Dermott Brereton says former Cat Garry Hocking was toughest ‘pound-for-pound’ opponent
Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton played in footy’s most brutal era against some of the toughest men ever to take the field. But he says one Cat stands above the rest as the toughest, pound-for-pound, he’d ever faced.
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Sublimely skilled Geelong legend Garry ‘Buddha’ Hocking was ranked seventh on the Herald Sun’s list of 20 greatest modern-day Cats.
But he’d be No.1 on the pound-for-pound list of Hawthorn hard man Dermott Brereton’s toughest opponents.
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“Being honest, I’m thankful he was 5’11” and not 6’2”, 6’3”,” Brereton said of Hocking on Fox Footy Live.
“Pound-for-pound, he might have just been about the toughest bloke we ever played, he was an animal, a beast.”
Brereton compared Hocking to American boxing film ironman Rocky for his ability to take a beating and still bounce up and play good footy.
And that was never more evident than in the gladiatorial 1989 Grand Final between the Hawks and Cats.
“He was extraordinary,” Brereton said of the Australian Football Hall of Famer.
“When the gloves were off throughout the game, Dipper (Hawks toughnut Robert DiPierdomenico) ran through, raised his elbow … and took out a couple of Hocking’s teeth.
“And you know what? Buddha got the free kick and he held the ball under his arm and he spat out a tooth and just went, ‘yep’, and played on.”
Brereton said earlier in 1989, he poleaxed Hocking himself — same result.
“It was really a violent era to play in, even thought the violence was within the rules most of the time,” Brereton said.
“I remember Budda put his head down to get the footy, I went down, ran into him and drove up and I hit him with the point of my shoulder.
“Both feet came off the ground, he lurched backwards and I went back to the ball, picked it up and thought ‘he won’t be there’.
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“He tackled me! He got back to his feet and tackled me, I was thinking ‘how did he come good? I gave him everything’.
“He just kept taking it.”
Brereton said Hocking combined toughness with incredible skill.
“I heard somebody the other day talk about Dustin Martin ‘good on both feet’,” Brereton said.
“No he’s not. Buddha Hocking’s good on both feet, brilliant on both feet. (He) read the play beautifully, good overhead, good endurance, and tough.”
Brereton compared Hocking to Hawthorn quadruple premiership midfielder Sam Mitchell, who also had great ability with both feet.
“Most blokes get onto their preferred foot — you just didn’t know (with Hocking), he was like Sam Mitchell,” Brereton said.
“He was that comfortable going onto his left foot, you had to sit flat-footed, if you overcomitted to shutting down one side, he’d go the other way.”
The four-time All Australian is famous for, in 1999, changing his name to ‘Whiskas’ as part of a promotion for the catfood company and was listed on the Cats’ teamsheet by that name.
RE-LIVE THE 1989 GRAND FINAL BELOW