Harry Taylor vs Josh Gibson

[Super Hans]

Pretty simple, who has been the better player and why? Not currently, but over their whole career.

 

[Super Hans]

Taylor for me. Could take the #1 forward from any team, beat them and still create drive from the backline. I don't think Gibson has had that ability (why Hawks got Lake).

 

[Bobby_]

Taylor is a true key defender. Gibson is not. There is a valid reason why Hawthorn proceeded to win three flags in row, they recruited a bloke by the name of Brian Lake. Up until that time, some teams had their way with Shoenmakers and Gibson.

You also factor in Taylor's marking ability, along with his composure. Gibson was a top spoiling defender though.

 

[the big lebowski]

As attacking defenders they are pretty close.

As a lock down defender Taylor is easily better.

 

[Demonated]

Taylor tends to mark it while Gibson tends to punch so for that reason alone I'd pick Taylor. Gibson is still a gun though and better on smaller players.

 

[Hawkk]

Gibson has won 2 of the last 3 Best and Fairests in arguably the greatest team of all time

Harry Taylor is an upmarket Andrew Mackie

 

[Moist Biscuit]

Gibson has won 2 of the last 3 Best and Fairests in arguably the greatest team of all time

Harry Taylor is an upmarket Andrew Mackie

Harry Taylor is an upmarket Josh Gibson

 

[Big Fresh]

Gibson has won 2 of the last 3 Best and Fairests in arguably the greatest team of all time

Harry Taylor is an upmarket Andrew Mackie

Gibson is actually much more similar to Mackie than Taylor is.

 

[Sixpence]

I initially voted Taylor as I think he's a better key defender but changed it to Gibbo when I reread the question. As a player, it's hard to go past a guy who's won 2 B&Fs both in Premiership years. I still rate Taylor very highly though.

Comparing either to Mackie is ridiculous, both are far better players.

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

lol.

 

[Lethality]

Gibson by a lot.

Taylor gets exposed badly when his team isn't dominating the midfield. 2015 was a good example of this. If he's not able to zone off and take intercept marks he is nothing.

Gibson on the other hand can do it all. Plays on talls and smalls, can accumulate plenty of the ball or be the close checking defender that Taylor is not.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Taylor gets exposed badly when his team isn't dominating the midfield.

Crap argument, as Gibson has been playing in the best team of the last 5 years. Wasn't so great when he was playing in a middling North.

 

[Lethality]

Crap argument, as Gibson has been playing in the best team of the last 5 years. Wasn't so great when he was playing in a middling North.

He was pretty good at North as well, just didn't get noticed I guess.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

He was pretty good at North as well, just didn't get noticed I guess.

He was fine, but like most defenders they don't get to shine when the ball is coming in hard and fast.

 

[Lethality]

He was fine, but like most defenders they don't get to shine when the ball is coming in hard and fast.

No, but he is a decent one on one defender in his prime. Harry Taylor isn't. Taylor if you'll remember was moved off of Cloke in the 2011 Grand Final because he was being torn a new one. That's probably going to be the most historically memorable example of him not being up to taking on the No.1 forward.

 

[Adam H]

Taylor is a better footballer Gibson is just a better version of Jason Cloke.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Gibson is terribly under-rated, even (or especially) by Hawks fans, with consistently high B&F results, and two premiership season B&F awards - placing him alongside Mitchell, Carey and (guessing) Voss as the best player in the best team of the season, TWICE.

Even as a passionate Hawk, I'm going to say Taylor quite comfortably over their respective careers. I'm not sure how Taylor has gone the last two years (the Cats have been irrelevant to Hawthorn for a while now), but he was my favourite Key Defender and one I always wished we could poach for our side through the late 2000s.

That said, Lake still worked out ok for us though.

 

[Demonated]

Gibson is terribly under-rated, even (or especially) by Hawks fans, with consistently high B&F results, and two premiership season B&F awards - placing him alongside Mitchell, Carey and (guessing) Voss as the best player in the best team of the season, TWICE.

Even as a passionate Hawk, I'm going to say Taylor quite comfortably over their respective careers. I'm not sure how Taylor has gone the last two years (the Cats have been irrelevant to Hawthorn for a while now), but he was my favourite Key Defender and one I always wished we could poach for our side through the late 2000s.

That said, Lake still worked out ok for us though.

Ablett Jnr and Enright both did it in the recent Geelong era.

 

[Dom PC]

Josh Gibson plays as a 2nd/3rd tall defender and zones off. Harry Taylor is a number 1 tall defender. Different players.

In fact as a number 1 KPD, I'd take Mal Michael over Gibson.

As a 3rd tall defender Gibson is better than Taylor however.

 

[Bardo State]

I'm gonna say Taylor but I rate Taylor extremely highly. Actually rate him as the best key defender in the league since he debuted.

 

[Bardo State]

Josh Gibson plays as a 2nd/3rd tall defender and zones off. Harry Taylor is a number 1 tall defender. Different players.

In fact as a number 1 KPD, I'd take Mal Michael over Gibson.

As a 3rd tall defender Gibson is better than Taylor however.

Maybe you're right stylistically but Gibson has probably played as a number one tall more often than Taylor over their careers.

 

[Dom PC]

Maybe you're right stylistically but Gibson has probably played as a number one tall more often than Taylor over their careers.

That doesn't mean Gibson was more effective at nullifying them.
If you are playing against the likes of Hawkins, Lynch, Cloke, Kennedy etc. You have Lake playing on them, not Gibson.

Gibson is a great zone defender and even against the medium forwards he does well, but against bigger opponents he does struggle. The Hawks pre Brian Lake era proves that.

 

[Bardo State]

That doesn't mean Gibson was more effective at nullifying them.
If you are playing against the likes of Hawkins, Lynch, Cloke, Kennedy etc. You have Lake playing on them, not Gibson.

Gibson is a great zone defender and even against the medium forwards he does well, but against bigger opponents he does struggle. The Hawks pre Brian Lake era proves that.

He struggled against Hawkins and Cloke when they were at their best. That's it really. Gibson's 'third tall' status gets way overplayed. You'd almost be able to count on your hands the number of times Gibson hasn't predominantly been playing on the opposition's first or second tall. Even with Frawley coming in he missed half the season with injury and spent the back end of the year up forward. Gibson just gets to so many contest that people get the impression he is a 'zoning' or loose defender. Especially back in 2011/12 when he was Hawthorn's only key defender for a while.

So if by big bodies you mean specifically playing on Cloke or Hawkins when they are in form then yeah, it's a weakness. Otherwise not so much.

 

[Adam H]

He struggled against Hawkins and Cloke when they were at their best. That's it really. Gibson's 'third tall' status gets way overplayed. You'd almost be able to count on your hands the number of times Gibson hasn't predominantly been playing on the opposition's first or second tall. Even with Frawley coming in he missed half the season with injury and spent the back end of the year up forward. Gibson just gets to so many contest that people get the impression he is a 'zoning' or loose defender. Especially back in 2011/12 when he was Hawthorn's only key defender for a while.

So if by big bodies you mean specifically playing on Cloke or Hawkins when they are in form then yeah, it's a weakness. Otherwise not so much.

Pods gave him a hiding one night also. Never seen him play on Roo either.

 

[Bardo State]

Pods gave him a hiding one night also. Never seen him play on Roo either.

That's right actually. Geelong were so good throughout that stretch at keeping Gibson away from contests. Just seemed to be an unfortunate match up. Like how Lonergan could keep Franklin on a leash but struggles 1v1 with Gunston.

He's definitely played on Nick a fair few times. I distinctly remember him playing on Riewoldt in 2010 not long after they both came off big injury layoffs. Might have both been the same type of hamstring injury actually. He certainly played on him at least through the first 3 years he was at Hawthorn, because well, who else would have? I seem to recall him matching up fairly well on Riewoldt without dominating (it's Riewoldt I guess).