Matthews vs Buckley

[Adelaide Hawk]

Not even a player as great as Buckley can be compared with Matthews. Lethal was unique, there will never be another Matthews.

 

[Nandoz]

So far from being a contest its laughable.

Matthews too tough, too smart, and was a genuine matchwinner.

Pity he was a c*nt on the field

 

[EriAus]

The only thing I will say about morality and intelligence. You really have to understand the importance of maintaining club harmony within a team unit when you are the figure head of the club. Any coach knows his job is dependent on team harmony, any coach that destroys that harmony for the sake of other pursuits is not using their supposed 'intelligence' especially when it is your income and may adversely affect future employment possibilities. This may not have occured in this instance, but I know where it did in others.

Understandable in most instances. However afl football being what it is or was, Matthews would have, in my belief, been assured of his future employment prospects in areas other than coaching like the media to not have to worry about potential lost revenue. Once more not unlike Carey. It is an entertaiment media and one thing that has been proved throughout history is that we forgive our entertainers faults far more easily than we normally forgive others.

 

[fist]

What a load of crap!

Read what I said, football suited Matthews more back then.. today it suits a player like Judd.. Matthews would still be great today, but not as great

 

[DaveMorro]

good thread - i guess if you're club has only had a single "truly great player" you need to defend them. love lethal of course because of what he did for us but half of his playing legend was related to his toughness. Buckley's all round skills and consistancy have been peerless. ( i am aware of course that his lack of a premiership medal makes him inferior to legends like Nick davis & co)

James Hird board idiot

 

[DaveMorro]

Buckley isnt a king hit merchant!

He will always have respect from most supporters and players alike, not like matthews!

Matthew never intentionally smeared blood on an opponent, in an era a high disease awareness

 

[Frederlick]

Being in AFL team of the Century is a good thing?

 

[FuManchu]

Matthew never intentionally smeared blood on an opponent, in an era a high disease awareness

he didnt need to, he made it flow

 

[fist]

Matthew never intentionally smeared blood on an opponent, in an era a high disease awareness

No he was too busy king hitting players from behind.. so much to do and so little time

 

[South of the Yarra]

Matthews had so much support from great players week in week out for his entire career. Buckley was the object of the oppositions plans week in week out and was tagged mercilessly without any support. Matthews is a great of our game, no doubt. Buckley is also a great of our game. Kevin Rose has stated that Buckley is every bit as good as Bob Rose, if not better. Jock McHale said that Rose was better than the Coventrys, Colliers and Regan. This means that Buckley is perhaps Collingwoods greatest footballer ever.
Matthews would also be Hawthorns greatest ever. Why don't we leave it at that. Two greats, why do they need to be compared.

 

[Pie eyed]

To catch a wily old brown trout, you have to choose your lure carefully. You have to observe the fish, noting it's usual movements, it's 'beat', and its preferred food sources. Then, when the moment is right, you have to carefully and subtly present your offering.

Not all fish are as smart or as discerning as the wily old brown however. Sometimes you can just rock up to your favourite fishing hole and chuck in any old shit and you'll still get bites.

Well put...

Different players in different eras...
Matthews would probably not play a quarter of the games he played today due to the "softness" of the current comp (ei: suspension) and the emphasis on fast hard running players.

This is not to take anything away from Lethal's fantastic record, he was great to watch even from an opposition point of view.

Still comparing apples to oranges...

 

[Crow-mo]

good thread - i guess if you're club has only had a single "truly great player" you need to defend them. love lethal of course because of what he did for us but half of his playing legend was related to his toughness. Buckley's all round skills and consistancy have been peerless. ( i am aware of course that his lack of a premiership medal makes him inferior to legends like Nick davis & co)

lol. has your little sister hacked your account and successfully destroyed any semblance of credibility you might have aspired to?

either that or you're about 18/19 and genuinely that dumb.

good lord, I like Buckley but he's no Matthews (considered by many the greatest player ever).

 

[Crow-mo]

I thought Greening was the greatest ever player to take the field?

I thought you were saying it was ok to belt players you couldn't stop?

 

[Crow-mo]

Not when you do it from behind...thats weak. E.g Matthews on Duckworth in the 84 GF.

duckworth, now that was a gutless sniper.

 

[Crow-mo]

unbiased and undoubtably a top bloke - but not necessarily right

as opposed to a nuff nuff homer?

 

[Thommo 42]

Interesting thread, but not sure you can put any players name in the history of the game up against Lethals and expect some semblance of a balanced argument from a Hawks supporter, just as you wouldn't expect a Pies fan to agree that Sos should have been in the TOC ahead of Regan.

Everyone in my family, young and old says Lethal was the best they ever saw and I would tend to agree. He has done his reputation as a player no harm through his deeds as a coach either.

I do however feel that Buckley, had he worn any other jumper other than a black & white one, his abilities as a footballer would be more highly regarded by the general population.

Matthews played 300 odd senior games and kicked 900 goals primarily as a midfielder. He was as hard as anyone at the football, but nobody would say with a straight face that he was fair.

Buckley has played 300 odd senior games and is the best kick of the footy to have played the game. Like Lethal he can go forward and kick plenty of goals, can win it in the middle and probably can add another string to his complete package in that he could also hold down a key defensive position. I'm not sure if Lethal could have stood at CHB and given Carey the hidings that Buckley did. However, thats a body shape issue not an ability issue.

Remember, Lethal spent his whole career in the 'premier competition', while Bucks wasted a few years playing for Port when there were a few people left in Adelaide that actually really did think that the SANFL was an equivalent competition. In todays game, Bucks would have gone #1 as a 17 year old and be destined for a 400 game career, instead of making his debut at 21, after already dominating the SANFL.

In short, Lethal is the best ever non key position player, but the margin isn't as great as a few big mouthes would have you believe, and remember - they picked the TOC early, Bucks is now on the wing

Not sure if Bucks is even better than Bobby Rose though, unfortunately I didn't have the pleasure of seeing the great man play. But my Bombes supporting grandfather says Rose was more dominant than Judd is now, then went bush at the peak of his powers in search of a dollar.

/end rant

 

[somocca]

When I first saw this thread, I thought it was a pi** take, then I realized it is meant to be fair dinkum!
Threads like these should not be allowed on Big Footy as the site just loses all credibility. I know people are entitled to opinions and people's are going to differ. This debate is like comparing chocolates to Boiled Lollies though.
I can understand Dunstall and Lockett debates, Carey and Brereton debates, Hird and Voss debates etc etc but to compare Matthews with Buckley is just ludicrous! WTF!!!