Matty Scarlett: Geelong's Greatest Full- Back?

ALM_30

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Obviously Geelong fans who have followed the club over the past (at least) 20-50 years and beyond would be in a much better position to answer this question than I, having seen from generation to generation the Cats players who have called the position home.

However, having followed the vast majority of Scarlett's career week by week for many years, I have to say though without a doubt he is. The man has accomplished just about everything there is to achieve at FB, and he has maintained such a brilliant level of consistency in all facets of the game, both defensively and offensively, since being nominated for the rising star in 2000. Plus he bleeds Geelong through and through.

He'll be around for a few more years yet, will more than likely surpass 250 games, what do you people think?
 

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Not only at Geelong but around the AFL currently his rap sheet is un- matched:

3rd Reserves B&F 1999
Rising Star Nominee 2000
Runner- Up Geelong B&F 2001, 2004, 2005
Winner Geelong B&F 2003
International Rules rep. 2002, 2003
All- Australian 2003, 2004, 2007
AFLPA MVP Nominee 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
Geelong HOF Inductee 2006
Reverse Coleman 1st 2003, 1st 2004, 3rd 2005, 2nd 2006, 1st 2007
NAB Cup Premiership Captain 2006
Premiership Full Back 2007
Victorian State of Origin Full Back 2008?

... and perhaps the mantle as Australian Football's best rebounding key defender since David Dench.
 
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Jocka Todd, who played in two premiership sides, won the B&F 3 times, represented Victoria 11 times, is in the HOF, and was a nominee at the full back position in the AFL team of the century (and full back in the GFC team of the century), still holds sway for mine.
 
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Not only at Geelong but around the AFL currently his rap sheet is un- matched:

3rd Reserves B&F 1999
Rising Star Nominee 2000
Runner- Up Geelong B&F 2001, 2004, 2005
Winner Geelong B&F 2003
International Rules rep. 2002, 2003
All- Australian 2003, 2004, 2007
AFLPA MVP Nominee 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
Geelong HOF Inductee 2006
Reverse Coleman 1st 2003, 1st 2004, 3rd 2005, 2nd 2006, 1st 2007
NAB Cup Premiership Captain 2006
Premiership Full Back 2007
Victorian State of Origin Full Back 2008?

... and perhaps the mantle as Australian Football's best rebounding key defender since David Dench.
Glass could probably match it, as he is also a b & f winner, premiership full back, multiple AA full back and possibly club captain next year (dunno bout all those other stats).

and I stress, i am not trying to start a Glass v Scarlett war here, haha i think weve all had enough of them. They're both Superstars.
 

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Glass could probably match it, as he is also a b & f winner, premiership full back, multiple AA full back and possibly club captain next year (dunno bout all those other stats).

and I stress, i am not trying to start a Glass v Scarlett war here, haha i think weve all had enough of them. They're both Superstars.
Go on then, show us
 
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#7
The whole Scarlett V Glass V Michaels V Fletcher is good and valid argument. If you are nominating a FB to stop a FF then there is no doubt that they are all very good. If you want an attacking FB that has completely redefined the position in the modern age, there is no doubt it is Scarlo. Which is why I also think he is GFC best ever FB.
 
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who are the other possibilities? Yes or No is easy if all you are thinking is Scarlett vs Derek Hall

who was team of the century FB?

we should have a poll with all the different cat full backs - Darcy, that dude from 94 that went to Fremantle, Bolton, Toohey etc...
 
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who are the other possibilities? Yes or No is easy if all you are thinking is Scarlett vs Derek Hall

who was team of the century FB?

we should have a poll with all the different cat full backs - Darcy, that dude from 94 that went to Fremantle, Bolton, Toohey etc...
I can tell you now that there are only 4 contenders for the title.

Hall of Fame and AFL Team of the Century nominee George 'Jocka' Todd

Dual Premiership player and State Rep Bruce Morrison

Full back of the 70's and 80's Gary Malarkey

Matty Scarlett
 
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The whole Scarlett V Glass V Michaels V Fletcher is good and valid argument. If you are nominating a FB to stop a FF then there is no doubt that they are all very good. If you want an attacking FB that has completely redefined the position in the modern age, there is no doubt it is Scarlo. Which is why I also think he is GFC best ever FB.
David Dench was already doing what Scarlo does now back in the 70's, and was even better at it.
 

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Glass could probably match it, as he is also a b & f winner, premiership full back, multiple AA full back and possibly club captain next year (dunno bout all those other stats).

and I stress, i am not trying to start a Glass v Scarlett war here, haha i think weve all had enough of them. They're both Superstars.
Did you read everything I put there, Glass is not in the same league at this point, Glass has had 2 very good years but before that he was a nobody for about 5-6 years. So no he couldn't match it, that's all I want to say on that issue. Fletcher is the only one who might be.
 

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David Dench was already doing what Scarlo does now back in the 70's, and was even better at it.
I somehow get the impression you don't like Scarlett much.

Dench was doing it, but I'm not sure he was better at it, although I do concede it was Dench who first redefined the position, but considering back then it was justa case of get the ball off half back and thump it long, not much precision involved.

Scarlett finds the ball in dangerous positions, finds targets in dangerous positions and creates countless not only attacking but scoring drives for his team. He doesn't just barnstorm off half back, he pushes up off his opponent into the centre and gains possession there.

Dench did this with monotonous regularity too, but whether he could do it as well as Scarlett has, given how much more precise and skilled the game is today, is a matter of opinion. I honestly haven't seen enough of Dench, I've just see a shitload of Scarlo however.

Also, yeah Jocka Todd was one who came into my calculations, also Peter Burns from the early 20th century, I did some research before I posted the thread, but... I don't know though, I look at it like comparing the Brisbane Lions dynasty and Collingwood's dynasty (1920's), I think the Lions were better because the game today is just so rediculously advanced in terms of size, strength, fitness, professionalism... everything really. FF's back then were bloody rover's size in this age.

Again, it's a matter of opinion, whether or not you respect traditionalism and the old game, in which case you would go with Todd. Mind you I think Scarlett will be leading the race for GFC's full- back of the 21st century for many years to come.

PS: What about John Scarlett, he was FB wasn't he? Any good?
 

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just out of interest where abouts do you get these figures??

and how do they get rated as there are so many ambiguities in deciding who should be penalised for deciding who let in a goal....
It's in the AFL Prospectus every year.

Plus it's a stat that I research year in year out, because it's never brought out as an official stat for everyone to see.

It's usually hidden in articles and stuff like that. I can tell you Glass hasn't made Top 5 ever if that's what you were wanting to know, in fact if I remember correctly Daniel Merrett conceded less than Glass in 2007, by a couple like 42 to 40 or something.
 

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Merrett ain't bad as a FB though, if all you want is a pure spoiler. Will not go for the mark, but bloody hard to beat for the ball. Like a bigger version of Maxie Hudghton, in that respect.
 

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Merrett ain't bad as a FB though, if all you want is a pure spoiler. Will not go for the mark, but bloody hard to beat for the ball. Like a bigger version of Maxie Hudghton, in that respect.
I know, he is a pretty good FB, it's just a sad indictment considering how brilliant everyone thinks Glass is, and an indication that perhaps he is just little overrated. Just a tad.

I think you'd find that if not for Scarlett's career worst showing in Rnd 22 on Jono Brown, Scarlett would have been the AA FB in 2007. It was more a case of Scarlo losing the spot than Glass beating him for it. I'm the first to admit Glass id a great defender, taking nothing away from him but that's just my take.

But I am not interested in getting into a lengthy debate about this again.
 
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Glass could probably match it, as he is also a b & f winner, premiership full back, multiple AA full back and possibly club captain next year (dunno bout all those other stats).

and I stress, i am not trying to start a Glass v Scarlett war here, haha i think weve all had enough of them. They're both Superstars.
Regardless of whether there's a Glass V Scarlett debate or not, how is the above quote relevant in a Greatest Geelong FB of all time? :confused:
 
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Obviously Geelong fans who have followed the club over the past (at least) 20-50 years and beyond would be in a much better position to answer this question than I, having seen from generation to generation the Cats players who have called the position home.

However, having followed the vast majority of Scarlett's career week by week for many years, I have to say though without a doubt he is. The man has accomplished just about everything there is to achieve at FB, and he has maintained such a brilliant level of consistency in all facets of the game, both defensively and offensively, since being nominated for the rising star in 2000. Plus he bleeds Geelong through and through.

He'll be around for a few more years yet, will more than likely surpass 250 games, what do you people think?
Love your work mate, you're welcome here any time!

FWIW, I say YES.
 

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#18
Jocka Todd, who played in two premiership sides, won the B&F 3 times, represented Victoria 11 times, is in the HOF, and was a nominee at the full back position in the AFL team of the century (and full back in the GFC team of the century), still holds sway for mine.
I tend to agree with you Diablo, but I will say scarlo is certainly closing in on the title.
 
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I somehow get the impression you don't like Scarlett much.

Dench was doing it, but I'm not sure he was better at it, although I do concede it was Dench who first redefined the position, but considering back then it was justa case of get the ball off half back and thump it long, not much precision involved.

Scarlett finds the ball in dangerous positions, finds targets in dangerous positions and creates countless not only attacking but scoring drives for his team. He doesn't just barnstorm off half back, he pushes up off his opponent into the centre and gains possession there.

Dench did this with monotonous regularity too, but whether he could do it as well as Scarlett has, given how much more precise and skilled the game is today, is a matter of opinion. I honestly haven't seen enough of Dench, I've just see a shitload of Scarlo however.

Also, yeah Jocka Todd was one who came into my calculations, also Peter Burns from the early 20th century, I did some research before I posted the thread, but... I don't know though, I look at it like comparing the Brisbane Lions dynasty and Collingwood's dynasty (1920's), I think the Lions were better because the game today is just so rediculously advanced in terms of size, strength, fitness, professionalism... everything really. FF's back then were bloody rover's size in this age.

Again, it's a matter of opinion, whether or not you respect traditionalism and the old game, in which case you would go with Todd. Mind you I think Scarlett will be leading the race for GFC's full- back of the 21st century for many years to come.

PS: What about John Scarlett, he was FB wasn't he? Any good?
I'm a huge Scarlo fan and have been for years. My point is that Dench, in a similar fashion to Jocka Todd, was a dual premiership player (captain in one), multiple B&F winner, regular state representative, HOF member, Full Back nominee for the AFL team of the Century, and both are the full back in their respective teams 'team of the century'.

On sheer weight of achievement, these two both have Matty Scarlett covered at this stage. Having said that, he's still got another 100 games of footy left in him at least, so theres plenty of time to put more runs on the board.

Of course I never saw Jocka Todd play, apart from a couple of old game films i've watched, but I saw plenty of David Dench, and I can tell you he would be a sensation today. If a player like him came out in todays draft they'd be falling over themselves to get at him.

But me not liking him? I don't rate him the best defender in the comp for nothing :D
 

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I'm a huge Scarlo fan and have been for years. My point is that Dench, in a similar fashion to Jocka Todd, was a dual premiership player (captain in one), multiple B&F winner, regular state representative, HOF member, Full Back nominee for the AFL team of the Century, and both are the full back in their respective teams 'team of the century'.

On sheer weight of achievement, these two both have Matty Scarlett covered at this stage. Having said that, he's still got another 100 games of footy left in him at least, so theres plenty of time to put more runs on the board.

Of course I never saw Jocka Todd play, apart from a couple of old game films i've watched, but I saw plenty of David Dench, and I can tell you he would be a sensation today. If a player like him came out in todays draft they'd be falling over themselves to get at him.

But me not liking him? I don't rate him the best defender in the comp for nothing :D
That's fair enough for me Diablo!

PS: I wasn't trying to give the impression I thought Scarlett was a better FB than David Dench overall, definetely not. To be honest, from what I've seen and heard from talking to people, Dench in my book was the best ever.
 
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That's fair enough for me Diablo!

PS: I wasn't trying to give the impression I thought Scarlett was a better FB than David Dench overall, definetely not. To be honest, from what I've seen and heard from talking to people, Dench in my book was the best ever.
Along with Geoff Southby, Dench is the best full back I've seen. Matty Scarlett not too far away from getting there tho. The common thing for all of them is they could play equally as well when defending man on man or as a rebounder off the last line.

Scarlett the most durable and tough
Dench the most attacking
Southby the most poised and balanced

All equal in the creativity stakes when it came to setting up attacks.
 

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As you can on the quote on my original post, it said that no one can match Scarletts record across the AFL. I disagreed.
Do understand what "to match" means? It means to parallel, to be the equivelant of. And if you did some research and properly took into account all those honours alongside Scarlett's name, and the fact Scarlett has done it over 7-8 years, not 2-3 like Glass, then you would see Scarlett is UN- MATCHED, in all the facets of FB.
 
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Do understand what "to match" means? It means to parallel, to be the equivelant of. And if you did some research and properly took into account all those honours alongside Scarlett's name, and the fact Scarlett has done it over 7-8 years, not 2-3 like Glass, then you would see Scarlett is UN- MATCHED, in all the facets of FB.
I agree. Scarlett has been as good or better than Glass over a longer period of time. Not to say Glass is not a quality footballer in his own right, but Scarlett is ahead of him at this stage.
 
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