Top 50 for the Purists

[Procrastinator35]

There are ways of approaching a discussion about the merits of someone’s subjective views of the game without being contemptuous. Mercuri was, in my view, Essendon’s most watchable player in my time. By dismissing the possibility that someone could hold this view, considering how undeniably skilful and smooth-moving he was makes you come across as delusional. You don’t have to agree with my rating of him here but these lists are created with the purpose of generating discussion. What you’re doing is outright dismissing my personal preference which is a bit odd really.

Dude....He's not even in the ball park of the rest of that list....His name sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb.

Essendon one-eyed bias aside....I can only imagine that you are either the man himself or one of his nearest & dearest.

Come on man.....6th?.....I'd have issues with it even if you had him in the Top 50.

That's like me claiming that because Colin Robertson was one of the most supremely gifted footballers I's ever seen play for Hawthorn, means I'd put him at 6th.....Everyone would laugh at me & howl me down in derision, & rightly so.....Even though I saw Robbo do things on the field that no other Hawthorn player ever could....Buddy & Sizzle included.

Because even though Robbo was a superbly balanced & sublime footballer.....He just never did it for long enough or to a high enough level often enough, which is what makes a player stand-out from his peers.

Mercuri was a very good player in a very strong & powerful side....But he was no stand-out.

 

[Blind Turn]

Dude....He's not even in the ball park of the rest of that list....His name sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb.

Essendon one-eyed bias aside....I can only imagine that you are either the man himself or one of his nearest & dearest.

Come on man.....6th?.....I'd have issues with it even if you had him in the Top 50.

That's like me claiming that because Colin Robertson was one of the most supremely gifted footballers I's ever seen play for Hawthorn, means I'd put him at 6th.....Everyone would laugh at me & howl me down in derision, & rightly so.....Even though I saw Robbo do things on the field that no other Hawthorn player ever could....Buddy & Sizzle included.

Because even though Robbo was a superbly balanced & sublime footballer.....He just never did it for long enough or to a high enough level often enough, which is what makes a player stand-out from his peers.

Mercuri was a very good player in a very strong & powerful side....But he was no stand-out.

Actually dude, you’re so far off the mark here it’s not funny.

You would be well within your rights to put Robertson on a list like this. I may not agree with your view but we saw enough of him to pass judgment and I wouldn’t howl you down for that personal view. I clearly stipulated a 50 game minimum as I felt that was a large enough sample size to get a feel for a player’s aesthetic. As a comparison Maurice Rioli (118) played just 2 more games than Robertson (116). It doesn’t matter that Rioli played more good football. This isn’t what this is about. We had a large enough sample size to make an informed decision between them aesthetically.

And even if we judge Mercuri on his career output, his first 150 games were of a very high quality including performing in finals from a young age. I’d say he was, in fact, a standout, particularly in his Brownlow runner-up year. His quality and movement with the ball at the height of his career was what I’d term as being ‘sublime’.

Everything you’re butting heads with me here is about you believing that my subjective pleasure in watching talented individual players should be more in line with yours. We’ve already had posters in this thread concur with my view of him being a joy to watch. So I can’t be that wrong that you have the high ground to be so distastefully contemptuous. Let’s just celebrate the gifted players we have seen, including Robertson and Platten who were, yes, very enjoyable to watch.

 

[Ambrosia]

Think people debating the rankings of players aren't understanding the thread. It's about your top 50 most aesthetically pleasing footballers. It's going to vary wildly person to person.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Think people debating the rankings of players aren't understanding the thread. It's about your top 50 most aesthetically pleasing footballers. It's going to vary wildly person to person.

Great....So next we'll be having all the female posters in here ranking their Top 50 hottest footballers.....Now you've done it.

 

[Wild Bill]

One for the connoisseurs:

I’ve been contemplating this list on and off for a while now. I believe that one of the things that elevates Aussie Rules above many other ball sports is the artistry that players possess and the way in which they can express themselves instinctively on the field. It is one of the reasons our indigenous players are so good to watch. These players I list here are aesthetically the most pleasing players to watch in my time viewing the game (late 70s onward). They are what elevates our game above the rest. I am not looking for the most powerful, dominant, athletic, players. This is based more on the subtleties of a player’s make-up.
My criteria is based on;

- Finesse
- Grace
- Evasiveness/Elusiveness
- Instinctiveness
- Poise
- Skill
- Making the impossible seem easy
- Flair
- Deftness of Touch
- Agility
- Time Slowing/effortlessness
- Fleet footed/Light on their feet
- Anticipation/Game sense
- Composure
- Vision
- Excitement Inducement
- Smooth Movement
- Speed
- Athleticism
- Presence
- Power

...roughly in that order.

There will be a 50 games minimum and of course this will be somewhat subjective to my taste. It will aim to move from the skilled, smooth movers to the more artistically sublime.

So counting down from 50;

50/ Gerard Healy (Syd)
49/ Merv Neagle (Ess)
48/ Darryl White (Bris)
47/ Chad Wingard (Port)
46/ Gary Buckenara (Haw)
45/ Steven Motlop (Gee)
44/ Chris Lewis (WC4
43/ Adam Goodes (Syd)
42/ Tim Watson (Ess)
41/ Craig Bradley (Car)
40/ Alan Didak (Coll)
39/ Marcus Bontempelli (Foots)
38/ Kevin Bartlett (Rich)
37/ Steve Johnson (Gee)
36/ Eddie Betts (Car/Ade)
35/ Phil Krakouer (Nth)
34/ Dustin Martin (Rich)
33/ Winston Abraham (Nth)
32/ Geoff Raines (Rich)
31/ Nathan Buckley (Coll)
30/ Malcolm Blight (Nth)
29/ Robbie Gray (Port)
28/ Nigel Lappin (Bris)
27/ Gary Ablett Jr (Gee/GC)
26/ Nick Dal Santo (StK)
25/ Maurice Rioli (Rich)
24/ Anthony Koutoufides (Car)
23/ Daniel Wells (Nth)
22/ Nat Fyfe (Freo)
21/ Gavin Wanganeen (Ess/Port)

20/ Gary Ablett Sr (Gee)- was powerful, brutal and imposing which detracts a little from the requirements of this list but his finesse, instinctiveness, poise etc. are above most and he had an undoubted artistry to his game.

19/ Doug Hawkins (Foots)
18/ Sean Burgoyne (Port/Haw)
17/ Michael Long (Ess)
16/ Cyril Rioli (Haw)
15/ Simon Black (Bris)
14/ Keith Greig (Nth)
13/ Robert Harvey (StK)
12/ Scott Pendlebury (Coll)
11/ Bernie Quinlan (Fitz)
10/ Jason Akermanis (Bris)
9/ James Hird (Ess)
8/ Andrew McLeod (Ade)
7/ Darren Jarman (Haw/Ade)
6/ Mark Mercuri (Ess)
5/ Nicky Winmar (StK)
4/ Peter Daicos (Coll)
3/ Peter Matera (WC)
2/ Buddy Franklin (Haw/Syd)
1/ Robbie Flower (Melb) - poetry in motion, and possibly the only player I’ve seen who survived the highest level largely on artistry alone.

Not a bad list. Mercuri the only really odd selection.

I would have Greig higher - Flower Matera Greig are top 3 for me.

Not sure what happens at the start of the clip but when it changes to colour at 50 second mark shows how skillful he was. He ticks all the boxes above.

 

[Blind Turn]

Not a bad list. Mercuri the only really odd selection.

I would have Greig higher - Flower Matera Greig are top 3 for me.

Not sure what happens at the start of the clip but when it changes to colour at 50 second mark shows how skillful he was. He ticks all the boxes above.

Can’t argue with the reasons that would make you love watching Greig ply his trade. Perhaps if I’d seen more of his 70s dash I might’ve placed him higher. Still, 14 puts him amongst good company. Surely Mercuri isn’t that odd. I always used to say that watching him at his best he was like watching the perfect complete specimen for our game. He could do most of the skilful, elegant things that our game offers up.

 

[Blind Turn]

Great....So next we'll be having all the female posters in here ranking their Top 50 hottest footballers.....Now you've done it.

1/ ‘Scratcher’ Neale
2/ John Gastev
3/ Neville Bruns
4/ Anthony Daniher...

 

[Wild Bill]

Can’t argue with the reasons that would make you love watching Greig ply his trade. Perhaps if I’d seen more of his 70s dash I might’ve placed him higher. Still, 14 puts him amongst good company. Surely Mercuri isn’t that odd. I always used to say that watching him at his best he was like watching the perfect complete specimen for our game. He could do most of the skilful, elegant things that our game offers up.

Greig played from 71 - 85
Flower from 73 - 87

I would have had Flower on the other wing in the team of the century. They were very similar.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

un_eggs Robert Flower was artistry agree.
Surprised Keith Greig was 14th on your list.
For pure artistry and smoothness Keith would be in top few.
Graceful, stylish, class, silk.

Love, by the way, how high you have Daniel Wells. He is pure silk. Just a pleasure to watch.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

1/ ‘Scratcher’ Neale
2/ John Gastev
3/ Neville Bruns
4/ Anthony Daniher...

Mick Martin
Chris McDermott

 

[Saintly Viewed]

I know bias comes into play. But I don't think anyone goes above Daicos when it comes to the art or poetry of the game. Most people will only remember his forward stint, but it was in the midfield where Daicos' true magic came. Seriously some of the s**t he did far away from the goals, whilst less sexy - was so much more impressive than the goals.

He’s as artistic as anyone whoever played.
His goals are the most artistic in the games history in my view.

The OP rates Robert Flower as top spot, and on his criteria Flower is a worthy candidate. Keith Greig is a pure challenger in my view.
Daicos then follows in that higher rating. I’ve long held if Daicos has played say for Hawthorn he’d be higher rated.
His manner of “magical” goals is yet to be matched for numbers and artistry in my view.

It’s a great thread as we can discuss uss players you just love watching for their artistry.

 

[Procrastinator35]

If we're talking artistry, then my top dozen Hawks would be, in no particular order:

Cyril Rioli
Peter Knights
Gary Buckenara
John Platten
Colin Robertson
Darren Jarman
Lance Franklin
James Morrissey
Luke Breust
Shaun Burgoyne
Peter Hudson
Shane Crawford

Betts & Rioli probably have the best current highlights reel, when it comes to conjuring goals from nowhere, in making something out of nothing.

 

[Wild Bill]

un_eggs Robert Flower was artistry agree.
Surprised Keith Greig was 14th on your list.
For pure artistry and smoothness Keith would be in top few.
Graceful, stylish, class, silk.

Love, by the way, how high you have Daniel Wells. He is pure silk. Just a pleasure to watch.

Yeah Wells glides - if he can get a good run at it this year it will really add some X factor. I think some Pies under rated how good he is. You just want the ball in his hands and him on the move.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Yeah Wells glides - if he can get a good run at it this year it will really add some X factor. I think some Pies under rated how good he is. You just want the ball in his hands and him on the move.

He’s a magnificent mover.
Elite silk.
If fit.

Love him, so glad when we got him; selfishly I just like watching him play.
When he was with North, he was my favourite to watch outside my team.

So silky.

 

[OnceKicked50]

Shaun Burgoyne and Scott Pendlebury immediately spring to mind for me. Utter class and as a forward I couldn't think of any other players from the modern era you would want kicking it inside 50. David Mundy is also a pure footballer who is clean, brilliant decision maker and one of the best kicks in the competition for the past ten years.

Andrew McLeod and Gavin Wanganeen I used to love watching play also.

Marcus Bontempelli would be the current player I enjoy watching the most with ball in hand. Josh Kelly a close second.