And in the ugly-but-accurate club you would defo have Sticks and Curly Austin.

How many goals would Sticks have kicked that floated through like constipated fruit bats?

Which Fev is this? I agree modern forwards like Lloyd get very good protection. Don't think Fev does. I suspect with his build (and disposition), Fev would have learnt to defend himself okay against the thugs in previous generations. And even if he didn't, someone else in the team certainly would have.

How would have Valence and co. gone being double and triple teamed and constantly having players drop back in front of them? Players of the bygone era dominated one on one but were untried in todays defence friendly environment.

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You want the flame? Give us the marbles!!

It's quite obvious how much the umpires detest Fevola. Rarely gets fair treatment and often has to deal with over-zealous 50's and kick reversals.

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You want the flame? Give us the marbles!!

Ken Sheldon was a great kick on the run and generally all over. Shame that probably his most remembered kick required almost no skill whatsoever

And despite Bomba being my favourite player as a kid growing up I still vividly recall the dominator spinning blind out of packs snapping massive torp's goalward.

I dont think we can honestly rate players as a best becuase we have had so many unbelivable men represent this club. All that said who could ever forget Fev from the boundy at AAMI - are rare moment of sunshine in a long gloomy period.

Im 30 years old so i havent seen the older blokes... but from the players ive seen since i can remember, i dont think that anyone is as good a kick for goal as Fev. I was saying to a mate the other day ( whilst watching Carlton Vs Bulldogs this season on my foxtel IQ )... everytime there was a pressure kick for goal ( even 50 odd metres out ) he would kick it.... he is a lovely kick for goal. When he is focussed there is not many better to watch.

Sticks Kernahan in his earlier days i remember was a great kick for goal ( but after he kicked it on the full Vs Essendon* ) his kicking for goal was never the same

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Matty Kruzer you star!

Surprised no-one has mentioned The Dominator Wayne Johnston.

Was dead-set lethal on his left.

Also, Lance Collins (circa 1945) was noted as a dead-eye dick, and is also credited with having invented the banana kick.

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

I know the inference is on goalkicking forwards who were/are great kicks; however, seeing that the heading denotes "best kick to don the Navy Blue guernsey", I can't believe people left out Bruce Doull. His disposal coming out of the backline was sublime and perfect. And Agro (and others) will vouch for me about a story of a punch-on between Buckley and Dominator because they wanted to play on Doully's flank so they could recieve his bullet-like passes....... Give this man a !

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Be positive to all those @ TC- the wait is almost over!

You could always count on the Dominator to kick the big goal when it was needed. But the rest of the time, according to my memory, he was a real point kicker.

Its amazing how, back in the day, you could just bang the ball onto the boot and give it a name depending on how the ball spun.

Daryl White is the only bloke I have ever seen, on purpose, kick an inside-out torp, yet every man and his dog claims one in the bush on a weekend.

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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

I agree somewhat with what you have said, but not about kicking....The Fev can make the ball do what ever he wants, rain, hail, or shine.....

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

Warren Ralph was the best kick for goal from any position on the ground except for one kick against C'wood in the mid eighties that cost us the game at VFL Park.

Diesel was the best kick on the run on either foot. Never missed a target.

Im leaning towards Harmes or Southby as the best kick.

As far as best kicks for goal, Fev is right there certainly, but i remember
Greg Kennedy being a beautiful shot on his day, no longevity though !

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