History (Fossilized)
My Best Player Ever
The best player I have ever seen is Graham Farmer. My reason for choosing Farmer,
above all others, is his uniqueness in that he played a game different to all others.
Football scribes often claim that Farmer revolutionised ruck play but that's nonsense.
His career was like the ripples from a stone thrown into a pond. He changed the game
and after he retired it simply reverted back to what it had been. We saw Scott Wynd
win a Brownlow Medal by planting both feet at throw-ins and taking an almighty swipe at
the ball. No-one ever rucked like Farmer after he left.
Farmer's best years were at East Perth at a time when he still retained his athleticism and
prodigious leap. It's a pity that no decent video exists of these games. By
the time he played in Victoria he had damaged a knee and missed many games. He still
performed to high standards for Geelong despite being past his best.
Graham "Polly" Farmer - The best ever.
His influence was such that he won premierships with each of his three clubs: East Perth
(1956, 1958 and 1959) Geelong (1963) and West Perth (1969 and 1971).
At bouncedowns Farmer would frequently take the ball in two hands. He would judge
his run-up and leap to a nicety and grab the ball in two hands in a snatching motion.
He would be shaping to handball as he was coming down and sometimes got the ball away
with his weight resting on the opposition ruckman before his feet touched the ground.
At a time when there was no centre square he would clear the congestion by banging huge
handballs to the wing or half-forward and there was always someone running onto the ball.
No handballing to stationary targets for Farmer.
At throw-ins Farmer always took a sizeable run-up and used an odd chopping motion with his
inside hand to evade anyone clutching at him. Once again he favoured the two handed
take and a loopy handball. No locking of arms with the opposite ruckman for Polly.
At 6ft 4ins (193cm) Farmer would have a few problems with today's extra talls but I have
no doubt he would clamber all over these "arm lockers" who stand under the drop of the
ball. He loved to have a step-ladder provided. Anyway, if an 18 year-old
Graham Farmer turned up today he would simply evolve into the greatest, most innovative
centre-half-forward ever known. That is the quality of the man.
