Top 20 Past Players you've seen in your life time?

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If I was to do a Top 5 Past Players list I've seen in my lifetime, it'd be by State of Origin, which is Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

So, here goes:

Victoria:

1. Leigh Matthews
2. Gary Ablett senior
3. Dustin Martin
4. Simon Madden
5. Wayne Johnston

South Australia:

1. Barrie Robran
2. Russell Ebert
3. Malcolm Blight
4. Michael Aish
5. Garry McIntosh

Western Australia:

1. Stephen Michael
2. Barry Cable
3. Ross Glendinning
4. Maurice Rioli
5. Brad Hardie
 

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Fadge said:
Acknowledging this is a 'Past Players' thread, many posters have taken the liberty of including current players whose body of work has them placed in their top 20 in their lifetime.

And of those who have done so, we have a Pendlebury:Martin ratio of 7:4.

About what I'd expect, but it might surprise some of the boisterous Richmond posters who struggle to watch non-Richmond games...
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Obsessed with Dustin Martin. Thread isn't even about players still playing. He has cooked your brain Fadge. :tearsofjoy:
 
PowerfulPies2023 said:
Adam Goodes was an absolute phenomenal player.


Really should have played longer. Great remarkable talent.
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He probably could have gone another year as he was still a best 22 player when he retired, though I think he was sick of being booed every time he touched the ball. It was emotionally draining.
 
In my time of really watching, so 96->

Buddy
Carey
Ablett Jnr
Martin
Goodes
Judd
Buckley
Voss
Bontompelli
Mcleod
Ricciuto
Hodge
Wanganeen
Selwood
Cousins
Akermanis
Dangerfield
Hird
N.Riewoldt
Cox
 
Jascave said:
If I was to do a Top 5 Past Players list I've seen in my lifetime, it'd be by State of Origin, which is Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

So, here goes:

Victoria:

1. Leigh Matthews
2. Gary Ablett senior
3. Dustin Martin
4. Simon Madden
5. Wayne Johnston

South Australia:

1. Barrie Robran
2. Russell Ebert
3. Malcolm Blight
4. Michael Aish
5. Garry McIntosh

Western Australia:

1. Stephen Michael
2. Barry Cable
3. Ross Glendinning
4. Maurice Rioli
5. Brad Hardie
Click to expand...
Agree with the mention of Maurice Rioli in this and an earlier list - absolute gun; another from that era was Graham Moss, won a Brownlow but went back to WA while still at the peak of his ability.
 
Sticking to the rules of 'past' players, no particular order.

G Ablett Snr
W Carey
T Lockett
J Dunstall
M Pavlich
D Jarman
M Voss
G Williams
R Harvey
C Judd
N Buckley
J Hird
L Franklin
D Cox
G Jakovich
S Black
J Selwood
A Goodes
P Daicos
G Ablett Jnr

There's a couple of changes to be made in the next year or two with some anticipated retirements
 
Yoda_ said:
Matthew Lloyd had some of the most dominant seasons I have seen from a full forward I can remember. Those 2000 and 2001 seasons were something else.
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Dunstall syndrome. Unattractive player (for opponents) and an annoying media career make it easier to forget him.

When he played Hird got the accolades because his best was so dazzling.

I recall a warmish ANZAC Day where Lloyd scrounged out 3 or 4 hard gritty goals to keep the Bombers alive, then we crumbled in the last, Hird finally surfaced and dobbed some sweet finishes and took the medal.

Lloyd was a brilliant and hardworking FF for sure, and has faded from many discussions.
 
In Order

1 Tony Lockett
2 Gary Abeltt Snr
3 Wayne Carey
4 Greg Williams
5 Lance Franklin
6 Garry Ablett Jnr
7 Michael Voss
8 Stephen Kernahan
9 Chris Mainwaring (best wingman I have ever seen, he was absolutely amazing)
10 Peter Daicos
11 Nicky Winmar
12 Scott Pendlebury
13 James Hird
14 Dustin Marin
15 Chris Judd
16 Andrew McLeod
17 Stephen Silvagni
18 Glen Jakovich
19 Simon Black
20 Jason Dunstall
 
Cyclops said:
Dunstall syndrome. Unattractive player (for opponents) and an annoying media career make it easier to forget him.

When he played Hird got the accolades because his best was so dazzling.

I recall a warmish ANZAC Day where Lloyd scrounged out 3 or 4 hard gritty goals to keep the Bombers alive, then we crumbled in the last, Hird finally surfaced and dobbed some sweet finishes and took the medal.

Lloyd was a brilliant and hardworking FF for sure, and has faded from many discussions.
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yeah, all very good points..

I look back to when he won the Coleman, he was so far in front of second.
 
RUNVS said:
I can't help but think there is a lot of childhood biases in a lot of these lists as players from the 90's just seem better because a lot of us were kids in the 90's.

I find it unrealistic though that basically the top 10 players of the last 33 years were all players who mostly played in the 90's.
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check the all Australian lists.
 
Dunstall was a legend.

Lloyd too I have to say a gun. Cummings should have got AA though in 1999. Come to think of it he's been totally screwed over twice in his life big time. Took a big toll on him. Lova ya Scotty Cummings.

J.D was a freak. 1992 season he got 145 goals. Just 5 off the ALL Time max which was Peter Hudson's 150? Hit Richmond for like 29 goals that season. 12 in the first encounter, 17 in the 2nd. Lol.


Legend.
 

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Adelaide Crows had some beauties.

Rehn was the best big man in the comp before he did his knee?

Ben Hart was a superb Full Back as was Nigel Smart who could play forward.

Tony Modra now what a mark and what a kick for goal. Will never forget that 93 season but he had some great games the year before which many don't remember. The Pies b2b, Lions and Eagles. You could see he was going to be something huge.

Those 10 goals on that Friday Night underlights for the dockers against the Dees was a great performance. Love that soccer goal.
 
RUNVS said:
True, but plenty of AA players in the 00's and 10's as well, and yet some people are basically exclusively having 90's players in the top 10.
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It is a past players thing RUNVS and one's that we've seen in our life time don't forget.



I see your point though.
 
Craig Bradley, Brett Ratten, midfield engines from the Bluueeeessssss.
 
RUNVS said:
I can't help but think there is a lot of childhood biases in a lot of these lists as players from the 90's just seem better because a lot of us were kids in the 90's.

I find it unrealistic though that basically the top 10 players of the last 33 years were all players who mostly played in the 90's.
Click to expand...

You do this all the time, disregarding opinions of others.
The opening post asked a question and many have answered. Why can’t you just accept their answer instead of trying to argue their selections are crap based on some biased?
Just pathetic you cannot accept opinions that don’t align with yours
 
Vigour said:
Agree with the mention of Maurice Rioli in this and an earlier list - absolute gun; another from that era was Graham Moss, won a Brownlow but went back to WA while still at the peak of his ability.
Click to expand...
When Essendon supporters heard about Graham Moss leading Claremont to the 1981 WAFL premiership over South Fremantle led by Mal Brown, they must've been wondering, 'Why did we let Moss go after he won the Brownlow in 1976?' I have the DVD of that game at home and it's interesting the wealth of WA talent that was on display. You had ie Claremont: Graham Moss, Steve Malaxos, Jim & Phil Krakouer, Wayne Blackwell, Warren Ralph; for South Fremantle- dual Sandover Medallist Stephen Michael, Maurice Rioli, Bruce Monteath (oh, how Richmond wished they had him in 1982), Noel Carter.
 
RUNVS said:
I can't help but think there is a lot of childhood biases in a lot of these lists
Click to expand...

Of course there are. I started watching as a kid in the mid 70s. It's why Maurice Rioli and Stephen Michael will always be top of the list of players I ever saw. I have never seen games dominated by two players like those two, and probably never will if I watch for another 50 years.
Carey had the greatest presence of any player I ever saw. Clearly had the mindset of a champion, you could see opponents beaten before they even blew the opening siren playing on him. Lockett was the only one that came close to him in that regard.
Ablett senior and Buddy were jaw dropping good but I also saw both of them totally dominated by opponents on some days, definitely in the top 20 but just below the Carey and Lockett level IMO as dominant forces.
They're my top 6.
Then in no order Grieg, Roos, Ken Hunter, Daisy Williams, Terry Daniher, Buckley, Peter Matera, Pavlich, Ablett junior, Cox, McLeod are immediately memorable guys thay did things regularly that made you say wtf?
That leaves me a couiple of spots, not sure who I would squeeze in there as I am sure to have forgotten someone important
 

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Top 20 Past Players you've seen in your life time?

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