- Jun 22, 2008
- 24,580
- 21,275
- AFL Club
- Geelong
Greg Williams and then Scott West played in an era where it wasn't fashionable to handball more than kick.
Tom Mitchell runs at 12K 17H per game over his career, Clayton Oliver 9K 19H. Greg Williams was 12.5K 14.4H. People are more focused on clearance and disposal numbers now whereas in the 90s getting 20 kicks was rated higher than 5 kicks and 20 handballs.
Contested possessions and contested marks only started being recorded in 1999, clearances and inside 50s in 1998. Mitchell, Josh Kennedy, Cripps, Priddis, Tom Liberatore have all recorded 180+ clearances in a season. Brett Ratten got 265. Travis Cloke has the record for contested marks with 95, I reckon Wayne Carey in the mid 90s would have bettered that. If Diesel was playing in today's footy I reckon he would be a regular 20 vote per season player.
Except in William's case, he was renowned for his handballing so he was an exception to the rule, it's what got him a guernsey in the AFL Team of the Century. Lying on the couch on a Sunday afternoon, nursing a hangover, watching the Swans and watching Williams slicing sides up with his laser like handballs was awesome.