50 years ago -Jim O’Dea & John Greening incident

[Woods Of Ypres]

he was before my time, but my dad (RIP) said he was a machine.
there is an image of poor John on a stretcher i will never forget
he is such a nice man and he loves the pies, would love to meet him

[shawthing]

Is O'Dea still alive?

[lihei]

Is O'Dea still alive?

Unlike the Aints, that pr*ck is still breathing.

[ANNODAM]

May the Saints wallow in their squalor for eternity for what they did.
I was very young, don’t even remember seeing Greening play & if he wasn’t taken down in his prime, I would’ve had that chance along with many others.

Bastards, fk them!

[duke750]

I still remember his comeback game at the MCG against ??. He was mercurial for one qtr, but then faded out.

I have said consistently that he was the best player I have seen at Collingwood, better even than Peter Daicos.

[PyreneesPie]

[RudeBoy]

I still remember his comeback game at the MCG against ??. He was mercurial for one qtr, but then faded out.

I have said consistently that he was the best player I have seen at Collingwood, better even than Peter Daicos.

Although he took a couple of screamers and played well in that game he decided to retire because his brain injury had left him with slightly blurred vision.

[lazzadesilva]

I saw Johnny a number of times, my teenage memory of him, he could run low, like a hare, fast as buggery, uncanny ball skills, weaving, ducking, one of the best players in the clubs history. Before that fateful day at Moorabbin, he had the Brownlow medal sowed up, then, July, and could have won two more, easy. Brilliant dashing player, cut down by a vile thug, who was actually made a Life member by that pathetic club, thats what grinds my gears. Paid em back in 2010, i thought of Johnny that day, revenge is a dish best served cold.

Spot on Piesnchess. I was a young teenager when I was at the Moorabbin oval with some mates. I was horrified to see that happen but what I will never forget was some St Kilda fans laughing when Greening was stretchered off the ground. And when my mates and I told them that this wasn’t nice, these limp dick **** were going to bash us up. Such courage

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Saints had a thuggish culture back then 1966 was worse of all pack of flat track bully’s

[Piesnchess]

When i was a lad, i lived in Highett, not far from their Ground, and on an empty Sat arvo, Dad would drop me off at the Moorabbin Bowling alley, and id walk across, saw many games at that venue. The Saints were a tough team down there, feral unruly fans, in that animal cage enclosure, nutty as Aldi fruitcakes, had some thug players, Odea, Ditterich, Muir, all crazy bastards. Id always barrack for the visiting team, cos I went to Cheltenham High school, which was overwhelmingly Saints fans. !

[Presti35]

I've heard about Greening and this incident many times.

For all you young supporters, picture Nick Daicos being heavily punched in the back of the head after the opening bounce, and then going into a 14 day comma and never really being able to play again.

Thats how significant the Greening incident was. My Dad used to tell me the same thing, but would use names of players I knew growing up.

Greening was 21 when the hit happened and had 98 games to his name. After the incident we finished third on the ladder. From 73 to 81 (when he would have been 30), we finished 1st (straight sets exit), 4th, 5th, wooden spoon, Drawn GF/runners up, 3rd, runners up, runners up, runners up. A fully fit Greening could have seen a very different history for Collingwood in the "wobble era". Any wonder my Dad is the way he is.

It's a disgrace that O'Dea only got ten weeks and was allowed to play again with no real penalty.

My questions is, does O'Dea regret his actions? Does he feel any remorse? And is it true that Allan Jeans instructed him to do it?

[Piesnchess]

I also recall, not long after, from memory about late October that year it happened, i think, or maybe early the next season, Collingwood organised a Greening Day charity match, at Victoria Park, against the Saints, believe it or not this is the truth. All proceeds from this exhibition game were to go to Johns medical expenses, his ongoing rehab, treatment etc, as there was no Medicare then. I recall the game, a mate an i went, sat in the Sherrin stand, and near us sat Bobby Skilton. I could not believe my eyes, when that bastard Odea actually wanted to play, and did play, needless to say, the crowd, about 12 000 or so, booed him very loudly, ever time he went near the ball, as i did too. In the end, Coach Jeans benched the thug, the booing was that loud. The Magpies won easy, 18 goals to 12, i think. So long ago now, yep.

[Presti35]

St Kilda have themselves to blame for their crap culture.

[lazzadesilva]

St Kilda have themselves to blame for their crap culture.

Only the oldies and the young Nicksters who know our history will understand that I couldn’t care less about that mongrel club after maintaining my rage for many decades over the thug Jim O’Dea coward punching John Greening in 1972. Being there as a young teenager and seeing that brutality from O’Dea was a shocking experience. The St Kilda curse will always actively remain. It is not a coincidence that they haven’t won a flag since then.

[Gerry Cooper]

The St Kilda curse will always actively remain. It is not a coincidence that they haven’t won a flag since then.

It shows the abject level of that club that they nominated O'Dea for their "Hall of Fame" in 2003 - an institution populated by such quality individuals as Stephen Milne...
And we shouldn't forget that according to some old St Kilda insiders it was very likely that Alan Jeans told O'Dea to do it too.