Peter Matera vs Today's midfielders?

[Pies n Punt]

Roo? Are you talking about Matera or someone else?

Matera's nick name wAs Roo, same as riccuito obviously

 

[dave123]

Matera's nick name wAs Roo, same as riccuito obviously

He ran and bounced like a kangaroo

His body fat percentage would have been similar too

 

[dave123]

No argument there. Smith has quite freakish endurance though so I still think he'd have Matera covered in that respect. Matera was explosive though - with great skill and goal sense, and would be a great in an era (like Polly).
I'm not sure it applies to all great players though. Champions like Dunstall and Lockett for instance, were probably better suited to their era.

I have always had a theory that most indigenous players won't be elite endurance athletes ....why pure genetics really

These people had genetics for having to move swiftly for short periods to hunt for food ...those genetics get passed

Not saying for a second you can't train endurance into aboriginal player but generally it's less common ....as,e theory as white man can't jump ...

Adam Goodes was the best endurance indigenous athlete I've seen

 

[avishka5]

I have always had a theory that most indigenous players won't be elite endurance athletes ....why pure genetics really

These people had genetics for having to move swiftly for short periods to hunt for food ...those genetics get passed

Not saying for a second you can't train endurance into aboriginal player but generally it's less common ....as,e theory as white man can't jump ...

Adam Goodes was the best endurance indigenous athlete I've seen

yeah but he had italian in him. I initially surprised to here he was indigenous. Phill actually looks like full italian.

 

[AlbertonBloke]

not sure faster is the word i'd use. i'd say football was more direct back then. no switching to the fat side to create an opening. no zones was just win ball get ball to your power forward.

but in terms of the skill level and physical capabilities of the players it's absolutely no contest. i was watching 98 GF few weeks ago and some of the kicking skills on display would simply not be AFL level in 2016. if you just plucked the 99' roos out of the 90s and inserted them into 2013 and had to play the hawks the hawks would win by 100.

The 98 gf was one of the worst ever. Norfs couldn't kick to save themselves.

 

[Glorious couch life]

I have always had a theory that most indigenous players won't be elite endurance athletes ....why pure genetics really

These people had genetics for having to move swiftly for short periods to hunt for food ...those genetics get passed

Not saying for a second you can't train endurance into aboriginal player but generally it's less common ....as,e theory as white man can't jump ...

Adam Goodes was the best endurance indigenous athlete I've seen

Brad Hill is right there with Smith and Hartung as our best endurance athlete. He's often derided as being a soft, outside player but his run is so important to Hawthorn.
Shaun Burgoyne spoke about it recently, saying they need him in the side to burn off opponents, and how his unrewarded running creates space for his teammates. He ran Sydney ragged last week in a welcome return to form, and it went a long way to securing the win (along with Burgoyne and Rioli).
I can't think of too many others off the top of my head though.

 

[Forward Press]

Brad Hill is right there with Smith and Hartung as our best endurance athlete. He's often derided as being a soft, outside player but his run is so important to Hawthorn.
Shaun Burgoyne spoke about it recently, saying they need him in the side to burn off opponents, and how his unrewarded running creates space for his teammates. He ran Sydney ragged last week in a welcome return to form, and it went a long way to securing the win (along with Burgoyne and Rioli).
I can't think of too many others off the top of my head though.

His brother, for a start.

 

[Glorious couch life]

His brother, for a start.

Yep.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

The 98 gf was one of the worst ever. Norfs couldn't kick to save themselves.

even just the field kicking dude. not like today where you have to thread the needle to get the ball into the corridor. they were regularly missing guys in space by metres, both teams.

 

[Roobs321]

Peter Matera was the very first player I idolised. In the late 90s his figurine was one of my most treasured possessions. Innocent times.

 

[Monkey King]

Even within a Blue's highights package, they saw fit to sneak in this magnificent Matera goal (Jump to 0:45).
Round 21 WC v Ca 1995 - reigning premiers vs soon-to-be-premiers. In one of the best H&A games of all time, Matera pulled out this pearler

Even better was a goal Matera was involved in versus Carlton the previous season ...

 

[inbetween]

Even within a Blue's highights package, they saw fit to sneak in this magnificent Matera goal (Jump to 0:45).
Round 21 WC v Ca 1995 - reigning premiers vs soon-to-be-premiers. In one of the best H&A games of all time, Matera pulled out this pearler

Wow, pretty daring of him to take 2 bounces within a 2 second span whilst running full tilt through traffic.

 

[Kwality]

Wow, pretty daring of him to take 2 bounces within a 2 second span whilst running full tilt through traffic.

Could play the boy !!

 

[Daicosssssssssss]

if Matera was playing now I would lock him in for the Brownlow.
Way ahead of Dangerfield.

 

[dave123]

Brad Hill is right there with Smith and Hartung as our best endurance athlete. He's often derided as being a soft, outside player but his run is so important to Hawthorn.
Shaun Burgoyne spoke about it recently, saying they need him in the side to burn off opponents, and how his unrewarded running creates space for his teammates. He ran Sydney ragged last week in a welcome return to form, and it went a long way to securing the win (along with Burgoyne and Rioli).
I can't think of too many others off the top of my head though.

Yeah, McLeods endurance was good ..so is hills from Fremantle

 

[dave123]

yeah but he had italian in him. I initially surprised to here he was indigenous. Phill actually looks like full italian.

Mother Italian I think from memory

 

[avishka5]

matera also sounds italian so he probably had someone in his dads side as well.

Mother Italian I think from memory

 

[Kickin Goals]

The 98 gf was one of the worst ever. Norfs couldn't kick to save themselves.

At least North managed to get there hands on the ball. 2007 *cough*.

 

[Kickin Goals]

Peter Matera is a legend and would carve it up playing now.

 

[kane249]

matera also sounds italian so he probably had someone in his dads side as well.

Dad was Italian, mother was indigenous.

 

[dave123]

Dad was Italian, mother was indigenous.

Thanks for that correctness

Probably a good combo

Italians have good endurance genetics (cyclists)

Mixed with indigenous speed ..no wonder he was good

 

[Spook]

There are 3 standout wingmen for me in my time watching the game:

Keith Greig
Robbie Flower
Peter Matera

Special mention to Nigel Lappin and Francis Bourke (who is one of my all time favs but is also a legend backman).

Those 3 are in no particular order.

no where near as good, elegant and skilled as the 3 you mentioned, but Dipper and Dougy were great to watch as well in the same era.

 

[AlbertonBloke]

At least North managed to get there hands on the ball. 2007 *cough*.

There's always a Camry flog wanting to make everything about their franchise. Let it go ffs

 

[dickballsack]

Issac Smith would probably be a good comparison if you were looking for a modern day player.

Matera was more dangerous around goals though.

That's absurd! Matera is a 6 time all Australian for gods sake.

 

[Scotland]

I reckon Matera had more in common with Dangerfield than Isaac Smith. Didn't have the core strength and spent less time in the centre square, but he had the same burst acceleration from a standing start which very few players have. Judd had it, Matera had it, Shuey has the poor man's version of it. The rest of our midfielders that I can remember have been pretty one paced. Even guns like Kemp, Kerr, Cousins never had the ability to just pick up the ball in traffic and run away from opponents like they were standing still.

As a half back he played a bit like Robert Murphy or Brodie Smith. Was a very attack minded half back rather than an intercept marker. Bounce stats weren't recorded until the end of his career but Matera was less than 1 a game from 1999-2002. In the early 90s I'd say his numbers would've been well up on that.