Agreed. Ablett's greatness was his ability to go and go and go and accumulate at speed. Martin just wins just about every contest he gets in. Nobody got close to beating him this year in a game. So different sort of players. Dangerfield is a bit of a cross between the two. All great to watch, and only Ablett has the runs under his belt to be in the GOAT ballpark at this stage. Danger has been great for a long time also.
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Opinion Can Dustin Martin be the GOAT? (Answer: no)
- Thread starter adammania9
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Iceman!
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I rate Fyfe's 2015 season higher to be honest, would be the best individual season i have seen from someone in my time watching footy.
- May 23, 2017
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By most account Leigh Matthews is the GOAT. I can't see Dusty going past him, but of the modern-day players I think Dusty plays a similar game.
Dave P.
Dave P.
Strapping Young Lad
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Dusty would have to better Matthews, and that’s near impossible.
His 41 possession, 11 goal game will probably never be beaten.
His 41 possession, 11 goal game will probably never be beaten.
He and Ablett Snr are the greatest I've seen, probably of all time. But sometimes individual seasons by players gets tongues wagging. Martin, like Ablett and Matthews is an unusual mix of power and finesse, so that is why some folk get excited.
For me, Ablett Jr and Matthews are miles ahead of the chasing pack. Cannot split them for GOAT.
Many in here seem to think Ablett Snr is clearly GOAT. I'm not sure why this is such a widely held view. Ablett Snr was a freak, but he's not even in the conversation for me. His dominance just did not have the same longevity and his best seasons were no better than their best seasons. He also played in a very specific era of the AFL that suited key forwards; although he was clearly the freakiest of them all (especially as a Richmond supporter).
IMO, Martin needs two more seasons comparable to 2017 and three or four others at AA level to even be in the conversation. I don't think its realistic to suggest he will build that kind of CV, given his age.
Many in here seem to think Ablett Snr is clearly GOAT. I'm not sure why this is such a widely held view. Ablett Snr was a freak, but he's not even in the conversation for me. His dominance just did not have the same longevity and his best seasons were no better than their best seasons. He also played in a very specific era of the AFL that suited key forwards; although he was clearly the freakiest of them all (especially as a Richmond supporter).
IMO, Martin needs two more seasons comparable to 2017 and three or four others at AA level to even be in the conversation. I don't think its realistic to suggest he will build that kind of CV, given his age.
There's actually not that much in it, Extremely close
https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy...d2=15&type=A&pid1=230&pid2=3316&fid1=C&fid2=C
Ablett was a gun as a roaming half forward flanker before he went to full forward. Kicked 8 goals For Victoria off a forward flank in 1984. Won the cats bnf that year playing only 15 games. Kicked 80 odd then 65 in the next two years playing mostly forward flank. A decade later he kicked 100+ as a full forward in 1993,94 and 95. Not sure how you could argue that he wasn’t great for long enough?
And Dustin Martin is 26. Easily two more years left at his peak and 3-4 more AA if he stays injury free.
I can’t see him getting near the rare air of Ablett snr or Mathews though.
- Aug 18, 2009
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not everything that counts can be counted. I (clearly) love Dusty as much as the next Tiger, but I have never seen a midfielder with near the level of poise and grace as Ablett did/does in congestion. Ablett playing AFL was probably the closest we will ever see to Messi playing in the A-League
Ablett didn't play like any of the standard forwards. When he wanted the ball he got it. He had it on a string, and made the best defenders look like rookies. In 89, he almost won the grandfinal from full forward on his own, and won the Normie that year in the losing side. He kicked more than 100 goals in three consecutive seasons as a 32, 33 and 34 year old. No other full forward was like him or had his longevity - did you watched him play at all?
Compare them over their careers, and Dusty doesn't get a look in at Gaz's table.
It is not close at all.
It is true that G.Ablett Jnr. was way ahead of the pack as a midfielder. There are others who have his composure and awareness, recent players like Mitchell and Pendelbury, but Ablett had explosiveness and power and the ability to go and go again. He was unstoppable when in form through Geelong's golden period especially. But his dad was on another level as far as the ability to dominate games. When he was on he was incredible through sheers athleticism, strength and pure footy ability. Matthew was the other in that category. I think they stand alone, even above Jnr.
Martin is a bit like Senior and Matthews in that their power makes them different, hence people making comparisons. But he will never reach their heights.
Um, those tables show very similar stats. Same disposals per game etc. and half of Abletts stats are missing. So how doesn't Dusty get a look in? Not that I'm arguing the point that Martin is as good as Ablett.
My apologies - I thought they were current season, I misread. Still, there are a lot of stats missing on Ablett that we can't compare.
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Would not have expected this from a Hawthorn supporter as for me I haven't seen anything like Buddy's 2008.
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Lethal all the way, Derm the other way, lol
Ablett in 1993 averaged roughly the same amount of possessions as buddy in 2008 and kicked 11 more goals (124) in 8 less games.
The guy was unstoppable. Don’t think we will see that kind of dominant player in the game again. Imagine a player averaging 7 goals a game today
Yeah, I know - I corrected my comment after Grr's reply.
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In the Battle of 89 doco, Chris Langford notes something along the lines of "when he was on, all you could do was concentrate on your own game because there was no way of stopping him".
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Could he have the greatest season ever? Yes. Could he be GOAT? I don't think, hasn't done enough in his career to this point.
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Had one really good year and claims for GOAT are being made...
Oh my bad, this is BigFooty !!
Oh my bad, this is BigFooty !!
