Lockett, Dunstall and Ablett

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Just reading through the thread, Best Individual Performance You've Seen and having a bit of time on my hands with it raining here, I thought I'd have a look through the career stats of the above three.

They combined for 798 games and 3644 goals and 1921 behinds, that's 29.83 points per game, per player for every game that these 3 blokes set foot on the ground.

Of those 798 games, they were held goalless a combined total of 46 times, Locket 13, Dunstall 15 and Ablett 18.

In 372 of those 798 games they kicked 5 or more goals, they kicked 10 or more 50 times.

Lockett kicked 5 or more in over 51% of his 281 games, Dunstall 47.2% of his 269 games and Ablett 40.7% of his 248 games.

Lockett kicked 10+ 22 times, Dunstall 16 times and Ablett 12 times.

Lockett kicked a goal in each of his last 114 games, he had 9 games in a row where he kicked at least 5 goals and 11 games straight with at least 4 goals. In 1989 he played 11 games and only kicked less than 5 once. In 1991 he played 17 games and only kicked less than 5, 4 times and kicked 10+ on 6 occasions.

Dunstall had 6 games in a row where he kicked at least 5 goals and 11 games straight with at least 4 goals. Dunstall kicked 10+ in round 22, 5 times.

Ablett had 9 games in a row where he kicked at least 5 goals and 19 games straight with at least 4 goals.

Throw in the tail end of Matthew's career when these three started and Quinlan, Daicos, Capper and then the likes of Carey, Longmire, Modra, Sumich, Sav Rocca, Richo.

A generation or so earlier we had Hudson, McKenna, Wade and Jesaulenko but has there ever been such a sustained goal glut as there was from the mid 80s to mid 90s?

 

[Bollox]

Rance would've killed all of them.

 

[cammo78]

Three of the best to ever lace a boot.

In terms of pure full forwards:

Lockett > Dunstall > Ablett for mine.

I do however regard Ablett as the best player of the three.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Oops, looks like I picked a s**t time to start a new thread.

Damn those Bombers.

 

[PuntingFanatic]

Dunstall for me no contest. Best full forward ever IMO. 1992 snagged 145 majors, 5 off Peter Hudson's record.

 

[Demonated]

Three of the best to ever lace a boot.

In terms of pure full forwards:

Lockett > Dunstall > Ablett for mine.

I do however regard Ablett as the best player of the three.

Correct. Ablett may have been the 3rd best full forward of the 3, but he was certainly the best footballer. Lockett and Dunstall pretty close, Lockett had the sheer intimidation factor and precedes while the Chief had more success and was more team orientated. Lockett probably gets the nod of the 2.

I hate when people compare moderns forwards to their goal tallies though, the game has changed. Buddy and Fev would have had a few tons back in the day too, it's much harder to kick 100 these days. It's not like the comp has been short of talented forwards in the last 20 years.

 

[The Swert]

While the game plan of the day certainly assisted in high scoring and century-kicking full forwards. These 3 were the best in class. And what's quite remarkable is that none of them were particularly athletic. Strong yes, but they weren't the tallest or fittest players out there.

Those were golden days. 15 players in 1993 averaged over 2.5 goals per game.

Today we are seeing quite a drought of big full forwards. The game plans don't really suit it and with the retirement or near retirement of J Brown, M Pavlich and N Riewoldt we will be left with only current 1 player in the top 70 all-time goalkickers list (Franklin). I imagine you would have to go back a long way to find the last time that happened.

Only 1 current player averages over 2.5 goals a game.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Oops, looks like I picked a s**t time to start a new thread.

Damn those Bombers.

Coleman>All

 

[kangle4]

Dunstall for me no contest. Best full forward ever IMO. 1992 snagged 145 majors, 5 off Peter Hudson's record.

And Bob Pratts record.

 

[joop]

Stewwie Loewe

 

[Mitchell Madness]

If assist stats were kept back then, dunstall would be miles ahead

 

[cammo78]

Stewwie Loewe

When OP starts a thread about Centre Half Forwards, feel free to (laughably) put ol' Bucket Hands' name forward.

Until then - STFU.

 

[Zerg]

Three of the best to ever lace a boot.

In terms of pure full forwards:

Lockett > Dunstall > Ablett for mine.

I do however regard Ablett as the best player of the three.

Absolutely and not only is he the best of the three but he's also the best of all time.

He did things no other footballer has ever done and very few would even dream about. Out and out legend.

 

[Zerg]

Stewwie Loewe

You don't even know where you own players used to play...

 

[joop]

When OP starts a thread about Centre Half Forwards, feel free to (laughably) put ol' Bucket Hands' name forward.

Until then - STFU.

Yet OP mentions Carey, Sav Rocca & Richo.
I literally have too many comebacks to throw at your stupid ass to write one.

 

[MinerBoy]

Three of the best to ever lace a boot.

In terms of pure full forwards:

Lockett > Dunstall > Ablett for mine.

I do however regard Ablett as the best player of the three.

Agree with the call on FFs. I think it translates to overall players too though.

 

[cammo78]

Yet OP mentions Carey, Sav Rocca & Richo.
I literally have too many comebacks to throw at your stupid ass to write one.

Either way - Loewe's name belongs nowhere near this conversation, based both on position and ability.

 

[joop]

You don't even know where you own players used to play...

Sorry show me where the OP said it's a thread only about Full Forward? He threw in a couple of CHFs so I did too (albeit a joke but *s like you take the internet seriously)

 

[joop]

Either way - Loewe's name belongs nowhere near this conversation, based both on position and ability.

Either way, STFU.

 

[Bombermania]

I rate Jason Dunstall & Tony Lockett equals, I rate Ablett as a great more as a general forward than a full forward.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I remember the late Tom Hafey saying one night that Lockett was the best full forward he had seen, and he then said Gary Ablett is the best footballer he had ever seen and he plays full forward!

When you consider Ablett played only half of his career at FF it boggles the mind how many he would of kicked had he played his whole career at FF.

3 great players but Ablett has them both covered comfortably.

 

[MinerBoy]

No player in the history of the AFL covers Lockett and Dunstall comfortably.

 

[Schauermann]

Well, can't rank them. But Dunstall is certainly a bit underrated because he is (at least from my perception) less mentioned then the others when people talk about greatest forwards...

 

[The Swert]

When you consider Ablett played only half of his career at FF it boggles the mind how many he would of kicked had he played his whole career at FF.

People often mention that. But in the seasons where he did play full forward he was equal with Dunstall and Lockett, not better than.

Despite Ablett playing more up the ground, he never got close to winning a Brownlow. Lockett won one and Dunstall came runner up twice.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

People often mention that. But in the seasons where he did play full forward he was equal with Dunstall and Lockett, not better than.

Despite Ablett playing more up the ground, he never got close to winning a Brownlow. Lockett won one and Dunstall came runner up twice.

Brownlows are umpires awards, they have no bearing on how good a player is. Looks good on the resume but that is it.

Ablett, Carey, Mathews are all rated the best 3 players to ever play the game. None of them won a brownlow but everyone in the comp knew they were the best players in the comp.