- May 21, 2015
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Carey played the hardest position on ground, Ablett was just a soft outside flanker at his best
Carey or Ablett
- Thread starter Eatosk
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- Sep 22, 2011
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Yeah... not in all cases
Obviously as kids you admire them all but as we grow up we know the reality - they're great footballers but we don't know anything about them personally.
Lockett was more than an incredible footballer. Left or right foot. Unbeatable one on one. Unbeatable on the lead. Incredible footy IQ. Could kick snaps from 50m out on the boundary, snaps! etc. etc. Could've played anywhere, just happened to be the greatest forward of all time; and just like on the field, that won't be beaten. Easily puts him in line for the greatest player of all time.
Lockett was beating gun defenders 2 on 1 and kicking bags of 5 goals when he was 17 years old! Kicked 77.44 in just his second season at 18! Playing for Victoria at 19! 352 goals 164 behinds @ 68.2%, Best and Fairest, VFLPA MVP, Coleman medal, and the only full forward ever to win a Brownlow medal... all of it by 21 years old! And we all know how it ended, the greatest.
Didn't mean to highjack the thread, it was a bit of a fun comment. But if we're getting serious then the big guns come out. Ablett was amazing though.
Was double-teamed probably more so than just about any other footballer.
And people forget he was a very versatile player in his early years as he would often go into the ruck and drift around the ground and that was mostly due to St Kilda being a poor team. The ball was not making its way down Plugger's end on numerous occasions.
- Oct 3, 2008
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Yeah I did mate. Ablett far more spectacular and electric but Carey´s influence on games getting his team over the line can not be underestimated.
For example I remember watching North play a game at football park with a 5/6 goal wind. Against the wind they just put Carey at centre half back to stop the Crows scoring when they had the wind Carey at centre half forward game over.
But it's certainly close and a good question.
Cheers catscollector. And now for some Ablett love from me. This might be one of only two non-St Kilda matches I've attended, but it means the world to me. I don't remember anything of the match, other than the final seconds. I was right behind those goals with my family going apeshit, half of them have passed away now. Absolute cherished moment of mine...
Vdubs
Hall of Famer
Lockett was more than an incredible footballer. Left or right foot. Unbeatable one on one. Unbeatable on the lead. Incredible footy IQ. Could kick snaps from 50m out on the boundary, snaps! etc. etc. Could've played anywhere, just happened to be the greatest forward of all time; and just like on the field, that won't be beaten. Easily puts him in line for the greatest player of all time.
Lockett was beating gun defenders 2 on 1 and kicking bags of 5 goals when he was 17 years old! Kicked 77.44 in just his second season at 18! Playing for Victoria at 19! 352 goals 164 behinds @ 68.2%, Best and Fairest, VFLPA MVP, Coleman medal, and the only full forward ever to win a Brownlow medal... all of it by 21 years old! And we all know how it ended, the greatest.
Didn't mean to highjack the thread, it was a bit of a fun comment. But if we're getting serious then the big guns come out. Ablett was amazing though.
Absolute champion footballer, but just behind Craey and Ablett imho
Was that the game he played against John Worsfold, with numerous humongous collisions between the two?
He was undersized at 191cm but he did compete well.
- Sep 15, 2005
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I'm sure there's an old thread relating to that match-up somewhere in the archives - I'd take Lockett over Dunstall too, but much like the Carey vs Ablett debate there's a lot to consider and weigh up.
- Sep 15, 2005
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I reckon Worsfold and Ablett deliberately lined each other up in a test of strength in probably 3 separate matches to my memory, including a SOO match I watched live at the 'G.
James Colorado
Making a Mess in Aisle 10
- Aug 25, 2014
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FMD you'd want a mouthguard in that. Those two hit hard.
I remember one bit of commentary on those two - might have been Cometti - “the irresistible force meets the immovable object”.
Vdubs
Hall of Famer
no, that Woosha game was at Geelong
- Thread starter
- #217
I see Lockett has been mentioned in the thread but when a game needed to be won, Carey stood up and helped his side win with either individual brilliance or great team play. When North played Geelong I was always worried about Ablett doing something spectacular to change the game in Geelong’s favour. When North played the Saints or Swans, I wasn’t worried about Lockett in the same way. Just my opinion from an opposition supporter, not a knock on Lockett, he’s a legend of the game and up there with the best.
James Colorado
Making a Mess in Aisle 10
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That's slightly taller than my size. No way I'm lining up blokes like that...
He was usually undersized as he would play on guys 6ft'1 or 6ft'2 but his style of game was brutal. For someone who weighed in at about 86kg-88kg, he hit like Ablett and those blokes nearing 100kg's.
Says more about the success of the teams than the individual. Lockett couldn't have done much more to win matches, you know, leading goalscorer of all time. Not being part of a winning team doesn't lead to many "match winning" performances, obviously.
- Sep 21, 2004
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Geez Woosh was shorter than me.
If I saw YAblett running full tilt at me I'd drop n roll
It wasn't one of his best games, but I always remember going to a Cats v Carlton game mid year 1992 in the wet at the G.
Mum bought my sister and I ponchos and all I really remember was Ablett on the run from outside 50 drilling a massive goal and turned the game the cats way.
I remember sitting there looking around like "WoW that was awesome!"
Still remember it 31 years later and I'm not even a cats fan.
On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app
If I saw YAblett running full tilt at me I'd drop n roll
It wasn't one of his best games, but I always remember going to a Cats v Carlton game mid year 1992 in the wet at the G.
Mum bought my sister and I ponchos and all I really remember was Ablett on the run from outside 50 drilling a massive goal and turned the game the cats way.
I remember sitting there looking around like "WoW that was awesome!"
Still remember it 31 years later and I'm not even a cats fan.
On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app
Meet him in person and a friendlier chemist type fellow you will not find.
- Aug 4, 2016
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- Sep 21, 2004
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We asked Tom Hafey one night who was the best player he had ever seen. He said Ablett Snr is the only player who could actually play and be the best at every position on the ground other than maybe the ruck.
He said he was a freak.
He said he was a freak.
