Prediction Cats v Hawks - the best of the best since 1989. Who’d win?

[Vdubs]

Stewart for Mansfield (Michael had nice pace and great agility but nowhere near Tom in ability who plays like a modern day Bruce Doull - cannot be beaten on the ground and in air and is a sublime lateral mover with underrated ball skills)

Harley in for McGrath - strong and determined player who was valiant in rather weak 1990s Geelong defences but Harley much better for leadership and third man up brilliance.

I’d try to squeeze in a fit Paul Lynch (possibly for Milburn who was a great player of that era but behind like other similar players in that team). Paul was a huge talent IMO, a see ball/get ball player with great marking ability for his size, great pace and agility and great foot - at back or forward. Could have been a great if not for the chronic groin issues. Think he even got into the GFC team of the era on less than 50 games.

Wet day - Geelong team wins - all the Cats players named were great wet day players and I think the Cats team has the edge in mid field grunt.
The Dry day - Hawks win. Think the foot skills of their team is better and you’d need two Scarletts to stop Dunstall and Buddy.

Very close in overall talent.

I loved Lynchy . His issues were hamstring pain. They decided it was a back related issue iirc. Should have been a champion.
Interesting that Gary Buckenara doesn't get in. He played in 88/89 GF's and still played in 90. A freak of a player.
They had another freak, James Morissey, who they called "freak" due to his amazing goal kicking ability.

 

[Seeds]

I loved Lynchy . His issues were hamstring pain. They decided it was a back related issue iirc. Should have been a champion.
Interesting that Gary Buckenara doesn't get in. He played in 88/89 GF's and still played in 90. A freak of a player.
They had another freak, James Morissey, who they called "freak" due to his amazing goal kicking ability.

Bucky and pritchard should be in. Remember that team was just put together by some random at afl.com. Tuck should not be in the midfield or the team for that matter given the time period.

 

[Vdubs]

Bucky and pritchard should be in. Remember that team was just put together by some random at afl.com. Tuck should not be in the midfield or the team for that matter given the time period.

Tuck was a gun player. Premiership captain, best RR of his time, very fair player too. I'd have him for sure.

 

[Seeds]

Tuck was a gun player. Premiership captain, best RR of his time, very fair player too. I'd have him for sure.

He was a gun. But he was like 35 at the cut off point. He was no longer a gun by the time 89 arrived.

 

[you pick one]

He was a gun. But he was like 35 at the cut off point. He was no longer a gun by the time 89 arrived.

Surely we are picking on their abilities over their career not age at the cut off point.

 

[Seeds]

Surely we are picking on their abilities over their career not age at the cut off point.

Maybe. Its just a bit weird to be picking a player whose best was atleast 6 years before everyone elses. Tuck was from the era of matthews and don scott. He started playing in the early 70s Before even michael turner started playing for geelong. We aint putting turner in the team yet he was younger than tuck.

 

[Pollywaffle]

That's a strange oversight. As much as Mansfield was a favorite of mine, Mack all day every day..

Interesting to see a few going in to bat for Mackie. We forget his time as a whipping boy. I would lean ever so slightly towards Mansfield, but a close call

 

[Sttew]

Tuck was a gun player. Premiership captain, best RR of his time, very fair player too. I'd have him for sure.

Tuck never won Hawthorn's best-and-fairest.....I know, you'll remind me that Bartel never won Geelong's.

In 1989 Tuck only averaged 17 possessions per game. Mark Bairstow, who didn't make the Geelong "team" averaged 27 possessions per game in 1989

 

[Vdubs]

Tuck never won Hawthorn's best-and-fairest.....I know, you'll remind me that Bartel never won Geelong's.

In 1989 Tuck only averaged 17 possessions per game. Mark Bairstow, who didn't make the Geelong "team" averaged 27 possessions per game in 1989

I'd have Tuck over Bairstow any day, any season. I don't really care about possessions. Never thought Bairstow was that useful with his anyway, not when you compare him with Couch, Buddha, Bews. Still a gun. Tuck may have been petering out in 89, but he was captain, as he was in 91. And that champion team had plenty of leaders who could have taken over that role.

 

[Vdubs]

Maybe. Its just a bit weird to be picking a player whose best was atleast 6 years before everyone elses. Tuck was from the era of matthews and don scott. He started playing in the early 70s Before even michael turner started playing for geelong. We aint putting turner in the team yet he was younger than tuck.

Turner DNP in the 89 GF.
Remind me who the winning premiership captain was in 1989, and 86, 88 and 91. Not including him but mentioning Bairstow is insulting.

Tuck never won Hawthorn's best-and-fairest.....I know, you'll remind me that Bartel never won Geelong's.

In 1989 Tuck only averaged 17 possessions per game. Mark Bairstow, who didn't make the Geelong "team" averaged 27 possessions per game in 1989

 

[Seeds]

I'd have Tuck over Bairstow any day, any season. I don't really care about possessions. Never thought Bairstow was that useful with his anyway, not when you compare him with Couch, Buddha, Bews. Still a gun. Tuck may have been petering out in 89, but he was captain, as he was in 91. And that champion team had plenty of leaders who could have taken over that role.

Um being captain has nothing to do with playing ability. tuck was an average player by the time 89 had arrived. No one is taking tuck 89 ahead of bairstow. Thats just a silly comment.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Um being captain has nothing to do with playing ability. tuck was an average player by the time 89 had arrived. No one is taking tuck 89 ahead of bairstow. Thats just a silly comment.

It really is!
In either 89 or 90 Bairstow had the most disposals in the comp.
Tuck was just good enough to be in the team by then.
Remember Bairstow kicking 6 or 7 goals in a game. So his disposals could be damaging.

 

[Vdubs]

Um being captain has nothing to do with playing ability. tuck was an average player by the time 89 had arrived. No one is taking tuck 89 ahead of bairstow. Thats just a silly comment.

So why was he still captain in 91 if he was over the hill in 89?
As has been mentioned, 89 in isolation is mischievous anyway. Bairstow may have had a good year, but he is no comparison to the career that Tuck had.

 

[Pollywaffle]

So why was he still captain in 91 if he was over the hill in 89?
As has been mentioned, 89 in isolation is mischievous anyway. Bairstow may have had a good year, but he is no comparison to the career that Tuck had.

Went missing in big games too..( had a few mates. Buddha not so great in that area.)
Has to be a factor if we are squaring off for a big showdown. Many of those Hawk greats had exceptional finals records... )

 

[Seeds]

Interesting to see a few going in to bat for Mackie. We forget his time as a whipping boy. I would lean ever so slightly towards Mansfield, but a close call

Personally i go hinkley at his peak above both. 2 times all australian winner and a best and fairest winner in a grand final year where we finished on top. his career was short but was an absolute gun before injuries struck him down.

 

[Seeds]

So why was he still captain in 91 if he was over the hill in 89?
As has been mentioned, 89 in isolation is mischievous anyway. Bairstow may have had a good year, but he is no comparison to the career that Tuck had.

Why was harley captain? Leadership.

tuck was still good enough not to get dropped. But he was just an average player by that point. He was in his mid thirties.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Personally i go hinkley at his peak above both. 2 times all australian winner and a best and fairest winner in a grand final year where we finished on top. his career was short but was an absolute gun before injuries struck him down.

Beautiful stylish player but played a bit loose for mine. Might find himself up against it, with all those goal sharks roaming the forward line.

 

[Seeds]

Beautiful stylish player but played a bit loose for mine. Might find himself up against it, with all those goal sharks roaming the forward line.

He was loose but that was his role. As was mackies. Mackie ran off his man to create attacking plays. Hinkley ran of his man to intercept the pill aimed at other players. One of the best readers of the play the game has seen.

 

[FredLeDeux]

My Geelong team wins, because it has Gregory Donald Williams in it.

 

[Spazz Cat]

 

[Live in hope]

I'd have Tuck over Bairstow any day, any season. I don't really care about possessions. Never thought Bairstow was that useful with his anyway, not when you compare him with Couch, Buddha, Bews. Still a gun. Tuck may have been petering out in 89, but he was captain, as he was in 91. And that champion team had plenty of leaders who could have taken over that role.

Mark was a great midfield servant for us - a leader with grunt and smarts - but was a bit one paced. His lack of speed really exposed him in some games, as illustrated by fact his opponents in 92 and 94 Grand Finals, Matera and Kemp were Norm Smith winners. Really hurt in 92 as Cats were on top until Matera got off the chain for 5 goals from the wing. To be fair, I think Mark was hampering by knee problems and 92 was largely a bad match up decision by Blight.

 

[Seeds]

Mark was a great midfield servant for us - a leader with grunt and smarts - but was a bit one paced. His lack of speed really exposed him in some games, as illustrated by fact his opponents in 92 and 94 Grand Finals, Matera and Kemp were Norm Smith winners. Really hurt in 92 as Cats were on top until Matera got off the chain for 5 goals from the wing. To be fair, I think Mark was hampering by knee problems and 92 was largely a bad match up decision by Blight.

Mark was kicked by a horse on the week of the grand final. Possibly shouldnt of played and definately should not of been put on a wing against matera. Worse decision then playing an injured stokes on luke hodge.

in 94 his body was riddled by injuries. It was his last game.

 

[Burtyl78]

They are saying on the hawks page that Pritchard was “ unlucky “ to not win the Norm Smith medal in 89, this is why they are dilusional, I say Ablett was Norm Smith in 2008 which is way more plausible seeing he actually deserved it

 

[Seeds]

They are saying on the hawks page that Pritchard was “ unlucky “ to not win the Norm Smith medal in 89, this is why they are dilusional, I say Ablett was Norm Smith in 2008 which is way more plausible seeing he actually deserved it

Abletts 89 GF is arguably the greatest of all time. Ablett juniors 08 game was probably in the top 3 GF performances of the decade. It was an utter joke that he didn't get it.

 

[Spazz Cat]

They are saying on the hawks page that Pritchard was “ unlucky “ to not win the Norm Smith medal in 89, this is why they are dilusional, I say Ablett was Norm Smith in 2008 which is way more plausible seeing he actually deserved it

There insane. Stupidest thing I've ever heard.