Where do you rate Buddy on Hawks' list of all time greats?

[parsons nose]

Yes I too wore the number 24 on my back as a child. I was inspired to write to Knightsy the year he broke his collarbone and missed winning the brownlow. As coincidence would have it I broke my collarbone the very same weekend playing junior football.

I still have the letter and photographs he sent in response and cherish them dearly.

Knightsy was in the top five I've seen in my time following Hawthorn along with Matthews, Dunstall, Platten and Gary Ayres.

As for buddy, I agree with Apurist, history judges Brereton fondly, however Buddy is a superior footballer. In years to come we'll all be raving about Buddies career. I have no doubt barring injury Buddy will be amongst the all time greats.

 

[Knights 24]

You won't get any arguments from me. The guy was my childhood hero

x 2 for me.

Was outstanding and a true champion.

Went forward toward the end of career and was equally good.

But as far as CHB's go, he stands alone.

One of the true HFC champions in every sense of the word.

 

[Agent Smith]

because Peter Knights = best CHF in VFL/AFL history bar none

correction - CHB, not CHF

Could have been a great CHF if given the opportunity... we're talking about someone who was ko'd in a grand final and I suspect too groggy to keep playing defense so he was moved up forward. Nice one Norf. He then proceeded to become our most influential forward in the last quarter and delivered us a premiership. Champion of the highest order.

Also played up forward in the latter part of his career and kicked something like 8 goals on a young Silvagni once at Princes Park if memory serves correctly. 1985, I think it was.

 

[MrFujiMoto]

If you take the teams of the late 70s and early 80s there were probably enough players there alone that would push Buddy out of the top ten. There were so many classy fringe players that where not as exciting but so effective in their positions... Tony Hall (Freak), Andy Collins, Pritchard, Jenke, Loveridge, John Kennedy, Curran, Greene, Wallace, Judge, Morrisey, Anderson, Allen. These are not even the superstars of these teams but I would gladly have most of them in a Hawks team today.

There is no way Buddy has done enough yet to outrate Dermie, Dipper, Dunstall, Hudson, Platten, Matthews, Knights, Bucky, Langford, Ayres, Mew, Tuck, Crawf and the list could go on. I think in time he will be remembered as a great if he keeps things going. he is certainly an amazing athlete who has the ability to spark the team with individual brilliance.

 

[Billyc]

He's only 24 so he can't be top 10 just on longevity.

But we shouldn't underestimate the careers of superstars just because they have more to come. His 2008 season was one of the greatest seasons by an individual in the club's history and he's played at a consistently high level since then. For 3-4 years now if you asked any coach in the AFL to name 3 players to build a side around, Franklin's name would be in there.

He'd be in our greatest ever side already, probably on a HFF. If he plays another 5-6 years at his current level, he'll be comfortably top 5 in the clubs history. If he lifts a notch and plays into his 30s, he'd be threatening Mathews and Hudson.