Micro Noises 81: One of a kind
A one of a kind team
Readers of recent editions of this column will be well aware that we have been slowly uncovering past and present VFL/AFL players who belong to a very special club. Membership to that club is gained exclusively by possession of both a first name and a surname that has not been seen before or since at the top level. In Micro Noises 80, the skeleton of our team consisted of just five players but the last week has seen an explosion of Twitter activity that has resulted us in being proudly able to announce a full "One of a Kind" VFL/AFL All Star Team.
With thanks to quite a few tweeters, in particular Swish Schwerdt, J. Pinn, Goalsneaker, Dave Brown, Rhett Bartlett and Marc Duncan, we can announce the team as follows:
B: | Bruno Zorzi (Fitz) | Zeno Tzatzaris (Foots) |
Bohdan Jaworskyj (Haw)
|
HB: | Wels Eicke (StK) | Garrick Ibbotson (Frem) | Heritier Lumumba (Coll, Melb) |
C: |
Vasil Varlamos (Carl)
|
Adem Yze (Melb) |
Bachar Houli (Rich)
|
HF: | Jeromey Webberley(Rich) | Firth McCallum (Geel) | Orazio Fantasia (Ess) |
F: | Enrico Misso (StK) | Arryn Siposs (StK) | Ahmed Saad (StK) |
R: | Lazar Vidovic (StK) |
Daryn Cresswell (Syd)
|
Gray Sibun (SM) |
I/C: |
Trojan Darveniza (StK)
|
Robbert Klomp (Carl)
|
Wennie Van Lint (SM) |
Emerg: | Gerrick Weedon (WCo) | Urban Duniam (SM) | Llane Spaanderman (Bris) |
Bruno Zorzi, Zeno Tzatzaris and Bohdan Jaworskyj might have only played 119 games between them but the total Scrabble points to which their names would add up more than makes up for any relative lack of experience, giving the team a backline to die for. The half-back line is an experienced one but the other lines contain several players that didn't spend too long at VFL/AFL level.
There may yet be other players out there that we have not identified as having both unique first names and surnames, so we will leave this as a provisional team and invite further input from our readers. Several names have already been left out of the side, including Djaran Whyman and Wolfgang Dietrich of North Melbourne, St Kilda's Jody Arnol and Mordecai Bromberg, Richmond's Ezra Poyas and Tista De Lorenzo, Rochford Devenish-Meares of Hawthorn, Harcourt Dowsley of Carlton and Jaxon Crabb, who played for both West Coast and Port Adelaide.
Are there others? Let us know in the comments section below or on Twitter at @aust_football.
The passing of a great side
In Micro Noises 80, we brought you a team composed entirely of players whose birthdate was a 'footy score'. In the interests of equal opportunity, we here present a team comprising players who all passed away an a footy score date. For instance George Todd, one of Geelong's greatest ever full backs, died on 13.8.86 and 13 goals 8 behinds produces a total of 86 points.
Interestingly, three of the side's members, Fitzroy's Ted Griffin, Richmond's Jack Uwins and North Melbourne's Jack Doherty all died on the same footy score birthdate, 16.2.98.
And astute readers might note the inclusion of Gray 'Mick' Sibun in the forward pocket. Sibun also appears in our One of a Kind team above and, with a footy score date of death and unique first and surnames in the VFL/AFL, might just be our favourite player ever!
B: | Maurie Sheehy (Coll, 10.1.61) |
George Todd (Geel, 13.8.86)
|
Charlie Dow (Coll, 6.6.42) |
HB: |
Allan Quartermain (Haw, 13.7.85)
|
Bill Weir (Fitz -VFA/Carl, 8.7.55)
|
Jim Guyatt (StK, 5.9.39)
|
C: |
Doug Reynolds (Foots/Rich 4.9.33)
|
Harry Cope (Melb, 6.11.47)
|
Wally Fraser (Ess/Foots, 10.6.66) |
HF: | Jack Petchell (SM, 10.8.68) |
Ted Griffin (Fitz, 16.2.98)
|
Brian McDonald (SM, 3.9.27)
|
F: |
Percy Ellingsen (Rich/Melb/Geel 7.5.47)
|
Kevin Curran (Rich, 14.2.86)
|
Gray 'Mick' Sibun (SM1.5.11) |
R: |
Charlie Hammond (Carl, 4.12.36)
|
George Rawle (Ess, 12.6.78)
|
Bernie O'Brien (Foots/Carl, 9.1.55) |
I/C: | Harry Kuhl (StK, 11.1.67) |
Edwin Jenkyn (Melb, 7.5.47)
|
Mick Mornane (Fitz, 6.3.39)
|
Emerg: | Jack Uwins (Rich, 16.2.98) | Jack Doherty (NM, 16.2.98) | Arthur Scott (StK, 8.9.57) |
Oldies but goodies
Our surname search for the above One of a Kind team led us to notice two brothers, John and Toby Elder, who graced the VFL in the 1950s. The fact that they were both Elders of course immediately disqualifies them from membership in the above team but the two do qualify for a rarer club, consisting of brothers of a different age, who have made their VFL/AFL debuts on the same day with different clubs. Indeed those two might the only members of that club! Perhaps our dear readers can alert us to other examples of siblings who have debuted on the same day.
John Elder made his debut as a 22-year-old on April 16th, 1955, for Collingwood against Footscray, while Toby Elder was 20 when he made his first appearance for Fitzroy on the same day. Given that both matches would have started at the same time on that Saturday afternoon, the big question is, which of the two should be credited with making their debut first - the younger Elder or the elder Elder?
A Pat on the back to these players
Many readers would be well aware that St Patrick's Day was last Tuesday, and while we were celebrating on the day with a pint of Guinness, it occurred to us that we might be able to put together a team of Patricks. While that's a project for a future edition of Micro Noises, we can tell you that our early research has uncovered 53 Pats, 17 Paddys and 10 Patricks to have played at VFL/AFL level. along with two players who have had a surname of Patrick. That's 82 players that we'll need to cull to around about 22 at some future stage. Feel free to nominate your favourites. Is Sydney's Patrick Foy the boy or should Adelaide's Patrick Danger take the field? Does Paddy Rowan get you goin' or should Paddy Shea win the day? Would you yell Bowden loud an' clear or would Cripps be one of your tips? Let us know!
Year of the week
Geelong's Nakia Cockatoo has made an immediate impact with the Cats in his two NAB Challenge matches so far. With 15 touches and two goals registered against Adelaide last Thursday night, Cockatoo looks like a prime candidate to succeed Travis Varcoe as Kardinia Park's excitement machine, even though he's still only a teenager. This reminds us very much of Pope Benedict IX, who as a teenager succeeded Pope John XIX a long, long time ago. And perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by this link, given that Geelong scored 1, 0, 3 and 2 behinds in each of last Thursday's four quarters and Benedict IX succeeded John XIX in the year 1032.
Ridiculous footy anagram of the week
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Right ▼
Unfortunate news this week that Fremantle's Ryan Crowley has received a show-cause notice after testing positive to a banned substance. One can't help but wonder what sort of impact this might have for the rest of the Fremantle team and we note with some concern for those at the club that the headline at right, which appeared in The Age on Tuesday, is an anagram of UNITY IS LOW: FREO CRUMBLE.
Micro Noises is Andrew Gigacz's regular, quirky look at all things footy. The name Micro Noises is an anagram of Enrico Misso, who played one game for St Kilda in 1985. He remains the only Enrico and the only Misso to have played footy at the highest level.
Comments
The Pope 19 March 2015
Missing a Hall of Fame legend at CHF probably the biggest omission there, Gigs! My over 80 games team: FB: Alle De Wolde, Robbert Klomp, Rayden Tallis HB: Garrick Ibbotson, Brighton Diggins, Heritier Lumumba C: Farren Ray, Bachar Houli, Tendai Mzungu HF: Rene Kink, Darrel Baldock, Sharrod Wellingham FF: Silvio Foschini, Setanta OhAilpin, Adem Yze R: Lazar Vidovic, Daryn Cresswell, Jose Romero Int: Wels Eicke, Brayden Lyle, Bud Annand, Cheynee Stiller
Andrew Gigacz 19 March 2015
Good spotting, Pope! Didn't realise that Baldock was the only 'Darrel' with that spelling. Look out for an updated side next week!
Cheers, Gigs
Adam Cardosi 19 March 2015
Great Micro Noises Gigs. But given 'the pope's contribution, I think you need to set about creating a second 'unique names' team. Looking forward to a second installment.
Graham Clayton 17 May 2015
Some more candidates for the 'One of A Kind" second team:
Eon Densworth - 3 games for Footscray in 1959 Chic Breese - 24 games for Carlton in 1897 and 1898 Alle De Wolde - 97 games as a back-pocket for Hawthorn between 1975 and 1982 Rupe Brownlees - 100 games as a ruckman for Geelong between 1908 and 1919 Majak Daw - 14 games as a ruckman for North Melbourne from 2013 Alipate Carlile - 153 games as a backman for Port Adelaide from 2006
Graham Clayton 17 May 2015
One more
Rowley Faust - 13 games for Carlton in 1923.
Andrew Gigacz 18 May 2015
Thanks Graham! I'll be doing an update on this topic soon. Gigs
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