View Full Version : Garry Hocking vs Paul Couch vs James Bartel
Lingsface
1 Jul 2008, 16:26
In what order would we have these legends of our club. Personally I would have Garry then Jim then Paul.
In what order would we have these legends of our club. Personally I would have Garry then Jim then Paul.
1. Buddha
2. Daylight
3. Bartel
4. Couch
LifeSpan-Void
1 Jul 2008, 16:36
Jimmy still has about 150-odd games to try and match Hocking's career. Not a fair comparison to make right now
table tennis
1 Jul 2008, 16:49
1. Buddha
2. Daylight
3. Bartel
4. Couch
Im an essendon man, but you couldnt be more right. Bhudda Hocking is/was a star.
Bartel is obviously good, but he has a long way to go. Couch was a great too, but servicable and more than handy are good descriptive words for him.
Take the two abletts out of GFC history for a second, and you guys would all be going on about Bhudda. Would have killed to have him at Essendon.
Wiskers32
1 Jul 2008, 17:00
Im an essendon man, but you couldnt be more right. Bhudda Hocking is/was a star.
Bartel is obviously good, but he has a long way to go. Couch was a great too, but servicable and more than handy are good descriptive words for him.
Take the two abletts out of GFC history for a second, and you guys would all be going on about Bhudda. Would have killed to have him at Essendon.
What about billy brownless " the king of geelong" ha ha
Exhale You
1 Jul 2008, 17:02
Couch was a great too, but servicable and more than handy are good descriptive words for him.
A little harsh on Couch.
259 games, Brownlow Medallist, 3-time B&F winner (first at 22, last at age 31), 3-time All-Australian and member of our Team Of The Century.
You don't rack up those achievements if you're just "servicable".
Strong hands Magee
1 Jul 2008, 18:14
Lets wait until Jimmy's career has ended and then compare notes. Just depends what criteria you rate them by. For example, Jim and Paul both have Charlie's around their necks. Jim has a GF medal etc
I think Jimmy will really stand up and produce even more in the second half of this season.
Either way all great players. Plus i have a soft spot for Couch for being guest speaker at my under 11's best and fairest night!
The Cork Soaker
1 Jul 2008, 18:22
A little harsh on Couch.
259 games, Brownlow Medallist, 3-time B&F winner (first at 22, last at age 31), 3-time All-Australian and member of our Team Of The Century.
You don't rack up those achievements if you're just "servicable".
dead right
candiehappy
1 Jul 2008, 18:49
Depends if you are looking at home and away, or finals. Sadly Buddha, who is my favourite of the three, wasn't at his best in a GF.
Hinkley29
1 Jul 2008, 20:27
Depends if you are looking at home and away, or finals. Sadly Buddha, who is my favourite of the three, wasn't at his best in a GF.
He wasn't Robinson Crusoe in this regard unfortunately.
Hinkley29
1 Jul 2008, 20:43
In what order would we have these legends of our club. Personally I would have Garry then Jim then Paul.
Buddha - all time great at Geelong. Tough as nails but also had sublime skills. An enforcer when we had very few of this type of players. Injuries seemed to hit him at unfortunate times, and definitely slowed him down at the end of his career, but an all around champion, no doubt. His record in the Brownlow, without winning one was astounding.
If you compare Bartel's career to date, with Couch's career up to age 25, Couch was in front. Bartel had a stellar 2007 and 2008 has been good without being outstanding. But prior to this, his career could be described as inconsistent. Couch was a very consistent performer at this point in his career, and had put together a very good career up to this age (2 x B&F and a Brownlow). Bartel obviously has the premiership to his name, but this is more a team thing than an individual accolade.
Couch's problem was that at certain times in the 2nd half of his career, he wasn't very good. He was exposed for his lack of defensive aspect at times, and the 2nd half of his career could be descirbed as patchy (yes, he won a B&F in 1995 at age 31, but this was after he had had some ordinary years ).
In my eyes, Couch was underrated because he played in a team of stars, but his best was absolute top shelf. The problem was that there was a large gap between his best and worst.
If Bartel performs over the next 5-7 years like we expect he will, he will surpass Couchy, but at the same points in their careers, Couch was slightly ahead in my opinion.
PoidaCat
1 Jul 2008, 21:07
Bartel @ Top.
chapmanmagic35
1 Jul 2008, 21:25
Call me when Bartel retires.
Duskfire
1 Jul 2008, 21:47
Personally, I think Hocking was one of the cats greatest ever players and is severely underrated by pretty much everyone because he never won a Brownlow or involved in a Premership side. However he finished second in the brownlow three or four times which is a tragedy almost. An amazing skilful tough player who had it all.
Couch was good, but as already pointed out, he lacked a bit defensivily and was patchy at best. bartel is still young.
But yeah, Hockings for me. greatest geelong midfielder. At least of the modern era. Was a bit too young to experience 60s and before.
Geelong_Sicko
1 Jul 2008, 23:05
Pickers and Bairstow went alright too - and how about Andrew Bews?
Tristagi
2 Jul 2008, 01:37
In what order would we have these legends of our club. Personally I would have Garry then Jim then Paul.
give Jimmy 150 games/7-8 years more at th club to judge...
by then he would have to go close..
give Jimmy 150 games/7-8 years more at th club to judge...
by then he would have to go close..
so you rekon he'll still be going around at 32-33?
With his great skill overhead i think he could be a full forward in his final years.. thoughts??
pollywaffle
3 Jul 2008, 13:38
Buddha is king . He was sublime both sides of the body, and tough to boot
..........and he had the hair!
Cheshire Cat
3 Jul 2008, 13:46
Buddha is my third favourite ever to play for the club behind Gaz Snr and Jnr. A fearsome competitor, great bloke too.
Cheshire Cat
3 Jul 2008, 13:48
Pickers and Bairstow went alright too - and how about Andrew Bews?
All solid players but not in the same league as the three aforementioned
All solid players but not in the same league as the three aforementioned
Buddha is the second greatest player i have ever seen pull on the hoops
here is my top five
1. Ablett Snr
2. Buddha
3. Scarlett
4. Ablett Jnr
5. Bairstow
6. (Mensch) ;)
so you rekon he'll still be going around at 32-33?
With his great skill overhead i think he could be a full forward in his final years.. thoughts??He'd be a bit short for that wouldn't he?
Exhale You
4 Jul 2008, 09:11
He'd be a bit short for that wouldn't he?
He's taller than the bloke who kicked 1000 goals for us.
diablo14
4 Jul 2008, 09:15
Call me when Bartel retires.
Indeed.
Exhale You
4 Jul 2008, 10:17
As an aside, i'd rate Mark Bairstow on the same level as Paul Couch.
He didn't have the longevity (for various reasons), but he was a true champion, and one of the better goalkicking midfielders the modern game has seen.
diablo14
4 Jul 2008, 10:55
As an aside, i'd rate Mark Bairstow on the same level as Paul Couch.
He didn't have the longevity (for various reasons), but he was a true champion, and one of the better goalkicking midfielders the modern game has seen.
Can't agree with you sorry. While Bairstow was one of the best kicks of a footy i've seen at Geelong, his work overall doesn't compare with Couchy.
Seems there are quite a few Geelong fans here who need to go back and watch some tapes and remind themselves of how good Paul Couch was. Remember he won a B&F in his first full season, filling the shoes of Greg Williams to boot, and never looked back from there.
It's just a damn shame, like with Buddha and Gazza, that we couldn't win one of those GF's. They'd be remembered as even better players than they already are had they been able to do it.
Tristagi
4 Jul 2008, 13:29
so you rekon he'll still be going around at 32-33?
With his great skill overhead i think he could be a full forward in his final years.. thoughts??
god yes, is hacks like Buckley and Harvey can run around till 35-36 Jimmy will still be winning the pill till his 50!
Exhale You
4 Jul 2008, 13:47
Seems there are quite a few Geelong fans here who need to go back and watch some tapes and remind themselves of how good Paul Couch was.
At the start of the thread i listed Couch's achievements and commenting about how good a footballer he was.
Saying that i believe Bairstow was just as good isn't a knock on Couch at all.
At the start of the thread i listed Couch's achievements and commenting about how good a footballer he was.
Saying that i believe Bairstow was just as good isn't a knock on Couch at all.
As you can see I rated Bairstow my #5 player i have ever seen in Geelong colours.
I believe that Bairstow's legacy is tainted by the 1992 Grand Final when Matera tore him a new one, but Matera was capable of doing that to anyone. He was an absolute gun and i used to love watching him play.
Couch was a gun but personally i rate Bairstow slightly ahead.
Remember 1990 when Bairstow went bush and Geelong didnt even make the finals. That year was sandwiched in between a Granny and a prelim.