Opinion Gary Ablett senior , Wayne Carey, Tony Lockett who's the best?

[Slippery Pete]

the best of all time is the best in 100 years player. Not best in a generation. And given carey, ablett and locketts careers crossed over there is a very strong argument that carey was not even once in a generation.

I said generation, I actually meant lifetime.

I don’t think there has been another like Carey in any of our lifetimes.

 

[Seeds]

The thread is not about full forwords, just ranking them.
Lockett's skill was underated I reckon.
Carey played CHF all of his career, Ablett could have played any position.

Carey did not play a traditional chf role his whole career. he was basically the full foward from 96 onwards with pagans paddock. When the ball was kicked deep inside foward it was carey they were always kicking it to once longmire stopped being full foward.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Carey did not play a traditional chf role his whole career. he was basically the full foward from 96 onwards with pagans paddock. When the ball was kicked deep inside foward it was carey they were always kicking it to once longmire stopped being full foward.

Half true.

The paddock was chiefly a reaction to the way Sydney played them in 96, flooding the backline and basically mauling Carey with numbers. What Sydney did was basically footy’s version of Bodyline.

The paddock enabled North to kick it to the space behind Carey and have players like Freeborn, Allison, Scott etc get out the back.

So the paddock wasn’t a result of Carey becoming an inferior player, it was a result of teams throwing the kitchen sink at stopping him and North having to counter that.

I agree with you though that when most people think of “Carey-esque” highlights they think of what he was in 93,94 and 95.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Carey did not play a traditional chf role his whole career. he was basically the full foward from 96 onwards with pagans paddock. When the ball was kicked deep inside foward it was carey they were always kicking it to once longmire stopped being full foward.

He was a CHF ,he rarely started at full forward.
No one would call him a full-forward.

 

[MinerBoy]

Carey did not play a traditional chf role his whole career. he was basically the full foward from 96 onwards with pagans paddock. When the ball was kicked deep inside foward it was carey they were always kicking it to once longmire stopped being full foward.

Next Cats fans will tell us Carey played more full forward than Ablett. They've been trying hard for years to convince everyone he was only FF for about 7 games and kicked the rest of his goals from the wing.

 

[My Tilly]

You views on abraham appear odd to me. I wouldnt put him in the top 15 most freakish indiginous players let alone all time players. Was there a particular game that stood out?

he played 110 afl games. Not once got over 22 dispisals and only kicked 5 goals or more twice. I dont get it? i saw more freakish talent in the likes of liam jurrah, daniel menzel, steve and dan motlop and harley bennell to be honest and they arent even near the top of my list either.

I just remember him as an extraordinary gifted footballer who had it all. Not a big guy by any means but he could roost the ball well over 50 and was exquisitely skilled on both sides of the body. A terrific overhead mark as well.
More so his creativity at ground level is what stood out. I guess if you had to compare his skill-set, a combination of Jason Akermanis and Cyril Rioli rolled into one.

there is a very strong argument that carey was not even once in a generation.

I don't think there has ever been a more skillful big man in the games history has there?
Left foot, right foot, spectacular marks, football IQ, freakish goal sense and versatility to play forward, back and in the middle of the ground. He did not have the speed of Buddy Franklin but he had everything else.

Today we have many similar sized players with ridiculous athletic traits. Curnow, Cameron, Naughton, King but not one of them possess the entire repertoire of what Carey had in him.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I said generation, I actually meant lifetime.

I don’t think there has been another like Carey in any of our lifetimes.

I'm in my 50s now and saw both of their careers in their entirety, a lot of Ablett's live. I don't think I'll see a pair like Ablett and Carey again that tick so many boxes of what you want a player to be able to do.

Ablett's son Nathan was 195cm tall, if Snr had that height I don't think we'd ever have these comparison threads asking who was the goat.

 

[Usayed Givashe]

Wayne carey wasnt 21 in 94. He was 23. At 21 he wasnt a star. And back in those days virtually no one made it to 33 let alone play well at that level. Carey was cooked at 33 and retired at that age. He should of retired the year before. Locket was retired at 32. Ablett was a freak to still be playing well at the age. But he wasnt the spectacular player he was in his twenties and couldnt make it all the way through the season.

He played for SA against Vic in 1992.
He was captain of the best team in the comp in 1993, yes we finished 3rd, but for most of the year we we were the best team in it including smashing both grand finalists by 6 goals (yes we did lose to you by 80).

Carey wasn’t a star in 1992? Ridiculous statement, he was a b n f winner and state representative (after 2 shoulder reco’s).

Anyway watch that state game, should be all of 5 minutes before you realise you are talking complete rubbish. Carey’s left foot 55m pass to Kernahan is outrageous (he also the kicks winning goal!)

 

[Slippery Pete]

He played for SA against Vic in 1992.
He was captain of the best team in the comp in 1993, yes we finished 3rd, but for most of the year we we were the best team in it including smashing both grand finalists by 6 goals (yes we did lose to you by 80).

Carey wasn’t a star in 1992? Ridiculous statement, he was a b n f winner and state representative (after 2 shoulder reco’s).

Anyway watch that state game, should be all of 5 minutes before you realise you are talking complete rubbish. Carey’s left foot 55m pass to Kernahan is outrageous (he also the kicks winning goal!)

He was winning games off his own boot in 91 and 92, but very infrequently.

But it was obvious what was coming.

1993 when Pagan took over, he was next level.

Never seen a player as dominant or as exciting to watch as Carey that year.