Bombertalk

Sad news. One of my Dads favorite players. Meet him at a DRC lunch a few years ago and he was such a great guy.

An Essendon favorite son.

Only knew him as an ABC commentator years ago. Naturally, only read about his footballing exploits with his beloved Bombers. Also read many comments about him as being an absolute gentleman. RIP Sir.

Oh dear! Another one gone from that era.
And yes a true gentleman on and off the field who truly deserved the nic "The gentle giant"when a 6'4"player was a novelty.
Mike Sheahan's summery is accurate but doesn't mention [ quite rightly] that his being led off the ground by hand was also accompanied by a shameful jeering episode similar to that given to Paul Salmon at Waverley and featured regularly on TV.
Absolutely made the best of his abilities and and if the adage that big men should be given ample time to develop into good players Geoff Leek is the perfect example to draw on.

Very sad. Probably the nicest guy to play for Essendon in the 50+ years I've been watching them. A very fine ruckman too, albeit laughingly awkward and an erratic kick.

I shed a quiet tear when I saw that news in the paper today...To me, as a very young Bomber fan, Geoff Leek WAS Essendon. A player who epitomised the spirit of the EFC. Indeed a gentle giant. Scrupulously fair (maybe even to a fault) I never saw or heard of one petulant act from him on or off the field.

Could play a bit too. In fact he was like a well matured wine, the longer he played the better he got, adding marking to his game as a consumate tap ruckman late in his career. I saw him play in that 62 GF and while my recollections of individual performances in that game are now fading from memory, I can recall that in the week prior to the big game, Geoff was injured and in serious doubt as to whether he would be able to line up against the Monster that was John Nicholls.(Gees I used to hate him...he used to kill us every time we played Caarlton, right throughout his career) Anyway, I digress.... Nicholls (as alluded to) had a pretty good record against Big Geoff (as he did against all other ruckmen of the day) but history now records that he (Leek) did in fact make it on to the ground and as the article says, clearly outpointed the Blues big man which went a long way towards us bringing home the bacon on that grand day.

Sadly he joins a rapidly growing list of very fine players from that era who are no longer with us.

Well played and may you now Rest in Peace big Geoff.

I never saw him play or heard him cmmentate, but condolences to his family.

My dad told me about him when he used to commentate for the ABC. He said that when he was commentating, you always new when Tim Watson had the ball because there would be 10 adjectives describing Tim Watson before his name was mentioned. Apperently he loved Timmy. Didnt we all?

RIP Geoff Leek

pevfan wrote: I can recall that in the week prior to the big game, Geoff was injured and in serious doubt as to whether he would be able to line up against the Monster that was John Nicholls.

Was he the player who had a fitness test and used his uninjured arm to throw a medicine ball?

robrulz5 wrote:

pevfan wrote: I can recall that in the week prior to the big game, Geoff was injured and in serious doubt as to whether he would be able to line up against the Monster that was John Nicholls.

Was he the player who had a fitness test and used his uninjured arm to throw a medicine ball?

It was an ankle. Fooled them all!!!

To see the Gentle Giant line up to kick a drop kick was akin to a new giraffe taking its first steps. They rarely worked and those that actually got off the ground went sideways for about 30m.!!

I loved Geoff as a commentator on the ABC and he really was considered a true "Essendon Person"