Olsen Filipaina

[the_third]

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/nrl-news-the-mole-olsen-filipaina-hospitalised/942b7daf-cd12-4f9a-89ff-84a260f3c928

Tough bugger hope he pulls through

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_qaR_GOiAk

 

[innsaneink]

Good luck Big O

 

[hank37w]

Loved watching him play when he was in beast mode.

Best of luck legend.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Yep get well fast , great player , great guy , a real competitor for both Balmain and the kiwi teams

 

[Geo]

Remember him most for representing his country from reserve grade..

Hope he pulls through..get well soon..

 

[Merlot]

all the power 2 him,played like a train and has the eyes of a loving Grandfather

 

[paul wright]

I really enjoyed watching Olsen play for the Tigers/NZ as he was so damaging in attack and hit hard in defence.I hope he makes a complete recovery

 

[rustycage]

Had a great sidestep 🤣

 

[Tiger5150]

Great player and a great man. Had the pleasure of sitting with him at a West Ryde Hawks fundraising dinner many years ago. A true gentleman. Lovely bloke. Also Ill never forget his hands. He has enormous boney hands. His knuckles look like actual brass knuckles. Lucky he is so gentle. If that bloke punched you, you are dead.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Remember him most for representing his country from reserve grade..

Hope he pulls through..get well soon..

Remember him most for picking up our garbage bin and then the odd player bouncing off his thighs.

 

[Cobarcats]

Didn't he still work doing the bins while playing or was it after he retired? I can vaguely renember a tv special on him throwing the bibs around.
He was awesome to watch and a tough man but a gentleman off the field.
👍🤞

 

[Tim Sheens]

Didn't he still work doing the bins while playing or was it after he retired? I can vaguely renember a tv special on him throwing the bibs around.
He was awesome to watch and a tough man but a gentleman off the field.
👍🤞

Yeah, whilst he was playing for Balmain. Timing varied a little bit, though pick up of our metal bin was usually either side of 7am for our street, earlier in summer and well after daylight during the season in winter. He was on our run with it being the border of Ryde and Denistone East suburbs for a while though unsure as to his career.

It was a real treat as a local junior teen to jog along down the street chatting to an idol back in the early 80's. He was happy to talk footy, even at a local match at Ryde oval remembering me and probably the first adult islander/Maori that I ever spoke to.

 

[Cobarcats]

What a great yarn, I'm think people like him are a stark difference compared to some if the brats of today.
I guess we had the same amount of thickheads, it's the fact that today with the abundance of media it's hard to escape scrutiny.

 

[Swordy]

Everyone who plays a half decent game these days is labelled a 'beast' by the younger generation.

Olsen was a GENUINE beast in every sense.

I wish him well and a speedy recovery.

 

[Tiger5150]

One strange memory I have of Big O was I was at the SCG watching a Balmain match (wasnt a semi...no idea why we where playing at the SCG) at night. I was sitting behind the southern dead ball line, O had the ball in hand running towards the line at our end......boof.....out went the lights instantly. Total darkness. Was a weird moment.

 

[paul wright]

Everyone who plays a half decent game these days is labelled a 'beast' by the younger generation.

Olsen was a GENUINE beast in every sense.

I wish him well and a speedy recovery.

He and David Grant are 2 of the hardest runners and tacklers i have ever seen at Balmain,both were an enigma because you never knew what you where going to get on the day.
When either was at their best you were in for a massive treat,opposition players and supporters not so much

 

[innsaneink]

One strange memory I have of Big O was I was at the SCG watching a Balmain match (wasnt a semi...no idea why we where playing at the SCG) at night. I was sitting behind the southern dead ball line, O had the ball in hand running towards the line at our end......boof.....out went the lights instantly. Total darkness. Was a weird moment.

Yeah I remember that I think it's on YouTube

 

[Tim Sheens]

One strange memory I have of Big O was I was at the SCG watching a Balmain match (wasnt a semi...no idea why we where playing at the SCG) at night. I was sitting behind the southern dead ball line, O had the ball in hand running towards the line at our end......boof.....out went the lights instantly. Total darkness. Was a weird moment.

Was the 'match of the day/round' thing still going then and moved from the former Sports Ground next door when works started on the SFS?

 

[Tiger5150]

One strange memory I have of Big O was I was at the SCG watching a Balmain match (wasnt a semi...no idea why we where playing at the SCG) at night. I was sitting behind the southern dead ball line, O had the ball in hand running towards the line at our end......boof.....out went the lights instantly. Total darkness. Was a weird moment.

Was the 'match of the day/round' thing still going then and moved from the former Sports Ground next door when works started on the SFS?

I genuinely cant remember, to the point Im glad Ink said it was on Youtube because I was starting to think I dreamt it.

 

[Tim Sheens]

One strange memory I have of Big O was I was at the SCG watching a Balmain match (wasnt a semi...no idea why we where playing at the SCG) at night. I was sitting behind the southern dead ball line, O had the ball in hand running towards the line at our end......boof.....out went the lights instantly. Total darkness. Was a weird moment.

Was the 'match of the day/round' thing still going then and moved from the former Sports Ground next door when works started on the SFS?

I genuinely cant remember, to the point Im glad Ink said it was on Youtube because I was starting to think I dreamt it.

Same here, a long while back now, just remembering a few things from back then and thinking there might be some correlation.

Another that spent less time wasted (than me) back then might have better recall.