- Banned
- #1
I have made a couple of observations this year that as of yet have gone unchallenged even by Geelong fans.
1. Ablett doesn't get the best tagger. Geelong fans have admitted this however their rationale is that he is untaggable. This is clearly not the case when you look at the second observation.
2. Ablett hasn't hit 30 disposals this season when he got the best tagger
Now I am aware that Ablett has won the MVP 3 times in a row and has been the best midfielder the last 3 years.
However we cannot truly judge him as a player until he receives the kind of attention Buckley, Judd, Hird and Voss did.
No opposition coach would risk Judd with anyone but their best shutdown player. Similarly, Hird. Voss. And so on.
I appreciate that Ablett is highly rated, and rightly so. However his accomplishments are always going to be viewed with regard to the minimal amount of attention he receives.
Consider his first game against Adelaide in 2009.
At AAMI Stadium:
46 possessions, 3 goals. His opponent? Jared Petrenko.
His second game against Adelaide in 2009.
At Skilled Stadium:
21 disposals, 2 goals. His opponent was Robert Shirley.
Talk of Ablett rating amongst the best will fade quickly if he can't test himself consistently against the better negating players.
1. Ablett doesn't get the best tagger. Geelong fans have admitted this however their rationale is that he is untaggable. This is clearly not the case when you look at the second observation.
2. Ablett hasn't hit 30 disposals this season when he got the best tagger
Now I am aware that Ablett has won the MVP 3 times in a row and has been the best midfielder the last 3 years.
However we cannot truly judge him as a player until he receives the kind of attention Buckley, Judd, Hird and Voss did.
No opposition coach would risk Judd with anyone but their best shutdown player. Similarly, Hird. Voss. And so on.
I appreciate that Ablett is highly rated, and rightly so. However his accomplishments are always going to be viewed with regard to the minimal amount of attention he receives.
Consider his first game against Adelaide in 2009.
At AAMI Stadium:
46 possessions, 3 goals. His opponent? Jared Petrenko.
His second game against Adelaide in 2009.
At Skilled Stadium:
21 disposals, 2 goals. His opponent was Robert Shirley.
Talk of Ablett rating amongst the best will fade quickly if he can't test himself consistently against the better negating players.