Best player you've ever seen?

[Bedi]

Prime Chris Judd. Never seen a more dynamic midfelder.

Judd would get my vote as the best midfielder i've seen

 

[Tasmanian saint]

Early nineties Lockett was close to unstoppable

 

[Bedi]

I was fortunate to see all the superstars of the 80s and 90s but I'm going with Lance Franklin. Absolute freak.

But otherwise, I have never seen a player dominate like Wayne Carey

 

[Off Tap]

I have never seen a player dominate like Wayne Carey

Wayne Carey was always meh when I saw him. Our bloke would always towel him up.

 

[Chip Scab1]

I remember him being wasteful in 98, good in 99 maybe? Prelims were his go

He was good without being dominant.

1996 he was good, Dunkley played well. Kicked 1-2
1998 he kicked poorly and was beaten. Kicked 2-~5, the volley from 30m (1st goal was special tho)
1999 he was beaten by SOS, probably, kicks 6-7 under today's rules. Kicked 2 I think and inc one handed contested mark against the Full Back of the Century

His finals series in 1994 was next level, check out his stats, it's mind blowing the fact he did that on one leg is what elevates him to GOAT imo. As you can imagine with little Nicky, imagine he had to deal with 2 taggers... that's what Carey had to deal with most weeks. Balls kicked high and long in his direction with his opponent and the opposition ruckman trying to spoil him - all day. And not receiving any free kicks due to abusing the umpires whilst being physically assaulted at every contest.

The stat which would seperate Carey from Ablett, Lockett (if it were counted back then) is goal assists. 3-5 a game I reckon. Whilst he kicked 700+, he gave away another 300+ IMO.

This is proven by his GA stats as a cooked old man at the Crows. Apparently he had 17 in 2003. Which basically means he could have had ~50 a year in 1992-1999 with 2 working arms and pace he had.

 

[nineteen eighty]

Lethal whacked Bruns off the ball in 1985, yep broke his jaw (some might say stopped him yapping) in a violent display. Now I suggest just for some context you go and have a look at just a few moments of the careers of Banks v Rhys-Jones, Brereton and anything Essendon, Carl Ditterich and anything that got close enough....Magro/Jesaulenko, Ron Andrews and anything Hawthorn, Stewie Gull, Ray Biffen, Malthouse v John Nicholls, Neil Balme and Carlton....
...

So Lethal and Bruns was "tame" by comparison to many many more such incidents. But like Banksy and Rhys...it was caught on camera and it was punishable.

Matthews was no more a thug than any of the other 100 or so going around in the then VFL. But as a footballer he was supreme. A competitive beast of the highest order with an efficiency rate that only highly skilled athletes can ever achieve.

Well said. And that's why when people ask me for the most courageous players I have seen in my time (going back to the 60's), I always talk about KB and Garry Wilson as 2 of the most courageous. How they survived back then with all the king hits and pure brutality of those who played still amazes me. They weren't the only 2...there were plenty who were ball players. They needed the protection of some of their teammates though to simply survive.

 

[Sir_Loin]

Gaz junior followed by peak Dane swan

Dane Swan

Age

41

Ht

185cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.9

5star

K

16.4

5star

HB

10.4

5star

M

5.9

5star

T

3.1

5star

CL

5.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

12.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

Two absolute freaks in their prime

 

[SSSSSS]

Early nineties Lockett was close to unstoppable

And if you tried to stop him he'd knock your head off.

 

[Robroy22]

Wayne Carey was always meh when I saw him. Our bloke would always towel him up.

I saw the game when Bucks took Carey apart playing as a small but mobile CHB, but always enjoyed watching Glenn Jakovic do it to him

 

[Robroy22]

Well said. And that's why when people ask me for the most courageous players I have seen in my time (going back to the 60's), I always talk about KB and Garry Wilson as 2 of the most courageous. How they survived back then with all the king hits and pure brutality of those who played still amazes me. They weren't the only 2...there were plenty who were ball players. They needed the protection of some of their teammates though to simply survive.

Gary Wilson was an absolute star, him and Robbie Flower for mine. KB was too Hungry for me to love that.

 

[Robroy22]

And if you tried to stop him he'd knock your head off.

So how brave/ stupid was Craig Kelly pinching Plugger's hairy legs all the time trying to get him to chase him!
Saw old cement head run two lengths of Viccy Park one day with Plugger chasing him trying to kill him! Getting Plugger off his game was an artform in itself. Shawy was gobbing him all day long just trying to get inside his head.

 

[Marlo]

King Carey

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

King Carey said Dunstall was the best he's ever seen and played against.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Fair enough that there’s a lot of younger posters on here who didn’t get to see Lethal, but I find it amusing when people talk about Carey or Gaz Jnr as being the best ever.

Lethal’s output has never been matched.

No one is likely to ever come close to his 41 possession, 11 goal game either.

 

[Lockyer24]

Carey, was the only player you set your time aside to watch on Friday night. Was funny watching Buckley play on him with mixed results. But would have loved to see the Duck play in the middle more.

Ablett was beaten by Gavin Brown on a wing, once he was opposed to someone at his competitive level he wasn’t as good for mine. The full backs back then were donkeys.

But Neale and Cripps weren’t half as good as these blokes.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Carey, was the only player you set your time aside to watch on Friday night. Was funny watching Buckley play on him with mixed results. But would have loved to see the Duck play in the middle more.

Ablett was beaten by Gavin Brown on a wing, once he was opposed to someone at his competitive level he wasn’t as good for mine. The full backs back then were donkeys.

But Neale and Cripps weren’t half as good as these blokes.

Great post. Carey played midfield for 1 quarter in his career. 3rd Q of 1999 GF, had 7 at 100%. Went ok.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Carey

 

[My Tilly]

I saw the game when Bucks took Carey apart playing as a small but mobile CHB, but always enjoyed watching Glenn Jakovic do it to him

Buckley was a very ordinary defender. Collingwood were woeful so poor Bucks had to try and do it all and Carey often dominated him. There was one game where Buckley did a fantastic job but other than that, Carey did as he pleased.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Buckley was a very ordinary defender. Collingwood were woeful so poor Bucks had to try and do it all and Carey often dominated him. There was one game where Buckley did a fantastic job but other than that, Carey did as he pleased.

Buckley beat Duck that day, but Duck was in self preservation mode. Hardly going to go berserk for a meaningless game.

 

[Pistol Night]

Buckley was a very ordinary defender. Collingwood were woeful so poor Bucks had to try and do it all and Carey often dominated him. There was one game where Buckley did a fantastic job but other than that, Carey did as he pleased.

I remember Blighty putting GAS on Dunstall one day when the Hawks were belting the Cats. Don’t think Gaz was overly impressed with the move.

 

[My Tilly]

I remember Blighty putting GAS on Dunstall one day when the Hawks were belting the Cats. Don’t think Gaz was overly impressed with the move.

Terrible defender but quite good off the half back flank which he did frequently between 1987-1992.

 

[Pistol Night]

Terrible defender but quite good off the half back flank which he did frequently between 1987-1992.

Absolute freak of nature. My first real football memories are the 89 finals and the entire series watching him from up the ground and then deep forward we’re just insane. We’ll never see a pure talent like it again. I still rate Carey greater for longer but Gaz Seniors ceiling was something we’ve never seen and never will

 

[HairyO]

Matthews 1
Snr 2
Carey 3
Quinlan 4 he won a Briwnlow as a 6 ft 5 centreman

Id be very similar for the top 3. Quinlan was a grest footballer and always seemed to save his best for playing us.

4 through 10 would probably include Dunstall, Lockett, Judd, Buddy, Jnr, Voss and Dusty or S Mitchell or Hird or R Harvey, etc.

 

[Sewer de Lance]

Judd would get my vote as the best midfielder i've seen

I acknowledge it’s a subjective exercise, but on objective data alone, Gary Jr had Juddy covered in most disciplines of the game.

 

[Bedi]

I remember Blighty putting GAS on Dunstall one day when the Hawks were belting the Cats. Don’t think Gaz was overly impressed with the move.

Was there that day at Kardinia Park. Never seen a player subjected to such humiliation. Ah memories