The 10 scariest men in footy

THROUGHOUT Aussie rules’ history, the mere sight of certain footballers was enough to make a grown man shiver. JON ANDERSON looks away from the scariest men in footy.

DANNY Southern’s appearance on Melbourne morning radio reminded listeners of the hard days of football, when where you were selected to play could determine your sleeping patterns.

Southern was a mean son of a gun — as West Coast full forward Peter Sumich would attest after the Footscray defender once put him to sleep with a choker hold.

But what of the others whose very appearance could cause grown men to shiver?

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Danny Southern looked scary on the field for the dogs ...

And, if these pics are anything to go by, he’s pretty frightening off it, too.

1: Mark Jackson: On special occasions Jacko would even remove his teeth to remind fullbacks he was a fully-fledged lunatic. And he was more than happy to back it up with his fists.

Oi, look at that monster!

Peak Jacko, ready to whack Rod Carter in 1982.

2: Tony Lockett: Full forwards were usually ball players, more the targets of hard-nosed backmen. All that changed when “Plugger” decided to change traditional thinking.

Plugger was one of the greatest full forwards ever — and most frightening.

3: Rick McLean and Neil Balme: There was a time in the early 1970s when this Richmond forward pairing made the Kray brothers look like altar boys.

Brawlers Neil Balme and Ricky McLean spent the 1970s cracking skulls.

4: Byron Pickett: If Iron Byron was anywhere near you and the ball, prepare yourself for a shirt-front that could clean your cage out.

5: Robbie Muir: The most dangerous part of the “Mad Dog” was his complete and utter unpredictability.

Robert Muir during his infamous incident with field umpire Kevin Smith.

6: Barry Hall: Had those eyes that penetrated deeply, plus a background in pugilism that suggested potential danger. And a short fuse.

Barry Hall took up boxing after his footy career finished, but he was throwing punches long before that.

7: Rene Kink: The mere fact his bulky build was compared to a TV character of the time named the Incredible Hulk highlighted his physical presence.

Rene Kink, aka The Incredible Hulk.

Not sure if Rene Kink or Lou Ferrigno.

8: David Rhys-Jones: Like Muir, he was unpredictable, snapping at unexpected moments.

Twenty-five times he was charged, although, as he proudly points out, he was only found guilty on 11 of those.

David Rhys-Jones helps Garry Lyon clean out his eyes.

9: Jack Dyer: Long before the present crop of heavies ruled the world, Jack Dyer well and truly earnt the nicknamed of “Captain Blood”.

You only had to mention the words “Captain Blood” and everyone knew they were in for a hard day’s work.

10: Wayne Weidemann: For sheer fear through appearance, the “Weed” had it all, his Viking-like presence turning him into a cult figure.

Which one’s Weid? Wayne Weidemann and his lookalike.

Originally published as The 10 scariest men in footy