Which 1990s players would be even better in the current game? And which would be worse?

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I don't think anyone has suggested that Ablett played exclusively on the wing at any stage. He played there early days at Geelong and a bit in the centre when either Diesel wasn't available or when Diesel left after 2 seasons. He played mostly as a half forward or pretty much anywhere from the centre forward. He still had the odd game in the centre up until his permanent switch to full forward in 1993. For instance, his 150th in 1992 against the Eagles yielded 36 touches and 5 goals playing in the middle.

Podgey / Lethality used to fall into the trap of seeing how many scoring shots Ablett had and then surmised that he must have played full forward a lot more than he's given credit for. One of the beauties of Ablett was is that he had 50+ metres on either foot, that's why he was having so many shots.

The majority of posters on here that saw Ablett play, only saw his later years as a heavier, stay at home full forward, kicking centuries in the h&a and then being cooked come finals time. In the period that you've posted above when he was a lot lighter, he was a much better footballer to watch. He was breathtaking. You just need to look at his State of Origin debut on a hff when he kicked 8 goals at Subiaco after only 9 games at Geelong (and 6 at Hawthorn 2 years prior) It took commentators half a game to even know who he was.
Ablett would be a champion in any era, providing he could handle the professionalism and team rules they have these days. Pretty sure he kicked 14 from a wing for Geelong one day and I was there that Tuesday afternoon at Subiaco Oval when he kicked the 8 goals, wondered who the hell he was!
 
Ablett would be a champion in any era, providing he could handle the professionalism and team rules they have these days. Pretty sure he kicked 14 from a wing for Geelong one day and I was there that Tuesday afternoon at Subiaco Oval when he kicked the 8 goals, wondered who the hell he was!

He kicked the 14 against Richmond. Team mates have said he kicked the first 9 from the wing and last 5 p aying forward.

There is footage of it, it has no commentary.
 

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I think you could drop Peter Matera into today's game and he'd be totally fine.
 
He'd probably rotate in and out like a Dusty. What a site that would have been.

Please don't put him in the same breath as Martin.
Carey was a contested marking beast who could play at both ends of the ground as well as play as a ruck rover around the ground whenever Pagan felt the need to let him run free.

Martin's the icing on the cake of a champion team. He is not the difference in whether or not Richmond win or lose games of football.
 
Please don't put him in the same breath as Martin.
Carey was a contested marking beast who could play at both ends of the ground as well as play as a ruck rover around the ground whenever Pagan felt the need to let him run free.

Martin's the icing on the cake of a champion team. He is not the difference in whether or not Richmond win or lose games of football.

Wow, did you block the grand final out of your memory already?
 
Wow, did you block the grand final out of your memory already?

Mate, am a massive Martin fan. Was telling Carlton supporters to settle down when they were declaring Cripps the best player in the competition only 18 months ago as Martin was still the best going around but it gets a little embarrassing when kiddies of today put him in the same sentence as Wayne Carey.
Happens far too frequently and today's game is the softest it has ever been. A star midfielder only needs to be sneezed on and he is awarded a free kick as they waltz around without a tagger accumulating 25-30 disposals a game.
 
Mate, am a massive Martin fan. Was telling Carlton supporters to settle down when they were declaring Cripps the best player in the competition only 18 months ago as Martin was still the best going around but it gets a little embarrassing when kiddies of today put him in the same sentence as Wayne Carey.
Happens far too frequently and today's game is the softest it has ever been. A star midfielder only needs to be sneezed on and he is awarded a free kick as they waltz around without a tagger accumulating 25-30 disposals a game.

I'm old enough to remember Carey and while overall across the careers he's still way ahead of dusty, what dusty has done on the big stage can't be underestimated and is better than Carey. IMO Geelong wins the 2020 gf if dusty didn't play.
Martin is the best big game performer I've ever seen
 
I think you could drop Peter Matera into today's game and he'd be totally fine.
Yep. Brett Heady, Guy McKenna, Chris Lewis and Don Pyke as well. Excellent foot skills don't go out of fashion.

Silvagni would struggle with the 'holding' rules today.
 
Yep. Brett Heady, Guy McKenna, Chris Lewis and Don Pyke as well. Excellent foot skills don't go out of fashion.

Silvagni would struggle with the 'holding' rules today.

absolutely....and pace also which both Lewis and Matera had in spades.
Plus given the stigma around racial abuse now, you'd have to think Lewis wouldn't lose his cool so much now days from being baited by opposition players.
 

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Changing the interpretation for chopping of the arms would have benefited many of the lead and jumps full forwards of the time.
 
Kouta.

Daniel Chick was explosive, strong, fast and knew his way around goal. Was an excellent tackler also. Would be a weapon in modern footy as a pressure forward who could play small and tall.
 
I think due to his deep forward heroics at Adelaide, people forget what a skillful, creative half forward/mid type he was at Hawthorn.

Freak is a word used often these days but Jarman was special. Amazing how some people just never look like athletes until they are out there in full motion. Jarman was a game breaker. Incredibly gifted footballer. Probably rarely trained or needed to work out like 90% of everyone else needed to.
 
You would have to conclude that the power forwards of the late 80's/early 90's - Dunstall, Lockett, Ablett, Modra etc would not have been as effective due to the changing style of play - zoning etc.
 
You would have to conclude that the power forwards of the late 80's/early 90's - Dunstall, Lockett, Ablett, Modra etc would not have been as effective due to the changing style of play - zoning etc.

Ablett would play hbf, wing or hff, one of his greatest talents that would be in big demand would be his ability to kick 50+ on either foot. He run, carry and kick straight over zones.
 
Spida Everett

100%. People forget how many goals he was kicking while still spending most of his time in the ruck at St Kilda. 40 plus goals in 4 separate seasons. Found it strange he was never really a goalkicker after leaving the Saints.

But yeah, he would be the ideal forward/ruck that always gets mentioned these days.
 
Podgey / Lethality used to fall into the trap of seeing how many scoring shots Ablett had and then surmised that he must have played full forward a lot more than he's given credit for. One of the beauties of Ablett was is that he had 50+ metres on either foot, that's why he was having so many shots.

You can clearly see some years he's having more shots than others, it's reasonable to surmise that those years he's playing more of a forward role than other years where he's having fewer shots. But even if he is playing further out than a full-forward would, that's still effectively a full forward role if a certain percentage of his disposals are shots on goal, even if it's not a true full forward position.

I think he would be very good in this era but he would mostly play as a striker, that is a mid/forward player maybe like a Fyfe or Heeney or a Stringer.

I feel that Michael Voss would be much better in this era of midfielders resting forward. He wouldn't lose any possessions, but would score a lot more.
 

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Which 1990s players would be even better in the current game? And which would be worse?

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