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Best player you've ever seen?

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This bloke won't win many plaudits on here cos you either didn't see him play or you don't rate the old VFL as highly as the national comp.....but to my recollection, Kevin "Bulldog" Murray was simply a magnificent warrior footballer.
In a time when blokes didn't change clubs, you were either destined for finals glory or subjected to being an "also ran" simply by your birthplace (players were zoned to clubs back then by their place of birth or residence).

Murray played in the times of Whitten, then Skilton and Stewart. He played on Whitten and on Baldock and on Jesaulenko. He played undersized on all the champion forwards of his day (Hudson, Wade, McKenna, Jezza, Blethyn) and he played in a side that very rarely won more than 6-8 games a year. Yet he stuck...and he strove, and his determination lifted his team in all of his 333 games (then a games record).

Murray, like Skilton and many others in those days (Robbie Flower) was destined not to have finals success but shone whenever they played interstate footy. The interstate carnivals in those days were measured as the pinnacle of Aussie Rules and Murray would distinguish himself in 24 state games ( a then record) and as state captain of the big V.

I didn't barrack for the Fitzroy Lions but I always respected great players. And whenever my Pies played the Lions at Viccy Park, Kevin Murray always stood between us and a victory. He was superb, a glorious mark for his size, a tackling machine and dual sided he was never beaten. He was also a scrupulously fair player who didn't go the biff or swing elbows...he didn't need to. He was Bruce Doull before Doull ever existed!

A backman who won a Brownlow, held the games record, led his team and his state, won a Simpson medal and did it all wearing a huge back brace, Kevin Murray was a hero of mine and was definitely one of the greatest ever Lions.
 
Watching a prime Gary Ablett Jr play on the Gold Coast every second week from the ages of 26-29 before he injured his shoulder was really something to behold. He was outrageously good in those years! Deserved more than one Brownlow in those years and would've won more if we had experienced a bit more on field success. Such a shame that he hurt his shoulder in that 2014 Collingwood game because he was never the same after that.
 
GC2015 said:
Watching a prime Gary Ablett Jr play on the Gold Coast every second week from the ages of 26-29 before he injured his shoulder was really something to behold. He was outrageously good in those years! Deserved more than one Brownlow in those years and would've won more if we had experienced a bit more on field success. Such a shame that he hurt his shoulder in that 2014 Collingwood game because he was never the same after that.
Click to expand...

Yep. He was basically untaggable, got the ball a huge amount of time and was usually pretty damaging with the ball. No midfielder comes close to him in the 21st century.
 

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Pistol Night said:
The Dunstall v Lockett weekly goal kicking tally’s were an essential part of late 80s and 90s. Add GAS, Modra and blokes like Kernahan, Sumich, Lloyd etc and it was a great era to watch for goal kicking
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The best. 90's footy easily the best era. In fact there's Pies vs Eagles 1990 game on fox footy now the drawn one ai believe.

Cant beat the 1990's.
 
PowerfulPies2023 said:
The best. 90's footy easily the best era. In fact there's Pies vs Eagles 1990 game on fox footy now the drawn one ai believe.

Cant beat the 1990's.
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The final where Sumich missed after the siren? Thank **** for that. We need to build a combined Peter Sumich/Stephen Milne statue at Victoria Park as gratitude that our history isn’t even more tragic
 
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Strapping Young Lad said:
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.

Click to expand...

Garry Wilson, wow, in and under, eyes on ball.
 
Strapping Young Lad said:
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.

Click to expand...


I’d take three flags and three norm smiths over any of those records. Chuck in a Brownlow and a few aflpa in there too
 
Buddy Franklin, and it is not close. He was like a gazelle. I was at the 2008 qualifying final as a Dogs supporter when he kicked 8 and single handedly manhandled brian Lake and Dale Morris. I had never seen anything like it.

We will get another Ablett Jr. In fact, Daicos might be just as good when it is all said and done. I am not sure we will see another Buddy.

My favourite highlights package of any player. It gives me goosebumps every time.

 

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Angak said:
Buddy Franklin, and it is not close. He was like a gazelle. I was at the 2008 qualifying final as a Dogs supporter when he kicked 8 and single handedly manhandled brian Lake and Dale Morris. I had never seen anything like it.

We will get another Ablett Jr. In fact, Daicos might be just as good when it is all said and done. I am not sure we will see another Buddy.

My favourite highlights package of any player. It gives me goosebumps every time.

Click to expand...


He's the best 200cm small forward we've ever seen.
 
Sir_Loin said:
I’d take three flags and three norm smiths over any of those records. Chuck in a Brownlow and a few aflpa in there too
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Please. It’s Lethal >>> Dusty, and it’s really not an argument.



IMG_5013.jpeg
 
Chip Scab1 said:
Ridiculous. Loses points imo because it's was in a state-based comp, not a national league. Still the greatest until Lockett, Carey & GAS, then drops to 4th. When you include coaching - he's the GOAT.
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Averaging almost 4 goals a game and over 25 disposals and not winning the Brownlow is unthinkable.
 
Strapping Young Lad said:
Please. It’s Lethal >>> Dusty, and it’s really not an argument.



View attachment 2501646
Click to expand...
Yeah, Lethal was something out of the box. An unbelievable footballer who was tough, uncompromising and incredibly skilful, with the desire to win individual contests and matches like almost no other player in history. Just being in the same conversation as Matthews is a massive compliment for Dusty.

Relative to their respective eras, however, it is a more than fair comparison, and Lethal himself said as much.

Just like Fyfe is a worthy comparison to Royce Hart, and Buddy to Gaz Sr., we can’t get too precious about our old-timer favourites.
 
Lachie Neale.
 

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Robroy22 said:
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.
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My recollection was that it was coming up against Lockett that was the end of Kelly's pinching tactics. Doing it against Dunstall, GAS, Brownless etc was one thing but trying it against Lockett was a death wish


 
My Tilly said:
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.
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That was a one off move for Buckley. He was never a regular defender. The moved worked as a surprise tactic where Buckley accounted for Carey clearly. I dont think it would have worked as a regular tactic and as far as I remember it was the only time it was tried.
 
nineteen eighty said:
Not to derail this thread...Roger Merrett. In fact, Essendon had a number of them back the 80's when they were winning flags.

Neil Balme for the Tiges amongst others. They were required back then to protect the "little guys". It was the way the game was played. Leigh Mathews copped more than he dished out. I can't remember what set him off when he laid out Bruns.

Go back and read some of the stories from back in the Jack Dyer days. Brutal.

p.s. Can also list out Carl Ditterich, Robbie Muir, Barry Hall, Collier...

Back to the thread.
Click to expand...

Matthews never copped more than he gave out and everything he copped he deserved.
 
10 best players in AFL era

10 Wayne Carey
9 Tony Lockett
8 Luke Hodge
7 Scott Pendlebury
6 Michael Voss
5 Dustin Martin
4 Andrew McLeod
3 Chris Judd
2 Gary Ablett jr
1 Lance Buddy Franklin
 

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