Opinion Jakovich v McGovern

[DirtySandman]

Teams do that for Gov

teams also did this for Gov

Jako's time was different, players today move around the ground a lot more, defenders are swapping opponents more often.

Back in the 90s, Big buggers would try to dominate a position. maybe it was ego, or 'toxic masculinity', it was pretty good days though.

 

[WCE_phil]

Just to throw a spanner in the works here. If McIntosh hadn't done his knee he was a better player than either of them. Jako's knee hurt his game, McIntosh's knee ruined his career.

Brilliant defensively, fastest player on the list and was very good with ball in hand before the knee recon as well. (also had a degenerative issue in his other knee the poor bastard)

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Gov cannot lockdown on a player or maybe he can but has not been asked to??

Pretty important to be able to lock down an opposition player as a backman.

Both great players, both playing vastly different eras of the sport. (maybe two different sports)

If i had to pick one it would be Jacko.

McGovern had years like 2017 - 2019 where his 1v1 rating was top of the league by some measure.

Where McGovern has improved is his offensive game.

 

[THE A5]

Gov can lockdown on good player but time to time gets found out when he doesn’t get the balance right on trying to play his own game and nullifying his man. He’s also quite stubborn that he Will regardless try to play his own way.

 

[Balls In]

Jakovich, and it isn't close. I'll always pick the defender whose primary role is to stop his direct opponent. Few in the game have done it better than Jako did.

Nah it is close. McGovern has been the best CHB in the league for 10 years and could have 5 AA's at the end of this year. Jako, as magnificent as he was in his prime was never the same player after that knee. Jako was better man on man, however McGovern dominates the kick behind the play role like no one. Both played key roles in their respective coaches gameplay. I'm not going to call it, because it's very very close.

 

[Balls In]

I also wonder what Simmo would have done had a young Jako arrived at the eagles. I suspect he'd have played him at CHF. Malthouse turning Jako into a CHB was masterful coaching.

 

[maverick001]

You cant compare players from 2 different eras of the game. Its like comparing Bradman and Tendulkar.

However in these scenarios I would always favour the more recent player, as sports science, fitness standards, and the speed and professionalism of the game (any game) far exceeds those from 20+ years ago.

But Bradman v Tendulkar is a no contest.

 

[maverick001]

Jako's best was better. 93-96 it was crazy how good he was. He'd destroy Carey 1-on-1 & it was widely acknowledged Jako had the better of him.
Jako took a lot of intercept marks/pack macks, but he was doing this at the same time as defending/shutting down his own man. Actually got a lot of the footy for a key defender before anyone else was doing it. He'd always be streaming off the HB line ball in hand. He could not have done more than what he was doing.

But post-knee he dropped away quite a bit, to the point that I'd say Gov's average output over his career better than Jako's probably.

But I'm still taking Jako because peak Jako was better. I vaguely recall some sort of media article in early 2000s I reckon where a lot of AFL experts/former legends gave their top 20 players (can't remember time period) but A LOT had Jako at the pointy end

 

[donpyke92]

Yeah but he didn’t do that and there were plenty of folk potting his for being a big waste of money for a while there (not me personally, I love the guy!) - but it’s like saying what if Jako hadn’t done his knee at age 23, when he was one of the top 2-3 players in the whole comp - who knows how many AAs he collects?

Very few players have played seasons of footy for the Eagles to the level of Jakovich did for that run from 1993 to 1995 (and pre-knee 96). I’d say Cousins 2001-2005, and Judd 2004-first half of 2007 are the only ones really comparable.

To me, that gives him the edge over Gov.

Both however are in our all-time backline, alongside Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn, Guy McKenna and John Worsfold.

I remember attending first game of the season, maybe 95', and the AFL Record at the game ranked the top 20/30 players in the league. Jako was their No.1

 

[PerthBoy86]

Very different player, Jako was so strong in the contest but Gov is one of the great interceptors ever, both would compete for the all time Eagles hall of fame squad.

 

[CursoryMercenary]

Fox Footy's Brad Johnsonwb fame still has Gov at Back Pocket in his All-Australian team. 6 A-A's would almost have him amongst all time elite defenders. On SM-S901E using [URL=https://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=91509]BigFooty.com mobile app[/URL]

Player not found

 

[dinnaz]

A question I have grappled with for about 6-7 years now.
McGoverns trick is simply the best ever, however Jacko takes the cake purely for the fact he did everything well and has better versatility. He could stop his man and would still dominate the back half and rebound. Absolute unit.

 

[RanaNaved]

Good article on SEN with a dude from Champion Data speaking about the greatness of Gov. Head and shoulders the best KPD of his generation. A remarkable player

 

[garlic munchers]

Jakovich played in an era we will never see again and locked down on some of the greatest forwards you will ever see in a small period of time.

The game was a tough hard as nails game at the time and most players now wouldn't survive it with their man buns and pretending to hit their head on the turf to get a free. The free kick forwards get now would afford the likes of Carey and dunstall and Ablett another 30 percent of goals on the existing tally's.

One on one he took down the like of Wayne Carey at his absolute peak and Stuart loewe etc.

McGovern has his strengths which is mainly intercept marking and is a great player but one on one they would have destroyed him imo.

Carey would have loved playing on McGovern.

 

[Phas]

Having watched both, Jako was the better key position player without a doubt.

The match vs Gold Coast kind of exemplifies McGovern's role / 1:1 stats accumulation.

At one point McGovern is a superstar out marking a GCS winger, then his kick down the line goes to a 50/50 and GCS are away and kick it i50 on Ben King

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Ben King

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matched up to Witherden.

McGovern has a licence to make that play.

Jako wouldn't have. That means he wouldn't have been allowed to go dominate the opps smaller guys in marking contests and pad his stats.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Pad his stats ffs

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

We've been blessed with key defenders. Brennan, McIntosh, Jakovich, Glass, HUNTAAAAA, Gov, Barrass. Mackenzie was tracking very well until he was wrecked by injury.

 

[Smotie2]

Having watched both, Jako was the better key position player without a doubt.

The match vs Gold Coast kind of exemplifies McGovern's role / 1:1 stats accumulation.

At one point McGovern is a superstar out marking a GCS winger, then his kick down the line goes to a 50/50 and GCS are away and kick it i50 on Ben King matched up to Witherden.

McGovern has a licence to make that play.

Jako wouldn't have. That means he wouldn't have been allowed to go dominate the opps smaller guys in marking contests and pad his stats.

Pad his stats....seriously dude you have no idea how jako played or how Malthouse coached back then.

If jako was looking to pad his stats he wouldn't have been ****ing playing at all.

 

[dazzledavey36]

McGovern for me.

Ashley McIntosh

Ashley Mcintosh

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53

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doesn't get enough credit for me externally. I had a beer with Billy Brownless one night when he came and did a sportsman's night my local footy club. He will say to this day McIntosh is the one that still gives him nightmares from the 90's. Rated him as one of the best defenders he played on and will openly admit that he would always toweled him especially in those finals and grand final

And yes, I too don't know why I'm randomly lurking your board..

 

[Into The Black]

Pad his stats....seriously dude you have no idea how jako played or how Malthouse coached back then.

If jako was looking to pad his stats he wouldn't have been ****ing playing at all.

I think there is more of an insult on Gov than Jako in his/her comment's. Gov doesn't try to "pad" his stats, he is the designated play maker from the back half. Anyway, different generation, can't compare the two greats of our club.

 

[THE A5]

Glass probably not in the conversation for best defender but for a bloke was immense in the 2000’s and in the back end of his career was able to go an play on the smalls as well as provide us with intrecepts. Can’t remember who said it but one ex key forward said a while back that glass was so strong for his size even when glass was conceding a lot of size on him.

 

[Priddis Is Done]

Funny how when a generational player ends and im like, "there will never be another Jakovich".

Opposition started playing decoy CHF's on him to lead him away from his position.

Then McGovern came along.

.I feel like MCGovern may have a harder time playing in Jako's era than vice versa. But then McGovern throws himself into everything without a care.

McGovern for mine.

 

[ioppolo]

Glass probably not in the conversation for best defender but for a bloke was immense in the 2000’s and in the back end of his career was able to go an play on the smalls as well as provide us with intrecepts. Can’t remember who said it but one ex key forward said a while back that glass was so strong for his size even when glass was conceding a lot of size on him.

Gets forgotten about given we went from Jako/McIntosh to Glass then to McGovern. **** we've had such a charmed run of gun defenders since our inception.

 

[Priddis Is Done]

Gets forgotten about given we went from Jako/McIntosh to Glass then to McGovern. **** we've had such a charmed run of gun defenders since our inception.

Brennan

One of the prolific forwards of the time rated Brennan as the hardest match up because he was like a monkey on your back.

 

[WCE_phil]

Personally I have always felt that whilst Jakovich was incredible, he was overrated. He had a truly astoundingly good defensive unit around him, backed by a coach who played a defensive play style and the best player in the game at the time couldn't help his own ego and played against Jakovich in the one way that he would lose out.

Carey lost most of those contests over games to Jako purely because he tried to use his strength and out muscle him. Jako was immensely strong and defenders got away with a lot more back then than now. Jako although not sounding like the brightest spark would play to Carey's ego and it worked.

Jakovich is a club legend and absolute lock for WCE best 22 of all time. I still think playing in the same backline Mcgovern would be the more influential player and it really is a coin flip but I'm taking Gov. People see Gov now and seem to think he isn't and wasn't a great lock down player. I forget the season but he went 50-0 in 1vs1 contests in one of his AA years. Reads the play coming at him better than any defender I've ever seen.

From memory since the stat has been recorded is the only defender ever to lead the league in contested marks for a year and he did it back to back in 17-18.