Josh Gibson vs Heath Shaw

[Benny78]

Now both their careers are both essentially over who was the better defender?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I'm biased when it comes to Gibson, but he was near on unstoppable in his time at Hawthorn.

Literally every week the opposition coaches tried some sort of tactic to drag him back to the square or out to the flank so that he couldn't impact other contests in their forward line, but it consistently failed.
He had defensive forwards play on him, tall forwards, resting mids who would push up the ground...and he'd still drop off his man, and go and kill the ball, despite being the go-to defender for champion players like Riewoldt, Franklin and Pavlich.

2x B&F winner in premiership years(in a team with a bunch of players who will be hall of fame inductees) sums up how bloody good he was.

 

[Chubberson]

Different kinds of defenders. Both great players. I'd take a prime Gibson though for sure, could play on a bigger range of forwards and impacted the contest more I rekn.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Shaw has had the longer & more consistent career of the 2, but Gibbo at Hawthorn from 2011-2016, was in a class of his own....Too bad the genius AA selectors missed it.

 

[Hens Hall]

Strange poll comparing two very different type of defenders.

About par all things considered.

Shaw might be better compared to Grant Birchall and again I would think them to be about on par.

Bias would sway me towards the hawks boys though

 

[Mighty Eagles]

Shaw every day of the week

 

[MinerBoy]

I'm biased when it comes to Gibson, but he was near on unstoppable in his time at Hawthorn.

Literally every week the opposition coaches tried some sort of tactic to drag him back to the square or out to the flank so that he couldn't impact other contests in their forward line, but it consistently failed.
He had defensive forwards play on him, tall forwards, resting mids who would push up the ground...and he'd still drop off his man, and go and kill the ball, depsite being the go-to defender for champion players like Riewoldt, Franklin and Pavlich.

2x B&F winner in premiership years(in a team with a bunch of players who will be hall of fame inductees) sums up how bloody good he was.

 

[Daka]

Josh Gibson more intercept and Shaw more run. both good in their position would give the edge to Gibson though.

 

[HairyO]

Shaw every day of the week

2015 blocked from memory ?

Does Shaw even make the Hall of Fame ?

 

[Masqualero]

Can't really compare like for like, such different players.
Both great players at their peaks.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I'd lean towards the one that was b&f twice in premiership years.