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Geelong full-back the best ever
Glenn Archer | May 15, 2008 12:00am
North Melbourne great rates Geelong full-back Matthew Scarlett the best of all time, ahead of Carlton legend Steven Silvagni. Picture: Michael Dodge
It's difficult to take players of different eras, say South Melbourne's Fred Goldsmith with the prince of full-backs Jack Regan, and compare their worth to Carlton's Stephen Silvagni and even St Kilda's pillar Max Hudghton, because the game evolves so quickly.
Indeed, it's ridiculous.
If you were to pluck Scarlett from today and transport him back to 1955, when Freddy Goldsmith won the Brownlow Medal - the only one ever by a full-back - I'm tipping Scarlett would've got 22 three votes.
And if we can continue the ridiculousness, Scarlett would not have been playing full-back, anyway.
He would have been a dominating midfielder or running centre half-forward, and pity the poor bugger trying to keep up with him.
So cross-generation is not my go.
In my opinion, Scarlett is the most complete full-back I have seen and played against.
His attributes make him the standout; he beats his man in the air, he marks one-on-one, he's sensational on the deck, has clean hands when he gathers the ball and runs it out of defence.
Scarlett has been able to develop a peerless one-two combination coming out of defence.
That means he runs with the ball, handballs to a stationary teammate (which was once a big no-no in footy) and then receives it back, runs through centre half-back and then pinpoints a pass to a midfield teammate.
If I was coaching against Geelong, one of my first instructions to my players would be to hit Scarlett, take him out of the contest, so he does not get the return handball.
Still, no one has been able to do it. Scarlett is so nimble on his feet, not many forwards can keep up with him on the rebound.
What makes him the best is he plays in a pro-active mode. It's like he's the full-forward. Have you noticed how many times he marks in front of his opponent?
He reacts so quickly to the bloke who has the footy, his reading of the play is second to none as a defender.
Geelong coach Mark Thompson is blessed. Every week, with an empty magnet board in front of him, Bomber simply has to throw Scarlett's name at full-back and be confident Scarlett will win his position 95 per cent of the time.
What a luxury. And, meanwhile, the other coaches in the league are spending their days trying to work out who and how many players are going to play on Buddy Franklin.
Like everyone else, I can't wait for the Round 17 clash between the Cats and Hawks.
Already, it brings back memories of the Wayne Carey-Glen Jakovich days.
This, of course, is not about denigrating the great Stephen Silvagni, who was named full-back of the century ahead of blokes like David Dench, Goldsmith, Chris Langford and Kelvin Moore.
SOS was a star, an amazing player. I love him. And he played in an era when the full-forwards had one thing in common: brilliance.
They came in all shapes and sizes too: Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall, Gary Ablett, Carey, Tony Modra, John Longmire, Matthew Lloyd, Matthew Richardson and Rocca S.
Indeed, he played on nine of the top 25 goalkickers of all time.
He was a champ, no doubt. He could spoil like no other, mark, use his body and hands and had superb footy nous and timing.
And when the Blues needed a lift, they would send him forward to kick goals.
Speaking of hands, what makes defending so different these days to the past, is that you can't use them.
SOS was the master at scragging, pushing his opponent under the ball, hitting his opponent's arms and using his hands on his opponent's back to hold his position.
And because the game was more physical during the late '80s and early to mid-'90s, it allowed SOS to crash into opponents, which today would be deemed a free kick.
Had you taken these weapons out of his armoury could he have adjusted like Scarlett has?
We will never know, but one thing is for sure, in 2020 we will be comparing Scarlett to the next gun full-back and debating whether he could have adjusted to the 2020 game.
Scarlett in 2008 vs SOS, to me, equals Scarlett by a nose.
-----
enjoy the read.
Glenn Archer | May 15, 2008 12:00am
- IS MATTHEW Scarlett the best full-back of the last 20 years, if not ever?
It's difficult to take players of different eras, say South Melbourne's Fred Goldsmith with the prince of full-backs Jack Regan, and compare their worth to Carlton's Stephen Silvagni and even St Kilda's pillar Max Hudghton, because the game evolves so quickly.
Indeed, it's ridiculous.
If you were to pluck Scarlett from today and transport him back to 1955, when Freddy Goldsmith won the Brownlow Medal - the only one ever by a full-back - I'm tipping Scarlett would've got 22 three votes.
And if we can continue the ridiculousness, Scarlett would not have been playing full-back, anyway.
He would have been a dominating midfielder or running centre half-forward, and pity the poor bugger trying to keep up with him.
So cross-generation is not my go.
In my opinion, Scarlett is the most complete full-back I have seen and played against.
His attributes make him the standout; he beats his man in the air, he marks one-on-one, he's sensational on the deck, has clean hands when he gathers the ball and runs it out of defence.
Scarlett has been able to develop a peerless one-two combination coming out of defence.
That means he runs with the ball, handballs to a stationary teammate (which was once a big no-no in footy) and then receives it back, runs through centre half-back and then pinpoints a pass to a midfield teammate.
If I was coaching against Geelong, one of my first instructions to my players would be to hit Scarlett, take him out of the contest, so he does not get the return handball.
Still, no one has been able to do it. Scarlett is so nimble on his feet, not many forwards can keep up with him on the rebound.
What makes him the best is he plays in a pro-active mode. It's like he's the full-forward. Have you noticed how many times he marks in front of his opponent?
He reacts so quickly to the bloke who has the footy, his reading of the play is second to none as a defender.
Geelong coach Mark Thompson is blessed. Every week, with an empty magnet board in front of him, Bomber simply has to throw Scarlett's name at full-back and be confident Scarlett will win his position 95 per cent of the time.
What a luxury. And, meanwhile, the other coaches in the league are spending their days trying to work out who and how many players are going to play on Buddy Franklin.
Like everyone else, I can't wait for the Round 17 clash between the Cats and Hawks.
Already, it brings back memories of the Wayne Carey-Glen Jakovich days.
This, of course, is not about denigrating the great Stephen Silvagni, who was named full-back of the century ahead of blokes like David Dench, Goldsmith, Chris Langford and Kelvin Moore.
SOS was a star, an amazing player. I love him. And he played in an era when the full-forwards had one thing in common: brilliance.
They came in all shapes and sizes too: Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall, Gary Ablett, Carey, Tony Modra, John Longmire, Matthew Lloyd, Matthew Richardson and Rocca S.
Indeed, he played on nine of the top 25 goalkickers of all time.
He was a champ, no doubt. He could spoil like no other, mark, use his body and hands and had superb footy nous and timing.
And when the Blues needed a lift, they would send him forward to kick goals.
Speaking of hands, what makes defending so different these days to the past, is that you can't use them.
SOS was the master at scragging, pushing his opponent under the ball, hitting his opponent's arms and using his hands on his opponent's back to hold his position.
And because the game was more physical during the late '80s and early to mid-'90s, it allowed SOS to crash into opponents, which today would be deemed a free kick.
Had you taken these weapons out of his armoury could he have adjusted like Scarlett has?
We will never know, but one thing is for sure, in 2020 we will be comparing Scarlett to the next gun full-back and debating whether he could have adjusted to the 2020 game.
Scarlett in 2008 vs SOS, to me, equals Scarlett by a nose.
-----
enjoy the read.
And Scarlo's old man wasn't too shabby either!!
