Best player of the modern era?

[PJays]

Ablett Jnr for mine

3 games stand out as Ablett memories.

Rd 1 2013 GC vs Saints – Saints finished 9th in 2012, and in my youthful delusion I thought we were a chance of returning to finals in 2013- if we started well. The first 3 quarters were closely contested….then Gaz went BOOM. Game over. 2013 hopes dashed. Thanks Gaz. All class. 4 goals and 34 touches. Some fine work @ 3:09:



Rd 10, 2013, Geelong vs GC – Gaz returned to the Cattery for the first time. Everyone expected this to be a one sided affair. Scores were level at 3 quarter time but Geelong dominating the final term to win by 52. Gaz kept GC in the game for the first 3 quarters, ending with 34 touches and 2 goals including this absolute ripper:



Rd 9, 2014 St.K vs GC-. A lazy Sunday arvo at Marvel and an easy afternoon’s work for Gaz. 3 goals in the quarter, ended with 4 goals and 37 possessions. Game was over at half time as Gold Coast took a 57 point lead.

The resume is astounding. 5 Leigh Matthews Trophies, 3 AFLCA Champion players, 2 Brownlows. All Australian 8 times in a row, and it was only injuries in 2015 that stopped that run.

 

[kid_a]

My rankings:

Vickery

--daylight--

Gaz Jr.
Judd
Dusty
Franklin
Harvey
Hird
Cousins
Black
Akermanis
Goodes
Buckley
Dangerfield
Bartel
Hodge
Swan
Riccuito
Mitchell
Richardson
Cotchin
Jobe
Cooney

 

[Woody Woodman]

I don’t think they care either.

My point is that if you analysed the careers of all those players just objectively without weighting one thing over another I think Martin would be a tier or two below many of them.

I didn’t say he has only played three games - geez does anyone actually bother reading anymore or do they just pick out letters and spaces that suit them? I said he’s obviously a gun full stop.

But someone who elevates themselves in grand finals, as fantastic as that is, doesnt automatically make their entire body of work retrospectively way way better because they were stunning in those 3 matches.

Darren Jarman played two of the most eye catchingly brilliant grand finals of all time in 97-98.

Rightly he’s remembered as an awesome player (not as good as martin, that’s not what I’m saying) but when people analyse him they do it across his whole career not his back to back grand final performances

Thank you for this considered response, definitely correct about Jarman.

 

[windyhill]

I’ll go out of my way to watch Budwah.

 

[PhatBoy]

Thank you for this considered response, definitely correct about Jarman.

Cheers.

I doubt, but still hope, that your username is in honour of former Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey

 

[Woody Woodman]

Cheers.

I doubt, but still hope, that your username is in honour of former Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey

Ziggy Stardust days!

 

[Goomba1973]

Ablett (Body work has him above Judd as he just did it for longer)
Judd (Best I've ever seen in action)
Franklin (His freakishness cannot be denied nor can his #s in front of goal
Harvey (re-defined midfielders)
Voss ( Beast with a captain hat)
Ricciuto (Voss but in Adelaide)
Pavlich (Criminally underrated)
Goodes (Along with Pav is criminally underrated )
Dangerfield ( more consistent than Martin *** except finals)
Martin ( best finals player of the last 20 years by a long way)
Fyfe (can drag a second rate team along to a win and has been doing it for long time now)
Cousins (Damn he was good and had he just stayed off the gear)
Aka (freak)

 

[Tomford]

Ablett for me mainly due to goal kicking and longevity. Other star mids were arguably around the same level as mids but Ablett had better goal ability. Dusty also in the equation now.

 

[MagicGnome97]

Ablett for me mainly due to goal kicking and longevity. Other star mids were arguably around the same level as mids but Ablett had better goal ability. Dusty also in the equation now.

i wouldnt have him near ablett jnr still tbh ablett did it in home and away and finals not just in finals.

 

[Reservoir tiger]

Junior
Judd
Buddy
Dusty
Cousins

 

[Kavliaris69]

Buddy>>Judd>>Ablett>Hodge
Some very good and interesting comments.

I noticed that Rance has had some mentions on here. Sure he was good but Scarlett and McPharlin are better.

However even better than them is Dustin Fletcher

Dustin Fletcher

Age

49

Ht

198cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

12.3

5star

HB

3.7

3star

M

4.7

4star

T

1.2

3star

MG

301.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

14.2

4star

K

11.4

4star

HB

2.8

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

. People forget too quick. He is the best back man I have seen since Glen Jakovic. DF was the of the smartest players and read the ball better than any other defender. Even more so than Brian Lake

Brian Lake

Age

42

Ht

195cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

6.5

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

163.0

3star

No current season stats available

D

4.6

1star

K

2.6

1star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.0

1star

T

0.6

3star

. And then his kicking....

 

[Fadge]

The poll is currently showing
1. Ablett
2. Franklin
3. Judd
4. Martin

Hard to argue with that.

 

[King_Tredrea]

I have Ablett #1 just nudging out Martin and Franklin.

they are very clearly the top 3 IMO

 

[Back One Out]

Voss, Akermanis, Hird, Buckley, Black are all absolutely elite, but much of their peak was played in the late 90s instead of solely in the 00s.
I think Dangerfield has a few more seasons in him at the current level which would put him up there, along with Martin. Fyfe too if he stays fit and healthy.
Not sure guys like Watson, Cotchin, Mitchell, Hodge and co are quite at that level on pure playing ability.

I never quite understood on what grounds people rate Simon Black above Sam Mitchell
It must be a style thing. Aesthetics. Mitchell was short & stocky. Black was leaner and looked more graceful.

Really, they were very similar: both played in the centre, both lacked pace, but were razor sharp with their decision-making and ball-use. Black peaked sooner in his career, but I just think Mitchell put more runs on the board. He was more durable and he got better and better as the years went by.

If you look closely at their records, I think you'll find Mitchell put together more A+ seasons than Black did.

Black won a Norm Smith for his 38 disposals in the 2003 GF, but Mitchell was no less brilliant in finals. I'd argue his finals record was superior.
Sammy was a bee's dick away from winning the Norm Smith in 2014 (33 disposals) and in 2015 (34 disposals)

Sam Mitchell: 4 premierships, 5 best and fairests
Simon Black: 3 premierships, 3 best and fairests

Sam Mitchell: 227 Brownlow votes from 303 H&A games
Simon Black: 184 Brownlow votes from 302 H&A games


Black
3× Premierships: 2001, 2002, 2003
Brownlow Medal : 2002
Norm Smith Medal: 2003
3× All-Australian : 2001, 2002, 2004
3× Best and Fairests: 2001, 2002, 2006
Herald Sun Player of the Year 2001
Captain: 2007–2008


Mitchell
4× Premierships: 2008 (captain), 2013, 2014, 2015
Brownlow Medal: 2012
3× All-Australian: 2011, 2013, 2015
5× Best and Fairests: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016
AFL Rising Star: 2003
2× Lou Richards Medal: 2011, 2015
Herald Sun Player of the Year: 2011
Captain: 2008–2010

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

 

[Back One Out]

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Not many photos out there of Dusty giving chase and trying to tackle

His on again / off again commitment to defence is one of the weaknesses in his game

Lucky he has plenty of teammates to cover for him

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Not many photos out there of Dusty giving chase and trying to tackle

His on again / off again commitment to defence is one of the weaknesses in his game

Lucky he has plenty of teammates to cover for him

Its not a weakness one bit. There is no on again off again, he isn't defensive at the slightest.

His coach has intentionally made him an offence based player, its actually a master-stroke. His teammates cover the defence for him - leaving him with zero accountability and only focus to push offensively.

You say its weakness, its coaching genius.

 

[Back One Out]

Its not a weakness one bit. There is no on again off again, he isn't defensive at the slightest.

His coach has intentionally made him an offence based player, its actually a master-stroke. His teammates cover the defence for him - leaving him with zero accountability and only focus to push offensively.

You say its weakness, its coaching genius.

Well, if that's the case, I'm surprised he gets way fewer disposals than Dangerfield and only kicks marginally more goals

No question about his ability and off-the-charts skills, but maybe he doesn't quite have the same work rate as the champs in those pics you posted

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Well, if that's the case, I'm surprised he gets way fewer disposals than Dangerfield and only kicks marginally more goals

No question about his ability and off-the-charts skills, but maybe he doesn't quite have the same work rate as the champs in those pics you posted

We dont need to discuss football.

Im perfectly content discussing the Armenian- Azerbaijan peace treaty. We don't need to talk footy

 

[Gethelred]

Its not a weakness one bit. There is no on again off again, he isn't defensive at the slightest.

His coach has intentionally made him an offence based player, its actually a master-stroke. His teammates cover the defence for him - leaving him with zero accountability and only focus to push offensively.

You say its weakness, its coaching genius.

Astute post.

Gaz Jnr easily the best I've ever seen.

 

[Bradkli]

Gary Jnr...consistently a level above...just elite 99% of the time he played. If he played his entire career as a forward, he would have kicked over 1000 goals.

Dusty the best finals player of the modern era.

 

[NicNat2TimKelly]

For me it's Cousins. His self-sacrificing, gut-running approach to football. Can't discount the notion that his influence lifted 9-thmond out of their mediocrity and laid the platform for their ultimate success a few years later. Dusty certainly idolised him in any case.

 

[Shadow89]

Ablett Jnr
Dusty
Judd
Buddy

--------

Daylight

 

[RUNVS]

I know I am biased but Buddy is the best for a simple reason and that reason is he is so much better than the next best key forward of the modern era.

If you didn't have Ablett Jnr then you would be happy with Judd, Martin and Dangerfield as you would get almost the same output. At his best Buddy was so much better than any other key forward of the modern era that it is not funny, and if you got the second best key forward of the modern era then you are losing out.

The gap between Ablett Jnr and the next best midfielder is a lot narrower than the gap between Buddy and the next best key forward.

 

[pjgirl23]

Gary Ablett Jnr hands down for modern era goat

He’s top 3 just behind his old man for AFL/vfl goats