Opinion Gary Ablett Senior

[El Dubya]

I was born in '89 so my memories of Gaz are pretty hazy, but I remember just how amazing he could be, pretty much all I remember from my first few games of footy, and hearing Rex Hunt call his name with such enthusiasm. Watching his highlights, looking at his stats, watching the '89 Grand Final it's just phenomenal how dominant a player could be.

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[Bobby_]

In 1993 Geelong often had bad days when he kicked MORE than ten.

I reckon that's a very subjective number (10) because even games where he booted 5 or less we still found a way to lose the game. I firmly believe that had Geelong scraped into the finals that season, the minimum we would have seen from him would have been 5 goals as Geelong would have replaced West Coast to play North Melbourne week 1 (Gary kicked 10.6 against them a month earlier). The whole team including Gary were in red hot form by the end of the season but unfortunately, just wasn't to be.

 

[vinum coupe]

I was born in '89 so my memories of Gaz are pretty hazy, but I remember just how amazing he could be, pretty much all I remember from my first few games of footy, and hearing Rex Hunt call his name with such enthusiasm. Watching his highlights, looking at his stats, watching the '89 Grand Final it's just phenomenal how dominant a player could be.

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I stopped playing footy because I wasn't getting to watch him.
He went ok.

 

[Vdubs]

I didn't see Coleman or Bunton jnr…but from Polly to now, Ablett Senior is the best I have seen.

So its not such a big call……Ablett brought people to the footy just to watch him play…..not many have done that.

Spot on. Countless games at the G when Ablett played just to see him do something, anything, and these opposition supporters would never leave disappointed.

 

[Bobby_]

Spot on. Countless games at the G when Ablett played just to see him do something, anything, and these opposition supporters would never leave disappointed.

did you see all of Polly's career?

 

[FredLeDeux]

did you see all of Polly's career?

I did.

 

[candiehappy]

Spot on. Countless games at the G when Ablett played just to see him do something, anything, and these opposition supporters would never leave disappointed.

especially against Richmond

 

[candiehappy]

I did.

did you see much of Carji ?

 

[FredLeDeux]

did you see much of Carji ?

Never heard of him.
Is that the Latin version of some Geelong player's name?

 

[candiehappy]

Never heard of him.
Is that the Latin version of some Geelong player's name?

bugger ...

 

[FredLeDeux]

bugger ...

Sorry, never heard of him either.

 

[candiehappy]

Sorry, never heard of him either.

I went to an all boys school ...

 

[iameviljez]

I reckon that's a very subjective number (10) because even games where he booted 5 or less we still found a way to lose the game. I firmly believe that had Geelong scraped into the finals that season, the minimum we would have seen from him would have been 5 goals as Geelong would have replaced West Coast to play North Melbourne week 1 (Gary kicked 10.6 against them a month earlier). The whole team including Gary were in red hot form by the end of the season but unfortunately, just wasn't to be.

The reason I quoted ten was because there were four occasions in the 1990s when a player kicked ten goals or more in a losing side. Three of them were Ablett in 1993.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

bugger ...

Sorry, never heard of him either.

Think he was a nuggety back pocket.................

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

The reason I quoted ten was because there were four occasions in the 1990s when a player kicked ten goals or more in a losing side. Three of them were Ablett in 1993.

It was ridiculous the amount of times we lost that season or two when the great man kicked huge bags and in excess of 100 each season.
If we had the 2007-2009 backline back then we would have been unstoppable

 

[romeoh]

Ablett senior was just extraordinary to watch live. Never seen anyone quite like him and yes, people went to games just to see him play. Saw him regularly at the G give the poor old Tigers a bath-was just behind the goals when he kicked 13 or something? one year against them. Wayne Carey, I have no doubt, still hasn't forgiven Geelong/Ablett for 94 prelim. Was at the ground and it was electric atmosphere. ( although he had an ordinary game till last minute) Anyway feel privileged to have seen him play, quite something, so exciting.

 

[juzcat]

The whole Ablett era was wanted in terms of silverware. There was so much talent but as I recall no key position defenders. We had Darcy on the back line and a lumbering CHB
No silverware but the memories....

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[barmy44]

It's a joy to see his two sons play for the Cats, and i reckon it's pretty special that they are. We should enjoy watching them as well, and just hope that maybe with a new coach in years to come (Or if Bomber turns it on) we can see success for the Cats.

old posts like this make me smile... who would have thought what was about to come!

 

[iameviljez]

The whole Ablett era was wanted in terms of silverware. There was so much talent but as I recall no key position defenders. We had Darcy on the back line and a lumbering CHB
No silverware but the memories....

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Poor Darcy. Not a bad footballer, just too small.

Blight did suggest that if he had his time again through the 89-94 period, the switch he'd make would be to make Stoneham CHB, get Billy to hold down CHF and play Ablett as the main target. This does make sense to me. Billy was a better player than the goon on the Footy Show would make us believe.

 

[Bobby_]

The whole Ablett era was wanted in terms of silverware. There was so much talent but as I recall no key position defenders. We had Darcy on the back line and a lumbering CHB
No silverware but the memories....

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West Coast had the perfect blue print of a combination of athletic, high marking and very physical defenders. It's ridiculous strolling through the stat sheets to read such names as Jakovich, McKenna, McIntosh and Worsfold. Even their lesser types in Brennan or Hart were genuine classy defenders that never gave an inch.
We really never had chance unfortunately. I often wonder why Malcolm Blight did not try and draft in bigger strong defenders much more sooner than when he did? McGrath was a great get from North Melbourne but blokes like Darcy, Rogers, S.Hocking, Hinkley were always under the pump against power forwards and we always tried to rotate the likes of Paul Brown, Steven Handley and Michael Mansfield through that position on the ground which sometimes worked but ultimately was never any continuity down there.

Wasn't until the likes of O'Reilly and Graham came around did we look settled but even O'Reilly got beaten most of the time against those super agile forwards of the 90's.
Stoneham at CHB in the late 80's to early 90's could have become a seriously good defender in his own right. Before the broken leg (which robbed him of much off his natural spring plus speed), he was one of the most athletic big men in the competition with beautiful hands and a good kick as well.

 

[Vdubs]

West Coast had the perfect blue print of a combination of athletic, high marking and very physical defenders. It's ridiculous strolling through the stat sheets to read such names as Jakovich, McKenna, McIntosh and Worsfold. Even their lesser types in Brennan or Hart were genuine classy defenders that never gave an inch.
We really never had chance unfortunately. I often wonder why Malcolm Blight did not try and draft in bigger strong defenders much more sooner than when he did? McGrath was a great get from North Melbourne but blokes like Darcy, Rogers, S.Hocking, Hinkley were always under the pump against power forwards and we always tried to rotate the likes of Paul Brown, Steven Handley and Michael Mansfield through that position on the ground which sometimes worked but ultimately was never any continuity down there.

Wasn't until the likes of O'Reilly and Graham came around did we look settled but even O'Reilly got beaten most of the time against those super agile forwards of the 90's.
Stoneham at CHB in the late 80's to early 90's could have become a seriously good defender in his own right. Before the broken leg (which robbed him of much of his natural spring and speed), he was one of the most athletic big men in the competition with beautiful hands and a good kick as well.

Excellently put.
The others that played in defence were Bos, Yeates and Schulze in 89; probably just past their best.
Lindner COULD play a brilliant attacking role from HB, but not reliably so.
Stoneham would have been the pick, as you said. Cruel.

 

[manboob]

West Coast of that era were essentially the WA state side.

 

[Vdubs]

did you see all of Polly's career?

Only at Geelong, he played Bartlett like numbers overall in WA

 

[Partridge]

West Coast had the perfect blue print of a combination of athletic, high marking and very physical defenders. It's ridiculous strolling through the stat sheets to read such names as Jakovich, McKenna, McIntosh and Worsfold. Even their lesser types in Brennan or Hart were genuine classy defenders that never gave an inch.
We really never had chance unfortunately. I often wonder why Malcolm Blight did not try and draft in bigger strong defenders much more sooner than when he did? McGrath was a great get from North Melbourne but blokes like Darcy, Rogers, S.Hocking, Hinkley were always under the pump against power forwards and we always tried to rotate the likes of Paul Brown, Steven Handley and Michael Mansfield through that position on the ground which sometimes worked but ultimately was never any continuity down there.

Wasn't until the likes of O'Reilly and Graham came around did we look settled but even O'Reilly got beaten most of the time against those super agile forwards of the 90's.
Stoneham at CHB in the late 80's to early 90's could have become a seriously good defender in his own right. Before the broken leg (which robbed him of much off his natural spring plus speed), he was one of the most athletic big men in the competition with beautiful hands and a good kick as well.

Actually he didn't get beaten that much. We had 2 years from him (1993 and 1994) and got by far the best output of his career. He was developing into a very promising full back (and started our run of having nothing but good ones - O'Reilly, Graham, Scarlett and now Lonergan).

I'm guessing Blight's recruiting was like every other clubs then - you recruited who you thought were the best players available - and actual positions or long term strategies weren't even covered. Anyway looks like they've learned one or two things since then!

 

[Bobby_]

Actually he didn't get beaten that much. We had 2 years from him (1993 and 1994) and got by far the best output of his career. He was developing into a very promising full back (and started our run of having nothing but good ones - O'Reilly, Graham, Scarlett and now Lonergan).

we had no other key defender in the late 90's, Graham became a permanent forward while Stoneham (over his peak) was forced to play that position. It wasn't until the late 90's did we shift toward recruiting bigger bodied types. . .Scarlett, Harley, Mooney, Foster, Simpson, Hunt and many others.
Lonergan was never a defender either, he was recruited to be a KPF.