NO DEPRESSION FOR CATS IN 30s
Geelong Advertiser chief football writer LACHIE YOUNG continues to look at the greatest Geelong players for every number. In the fourth instalment of this series, we look at the best players from numbers 31 to 40.
NO. 31 ROY WEST Honourable mentions:
David Mensch, James Podsiadly
After arriving from Ballarat as a forward, West found his feet as a full back and played 108 games for Geelong across six seasons. He won the Carji Greeves Medal in his first season with the Cats in 1961 and two years later was part of the team that defeated Hawthorn in the 1963 grand final. Quick on his feet and a handy spoiler, West was also one of the finest exponents of the drop kick. He represented Victoria and was inducted into the Geelong Football Club Hall of Fame in 2004.
NO. 32 GARRY HOCKING Honourable mention:
Steven
Motlop
One of only two players in Geelong Football Club history to win four best-and-fairest awards, Garry Hocking is one of the finest players the Cats have produced. A tough midfielder capable of executing his skills to precision on either side of his body, Hocking was unlucky not to play in a premiership, having been involved in four grand final losses. His name was regularly at the top end of the leaderboard on Brownlow Medal night and he was among the top five vote-getters on five occasions (twice when ineligible). A club captain, Hocking retired at the end of 2001 with 274 games and 243 goals next to his name, as well as earning four AllAustralian guernseys and a starting position as ruck-rover in the club’s team of the 20th century.
NO. 33 BRUCE NANKERVIS Honourable mention:
Max
Rooke
Often overshadowed by his older brother Ian, Bruce Nankervis was capable of playing all over the ground and retired with what was at the time the third-highest number of games in club history. A mobile and exciting backman or determined midfielder, Nankervis claimed back-to-back Carji Greeves Medals in 1973 and 1974, which incidentally came after he won the reserve grade best-and-fairest in 1972. He was runner-up in 1975 and 1978 and finished with 253 matches and 80 goals.
NO. 34 PETER WALKER Honourable mention:
James
Rahilly
The only player to have played more than 100 games in No. 34 at Geelong, Peter
Walker was a fine centre halfback who featured in some memorable duels with key forwards during the 1960s. His battles with St Kilda champion Darrel Baldock were legendary. Having made his debut with the Cats as a 17-year-old, it did not take long for him to become a regular in the senior side. A member of the 1963 premiership team, he finished runner-up to Polly Farmer in that year’s best-and-fairest before claiming the Carji Greeves Medal two years later in 1965. A state representative, he placed in the top 10 a further four times and retired with 159 games and a solitary goal.
NO. 35 BILL GOGGIN Honourable mentions:
Patrick Dangerfield, Paul Chapman, Robert Neal
There is every chance that Patrick Dangerfield will end up overtaking Bill Goggin by the end of his career, perhaps even sooner given he has already won a Brownlow Medal, three best-and-fairest awards and finished second in another. Outside of winning a premiership, his four-year CV is about as complete as you could get. Goggin’s place in Geelong history should not be overlooked though. Paul Chapman can consider himself unlucky after a brilliant career in the hoops, which included three premierships, a best-andfairest and a Norm Smith Medal. But Goggin was perhaps the greatest rover of the 1960s along with Bob Skilton and certainly one of the Cats’ all-time greats, as justified with his selection in the team of the 20th century. He played a then-record 248 games after making his debut only a few months after turning 17 and possessed a lethal stab pass that often landed on the chest of Doug Wade. Goggin formed one of the game’s all-time great ruck/rover partnerships with Polly Farmer, was a member of the 1963 premiership team and also won two bestand-fairest awards, as well as finishing runner-up a remarkable five times, in a career spanning 1958-1971.
NO. 36 TONY POLINELLI
Despite beginning his time with Geelong as a rover, Tony Polinelli played his best football on a wing, which was due in large part to his speed and long kicking. One of the quickest players of the 1960s, the stocky Maryborough lad was a strong mark and played in the 1963 premiership at just 20 years of age — only Gordon Hynes and John Sharrock were younger than him. He finished his career with 138 games and 63 goals.
NO. 37 SEAN SIMPSON Honourable mention:
Michael Kol
Arriving from St Kilda at the start of 1991, Simpson was an agile winger who was often used in negating roles by coaches Malcolm Blight and Gary Ayres. A member of the 1992 grand final team, Simpson played in 10 finals and finished with 114 games for the Cats across eight seasons.
NO. 38 JACK HENRY
Whether Jack Henry finishes his time at the Cats with the distinction of some of the other players on this list remains to be seen, but he has certainly made a fine start to his career. Capable of playing anywhere on the ground, he was rewarded with a Rising Star nomination in 2018 as well as Geelong’s best young player award and has been a consistent contributor in the four finals he has played.
NO. 39 DARREN MILBURN Honourable mention:
Kevin
Higgins
One of the most unassuming players Geelong has ever had, Milburn was a rock in defence for 15 years, forming a partnership with Matthew Scarlett, Corey Enright, Harry Taylor and Andrew Mackie that held the team together in a golden era for the club. A Victorian and All-Australian representative, Milburn finished with 292 games, placing him third at his time of retirement in 2011, and two premierships. He made up for an assumed lack of pace with his innate ability to read the play. Seven top-10 finishes in Geelong’s best-and-fairest count.
NO. 40 IAN NANKERVIS Honourable mention:
David
Wojcinski, John Yeates Nankervis held the honour of being Geelong’s games record holder from the time he retired in 1983 until 2016, when champion backman Corey Enright surpassed him. A versatile player with mobility and sharp skills by foot and hand, he took time to find his best position with the Cats but ultimately thrived playing in defence. His ability to create run out of the backline meant opposition sides often sent a runwith player to him but his endurance and leadership helped him finish in the top 10 in the club best-and-fairest a remarkable 14 times. Nankervis was an All-Australian who won three Carji Greeves Medals and was named as an emergency in the Geelong Team of the Century.