Yes he was - for the entire 1995 season. Kicked 122 goals, won his 3rd successive Coleman medal, also captained Victoria the day Whitten did a lap of honour before the game. If Ablett was so ordinary, how come the team he captained made the Grand Final (yes I know we didn't win it) and North with Carey didn't?
Co captain if I remember correctly and was woeful in the Grand Final when you were absolutely pumped.
And he kicked a truckload of points, and was selfish, and doesn;t even compare to Dunstall as a player.
Bullsh*t. You could not be more wrong. But blaming the one guy in your team who does perform seems like insanity. From 1993-95 Ablett kicked 3 successive tons (124, 129 & 122). Not a bad return for a player over 30 I would have thought. Apparently not - it was his fault we didn't win the flag. Of course, it's so obvious.
So I guess Skilton wasn't great either right? South's troubles were caused by him selfishly winning 3 Brownlows but failing to inspire his teammates.
Not blaming him, just saying he never bought others into the game which may be the reason he was able to do so many memorable things.
How many times did he kick around a corner and miss when he could have created opportunities for others by dishing off. How many of his teammates gave up running past because of this deficiency in his game. How many training sessions did he miss.
Not saying he is not a champion, just saying he is massively overrated given the fundamentals of team sports are about making the group better, and special players could do that by being uncompromising about what's expected. Ablett could never demand that.
As I said, give me Carey, Voss , Hird , even Dunstall. Good players don't let clubs kow tow to them like Ablett did, they create the culture of success and, embrace it and become custodians of it.
Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick Above.
Ablett wasn't within a bull's roar of that of brnging that critical dynamic to his football club, and I believe the kow towing and worshipping of his individuality is the main reason the briliant Cat sides of the early 90's never claimed the ultimate prize.
Fantastic individual, not the best player by a long way.