Brisbane footy’s biggest hitter in 40 years can be revealed, and it is not axeman Trevor Gillmeister
Who were rugby league’s hardest hitters across the past 40 years? Today we reveal the top 10, and the No. 1 in this bone-rattling bunch is not Trevor “The Axe” Gillmeister. SEE WHO MADE THE LIST
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Who were rugby league’s hardest hitters across the past 40 years of local BRL and Queensland Cup rugby league?
Today we reveal the top 10, and the No. 1 in the big hit parade who is not renowned hit men Trevor Gillmeister or Wally Fullerton-Smith.
After canvassing three past players and two coaches to come up with the BRL and Queensland Cup’s big hitting best of the last 40 years, it comes down to the top 10 below.
Part 1: Biggest hitters, No. 31-40
Part 2: Biggest hitters, No. 21-30
Part 3: Biggest hitters, No. 11-20
No. 1
CHARLIE FRITH
Frith hit the BRL with the force of a category five cyclone in the late 1970s before being snapped up by the then South Sydney coach Jack Gibson. Frith’s appearance with Fortitude Valleys surprised Devils star Mark Murray who had seen Frith’s tackling handy work while playing on the Darling Downs in 1977. After playing a junior match, Murray was watching a first grade game between Toowoomba and Warwick in which Toowoomba were hot favourites. “Toowoomba scored the first couple of tries and the game was going to script,’’ Murray recalled. “Then all of a sudden there was a big clash of bodies and whack, a Toowoomba player went down. Ten minutes later another went down. No one had heard of Charlie Frith until then. And then a third (Toowoomba) player went down. As this unfolded Toowoomba got less numbers in and game and Warwick ended up beating them due to Charlie’s devastation.’’
Murray said later he was playing for Norths in a trial against Valleys in the BRL when he was surprised to see big Charlie in the opposition. If he had known Frith was in opposition prior to running on, he would have issued a storm warning to his teammates, but it was too late. Murray said early on one of his forwards did a tip on pass to a support forward right next to him and big Charlie cleaned them both up. “He had a big wing span on him,’’ Murray said. “I thought it was no use warming them (his Norths teammates) after the event. He was a massive man and a huge hitter. For a big man, he was the most devastating hitter I ever saw.’’
No. 2
WALLY FULLERTON-SMITH
After Charlie Frith’s one season of BRL big hits, Fullerton-Smith was the BRL’s hit man supremo of the 1980s. The Roma product who called Redcliffe home steadily constructed his career the hard way, going from third grade to second grade and then from second grade to first grade which meant he was match hardened by the time he got into the Dolphin’s top team. It did not matter whether Redcliffe were winning by a margin or losing by a margin, no one with any brains picked out Fullerton-Smith in the defensive line. His favourite source of punishment came from tap penalties when the opposition winger would loop around a ballplayer and run into the teeth of the opposition forward pack to restarts play. He loved that “winger in’’ move. “I remember as a kid the noise when he made contact with blokes,’’ said former Wynnum-Manly coach and current Souths Logan mentor Jon Buchanan who grew up on the Peninsula. “ As a 10-year-old, watching him cut blokes in half was something I’d never forget. Our neighbour, Mr Brigginshaw (Larry’s father and Ali’s grandfather) took me to Lang Park and his niece used to do tackle count and Fullerton-Smith would always top the tackle count. He was one for me who stood out.’’
No. 3
TREVOR GILLMEISTER
The barrel-chested Gillmeister was a light weight for a forward and built low to the ground, but his attitude was that his statue simply put him closer to crashing into the ribs of opponents. His tackle technique was second to none in the game. He came through the Norths system and into a rough house Devils’ pack of the early 1980s and quickly earned a reputation as a defensive tough nut. After a three season apprecentice in the BRL, he moved to the Eastern Suburbs Roosters where locals quickly dubbed him “The Axeman No. 2’’ behind the Roosters original axeman – Bunny Reilly of 1970s fame. Gillmeister had a heart as big as his head and was a perfect choice to wear the Queensland jersey which he did with distinction. He was also an excellent ball handler who importantly could unload in tackles, but he will forever be one of the code’s biggest hitters. “They don’t call him the axe for nothing,’’ said Souths Logan coach Jon Buchanan.
No. 4
MAL GREEN
The Darling Downs product was a shrewd recruit into an all-star Wynnum-Manly Seagulls outfit that was one of the best ever assembled in BRL history. My goodness he hit hard and often in the defensive line. Like Gillmeister and Fullerton-Smith, Green was not a big man but he knew no fear and would hone in on opponents like a Spitfire protecting the Motherland during World War II. Wayne Bennett thought so highly of Green, he was reportedly the Brisbane Broncos first signing, although Green declined the invitation.
No. 5
WAYNE ALBERTS
BRL opponents came across the nuggety five-eighth when he was moving through from country Queensland to the Gold Coast Giants via Brisbane Brothers. A little like Charlie Frith, Brisbane league players were oblivious to his hitting power but they soon found out. Alberts absolutely destroyed opponents in Queensland country and his placement as high as No. 5 on this list is not questioned by those in the know.
No. 6
DARREN WOLENS
Wolens breezed into the top 10 of the BRL, Q-Cup biggest hitter list with ease – it was just a matter of where to place him. “He was not a massive bloke but a strong hitter, good technique who had really good timing,’’ said Wests stalwart Wayne Treleaven. Former Brisbane front rower and Easts grand final prop Peter Anderson said Wolens was in the Trevor Gillmeister mould. “He put Darryl Duncan on his tailbone one day which was no mean feat. Duncan, to his credit, hobbled around all game after it. Wolens was a big hitter.’’
No. 7
MITCHELL DODDS
Few hit men struck with the precision of Mitchell Dodds. The Capalaba Warriors junior came through the Wynnum-Manly juniors where his tackling technique made him a must signing for Wayne Bennett and the Brisbane Broncos. Through 76 top grade appearances for Brisbane, Dodds’ reputation grew and grew and one famous confrontation against his fellow Iona College alumni Jared Waerea-Hargreaves lives in the memory. Slightly underrated, but not by those who played against him.
No. 8
MICHAEL ANDERSON
The white headgear wearing Anderson was near the top of the big hitting brigade playing in the BRL for the Redcliffe Dolphins. “He was a big hitter,’’ said Wests stalwart Wayne Treleaven, “He was a big man and a big hitter. And he hit hard for several seasons,’’ he praised.
No.9.
BILL JOHNSON
BRL sides came across Johnson when they ventured to the Darling Downs for pre-season trials and for many, it was an uncomfortable bus trip home. Johnson, a second rower, hailed from the Millmerran district and although being a quiet, unassuming bloke, he was a renowned big-hitter. Indeed he entered Darling Downs’ league folklore when the Gold Coast came to Chinchilla to play in a trial match. Former NSW prop Tony Rampling took the kick-off and ran directly at Johnson. “He put a shot on him and I could not believe it. There were fireworks. He dropped Rampling at Chinchilla off his long run,’’ said Stanthorpe’s Robert Reeves, who was Johnson’s second row partner in the Toowoomba representative team that day. “The next minute, holy smokes and I thought ‘what am I doing here’.
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Reeves said if Johnson caught a straight running forward flush, look out. “If he hit a bloke they were on the ground and he would stay on the ground,’’ Reeves said.
No. 10
MICK SEABY
Former Wests Panthers premiership winning player Craig Green summed up Mick Seaby with just one word. “Scary.’’ That is a big statement from a player like Green, whose dad was also a premiership winning prop of the 1970s. Green’s old mate from the Wests’ Panthers, Wayne Treleaven, backed Green’s description of Seaby. “He was massive, a big hitter. He would have been about 130kgs when he played and he used his body very well.’’
Related links
Part 1: Biggest hitters, No. 31-40
Part 2: Biggest hitters, No. 21-30
Part 3: Biggest hitters, No. 11-20