Fletcher - Is it possible....

[Jade]

that he might be the greatest player in Essendon's history?

I am aware of the implication I am making here, and who it puts him past, but he is building a case as one of the greatest EFC servants ever to have pulled on the guernsey.

In my lifetime, the only players I can think of that would occupy the same sort of level would be:

T. Watson, Hird, Madden, Lloyd, maybe one or two more.

He's an absolute giant of the club.

 

[bombermick]

To be the only survivor from the 1993 and 2000 flags in 2011 is an amazing feat. He has held our back six together for almost two decades. Greatest player ever? Gee, you couldn't go past Coleman, Reynolds and Hird.

 

[Oh Tayteridge]

You seriously need to find your lid.

 

[Jade]

To be the only survivor from the 1993 and 2000 flags in 2011 is an amazing feat. He has held our back six together for almost two decades. Greatest player ever? Gee, you couldn't go past Coleman, Reynolds and Hird.

He's been doing it for 300 games, as opposed to 100.

Have to consider that as well.

 

[Jade]

You seriously need to find your lid.

Cram your lid.

Fletch is awesome.

 

[Phone]

Coleman kicked 537 goals in 98 games (and went on to coach us to 2 flags). Enough said really.

Dick Reynolds
John Coleman
Bill Hutchison

and then we can talk about Hird, Madden, Watson, Fletch etc. But that's a pretty clear top 3 imo.

 

[lamaros]

If he wins AA and another premiership this year he will have a fair claim.

 

[Kong]

Another premiership this year?

 

[lamaros]

Another premiership this year?

What's so confusing about that? Did I misspoke? This year, next year, before he retires... Also, a Brownlow medal wouldn't hurt...

 

[Kong]

Just cant see him winning a premiership this year.

 

[lamaros]

Just cant see him winning a premiership this year.

Neither can I at this point. Was more a comment on the OPs hyperbole.

 

[hank31]

In a way whomb, i agree with you. But in another way, im almost ready to declare that this is the most open flag in years..

Collingwood are by no stretch shoe-ins.

Flag contenders at this stage

Collingwood
Sydney
Geelong
Freo
Hawks
Ess
WBD
Carlton (most doubtful tho)

Collingwood only need this knee tendonitis to flare on Jolly and they might be in some strife.

Also they have already lost Reid and Tarrant isn't exactly the most reliable body in the AFL.

Just my 2c.

BTW, Fletch is 2nd best EFC player I have watched. Behind Hirdy followed by Lloyd. Not really old enough to remember too much of Watson/Thompson etc.

 

[Jesse Custer]

He's a legend there is no doubt about that. When Hirdy reckons you're one of the greatest players to play for Essendon then i'd stop to consider it.

 

[Kong]

Neither can I at this point. Was more a comment on the OPs hyperbole.

Yeah fair enough.

 

[CousinOfModra]

In a way whomb, i agree with you. But in another way, im almost ready to declare that this is the most open flag in years..

Collingwood are by no stretch shoe-ins.

Flag contenders at this stage

Collingwood
Sydney
Geelong
Freo
Hawks
Ess
WBD
Carlton (most doubtful tho)

Collingwood only need this knee tendonitis to flare on Jolly and they might be in some strife.

Also they have already lost Reid and Tarrant isn't exactly the most reliable body in the AFL.

Just my 2c.

BTW, Fletch is 2nd best EFC player I have watched. Behind Hirdy followed by Lloyd. Not really old enough to remember too much of Watson/Thompson etc.

Those two were great players but not in the league of Hird/Lloyd/Fletcher.
Watson was spade loads better than Thompson.

But lets be honest here, Fletch is doing what he has always done and continuing to do it a an elite level. James Hird and Matthew Lloyd were absolute A-grade superstars and Fletch is not in their league. Do fans love him as much? yes they do, but Lloyd and Hird were something very special.

 

[Howard Moon]

Coleman kicked 537 goals in 98 games (and went on to coach us to 2 flags). Enough said really.

Dick Reynolds
John Coleman
Bill Hutchison

and then we can talk about Hird, Madden, Watson, Fletch etc. But that's a pretty clear top 3 imo.

Its always easy to just say the players from bygone eras are the best we have ever had..history always treats players better than the players we have actually seen first hand. We see the goods and bads of todays players but history raraly tells us about reynolds or colemans bad games.

in saying this i'm not knocking triple brownlow medalists or full forwards that changed the game i'm saying don't be to hasty to disreguard players from our era. Madden revolutionised the way ruckmen jumped at the ball - hird, can anyone doubt his class and big match temprament? Lloyd kicked near on 1000 goals.

People will always try to compare players from different eras like they will try and comapre black caviar to vein or bradman to tendulkar. is it like comparing apples to oranges?

i think in 100 years time we may have hird, madden and fletcher comparing favorably with coleman and reynolds. We just can't say it now because its not been long enough for the stories about them to grow legs.

 

[Jade]

A little bit of fear running through us ATM with the announcement of a presser. It coupled with the injury that forced Fletch out of the international rules series......

He has been the greatest servant of the EFC in my lifetime, and I am old enough to remember four flags.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

We see the goods and bads of todays players but history raraly tells us about reynolds or colemans bad games.

Didn't happen.

He played one game in which he didn't kick a goal.

One. Game.


Also, apart from the fact that Fletcher isn't retiring, why panic? He's 83 years old or something. He's not going to be around for our next flag. The side has to learn to win without him sooner or later.

 

[doug85]

It wouldn't be possible for me to make an informed comment on the greatest bomber as I never saw Reynolds, Coleman, Hutchinson, Madden and Watson (the last 2 at their peak).

But when we talk about Fletchers value I think its important to take into account that he's played 250 odd games of immense quality.

Based on the quantity of excellent games this bloke has played I rank him behind only Hird and equal with Lloyd as the most valuable guys to pull on the jumper in my time watching.

 

[TheDon35]

It wouldn't be possible for me to make an informed comment on the greatest bomber as I never saw Reynolds, Coleman, Hutchinson, Madden and Watson (the last 2 at their peak).

But when we talk about Fletchers value I think its important to take into account that he's played 250 odd games of immense quality.

Based on the quantity of excellent games this bloke has played I rank him behind only Hird and equal with Lloyd as the most valuable guys to pull on the jumper in my time watching.

Of the modern era, he's only behind Hird IMO. Having said that, his output for the club has been a fair bit greater than Hird having played about 100 quality games more.

At least as good as Watson, Madden and Lloyd.

 

[daffo]

Fletch is top twenty.

 

[Slattery_20]

Top 10, comfortably.

Coleman; Hird; Hutchinson; Reynolds;
top group for mine.

Then you look at
Madden; Watson; Fletcher; Daniher.
Next group.

IMHO.

 

[BrunoV]

I think he makes an undeniable case for the top 10 which is really what it should be about.

I am sick of hearing about how guys that 70-80% of the population never saw play in unprofessional eras always being the best in every sport.*

Statistics and awards are a useful guide but they are also apt to mislead (e.g. basically the top 10 players considered greatest of all time didn't win Brownlows and there are a lot of brilliant players who didn't play in premierships).

Longevity and cosistency are also as important as BnFs.

If you want to break it down we need to look at it something like:

The list for top 5 (in no order): Coleman, Reynolds, Hird, Hutchison, Thurgood and maybe Watson and Madden,

The list of 6 to 10 (in no order): Fletcher, Lloyd, Long and you can argue about the rest.



*Do we really think that Coleman would average 5 goals a game in the modern era? Buddy Franklin is a spectacular athlete and natural footballer and he is around 3. What do you think a 6'5" freak like Franklin could have done in an unprofessional era?

Am I being too simplistic if I draw comparisons between the physical attributes and flair of Polly Farmer and Franklin? Polly is the only example of one of the giant athletic Aboriginal players playing in the AFL in the unprofessional eras and he is regarded as one of the best of all time...I know that I am leaving myself open for jibes about the Goodes role.

 

[Towno78]

His durability is hardly enough of a reason to put him up there. He's not even the games record holder at Essendon. Madden played 378 games, and is more decorated than Fletch... And there's certainly a few more decorated than Madden.

Dick Reynolds
John Coleman
Bill Hutchison

and then we can talk about Hird, Madden, Watson, Fletch etc. But that's a pretty clear top 3 imo.

Considering the Champions of Essendon named 5 years before Hird even retired went:
1. DICK REYNOLDS

2. JOHN COLEMAN

3. JAMES HIRD

4. BILL HUTCHISON

5. SIMON MADDEN

I don't think your top 3 is so "clear" as you say.

 

[Kong]

People often forget that that "Champions of Essendon" was voted on by plebs like us, and IIRC on the EFC website.

Hardly a definitive answer.