Player Watch Gary Ablett Junior is the best player ever

bigfarter

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Aug 15, 2009
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Yep. Just wish he didn't disappear for 6 seasons on the Gold Coast.

Yep. I don't begrudge Gold Coast's existence and didn't begrudge Ablett going there (show me someone who turns down a pay raise of that scale and I'll show you a liar) but having Ablett's talents wasted (and worse, unseen) at that club for 6 years is genuinely sad for the game. Whether anyone likes him as a bloke or not, everyone has to admit he is potentially the GOAT and as a pure fan of football it's so much better seeing him on a big stage in a good side as opposed to trying to carry a cellar-dweller on his back in front of 10,000 people up North.
 
May 5, 2016
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Also way harder to be an AA as a key forward than as a midfielder. Only 2 key forwards get picked a year, while there can be as many as about 15 positions for midfielders.

And only about 25 players actually are key forwards so the competition is somewhat limited, as opposed to say, midfield where literally every team has 5 at the start of a given game.
 

Young Gun #6

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Also way harder to be an AA as a key forward than as a midfielder. Only 2 key forwards get picked a year, while there can be as many as about 15 positions for midfielders.

15 positions for midfielders..

There’s about 8-10 picked in the AA out of about 160 midfielders playing every week (5% chance) in the league compared to 2-3 key forwards picked out of say 20-30 first choice key forwards (10% chance).
 
May 5, 2016
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Yep. I don't begrudge Gold Coast's existence and didn't begrudge Ablett going there (show me someone who turns down a pay raise of that scale and I'll show you a liar) but having Ablett's talents wasted (and worse, unseen) at that club for 6 years is genuinely sad for the game. Whether anyone likes him as a bloke or not, everyone has to admit he is potentially the GOAT and as a pure fan of football it's so much better seeing him on a big stage in a good side as opposed to trying to carry a cellar-dweller on his back in front of 10,000 people up North.

Had it not been for that injury I actually think what he did in those first 4 seasons enhances his legacy if anything. Had them finals bound and then one tackle later, they lose 25 of 29. Shows just how good he was
 
Feb 28, 2007
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15 positions for midfielders..

There’s about 8-10 picked in the AA out of about 160 midfielders playing every week (5% chance) in the league compared to 2-3 key forwards picked out of say 20-30 first choice key forwards (10% chance).

You are forgetting that midfielders are often selected as halfbacks and forwards as well, despite having not played there during the season. The AFL just loves stuffing midfielders into AA teams.
 
May 5, 2016
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You are forgetting that midfielders are often selected as halfbacks and forwards as well, despite having not played there during the season. The AFL just loves stuffing midfielders into AA teams.

So are you trying to say that if the AA selectors were limited to, say, 4 spots for pure midfielders, Ablett would have missed out a few times? Because I suspect that wouldn’t have been the case, considering he’s been basically the clear-cut best in the position for all 8 of those selections
 

GuzzLG

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Young Gun #6

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You are forgetting that midfielders are often selected as halfbacks and forwards as well, despite having not played there during the season. The AFL just loves stuffing midfielders into AA teams.

That’s why I said 8-10.. not forgetting at all.

3 key defender
3 key forwards
1 small defender
2 rebounding half back’s
1 small forward
1 ruck

Minimum 1 non mid on the bench

= 3 mids on the bench
5 mids in their actual spots
2 mid on the HFF’s

And that’s pretty much a max situation nowhere near 15.
 
Feb 28, 2007
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So are you trying to say that if the AA selectors were limited to, say, 4 spots for pure midfielders, Ablett would have missed out a few times? Because I suspect that wouldn’t have been the case, considering he’s been basically the clear-cut best in the position for all 8 of those selections

I am not saying he would haven missed out much, but there were probably 2 or 3 years in his AA selections where he was not in the top 5 or so midfielders in that group.
 
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