Where does Mundy sit in the Pantheon of greats at Freo now?

[scottishfiction]

Nat Fyfe could have a 35 touch second half in a Grand Final where the Dockers were down by 40, kick four goals himself, and pinch our first flag and he still wouldn't be the best Freo player ever. I have no idea what state the club would be in if we hadn't have drafted him, but even worse, if he'd have left for the Crows in the 2000s.

there's no one comparable now. Gary Ablett dogged the Suns once the money dried up and it was all getting a bit tough. it's genuinely unprecedented.

I also think Pav had more games where he single handedly won it for us or summed up the win for us. Geelong in that final in 2011 is one example, even that 2012 Western Derby. Fyfe is in the top 3 players on the ground in every single game but he's yet to have that real genuine moment where your heart's pounding for him.

 

[ignoramus]

Nat Fyfe could have a 35 touch second half in a Grand Final where the Dockers were down by 40, kick four goals himself, and pinch our first flag and he still wouldn't be the best Freo player ever.

Finish the post there, read with a tone of exasperation, and you've summed up my thoughts.

I absolutely love Pav, and it took a fair while for me to get to the point of considering the possibility that his legacy could ever be rivalled, but at this point I'm trying to imagine what more Fyfe could possibly do to finally get the respect and admiration he deserves.

 

[MadMundy]

Mundy could easily be up around number 3 behind Pav and Fyfe by the time he hangs it up, he's gotten better as he's gotten older, so I reckon he's still got another 2 or so years to cement himself as the number 3.

 

[FreoRicci]

Finish the post there, read with a tone of exasperation, and you've summed up my thoughts.

I absolutely love Pav, and it took a fair while for me to get to the point of considering the possibility that his legacy could ever be rivalled, but at this point I'm trying to imagine what more Fyfe could possibly do to finally get the respect and admiration he deserves.

It’s a different trait.
Pavlich transformed what many roles were traditionally. Played them his own way. AAs in 5 different positions.
Fyfe has been great. But he needs a Norm Smith, a premiership to even come close to Pavlich’s legacy. Fyfe probably needs to play 250+, success as a captain and 4-5 AAs. Hasn’t done enough, beside his Brownlows, to come close.
It just the way the club were a joke, possibly close to folding that Pavlich remained and genuinely the only player to rise about it by 2006-2013. Fans will never forget that. Coupled with 353 games with 700 goals.
Take Pavlich’s resume, put him on a Victorian team. Hed be considered top 50 greatest of all time. That’s the absurdness of it all.

 

[ignoramus]

It’s a different trait.
Pavlich transformed what many roles were traditionally. Played them his own way. AAs in 5 different positions.
Fyfe has been great. But he needs a Norm Smith, a premiership to even come close to Pavlich’s legacy. Fyfe probably needs to play 250+, success as a captain and 4-5 AAs. Hasn’t done enough, beside his Brownlows, to come close.
It just the way the club were a joke, possibly close to folding that Pavlich remained and genuinely the only player to rise about it by 2006-2013. Fans will never forget that. Coupled with 353 games with 700 goals.
Take Pavlich’s resume, put him on a Victorian team. Hed be considered top 50 greatest of all time. That’s the absurdness of it all.

Sure. Like I say, I love Pav. I certainly don't dispute the enormity of his achievements. I'm more responding to the implication that Fyfe might do all of those things, plus win a third Brownlow, take the team to its first (second and third) premiership, and he still wouldn't "even come close". I'm responding to the sense that beyond recognising pure football prowess, there's something else at stake in greatness, something that Fyfe will, seemingly, never possess or attain.

There are plenty enough supporters (including many posters in this thread) who don't feel that way, of course, but it's still common enough for Pav to get accorded a kind of saintliness which gets denied of Fyfe, whose achievements get interpreted as the outcome of his personal ambition, rather than as a byproduct of his dedication to the club. Or maybe, because his Brownlows are proof that he has received due recognition from the VFL, and so he's not suffering the levels of under-appreciation required to equal the personal sacrifices made by Pav — the irony here being that if Fyfe never does win a third Brownlow, it'll very likely be owing to the fact that he has been sacrificing his own game for the sake of developing the squad, bringing others into the game, playing outside his preferred role, being a team-player, and (hopefully) leading the club to success.

So, I guess I'm wondering what Fyfe would have to do. If a Norm Smith & premiership, 250+ games, 4-5 AAs, etc. is what it would take for him to come close to Pav, what else would he have to do for it to no longer be a question?

 

[Electronic_Renaissance]

Can I just say how great I think Mundy is. I always feel safe when he has the ball in his hands.

Long may he reign. I hope Freo have a nice coaching gig for him once he retire.

 

[Purpletown]

Dave Mundy is equal 5th in the AFL coaches award, not bad for a 35 year old mid! Glides over the turf and sidesteps time with ease.

 

[Bastyy]

Dave Mundy is equal 5th in the AFL coaches award, not bad for a 35 year old mid! Glides over the turf and sidesteps time with ease.

Could be sitting on 5 or 6 Brownlow votes too

 

[Mogumber]

The dude is made of brick as well!!
Long Live King Dave

 

[purplerunsdeep2]

Said to my mate at the game yesterday it’s an absolute honour to be watching this kid.

Legend status within the club and AFL. Let’s appreciate the time we have left with him (prob 8 more seasons I’m thinking)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[freo1997]

3rd best in freos history.

He could be the most consistent though.

1.Pav
2. Fyfe
3. Mundy
4. Mcpharlin
5.Sandi/Bell

 

[Joao]

Pav
Fyfe
Mundy
McPharlin
Mitch (coming hard)

 

[Docker82]

1. Fyfe
2. Pav
3. McPharlin
4. Mundy
5. Sandilands

I’m sorry but McPharlin is criminally underrated. Was one of the best three key defenders in the league for close to a decade. Only Vic Bias media and injuries stopped him being All Australian as much as Pav.

 

[Joao]

1. Fyfe
2. Pav
3. McPharlin
4. Mundy
5. Sandilands

I’m sorry but McPharlin is criminally underrated. Was one of the best three key defenders in the league for close to a decade. Only Vic Bias media and injuries stopped him being All Australian as much as Pav.

He is, but so is Mundy and although it took him 100 games to get going, that means he has been doing it for 250.

 

[Docker82]

He is, but so is Mundy and although it took him 100 games to get going, that means he has been doing it for 250.

I don’t disagree Mundy is underrated but has he ever been in the top five mids in the comp?

Pav and McPharlin were in the best five in their position for over a decade. So was Sandilands to be fair but that was more about being huge than football ability. Fyfe is dual Brownlow medalist.

Can’t help but think it’s recency bias tbh. And I love Mundy as much as anyone on here for his longevity and how much he plays for the jumper.

 

[armpit]

I've always said, Mundy is better than Hird in every possible way. Even his hair.

 

[gaskin]

I don’t disagree Mundy is underrated but has he ever been in the top five mids in the comp?

Pav and McPharlin were in the best five in their position for over a decade. So was Sandilands to be fair but that was more about being huge than football ability. Fyfe is dual Brownlow medalist.

Can’t help but think it’s recency bias tbh. And I love Mundy as much as anyone on here for his longevity and how much he plays for the jumper.

Top 5? No but you could make a solid argument for top 10 for quite a number of years.

 

[Docker82]

Top 5? No but you could make a solid argument for top 10 for quite a number of years.

Exactly. Absolute gun for sure but a level below Fyfe, Pavlich and McPharlin.

 

[Wilksyy]

I've always said, Mundy is better than Hird in every possible way. Even his hair.

Oof, big call. The amount of times Hird stepped up in big games was something else. Did it to the Eagles quite a bit too which is why I hold him in high regard.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

I don’t disagree Mundy is underrated but has he ever been in the top five mids in the comp?

Pav and McPharlin were in the best five in their position for over a decade. So was Sandilands to be fair but that was more about being huge than football ability. Fyfe is dual Brownlow medalist.

Can’t help but think it’s recency bias tbh. And I love Mundy as much as anyone on here for his longevity and how much he plays for the jumper.

Well according to the coaches he is currently a top 5 mid in the comp.

 

[E Shed]

The disagreements in this thread come from how you define greatness.
If you're looking at pure football ability that's one thing but if you're taking into account longevity, resilience, loyalty etc; the things that add up to the effect a player has on a teams performance & culture over time.

Someone like Judd burned incredibly brightly for a while but finished comparatively early and was a shadow of himself towards the end.
Hodge was never as good but got better like fine wine and was a massive influence over a long successful period.

So which one do you draft with hindsight?

 

[Piggy Smalls]

The disagreements in this thread come from how you define greatness.
If you're looking at pure football ability that's one thing but if you're taking into account longevity, resilience, loyalty etc; the things that add up to the effect a player has on a teams performance & culture over time.

Someone like Judd burned incredibly brightly for a while but finished comparatively early and was a shadow of himself towards the end.
Hodge was never as good but got better like fine wine and was a massive influence over a long successful period.

So which one do you draft with hindsight?

I wouldn’t draft Mundy because Peter Sumich told me he will move back to Victoria at first opportunity.

 

[Joao]

I don’t disagree Mundy is underrated but has he ever been in the top five mids in the comp?

Pav and McPharlin were in the best five in their position for over a decade. So was Sandilands to be fair but that was more about being huge than football ability. Fyfe is dual Brownlow medalist.

Can’t help but think it’s recency bias tbh. And I love Mundy as much as anyone on here for his longevity and how much he plays for the jumper.

There are more mids than KPDs so I think top 10 is a better comparison and you can absolutely make a case for Mundy being in that group many times in the last decade. Top 5 maybe once (AA year).

 

[Bender571]

 

[Joao]

Stiff not to get the rising star nod. Scholl just beat up North.