How would former great players go in the modern game?

[RUNVS]

Sort of like the title suggests I thought it would be interesting to discuss former players, probably not the really recently retired players but players who have been out of the game a few years and how you think they would go in the modern game, or if their styles and how they played would work in the modern game.

I think an interesting example of this, though this is going back some way is Polly Farmer who is the AFL team of the century ruckman, and while I did not see him play he was undoubtably an amazing player to get in that team. Only problem, he is 191cm tall. If he was in the modern game there is no way he would be a ruckman. He would have to either be a medium defender (or forward) or if he had the tank go in the midfield but he would not be the top ruckman in the modern game at that height.

What about guys like Stephen Silvagni as well, as he was supposedly the best key defender of the modern age but I have also heard he was an expert at tactics that would in the modern game be considered a free kick against him. Would he be as effective in 2017/2018 if he had to follow the modern rules?

and what about great power forwards like Locket and Dunstall, both of whom were big (width wise), excellent kicks, reasonably fast on the lead but also surprisingly short (Lockett at 191cm and Dunstall at 188cm) and also could not apply defensive pressure if their lives depended on it. Could they be taught to apply pressure? Also how would their roles be different in 2017 than it was in the late 80's and early 90's?

So how do you think former great players would go in the modern game?

 

[Captain_Bender]

Sort of like the title suggests I thought it would be interesting to discuss former players, probably not the really recently retired players but players who have been out of the game a few years and how you think they would go in the modern game, or if their styles and how they played would work in the modern game.

I think an interesting example of this, though this is going back some way is Polly Farmer who is the AFL team of the century ruckman, and while I did not see him play he was undoubtably an amazing player to get in that team. Only problem, he is 191cm tall. If he was in the modern game there is no way he would be a ruckman. He would have to either be a medium defender (or forward) or if he had the tank go in the midfield but he would not be the top ruckman in the modern game at that height.

What about guys like Stephen Silvagni as well, as he was supposedly the best key defender of the modern age but I have also heard he was an expert at tactics that would in the modern game be considered a free kick against him. Would he be as effective in 2017/2018 if he had to follow the modern rules?

and what about great power forwards like Locket and Dunstall, both of whom were big (width wise), excellent kicks, reasonably fast on the lead but also surprisingly short (Lockett at 191cm and Dunstall at 188cm) and also could not apply defensive pressure if their lives depended on it. Could they be taught to apply pressure? Also how would their roles be different in 2017 than it was in the late 80's and early 90's?

So how do you think former great players would go in the modern game?

Most former KPP and Ruckmen would probably struggle due to the size difference compared to modern players and probably wouldn't play in the same position but overall most star players from older eras would probably still be stars these days if they had the same fitness standards of today

 

[PrinceCharles]

You a North recruiter looking for ideas?

 

[Cmarsh]

Roy Cazaly was 180cm tall. Played in the ruck. Ouch.

 

[Heaps of fun]

When you look at Diesel Williams's numbers from the 90s you gotta wonder what he'd put up in today's heavily congested game.

 

[Damon_3388]

Dunstall "could not apply defensive pressure if his life depended on it"? He was one of the best, if not the best, forward of his era for defensive pressure, tackling and 1%ers. Obviously it wasn't at the level of players today (nobody in any part of the ground was back then), but I don't think workrate or intent would be a problem.

Dunstall's height might be an issue if the intent is to play him at Full Forward, however he had the quickness and smarts on the lead and strength and body size to offset it (Dunstall was also one of the physically strongest players of his era too).

 

[Komrade_Tiger]

defenders would excell
forwards not so much

 

[RUNVS]

Dunstall "could not apply defensive pressure if his life depended on it"? He was one of the best, if not the best, forward of his era for defensive pressure, tackling and 1%ers. Obviously it wasn't at the level of players today (nobody in any part of the ground was back then), but I don't think workrate or intent would be a problem.

Dunstall's height might be an issue if the intent is to play him at Full Forward, however he had the quickness and smarts on the lead and strength and body size to offset it (Dunstall was also one of the physically strongest players of his era too).

With modern training techniques, slimming down Dunstall, would he play the Jack Darling sort of role or could he actually be moved into the midfield for short bursts?

 

[ApplecrossWC]

What about guys like Stephen Silvagni as well, as he was supposedly the best key defender of the modern age but I have also heard he was an expert at tactics that would in the modern game be considered a free kick against him. Would he be as effective in 2017/2018 if he had to follow the modern rules?

Silvagni is one of the most overrated players in the history of the game.

 

[Jack Bradley]

Just watched highlights of Careys game V melbourne in 1996. What an athletic beast he was.

Would easily still kill it in todays game.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Sort of like the title suggests I thought it would be interesting to discuss former players, probably not the really recently retired players but players who have been out of the game a few years and how you think they would go in the modern game, or if their styles and how they played would work in the modern game.

I think an interesting example of this, though this is going back some way is Polly Farmer who is the AFL team of the century ruckman, and while I did not see him play he was undoubtably an amazing player to get in that team. Only problem, he is 191cm tall. If he was in the modern game there is no way he would be a ruckman. He would have to either be a medium defender (or forward) or if he had the tank go in the midfield but he would not be the top ruckman in the modern game at that height.

What about guys like Stephen Silvagni as well, as he was supposedly the best key defender of the modern age but I have also heard he was an expert at tactics that would in the modern game be considered a free kick against him. Would he be as effective in 2017/2018 if he had to follow the modern rules?

and what about great power forwards like Locket and Dunstall, both of whom were big (width wise), excellent kicks, reasonably fast on the lead but also surprisingly short (Lockett at 191cm and Dunstall at 188cm) and also could not apply defensive pressure if their lives depended on it. Could they be taught to apply pressure? Also how would their roles be different in 2017 than it was in the late 80's and early 90's?

So how do you think former great players would go in the modern game?

Ignore small forwards, Dunstall was probably the greatest forward who applied defensive pressure. Where Dunstall would fail is that there is about 1-2 moments in an AFL game nowdays where a forward is toe to toe with a defender wrestling for position. In todays game any defender worth his salt would come over and just kill the ball.

 

[kranky al]

Just watched highlights of Careys game V melbourne in 1996. What an athletic beast he was.

Would easily still kill it in todays game.

Unless you put jako on him

 

[Jack Bradley]

Unless you put jako on him

them were the days

 

[Sinjin Smith]

Silvagni is one of the most overrated players in the history of the game.

How so? In your words how was he overrated?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Yep, it’s the off-season.

 

[deflated]

Great athletes are great athletes, they would just play a different position. Laurie Nash is a good one for this; he was only 1.75m so there is no way he would play CHF or CHB today. But he was good enough to kick 18 against SA in SoO, open the bowling for Australia in tests and be considered the GOAT by Jack Dyer. If he was raised to play the game today he'd be an AA regular as a rebounding HBF or small forward.

 

[Sttew]

Roy Cazaly was 180cm tall. Played in the ruck. Ouch.

John Nicholls, one of greatest rucks, was same height as Chris Judd

 

[Anja_Nees]

Josh Thurgood was just born ten years too early.

 

[longdonkey]

The players of yesteryear would adapt to todays game in terms of ball skill and training as a full-time professional. Some players would play different positions though. Physiology has changed in the last 20 years not too many 7 footers in trenches at Galipoli. Like Don Scott wouldn't play ruck . SOS would be a 3rd defender/ intercept rather than a human straight jacket. Carey and the like would still be champions. Some wouldn't play because they didn't have the engine as opposed to not being able to play the game.

 

[Deep]

To all the people who make 10 threads a month should take notice of how RUNVS does it because he actually tries and adds effort into it unlike other users. There's a reason this guy doesn't get dissed like perthboy.

 

[Monkey King]

Silvagni is one of the most overrated players in the history of the game.

When all-time champions the likes of Lockett, Dunstall and Hird say he was the best they played on, I’d suggest it’s more a case of you underrating him than anything.

 

[PrinceCharles]

The players of yesteryear would adapt to todays game in terms of ball skill and training as a full-time professional. Some players would play different positions though. Physiology has changed in the last 20 years not too many 7 footers in trenches at Galipoli. Like Don Scott wouldn't play ruck . SOS would be a 3rd defender/ intercept rather than a human straight jacket. Carey and the like would still be champions. Some wouldn't play because they didn't have the engine as opposed to not being able to play the game.

SOS is 194cms, think he'd still be able to play on the big boys.

 

[Blue Heart]

Silvagni is one of the most overrated players in the history of the game.

Yes I totally agree that SOS was really overrated as a FB, especially when you consider the quality of opposition he played on such as White, Carey and Ablett Snr. in the 1995 finals and conceded zero goals for the 3 games !!!

 

[longdonkey]

SOS is 194cms, think he'd still be able to play on the big boys.

Same height as Jake Lever.

 

[emuboy]

The way the game was played even in the 1990s is very different from today.

For example, if you travelled back in time to 1992 and went to a Hawthorn vs. St Kilda game you would see Dunstall (H) and Frawley (S) at one end of the ground, Lockett (S) and Langford (H) at the other, and they would largely stay there until the ball next came into the vicinity. Now when the ball is at one end of the ground, there are very rarely any players of either team at the other end of the ground, they have followed the play down.