Simon Black - 300 of the best

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POBT

POBT

Brownlow Medallist
Veteran 10k Posts Ex-Moderator Brisbane Lions - Nick Robertson Player Sponsor 2014 Brisbane Lions - Simon Black 2012 Player Sponsor
Mar 10, 2004
24,470
34,273
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Probably a little belated but congratulations to Simon Black in anticipation of playing his 300th game for the club. It is a remarkable achievement for any footballer, particularly one who has plied his trade at the bottom of the pack for his entire career.

He's a champion, a gentleman and a top bloke. Onya Blacky!

For your reminiscing pleasure, I've found a few Blacky related threads on the Lions Board from over the years:

BigFooty Player of the Year 2011

Will Black overtake Voss as our greatest ever - 2009 thread

Simon Black Brownlow Watch - 2009

Congratulations 250 Games (2009)

Congratulations Simon Black - Brownlow Runner Up (2007)

Simon Black - Best Player in the Comp (2004)

Simon Black - 2002 Brownlow Medallist
 
Thought it might be good to try and get Congratulations to Blacky trending on twitter. @brisbanelions but I don't really know how. How about:

@brisbanelions Congratulations Simon Black on 300 fantastic games of AFL. True Lions champion who has #ATTC many times

So do I just type that message in?
 

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"Simon The Likable".

A short-lived character from 'Get Smart', who's name pretty much sums up Blackie. But like Huddo says on the Lions website, everyone likes Simon Black. Players, oppositions, fans, opposition fans... everyone likes and respects him.

Even that Umpie who he told a few 'home truths' to at at the end of a game last year probably can't help himself.....

Well done Simon. A genuine gun player. A genuine sports hero, for the right reasons.
 
whatboutbob said:
What are people's favourite memories of Blacky?

Mine's cliched, but it is hard to go past the 03 GF.
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Yep, me also.

He was simply awesome, and on the biggest stage....
 
whatboutbob said:
What are people's favourite memories of Blacky?

Mine's cliched, but it is hard to go past the 03 GF.
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Not really any game but those wheeling clockwise turns onto his left boot is right up there with a Ricky Ponting pull shot, just seems so graceful.

And those over the head handballs that hit it's target, he is with out a doubt the best handballer I've seen, just so damn quick with incredible accuracy.
 
Congrats to Blacky,true legend, top bloke and I hope the boys have a big win for him!
 
whatboutbob said:
What are people's favourite memories of Blacky?

Mine's cliched, but it is hard to go past the 03 GF.
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Oh geez Bob, that's an impossible question for me, you know that!

On the field there's just too many to mention but yeah 03 GF will always be a highlight. Off the field, well he did give me a kiss last year - can't see that being topped any time soon but I'll let you know after this year's sponsors function :D
 
Ceebee said:
Just love watching him play, pretty simple really.

He is the perfect footballer.

Just so glad he is a Lion.
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Agree Ceebee, would also add that he just oozes class and humility.
You just cannot think of a sportsman that better defines all the things that we want our club, and our society to be.
 
The Lions and the football world in general would have been the poorer if Simon Black hadn't come along. He is the perfect on ball player, the perfect club man and the perfect gentleman. He has got it all, he has done it all. Well done Simon
 

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But what about his resilience. Was it of a possible 310 Lions games since his first game he has played in 290, these numbers alone is just mind blowing.
 
POBT said:
It is impossible to imagine the club without Black. And yet, there were 30 opportunities for him to be taken by another club before we called out his name in the draft.
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First, congrats to the most universally admired & respected Australian sportsman of my time, at least. As has been said by many there is not 1 person who would say a bad word about him. As a footy follower it has been a pleasure to watch you, Simon. As a Lions man, it has been a blessing.

As to the draft, how did he last? I remember seeing 1 quarter of his debut on TV - agin Freo in Capetown of all places. Even then you could see the champion. He just had time mere mortals do not. I remember him standing up in a pack, looking round to find the best option & dishing off, with the rest of the players looking like they were in treacle or something.

Again, we have been blessed.
 
Black, Power and White were my heroes growing up. So happy to have this bloke at the club - if he keeps playing like he is then there's no reason he can't go around a couple more times. Want him to play forever.

Congrats Blacky.
 
BuntonRules said:
First, congrats to the most universally admired & respected Australian sportsman of my time, at least. As has been said by many there is not 1 person who would say a bad word about him. As a footy follower it has been a pleasure to watch you, Simon. As a Lions man, it has been a blessing.

As to the draft, how did he last? I remember seeing 1 quarter of his debut on TV - agin Freo in Capetown of all places. Even then you could see the champion. He just had time mere mortals do not. I remember him standing up in a pack, looking round to find the best option & dishing off, with the rest of the players looking like they were in treacle or something.

Again, we have been blessed.
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The knock was his pace. The thing is, we took Shane O'Bree at pick 10 who wouldn't be any quicker than Black so obviously pace wasn't that big an issue. Having said that, I saw a little bit of O'Bree as a junior footballer and he looked class.

97 was a reasonable draft year given drafting was still hit and miss. We got the best out of it with Power, O'Bree and Black with our first 3 picks as well as big Bozo late. But TJ, Ottens, Croad, Tarrant, Cornes, Solomon, Stevens, Goodes, Scarlett is a fair cohort.

It is interesting that, with Goodes and Scarlett in the same draft year, Black couldn't definitively be said to be the best player from his draft. It is almost representative of his career and who he is as a bloke - unassuming and underrated.
 
One enduring memory is getting up early in the morning to watch the first pre-season cup match in South Africa between our boys and Fremantle. Not a lot of memorable stuff in that game, but the one thing I took away from it was the skinny bloke with dark hair who seemed to be able to get his hands on the pill in close.

First time I saw Blacky play. Been a fan ever since.
 
TomFC said:
First time I saw Blacky play. Been a fan ever since.
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You and I discussed whether it was possible for Black's skills to return after what was a pretty poor 2011 in terms of errors. I reckon he has pretty much got his mojo back in that regard - do you see it the same way?
 
POBT said:
You and I discussed whether it was possible for Black's skills to return after what was a pretty poor 2011 in terms of errors. I reckon he has pretty much got his mojo back in that regard - do you see it the same way?
Click to expand...

The issue I had was with his kicking. I think he's made a subtle adjustment. Not as many stab passes onto the chest, and more lofted passes to space.
 
Please consider this a little like a 21st roast as I take a quick little jaunt down memory lane – in recognition of Simon Blacks 300th game this week.

Simon Black - A work of art from the start. :thumbsu:

It is interesting to reflect back to his first game in the lions jumper was in a 1998 preseason game in Cape Town, South Africa, where he played across the half-back line against Freo.

1182055.jpg

- Mandatory Credit: TonyFeder/ALLSPORT & getty images

Coincidently Simons’ 1999 rising star nomination came from round 9 versus Geelong his very first game against the cats – 22, 948 people attended that game – it would be a shame if the predicted precipitation keeps the crowd to less than 25 thousand.

Congrats and Well Done!!

freddie



The vast majority of this below post is a copy/paste from the old lions.com.au pages I had saved that sadly no longer have an active/live link.
Simon Black is a young man from East Fremantle with a huge future in the AFL. He was a revelation in his 1998 rookie season with the Lions, relocating from one side of the country to the other to win the club's "Best First-Year Player" Award and stamp himself as a quality-plus utility player.
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An All-Australian U18 selection in 1997, he was regarded as a giant bonus when chosen by the Lions at No 31 in the 1997 AFL National Draft and lived right up to expectations, playing nine AFL games in his first League campaign.

It was an astonishing rise for a player who 12 months earlier began the 1997 season in the East Fremantle U19s, played mainly in the Reserves, and had two senior WAFL games. The 1999 challenge for the super-cool left-footed wingman/defender/on-baller is to conquer the dreaded second-year "blues" and take his career to the next level.

Born in Mt Isa, Black was something of nomad in his early years before his family settled in Perth. A product of Corpus Christie College, he played his junior football at suburban Bull Creek, south of Perth. Growing up with West Coast's 1997 Norwich Rising Star and 1998 B&F winner Ben Cousins, he played with East Fremantle Colts in 1995-96 before graduating to the Open ranks in '97.

Chosen in the All-Australian team at the 1997 National U18 carnival after WA lost the grand final to the Victorian Metro side, Black was generally regarded as WA's best player in his age-group, although narrowly beaten for the WA carnival B&F award.

At the AFL Talent Camp he topped the psychomotor testing, which measures vision, reflexes and decision-making ability, and was tipped to go at No 12 in the Draft by the Melbourne Sun after as many as 10 clubs had spoken to him pre-draft.

A stand-out junior 800m and 1500m runner, he was a WA State athletics representative from 1992-95 and several times competed at national level. He quickly transformed his excellent endurance qualities into a huge football asset, and combined with good skills on both sides of his body, a fine temperament for one so young, a level-headed approach and an excellent work ethic, he showed everything required to be a top-level AFL player.

On-lookers didn't need to wait long for Black to stamp his mark on the AFL. In the Lions' historic Ansett Cup clash with Fremantle in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 1998 he was among the victors' best playing across the half back line.

He played right through the pre-season in the top side and exceeded all personal expectations when he won first-up selection for the season-opener against the Western Bulldogs. He played the first six games of the year before the inevitable first-year fatigue set in, and he had a spell with the Lion Cubs in the QSFL. Such was his commitment to training that at times the Lions coaching staff had to ask him to cut back his workload in their fight against burn-out.

He was recalled in Round 15 against West Coast but a broken index finger sentenced him to a month on the sideline. Resumed once more in the Cubs on the weekend of Round 19 and was selected to return to the seniors in Round 21 against Richmond, but was forced out on the morning of the match with the flu. Finished on a high note with an excellent Round 22 effort against StKilda to fend off a late charge from Luke Power for Brisbane's No.1 rookie award won in recent years by Darryl White (1992), Nathan Buckley (1993), Chris Scott (1994), Craig McRae (1995), Danny Dickfos and Clark Keating (1996) and Daniel Bradshaw (1997).

A keen surfer. He completed a Sales & Marketing Traineeship with Queensland Rail in 1998 after a similar course at TAFE in Perth in 1997, and is studying Business at QUT in 1999.
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PERSONAL PROFILE from 2000?

Date of Birth: 3rd April 1979
Place of Birth: Mt Isa
Star Sign: Aries
Height: 184cm
Weight: 77kg
Family status: Single
Superstitions: I don't have any
Your hero: Ben Cousins, Michael Voss
Last book you read: The Partner - John Grisham
Last song you sang along to: Time of Your Life - Greenday
Favourite music for motivation: Counting Crows
Best place to be on a free day during footy season: Down the coast surfing
What's in your footy bag: Boots, socks, jocks, deodorant, towel, mouthguard
Last time you cooked, what was on the menu: Chicken stir-fry
Where would you go for a spectacular/special night out: Not sure
When are you most relaxed: When I am hanging around with my mates, having a couple of beers and taking it easy
Which sections of the newspaper do you read (in order, news, finance, weather, sport, form guide, cartoons, TV guide): Sports, News
Where were you on Melbourne Cup Day: I had to work
Where were you on Christmas Day: At home in Perth
Where were you on Boxing Day: My mate's house-warming party
Where were you on New Year's Day: Perth Cup
What's your favourite holiday spot: Margaret River
What do you like best about where you live: The warm weather and good surf
What's your favourite piece of clothing and why: Board shorts - casual and comfortable
Which team mate makes you laugh most and why: Craig McRae - his dry sense of humour and great one-liners, and Steve Lawrence - he's an idiot
What makes you angry: Not doing as well as I could or should
The biggest risk you've ever taken: Getting in the car when Luke Power is driving
In your dream round of golf, which three people would you play with: Michael Jordan will do fine
What is the coach's favourite saying: Can't tell you yet
Favourite Book: The Partner
Favourite CD: Counting Crows - August and Everything After
Favourite Movie: Saving Private Ryan
Favourite Television Show: Friends
Favourite Magazine: Surfing Life
Favourite Band: U2
Click to expand...
 
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