Madden v Stynes

[Blind Turn]

There have been some good match-ups in this series on the AFL website such as Kernahan v Brereton, Richo v Kouta and Hird v Buckley but this is a bit of a stretch. Tbh I'm surprised that the voting is as close as it is. Madden kicked bags of goals, was a revolutionary tap ruckman, took marks on blokes' heads and performed bigtime in finals. Stynes ran around chasing the ball all day until his opponent was stuffed and adapted better than anyone from overseas but seriously, there is NO comparison. Cox is the only one to come close in my time watching.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2015-04-22/versus-jim-stynes-v-simon-madden

 

[Doss]

Most people who saw Madden, in an honest moment, consider him the greatest ruck they've seen unless they're old enough to have seen Polly Farmer.

My father started watching football in 1969 and says Madden is easily the best he's seen, still. I wish I'd got to see him live- he stopped playing in 1992, I started following in 1993.

 

[Pweter]

If Stynes were born and bred in this country I doubt the hype would be as great. He was a very good footballer, and yes he won a Brownlow, but he shouldn't be compared to Madden.

 

[HULK HOGAN]

Madden easily better than Big Jim, yes Jim was a tad overrated IMO.

 

[astrowizzle]

If Stynes were born and bred in this country I doubt the hype would be as great. He was a very good footballer, and yes he won a Brownlow, but he shouldn't be compared to Madden.

this exactly. It is almost an insult to Madden to compare Stynes to him. i have been a bombers supporter since i was 6 (1975) and i got to watch madden play through his career and noone has come close to what he offered. If he played in the modern era without cigs and beer at half time who knows how good he could have been. I would have much preferred a comparison to Peter Moore who i rate much higher that Stynes.

 

[efcboy]

Madden had a great leap for a ruckman and he'd take hangers around the ground. When you think of the other great ruckman - Farmer, Cox, Stynes well none of these could do that. Peter Moore was athletic so I agree Moore would have been a better rival but then he wasn't as good at the hitouts.

But Madden definitely the best by a fair margin for mine.

 

[windyhill]

He's easily the best player I've seen pull on our jumper. Consistently good, no offence to Stynes but the comparison is a joke.
Madden did everything, stopped goals, set up goals and kicked goals. Best Bomber ever.

 

[Doss]

Madden had a great leap for a ruckman and he'd take hangers around the ground. When you think of the other great ruckman - Farmer, Cox, Stynes well none of these could do that. Peter Moore was athletic so I agree Moore would have been a better rival but then he wasn't as good at the hitouts.

But Madden definitely the best by a fair margin for mine.

Rucking aside, 575 goals at an average of over 1.5 a game is pretty handy too.

 

[efcboy]

He's easily the best player I've seen pull on our jumper. Consistently good, no offence to Stynes but the comparison is a joke.
Madden did everything, stopped goals, set up goals and kicked goals. Best Bomber ever.

Certainly right up there but hard to make that call with Coleman and Reynolds being guns. Bill Hutchison no slouch either.

Hird and Madden in top 5 with those three. Different eras make it difficult to rank them for mine.

 

[Doss]

Certainly right up there but hard to make that call with Coleman and Reynolds being guns. Bill Hutchison no slouch either.

Hird and Madden in top 5 with those three. Different eras make it difficult to rank them for mine.

And that's without even mentioning Timmy...

 

[efcboy]

Rucking aside, 575 goals at an average of over 1.5 a game is pretty handy too.

If he wasn't such a great ruckman he could have easily been good enough as a key forward to win a Coleman. Great contested mark and reliable kick.

 

[efcboy]

And that's without even mentioning Timmy...

Timmy just behind in 6. Jobe closing in - another brownlow and/or Crichton puts him close to the old man

 

[Blind Turn]

The voting results suggest either a public with a very low footy IQ or a hatred of our club reflective of the current footy climate. Come to think of it, either way suggests a very low footy IQ.

 

[windyhill]

Certainly right up there but hard to make that call with Coleman and Reynolds being guns. Bill Hutchison no slouch either.

Hird and Madden in top 5 with those three. Different eras make it difficult to rank them for mine.

Best I've seen, never saw the others. Just finished King Richards book, top read.

 

[efcboy]

The voting results suggest either a public with a very low footy IQ or a hatred of our club reflective of the current footy climate. Come to think of it, either way suggests a very low footy IQ.

Also need to factor in a younger audience would be voting who would have seen more of Stynes as opposed to seeing Madden past his prime. And then there's the sympathy vote for Stynes as well.

 

[Blind Turn]

Timmy just behind in 6. Jobe closing in - another brownlow and/or Crichton puts him close to the old man

Simon was my hero as a kid (27 on my back n all) but Timmy was the more damaging player. He was the one every club tried to nullify when playing us at our height. He was the best mid of the first half of the 80s before a couple of injury-ruined seasons. Then, in 89, he was being compared in media articles with Ablett for best player in the comp and was Brownlow favourite. Then Ablett had his 89 finals series and the debate was over.

I still find it odd that his career is not as revered as it should be. I have him ahead of Judd as ruck rover in my best team seen since 1980.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Simon was my hero as a kid (27 on my back n all) but Timmy was the more damaging player. He was the one every club tried to nullify when playing us at our height. He was the best mid of the first half of the 80s before a couple of injury-ruined seasons. Then, in 89, he was being compared in media articles with Ablett for best player in the comp and was Brownlow favourite. Then Ablett had his 89 finals series and the debate was over.

I still find it odd that his career is not as revered as it should be. I have him ahead of Judd as ruck rover in my best team seen since 1980.

Just watch the final qtr of the 84 grand final.....he won almost every centre hit out to our advantage. He was epic in that win. Every one remembers Leon Bakers goal in that game...but I will never forget Simons final qtr that day. One of the best bombers ever.

 

[Blind Turn]

Just watch the final qtr of the 83 grand final.....he won almost every centre hit out to our advantage. He was epic in that win. Every one remembers Leon Bakers goal in that game...but I will never forget Simons final qtr that day. One of the best bombers ever.

'84.

But, yes, you won't get any greater fan of Madden than me. I just think that I need to remove the blinkers and recognise that Tim was the superstar of that team

 

[windyhill]

Tim was the glamour boy. My Dad worshipped him, I reckon I went five birthdays straight with Tim Watson themed presents. Jumpers, T-shirts, framed photos. He made me write a letter to him when he did the knee, now you can probably see why I've missed just the four games since '73, the old man, God rest his soul, was EFC obsessed.
Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[efcboy]

Timmy was my childhood hero - however if we're rating Madden as the greatest ruckman of all time well that's some rating. Lets face it they're both guns and its semantics as to which one was better. Like someone else said recently its like choosing between Jennifer Hawkins and Miranda Kerr. You'd always just choose both!

 

[Blind Turn]

Timmy was my childhood hero - however if we're rating Madden as the greatest ruckman of all time well that's some rating. Lets face it they're both guns and its semantics as to which one was better. Like someone else said recently its like choosing between Jennifer Hawkins and Miranda Kerr. You'd always just choose both!

This is very true. I have mulled this over though in making a list of the best 100 players I've seen.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/top-100-players-since-1980.1042878/

As you can see, I have them rated very closely together and if I hadn't done such a list I probably wouldn't be so pedantic. I simply came to the conclusion that Tim was the match-winning star who was rated by many pundits as being close to the best player in the comp at one point which gives him the nod ahead of Simon IMO... just...

 

[Run and carry]

No comparison as they were two vastly different players. Madden was technically outstanding, took marks, kicked goals. A lot of both. Stynes was constantly referred to as a "giant ruckrover" who just ran and ran. Can't remember him being that great overhead and his kicking style was cumbersome (as he had come into the game late). Great player though.

 

[Jade]

If Stynes were born and bred in this country I doubt the hype would be as great. He was a very good footballer, and yes he won a Brownlow, but he shouldn't be compared to Madden.

Exactly. Lovely bloke and damn good player, but a class difference exists to Madden.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Madden by a farking mile...can't believe you anyone would even contemplate Stynes. Unless you compared him to Justin Madden.

Simon was a great (spectacular at times) mark, reliable goal kicker and great tap ruckman.

 

[Howard Moon]

if my memory serves Madden was even slightly under sized for a ruck, what was he, 197cm or so? But he revolutionised the craft... polly did it with the handball, then Madden did it with the jump into the opponent to get the further boost.

I remember as a kid seeing this goofy guy trying to throw hay makers in the grand final and lou Richards saying he was on angry pills, or something similar.
there was always that suggestion that he and sheedy didnt get along because Madden was a scholar and Sheedy a back pocket plumber.

Im not ashamed to say i had the 27 on my back, i feel sorry for the guys who only saw him in his twilight, in 92, shadow of the former player.