View Full Version : Port greats on Adelaide Now
Ford Fairlane
18 Aug 2006, 08:49
If you go to the Adelaide Now (http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/sport/football/) (Advertiser) site, they have a little rolling slideshow (5 pics only) of Port greats, Gavin Wanganeen, Fos Williams, Harold Oliver, Bob Quinn and Russell Ebert. Worth a peek.
It's part of the Gavin Wanganeen tribute (http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,20167955-21543,00.html), once in a generation Port players.
Just a question but would you rate G Wanganeen the equal or even superior to R Ebert in regards to football ability etc ?
& would Essendon have as much right to call G Wanganeen a champion of Essendon ?
wharfie_1870
18 Aug 2006, 10:45
Just a question but would you rate G Wanganeen the equal or even superior to R Ebert in regards to football ability etc ?I would rate Wanganeen an equal. Different types of ability and played in different eras. I believe it is difficult to compare players who have not played at the same time. I first saw R Ebert play in 1968 and I didn't see G Wanganeen play until 1990. Both however made an immediate impression on me but I must admit I was more impressionable in 1968 than in 1990. :)
...would Essendon have as much right to call G Wanganeen a champion of Essendon ?Gav is offcially a Champion of Essendon (http://www.essendonfc.com.au/champions/default.asp)
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/coe-print-full.jpg
Gav is at the back on the right.
RussellEbertHandball
18 Aug 2006, 11:00
Just a question but would you rate G Wanganeen the equal or even superior to R Ebert in regards to football ability etc ?
& would Essendon have as much right to call G Wanganeen a champion of Essendon ?
The easy one first noddy, I have no problem Essendon calling Wanganeen a champion of Essendon. He made their team of the century. If Port got the AFL licence he would have stayed at Port. We didn't, he went to Essendon, but after a difficult decision he came home once we entered the AFL. Essendon embraced him, Sheedy embraced him. In some way he was leased to Essendon whilst we got into the AFL. No different to what a lot of WAFL and SANFL players did in the 70's and 80's.
The other question is tougher. After Mike Sheahan raised who was the best SA player after The Roo played his 300th I put my thoughts in this thread SA's best footballers (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=256474) I avoided the question and looked at post 1980 footballers. I reckon Bradely was SA's no.1 and Wangers no.5.
Sheahan put Wanger's at 8 and Ebert at 9 in his list but Sheahan only saw Ebert play 1 season, a few State games and video and read about him. Rucci had Ebert at no.1 and Wanger's at no.5. I find it difficult to compare the two and say who is better. If I had too I would give it to Ebert because I saw a lot of him in the flesh, I was younger and more impressionable when I saw him play and he played almost 400 games for the club and longetivity has to count strongly.
I have been thinking about comparisons of Port players a bit since Bradley made the Australian Football Hall of Fame. I wonder if Wanganeen will be inducted in 2010 when he becomes eligible or if Greg Phillips will beat him. I have come to the conclusion that he is unique amongst AFLfootballers and probably all footballers in the 4 southern states. I think Mark Williams in the article sums it up best when he says "The fact is that not too many people can be outstanding in three areas on the ground. He's an outstanding defender, he's a brilliant midfielder and he's a wonderful goal-kicker." I can't think of any other footballer who can say this. Plenty of good footballers have been good CHF and CHB but off the top of my head I can't think of any who have been so good in all 3 equally.
And talking of uniqueness, Shaun Burgoyne is slowly establishing himself as a unique player amongst Port's great. This will be the subject of a thread at a later date.