Phil Carman

[Hiss]

I was just watching Pies games of the 70's and reckon Fabulous Phil was the best player of the 70's era.

I think I would rank him as one of our all time greats.

The 1977 GF side was full of magnificent Collingwood heroes. Pitty Fabulous Phil missed out through a very questionable suspension.

If anyone loves Collingwood, take time to watch the 1977 GF on Youtube. Pies at our best. Gees those were exciting times.

Loved Ray Shaw. His guts were amazing.

[Bruce Gonsalves]

For a start it's Carman, not Carmen.
Probably in the same class as Carey, maybe better.

[Bob Sugar]

He head butted an umpire bro, questionable? Lol, I guess it wasn't overly bad what he did in the day, it wasn't overly forceful, but imagine what would happen if a player did it today, he'd be sent to quantanamo bay for life!!

[Bob Sugar]

As a player he was before my time, and sadly he will be remembered by most as the dude who decked the ump.

[Piesnchess]

He cost us a flag in 77 as tom hafey said a number of times. he hit tuck in full view of he umpire in the second semi, and got two weeks, he was on fire and would have booted four goals in the drawn GF. He was a brilliant player, but had no brains, a loose cannon, I liked him, but he did cost us a premiership for sure, as Hafey often said too.

[Hiss]

[cityslick1]

good post, and can understand the motivation to write it. Everytime I watch highlights of the games he was in, reminds of just how good he was. Possibly the most talented player to ever pull on a pies jumper... Greening, Bucks, Daicos & Rose to round out the top five from my relatively limited knowledge.

Some of his stats are unbelievable, and to watch him, he looked like a cross between Leigh Matthews & Carey, with judd's tank and explosiveness.

Most likely denounced by club officials and some fans for getting suspended and costing us a flag, along with the umpire incident, but enough water has passed under the bridge & his talents should always be recognised first and foremost.

[Mugwump]

Probably the most frustrating player ever to play for us. Brilliant one game, completely headless the next. I recall a game against Melbourne at Victoria Park after he (with Barry Price's help) had destroyed St Kilda at Moorabbin the week before with 11 goals. Carman spent the entire game trying to knock Ray Biffen's block off, and got about three kicks all day. Simply didn't have the temperament to be a truly great player, and it was a sad career.

[droversdog65]

Agree with most on Fabulous Phil - an enigma wrapped in a conundrum.

Just couldn't get it into his head that every player in the comp knew that he had a thin skin and the way to beat him was to bait him.

When he was on though and playing footy - oh my god what a player!

[BazBoy]

Exciting ,brilliant but frustrating and that day he ran out at Bore rabbin with those
white boots and kicked those 11 was awresome
And another game at Waverly against North (think 77) he single handedly flogged them
Saw him about 18 months ago at a pub in Bendigo and asked him about Collingwood
and he was giving them bad press till a wormen with him (think wife) said "Phil you say the same about every club
But yes on his day Fabulous

[rand corp]

Phil Carmen was easily the most talented, gifted, fluid, magical footballer I have ever seen, destroyed his career with his boof head and his complete inability to control his temper and ego.

[thompsoc]

I was talking to a Board member from the 70's
He blamed Carman's second half for interfering with his career at Collingwood.
Kept asking for more money and during one Carlton game she was barracking for the scum to piss the collingwood admin off.

[jackcass]

Ranks up with Greening, Daicos, Thompson and Buckley as the most brilliant footballers I've seen in a Collingwood jumper. Pendles and Swanny not too far behind.

[Boot]

Fabulous Phil was the most exciting personality to hit Collingwood in my time of barracking for the Pies. He was a super kick and athletically blessed as any footballer to play the game.
Make no doubt his suspension in the 2nd Semi for hitting Michael Tuck cost Collingwood the 1977 flag and after that we never really saw him at his best but like the little girl with a curl "when he was good he was great but when he was bad he took the whole team down with him." I still get angry thinking of what might have been, but luckily we've got a couple of flags since to drown the disappointment of being so close but not getting the ultimate reward during those fantastic Hafey years from 77 - 81.
I have great optimism that the current squad at Collingwood can replicate the era of Tommy Hafey's teams in terms of sustained success, but hopefully get the job done in the final game of the year. We just need to uncover a player with the x-factor that the likes of Carman / Kink / Daicos had to make our forward line really dangerous. From the current list I don't see it but hoping Jamie Elliot could be that factor to help the team achieve greatness in the next couple of years.

[Woods]