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Bit harsh on Bomber and Muzza there Oobi.....Pretty sure Wrensted had an outstanding 85 GF, just couldn't back it up in 86...as for Bomber....he had outstanding GF games in 74 and 79...can't expect one player to dominate in all their GF games...full credit to Subi for bouncing back big time after that 2nd Semi hammering....

I went back to Moss St post GF, most of the guys I talked to that night, seemed more keen to talk about where they were going to be playing in 87.....it seemed like the game was quickly forgotten....strange old night irrespective of the loss....sensed an eerie unspoken feeling that the WAFL as we knew it, was finished.....with WCE coming on the scene....I guess time has shown that feeling was on the money.....obviously the Subi boys rightly were living in the moment and enjoying their well deserved win....

Bushell actually was pretty quiet off the park from memory.... but yeah some of his on field antics were very ordinary...regardless of the white line fever excuse....thought Harding acquitted himself well v Subi dynamic duo in Scott and Keene....other then than that EF struggled all over the park.....Budgie, Neesham and Peake sadly looked very slow and old defensively.....

While '73 will always take the cake, 86 was special as like 2014, we were given no chance, The media were all over it with saying Subi were physically soft, but that was never the case with a Bunton coached team, we were super aggressive at the footy not the man where EF on the day thought they could intimidate us by trying to take out anyone they could, they completely lost the plot and at halftime we were 10 goals up just by playing the footy not the man. For EF Mainwaring was outstanding and it was a preview of what he would show us at AFL level. I remember Percy Johnson being interviewed after the game, he was furious, saying the EF boys felt like they only had to turn up to collect the flag after they demolished us in the 2nd semi, they showed zero respect for their opponent and paid a heavy price.

Answer to one of your questions OObie.
Subiaco 2003-19 V 1986.Just look at the speed of the pre-Eagles Wafl v today's Wafl.....1986 could probably beat at least half the VFL teams going around in that era.1986 by 13 goals+

The 2006-2008 team was super powerfull fit and skilled and would have definitely given the '86 team a run for it's money, Keane may have been the the big difference, a ruck battle between he and Side Show would have been worth the price of admission, but I think Keaney would have his measure easily, bigger stronger meaner more skilled version of Dela.

Senior, watching the game the other night it struck me that Keane didn't spend a great lot of time rucking - which was left to Phil Scott.

Who in turn got pretty well beaten by Harding. Scott and Harding were the same height (6'4"), but Harding was 7kg heavier.

jack: I have criticised Bunton for this a lot in the past.

We should not compare 1986 to our era, even the relatively strong mid 2000s side

Here is a side made up from Subi's reserves in 1986:

backs

Western Roberts Mundy

Half backs

Greenwood Monoghan Gray

Centres

Rachih Spencer Steinerpries

half forwards

Dawson Georgeodies Mort

forwards

Sullivan Langdon Valli

Ruck

Putt Warner Lee


This reserve side would beat our mid 2000s side, never mind the league side which actually played in the gf and won the premiership. Many of the other clubs could have also fielded strong reserves sides which would have done the same.

Harding was an exceptionally good ruckman, very consistent, yes those two were very similar but Harding had the edge in class and a lovely left foot. Big laurie started out as a FF and was kicking bags each week as he was so hard to match up on, but was always going to be a ruckman. I think Bunts considered Scotty was good enough to down the 1st ruck spot on most occassions and Keene was more value up forward and doing the forward rucking. But Lauries game winning performance in the 88 flag against very good opposition showed just how good a ruckman he was.

jackspratt wrote: Senior, watching the game the other night it struck me that Keane didn't spend a great lot of time rucking - which was left to Phil Scott.

Who in turn got pretty well beaten by Harding. Scott and Harding were the same height (6'4"), but Harding was 7kg heavier.

It just goes to show how times change whereby both ruckman were 6'4" which is Fyfe's height but smaller than Pat Cripps.

I think the pin point accuracy of today's kicking (mainly because of defensive tactics) would expose 80s teams who would often kick to a contest. Ironically its those skills that have made our game bland.