Opinion Top 20 of all time

[Hodgepodge]

Not just the players you saw, which has been discussed, but the greatest players throughout the history of the game.

I'll post mine later.

 

[BluesKreuz]

1. Wayne Carey
2. Gary Ablett
3. Leigh Matthews
4. Ted Whitten
5. Tony Lockett
6. Jason Dunstall
7. John Nicholls
8. Dick Reynolds
9. Graham Farmer
10. Alex Jesaulenko
11. Greg Williams
12. Bob Skilton
13. Ian Stewart
14. Hayden Bunton Snr
15. Kevin Bartlett
16. Bill Hutchison
17. Royce Hart
18. Peter Hudson
19. Gordon Coventry
20. John Coleman

 

[AG]

I'll post mine next year.

 

[saintsrfreak]

1. Wayne Carey
2. Gary Ablett
3. Leigh Matthews
4. Ted Whitten
5. Tony Lockett
6. Jason Dunstall
7. John Nicholls
8. Dick Reynolds
9. Graham Farmer
10. Alex Jesaulenko
11. Greg Williams
12. Bob Skilton
13. Ian Stewart
14. Hayden Bunton Snr
15. Kevin Bartlett
16. Bill Hutchison
17. Royce Hart
18. Peter Hudson
19. Gordon Coventry
20. John Coleman

Robert Harvey?

 

[shaqsuns]

1. G.Ablett snr
2. W.Carey
3. L.Matthews
4. E.J Whitton
5. T. Lockett
6. H. Bunton snr
7. J. Dunstall
8. G. Farmer
9. B. Skilton
10. S. Silvani
11. I. Stewart
12. J. Coleman
13. K. Murray
14. G. Williams
15. J. Nicholls
16. D. Reynolds
17. A. Jesalanko
18. G. Ablett jr
19. C. Judd
20. K. Greig

 

[8732watitdo]

Robert Harvey?

While Harvey was a great player, I can't imagine him being above any of those players that he listed.

 

[Wallaby]

Hey guys, if it really the 'best players of all time' you might need to do some historical research.

The first responder had 3 players who played in the first 43 years of the league (ie before WW2) and 17 who played in the 66 years after. The second responder had 2-18.

It takea a bit of research to look up the records of the great players from pre-ww2 - but just because they don't have a youtube compilation doesn't mean they weren't champions.

Just for starters, look up Albert Thurgood, George Todd, Dick Lee, Vic Thorp, Harry Vallance, Jack Titus, Allan La Fontaine..... All have reputations as good or better than some of the names posted here.

I don't blame you - after the disgrace of the AFL/VFL Team of The Century that included exactly 2 pre-ww2 players, I guess our opinions are controlled by the media reps who played in the 60s-70s.

 

[BORK]

Admire the efforts put in by those who posted their top 20 but for no one to have included Barrie Robran yet is a sad indictment.

 

[The_Doctor]

Its extremely hard to compare players who played a century apart. If you were basing your list purely on ability you couldnt possibly include a single player from the first fifty years as the skills of the game were no where near what they are today. If your willing to make allowances for the early eras and base it on the players of that time then it may be possible to include them.

 

[pluga_4]

Its extremely hard to compare players who played a century apart. If you were basing your list purely on ability you couldnt possibly include a single player from the first fifty years as the skills of the game were no where near what they are today. If your willing to make allowances for the early eras and base it on the players of that time then it may be possible to include them.

thats almost like saying that bradman and pharlap don't belong in their respective sports top 20 of all time !

 

[The_Doctor]

thats almost like saying that bradman and pharlap don't belong in their respective sports top 20 of all time !

No its not, i didnt say that so thats nothing like it at all, if Phar Lap was around today he would still be a champion. Don Bradman probably would too.

 

[Domenic Fotia]

Gordan Coventry
Jack Dyer
Dick Reynolds
John Coleman
Ron Barassi
Ted Whitten
Polly Farmer
Daryl Baldock
Royce Hart
Kevin Bartlett
John Nichols
Alex Jesaulenko
Leigh Matthews
Jason Dunstall
Stephen Kernahan
James Hird
Wayne Carey
Michael Voss
Chris Judd
Gary Ablett Jnr

 

[thetank]

Gordan Coventry
Jack Dyer
Dick Reynolds
John Coleman
Ron Barassi
Ted Whitten
Polly Farmer
Daryl Baldock
Royce Hart
Kevin Bartlett
John Nichols
Alex Jesaulenko
Leigh Matthews
Jason Dunstall
Stephen Kernahan
James Hird
Wayne Carey
Michael Voss
Chris Judd
Gary Ablett Jnr

Voss and Kernahan don't belong on the list...and Ablett Snr needs to be there at least...

 

[thetank]

No its not, i didnt say that so thats nothing like it at all, if Phar Lap was around today he would still be a champion. Don Bradman probably would too.

You gotta list the players based on how they compared against their contemporaries, and the strength of the contemporaries. Can't compare the ancients and modern players directly.

No way Bradman would be averaging 100 in modern cricket (more short-pitched bowling than in his day, greater levels of video analysis available to current bowlers, greater variety of opponents and match conditions, faster bowlers). Still gotta rate him as the GOAT because of how much better he was compared to his peers, and that his peer group was pretty decent (Wally Hammond, George Headley, etc).

 

[BORK]

Yep thread still an embarrassment.

 

[Donakebab]

Voss and Kernahan don't belong on the list...and Ablett Snr needs to be there at least...

Left Lockett out too.

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

B Robran
L Matthews
Ablett Snr
W Carey
M Blight
R Hart
P Farmer
L Head
P Carman
G Williams
J Hird
A McLeod
A Jesaulenko
J Dunstall
D Baldock
R Ebert
H Bunton
EJ Whitten
I Stewart
B Skilton

Hate away! Not really an order except for the top 3 maybe

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Most people I know have Peter Hudson top 10, or at least top 15. Suprised at the lack of love for a guy who kicked 729 goals in 127 VFL matches, and is one of only a handful who has achieved "legend" status in the AFL hall of fame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hudson

 

[WN123]

Most people I know have Peter Hudson top 10, or at least top 15. Suprised at the lack of love for a guy who kicked 729 goals in 127 VFL matches, and is one of only a handful who has achieved "legend" status in the AFL hall of fame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hudson

Seems funny that this guy doesn't get afforded the status that the likes of Coventry, Lockett, Coleman, Dunstall etc do when he had a higher average than all.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Seems funny that this guy doesn't get afforded the status that the likes of Coventry, Lockett, Coleman, Dunstall etc do when he had a higher average than all.

Yeah it's only on Bigfooty he doesn't. Sheehan had him as the 13th greatest player to ever play, ahead of the couple of blokes you mentioned. And he is a legend in the HOF.

That's why I found it funny in this thread that people don't rate him. Everyone I have spoken to outside of BF who knows football rates the guy top 20 easily.

 

[Jascave]

1. Leigh Matthews
2. Wayne Carey
3. Gary Ablett snr
4. E.J.Whitten
5. Barrie Robran
6. Peter Hudson
7. Russell Ebert
8. Barry Cable
9. Gordon Coventry
10. Graham 'Polly' Farmer
11. John Nicholls
12. Ron D. Barassi
13. James Hird
14. Chris Judd
15. Michael Tuck
16. Garry McIntosh
17. Michael Aish
18. Darrell Baldock
19. Stephen Michael
20. Bob Skilton

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

1. Leigh Matthews
2. Wayne Carey
3. Gary Ablett snr
4. E.J.Whitten
5. Barrie Robran
6. Peter Hudson
7. Russell Ebert
8. Barry Cable
9. Gordon Coventry
10. Graham 'Polly' Farmer
11. John Nicholls
12. Ron D. Barassi
13. James Hird
14. Chris Judd
15. Michael Tuck
16. Garry McIntosh
17. Michael Aish
18. Darrell Baldock
19. Stephen Michael
20. Bob Skilton

Love this list!

 

[Waspy79]

Hey guys, if it really the 'best players of all time' you might need to do some historical research.

The first responder had 3 players who played in the first 43 years of the league (ie before WW2) and 17 who played in the 66 years after. The second responder had 2-18.

It takea a bit of research to look up the records of the great players from pre-ww2 - but just because they don't have a youtube compilation doesn't mean they weren't champions.

Just for starters, look up Albert Thurgood, George Todd, Dick Lee, Vic Thorp, Harry Vallance, Jack Titus, Allan La Fontaine..... All have reputations as good or better than some of the names posted here.

I don't blame you - after the disgrace of the AFL/VFL Team of The Century that included exactly 2 pre-ww2 players, I guess our opinions are controlled by the media reps who played in the 60s-70s.

This is a great post but how about extending the search beyond the Victorian border?

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

1. Leigh Matthews (22 disposals, 3 goals per game and played in 26 finals matches throughout his career & in those finals averaged 20½ disposals and just under 3 goals as well! The most consistent & highly achieving player of all-time.)
2. Gary Ablett
3. Wayne Carey
4. Darrell Baldock
5. Polly Farmer
6. John Coleman
7. Bobby Skilton
8. Ted Whitten
9. Ian Stewart
10. John Nichols
11. Barry Cable
12. Ron Barassi
13. Royce Hart
14. Peter Hudson
15. Tony Lockett
16. Haydn Bunton
17. Francis Bourke
18. Dick Reynolds
19. Jason Dunstall
20. Malcolm Blight


I didn't want to be biased but I really feel as though Matthew Scarlett has now equaled both Bruce Doull and Stephen Silvagni and with another year or two left in his career, 7 All-Australian's, B&F, 3 Premierships....it's fair to say he's now in the same class as some of the greatest players.

For me though, I looked at players who also excelled in September when footy becomes most toughest and the true character of players comes out to shine.

Can you imagine if that top 20 were somehow transported from the past and made to be the new franchise team of the AFL in 2012 Who'd be able to stop them?

 

[the distributer]

1. Leigh Matthews (22 disposals, 3 goals per game and played in 26 finals matches throughout his career & in those finals averaged 20½ disposals and just under 3 goals as well! The most consistent & highly achieving player of all-time.)
2. Gary Ablett
3. Wayne Carey
4. Darrell Baldock
5. Polly Farmer
6. John Coleman
7. Bobby Skilton
8. Ted Whitten
9. Ian Stewart
10. John Nichols
11. Barry Cable
12. Ron Barassi
13. Royce Hart
14. Peter Hudson
15. Tony Lockett
16. Haydn Bunton
17. Francis Bourke
18. Dick Reynolds
19. Jason Dunstall
20. Malcolm Blight


I didn't want to be biased but I really feel as though Matthew Scarlett has now equaled both Bruce Doull and Stephen Silvagni and with another year or two left in his career, 7 All-Australian's, B&F, 3 Premierships....it's fair to say he's now in the same class as some of the greatest players.

For me though, I looked at players who also excelled in September when footy becomes most toughest and the true character of players comes out to shine.

Can you imagine if that top 20 were somehow transported from the past and made to be the new franchise team of the AFL in 2012 Who'd be able to stop them?

No, not IMO anyway, as we must deduct goals from the great FFs of yesteryear because of game plans we must deduct points from FBs of this era because of game plans, kicking goals was much easier in era's past thus making stopping goals harder, kicking goals in Scarletts era was much harder thus making stopping goals easier, the great FBs of yesteryear didn't get the support FBs enjoy now.

The whole concept of best ever is ridiculous anyway, 30+ years ago you could almost call Aussie rules a different game, stats mean nothing.