How would former great players go in the modern game?

[Dank You Steven]

Hird would still be a star

Yep (I mean that - regularly destroyed Hawthorn). Gun player, s**t bloke.

 

[Dank You Steven]

Ablett Snr and other mobile types would excel as they did in the past.

Some of the dinosaurs may not be so effective. One that I would have my doubts on would be dunstall. Not big enough for the KP role and not mobile enough for the midfield or even forward flanks. I'm sure he would still be good but he probably wouldn't be remembered decades after his career.

I think looking at Richmond's forward set up Dunstall would do just fine...

 

[Occidental]

I know from just some plain researching - reading transcripts or if lucky seeing film vision, you can clearly see that many players of bygone eras were great athletes. They still covered the ground of the MCG, soared for marks, were involved in high scoring games and did so with very limited comparable, youth development, skill development, pre season training and recovery regimes.
Just from my own club - players like Des Fothergill, Phonse Kyne, Ron Todd, Bob Rose, Thorold Merrett, Des Tuddenham, Len Thompson, Wayne Richardson were great athletic and highly skilled players and with today's preparation and trained they would thrive.
Chuck in others like Haydyn Bunton, Dick Reynolds, Herb Matthwes, Jack Dyer, Reg Hickey, Bob Davis, Ted Whitten, Jack Collins, Ron Barassi, Bob Skilton, Ian Stewart, Neil Roberts, John Coleman, Bill Hutchinson, Ron Clegg, Polly Farmer, John Schultz, John Birt, Bert Deacon, Brendan Edwards...they too were just a few of the super athletic type players of the past. Add 5kg of muscle, better diets, give up their full time jobs and just focus on training and recovery and they would be even better!
Old time champs would be modern champs.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Unless you put jako on him

Jakovich would be too slow for modern footy.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Both these blokes would go comfortably 1 and 2 in the upcoming draft:

 

[Kwality]

Sort of like the title suggests I thought it would be interesting to discuss former players, probably not the really recently retired players but players who have been out of the game a few years and how you think they would go in the modern game, or if their styles and how they played would work in the modern game.

I think an interesting example of this, though this is going back some way is Polly Farmer who is the AFL team of the century ruckman, and while I did not see him play he was undoubtably an amazing player to get in that team. Only problem, he is 191cm tall. If he was in the modern game there is no way he would be a ruckman. He would have to either be a medium defender (or forward) or if he had the tank go in the midfield but he would not be the top ruckman in the modern game at that height.

..

So how do you think former great players would go in the modern game?

Saw Polly play heaps of footy & did not support any team he played for - be certain he could play anywhere & in the modern game he would be an outstanding mid fielder like say Josh Kennedy but with that handball to clear the hordes surrounding the ball. His ability to use his body one on one was amazing & he would handle a modern day tagger with ease. In ruck contests his ability to leap early into the body of his opponent would make him very difficult to beat at boundary throw ins.
Certainly would not rewrite the game when it came to ruck work as he did initially in WA in the 50s then Vic in the 60s.

 

[juss]

It depends if you can recruit them at a young age and give them all the training and tactics of modern footy, or are we just grabbing them mid career and plonking them in the side.

 

[gavaniacono]

Silly thing is - he was a better player than jako - but jako sucked him into battles of strength - and carey fell for it every time - couldnt accept that jako was stronger and beat him with his other abilities that jako didnt have - had to try beat him with strength - which didnt work

IQ.

 

[*PAF]

Another good thread could be how would current day players go in the 80s?

 

[Kwality]

It depends if you can recruit them at a young age and give them all the training and tactics of modern footy, or are we just grabbing them mid career and plonking them in the side.

In his WA days Polly sold Vanguards for Diesel Motors full time.

 

[Snake_Baker]

That's what ego does to a man. That being said if they played under today's rules Carey would dominate because punching arms and scragging isn't allowed anymore. That being said, if it's and buts where candy and nuts then I would have a full larder.

Al's suggestion that Carey could not beat Jakovich in a contest of strength is utter rubbish.



You should pretty much ignore Al when he puts on his WCE reminiscing glasses.

The strength thing became more pronounced after 96 when Carey couldn't mark over his head. Carey eventually learned to adapt and got on his bike.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Yes I totally agree that SOS was really overrated as a FB, especially when you consider the quality of opposition he played on such as White, Carey and Ablett Snr. in the 1995 finals and conceded zero goals for the 3 games !!!

Silvagni was an utter scragger. He'd give away 20 free kicks a game.

 

[blitzer]

A lot of the great forwards of the 90s would have a lot less goals. Tons less. There would be no 1,000 goal kickers. Defensive structures are too good now, plus most of them were all short asses who would be giving away a lot of height and reach. A lot of the great key position players would be 3rd talls or half forward flankers in the modern game.

Ruckman would struggle badly - just way too short. Unless they could genuinely play a second position. Simon Madden would probably be a great forward who rucks rather than the other way around.

The best defenders would still go well but they would probably resemble someone like Rampe who is a bit undersized against the bigger blokes.

There would probably be some players who were fast and skillful that got physically targeted a lot that might even go slightly better or would benefit from the modern game style. I reckon Tim Watson would be perfect for the modern game with his skillset.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Silvagni was an utter scragger. He'd give away 20 free kicks a game.

Agree. Still a very good player though. I reckon he would be a forward now.

 

[Monkey King]

Same height as Jake Lever.

But 10kg heavier.

Same height and weight as Rance. He’d be a KPP no doubt.

 

[Monkey King]

Silvagni was an utter scragger. He'd give away 20 free kicks a game.

Scragged his way to over 200 goals.

Nah. The guy could outplay and outmark the best of em. He’d adapt to the rules of the day pretty quickly.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Scragged his way to over 200 goals.

Nah. The guy could outplay and outmark the best of em. He’d adapt to the rules of the day pretty quickly.

Yeah, but not as a full back.

Getting back on topic, how would Jezza go today? I think he could make it, but he would have to play full forward.

 

[Damon_3388]

IQ.

More specifically, probably ego and pride at play.

 

[Damon_3388]

Getting back on topic, how would Jezza go today? I think he could make it, but he would have to play full forward.

At 6'0" even, he'd probably be a forward pocket or half forward, rotating through the middle occasionally.

 

[RUNVS]

I actually took this thread seriously for a bit until I re-read the bit about Dunstall "could not apply defensive pressure if their lives depended on it" - are you ******* joking? You've totally shown yourself up here - Dunstall set the standard for forward defensive pressure in the late 80s, early 90s. Do your research before coming out with shite like that.

I never saw him play. I was just going by comments he has made himself about hiding under bridges and such when Hawthorn, during training would do a 3km run, or him sometimes inferring he did not tackle or handball throughout his entire career. It could just be self-depreciation on his part though.

 

[kranky al]

Jakovich would be too slow for modern footy.

Jako was only slow after the knee reco

 

[Monkey King]

Yeah, but not as a full back.

Getting back on topic, how would Jezza go today? I think he could make it, but he would have to play full forward.

Could nullify a range of forwards, from Lockett to Ablett, to Carey to Hird. Really versatile defender against top opponents. In the modern game he’d play either FB or CHB and would do just fine.

Jezza too small for FF. Reckon he’d play a Robbie Gray mid/fwd role.

Bruce Doull is one Carlton bloke who would thrive in the modern game. Read the game so well, super agile, could play tall, was a good kick both feet and made good decisions. Would be a star HBF in today’s game. I reckon he’d play the loose man intercept role a lot and cause teams a lot of headcahes, but take a shutdown role if needed.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Could nullify a range of forwards, from Lockett to Ablett, to Carey to Hird. Really versatile defender against top opponents. In the modern game he’d play either FB or CHB and would do just fine.

You're trippin'

Jezza too small for FF. Reckon he’d play a Robbie Gray mid/fwd role.

Yep.

Bruce Doull is one Carlton bloke who would thrive in the modern game. Read the game so well, super agile, could play tall, was a good kick both feet and made good decisions. Would be a star HBF in today’s game. I reckon he’d play the loose man intercept role a lot and cause teams a lot of headcahes, but take a shutdown role if needed.

Agree, although I think he would hold down CHB these days.

 

[Monkey King]

You're trippin'

Agree, although I think he would hold down CHB these days.

Not at all. SOS’ record against a diverse range of forwards on either defensive line is a great one.

Doull too short for a full time KP post I reckon. Would be great though at reading the incoming ball and either intercepting or spoiling as third man up; he was incredible with his controlled spoils back in the day almost being a disposal in themselves. Would be a nice on the rebound too. Modern day HBF IMO.

 

[JackFlash]

Any similarity this game has today and the one played pre-2000 is purely coincidental. In any case players would adapt.
I wonder how players of today would go in the 1970's or 80's? I hope they would adapt also, but i suspect the poor dears would be running out the door screaming before Tuesday night training!