Player Watch Gary Ablett Junior is the best player ever

[demondavey]

No one comes close.

View attachment 673881

What year?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

What year?

I think that was 76 or 78.....

 

[demondavey]

I think that was 76 or 78.....

Meh, just a thug......
















Would get a game for Melbourne now

 

[kerr87]

Judd at his best was better than GAJ's best. Discuss.

 

[demondavey]

Judd at his best was better than GAJ's best. Discuss.

There was a period when Judd was totally electric, totally unstoppable. I reckon at his best, yes, he was better.

 

[demondavey]

Judd at his best was better than GAJ's best. Discuss.

 

[RudyBlue]

It seems everyone has a different criteria for how they decide the greatest player of all time. For me, it’s the first player you would choose if you lined all of them up to pick a side.

For mine, Ablett doesn’t have the leadership qualities and he can’t swing a game when everyone around him is struggling.

Carey, Voss and Hird are the 3 best I have seen in the flesh by the above criteria, and it’s probably Selwood and Franklin way ahead of Ablett if I’m lining them all up to select a team based on the last 20 years.

I like the 'jaw drop' criteria.

Of all the historical highlights, GAS has left my mouth agape the most. The most pure football talent I have seen, but I obviously haven't 'seen' every player in history.

I didn't see him in the flesh, but it seems like a pretty reasonable opinion among those who did.

I reckon he embodied all the awesome (in the truest sense of the word) aspects of the game.

 

[RudyBlue]

There was a period when Judd was totally electric, totally unstoppable. I reckon at his best, yes, he was better.

I'd say Judd's briliance (at his WC peak) in conjunction with some outstanding team-mates (Cousins, Kerr and Cox) genuinely changed the way the game was played. Certainly a catalyst for the defensive evolution we saw in the 2nd half of the noughties.

 

[Sttew]

There was a period when Judd was totally electric, totally unstoppable. I reckon at his best, yes, he was better.

This is underselling Ablett at his best. Explain where Judd was better? Some forget just how complete Ablett was.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Judd at his best was better than Ablett.

 

[Farang83150]

Who would you prefer in your team, peek Judd or Ablett....

 

[Sausages]

Who would you prefer in your team, peek Judd or Ablett....

If it came down to the first player I picked, across every player I have seen play at their peak, it would be Ablett Senior every time.

So, if we are talking best ever....for me, Senior.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

If it came down to the first player I picked, across every player I have seen play at their peak, it would be Ablett Senior every time.

So, if we are talking best ever....for me, Senior.

He could simply do things that others couldn't. He had everything ... the complete package.

 

[brett15]

He could simply do things that others couldn't. He had everything ... the complete package.

yeah GAS was something else, even as an opposition supporter I still loved watching him play

 

[Sausages]

He could simply do things that others couldn't. He had everything ... the complete package.

Yeah, he was - Junior is a true great, there's no question....he'd be in the top 3-5 for virtually everyone. But Senior is just by himself imo - I doubt we'll ever see anyone like him again.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Yeah, he was - Junior is a true great, there's no question....he'd be in the top 3-5 for virtually everyone. But Senior is just by himself imo - I doubt we'll ever see anyone like him again.

I'm just grateful I was lucky enough to watch the majority of his career live.

 

[PhatBoy]

Since about 2007 I always got the sense that GAJ was about what a football team could do for him (his game). In his prime his number 1 priority appeared to be to rack up a million possessions a game and catch the maggots' eyes hoping to pick up 3 votes for the Brownlow.

Whereas genuine champions are always thinking about what they can do for their teams/teammates and get them involved in the game. They don't seem to be overly preoccupied wih their personal stats during a game and go about doing what's necessary to help the team win even if it means sacrificing their own stats.

This older version of GAJ though is now back to focusing (gathering less possessions being up forward) on what's in the best interest of the team instead of his.

I never saw any evidence of this whatsoever. He was quicker and better skilled than all his teammates. Why do people rag on players for getting give and go hand balls? ‘There’s a defender trying to shut down myself and a teammate - gee if I hold onto it he can just go after me. Maybe if I pass it to my teammate so he goes after him, and then I receive it, we can lose him altogether.’ If Ablett is the player giving and going, chances are by the time he receives the ball back, he’s burned anyone within cooee and then hit a target perfectly upfield.

 

[Sausages]

I'm just grateful I was lucky enough to watch the majority of his career live.

Yeah, I only saw him live a couple of times at Carrara...one day in particular stands out, when Ablett kicked a lazy 9 out of 37 goals

 

[PhatBoy]

Judd at his best was better than GAJ's best. Discuss.

Disagree though the argument has some merit

 

[Trucker Tiger]

22 Gary Ablett Srs would beat 22 clones of any other player. Argument, in my limited mind, is settled.

 

[demondavey]

This is underselling Ablett at his best. Explain where Judd was better? Some forget just how complete Ablett was.

03-06

 

[OnceWeWereKings]

This is underselling Ablett at his best. Explain where Judd was better? Some forget just how complete Ablett was.

Judd at peak was better than Jrn. Srn, at peak was better than Judd.
Srn, was individually the best I’ve ever seen.

 

[Monkey King]

Judd at his best was better than GAJ's best. Discuss.

Kouta at his best was better than Judd’s best

GAJ is phenomenal, but he’s not even the best player in his own family let alone of all time. IMHO.

 

[Monkey King]

... Srn, at peak was better than Judd.
Srn, was individually the best I’ve ever seen.

I’d still take Carey at his peak. Snr an incredible footballer though. One of the GOAT.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Yeah, I only saw him live a couple of times at Carrara...one day in particular stands out, when Ablett kicked a lazy 9 out of 37 goals

Funny you say that because I was there day day too.