Who's the best Indigenous player ever?

nineteen eighty

Norm Smith Medallist
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Too many greats in too many different positions and eras to call the best ever but my favourites in no order are

Stephen Michael
Maurice Rioli
Franklin
Cable
Betts
Goodes
McLeod
Wanganeen

Cyril
Matera
Winmar
SBurger

The bolded probably the class above

Very good list and close to what I would put down on paper. One name that I would add though is Jeff Farmer. He was a fantastic player and loved watching him play. Easily the equal of Betts for mine.
 
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He certainly gets forgotten about in these discussions which is a shame as he was a real pioneer along with Polly in the 60's. Most votes in the Sandover medal as a 19yo.

Pioneers in the VFL ... the East Perth team of the 50s included fellow indigenous players Jack Hunt, Ted Kilmurray, & Billy Roe - all premiership players.
 

blueboy25

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Pioneers in the VFL ... the East Perth team of the 50s included fellow indigenous players Jack Hunt, Ted Kilmurray, & Billy Roe - all premiership players.
Yep, that's what I meant. Pioneers for leaving their home state to play in another league.
 

yyou

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Answer to the OP is the same player who is the overall GOAT, Stephen Michael, IMO
 
Very good list and close to what I would put down on paper. One name that I would add though is Jeff Farmer. He was a fantastic player and loved watching him play. Easily the equal of Betts for mine.

Geoff Farmer was amazing and deserves a position on the list. Just an oversight.

Incredible small forward who could dominate in the air and ground, kick goals and then go through the middle.
 

Vic pokiesmon

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I won't say anyone I haven't seen so that rules out any pre AFL GOAT's
The best peak: Peter Matera, Lance Franklin
The best for the longest: Andrew Mcleod, Adam Goodes
Like this simple but important distinction in how we rate players.Agree with names as well.From a non indigenous player Kouta for that short period pre ACL I would put him at his peak as good as any In last 30 years
 
Unfortunately he didn't have a long career, and as a result we may not have seen the best of him, but I don't think I enjoyed watching anyone more than Winston Abraham. He was one of most naturally gifted players I've seen, and one of the few players I can remember who can kick 50+ metres off either foot.
 

sdfc

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Interesting observation Rich.
Effectively across the history of interchange in action:
  • 1978 – the replacement of two substitutes with two interchanges
  • 1994 – the introduction of a third interchange, and introduction of forced interchange under the blood rule
  • 1998 – the introduction of a fourth interchange
  • 2011 – the replacement of four interchanges with three interchanges and a substitute
  • 2013 – the introduction of forced interchange for concussed players, with the provision for temporary activation of the substitute while a concussion test is conducted
  • 2014 – the addition of an interchange cap, limiting teams to 120 interchanges per game
  • 2016 – the return to four interchanges without a substitute, reduction of the interchange cap to 90 per game[30]
  • 2021 – the reduction of the interchange cap to 75 a game,[1] and introduction of a medical substitute as a fifth bench player.[2]
We went from 18 blokes playing 100 mins to 22 sharing the 100 minutes.

I'm battling to see the comparison of Nicky with the bigger bodies that are Trac, Bont & Dusty & footy 2022 style.
Thats whilst acknowledging Nicky Winmar & his sublime skills from his early days at South Freo under Mal Brown.
Mal Brown invented interchange in 1976.
 
Unfortunately he didn't have a long career, and as a result we may not have seen the best of him, but I don't think I enjoyed watching anyone more than Winston Abraham. He was one of most naturally gifted players I've seen, and one of the few players I can remember who can kick 50+ metres off either foot.
better than Buddy you reckon?

Or ar we just making honorable mentions?
 
Geoff Farmer was amazing and deserves a position on the list. Just an oversight.

Incredible small forward who could dominate in the air and ground, kick goals and then go through the middle.
As a Melbourne supporter, his 2000 season was out of this world. His 9 goals in half a game v Collingwood was amazing, best individual performance I have seen live

But Buddy literally has had 5-6 years of that standard, with similar agility despite being a foot taller

Its like this thread should be who is the second beat indigenous player as there is a good argument that Buddy is in the greatest of all time discussion. Imagine him playing in Pagans paddock or the 80's-90's era where team defense wasn't like it is today?

Chuck in honorable mentions that I have seen so say 90's onwards to Winmar, Betts, Goodes, Matera, McLeod, Wanganeen, C Johnson, Farmer & Betts

If I had to order them I would have it

1. Buddy
FAIR GAP
2. Matera
3. McLeod
4. Wanganeen
5. Goodes
6. Betts
7. Winmar
8. CA Johnson
9. Farmer '(peak was top 3 but was too short imo)
10. Long (maybe should be higher but I am bias for his 2000 grand final hit)
 
Only he didn't say Abraham was better than Buddy.

Are you upset about something?
Unpset about nothing

Its just the thread is '

Who's the best Indigenous player ever?'​


Not 'who is an indigenous player you liked watching
 

sdfc

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Unpset about nothing

Its just the thread is '

Who's the best Indigenous player ever?'​


Not 'who is an indigenous player you liked watching
Okay mate, no need to shout. No talk of aboriginal players unless they're the best ever. The rest can fk off.
 
better than Buddy you reckon?

Or ar we just making honorable mentions?
As stated in my post I don't think we got a chance to see the best of Winston Abraham because injury ended his career early, whether he would have been better than Buddy, I doubt it, but from the games I saw he was one of the most exciting Indigenous players I've seen and worthy of a mention along with the other 30-40 players mentioned to date in this thread. And definitely worthy of consideration for your top 10.

Sorry I made you so mad.
 
Okay mate, no need to shout. No talk of aboriginal players unless they're the best ever. The rest can fk off.
Just copied and pasted the heading, couldn't change the font lol
I just checked. It's not even your post. You can fk off.
The * are you on about with this?
 

Farm Boy

Norm Smith Medallist
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McLeod the best Indigenous player I’ve seen. Franklin second. But different types of players. It’s hard to even compare but I’d go that way. Most older people I speak to say M.Rioli was the best by a margin. But I can only comment on what I’ve seen myself.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
As stated in my post I don't think we got a chance to see the best of Winston Abraham because injury ended his career early, whether he would have been better than Buddy, I doubt it, but from the games I saw he was one of the most exciting Indigenous players I've seen and worthy of a mention along with the other 30-40 players mentioned to date in this thread. And definitely worthy of consideration for your top 10.

Sorry I made you so mad.
Sometimes a typed comment sounds worse than it would if it was spoken, my apologies on that

Abraham had some great moments at Freo and North, especially his highlights. I do remember him taking some great grabs, someone like Jurrah would have been similar.

Tbh the one who would have been right up there in the best of all time would have been Adrian McAdam, went off with a bang
 
McLeod the best Indigenous player I’ve seen. Franklin second. But different types of players. It’s hard to even compare but I’d go that way. Most older people I speak to say M.Rioli was the best by a margin. But I can only comment on what I’ve seen myself.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
McLeaod was like Dusty, a star who went to the nesxt level in big games. 2 x Norm Smith from 2 grand finals, could have perhaps been a 3 time NS winner if Adelaide made another GF

Are you old enough to remember Peter Matera by any chance? Best wingman I have ever seen by a long way
 
Michael Long was amazing before his knees.
Yeah he was a gun, I guess I'm just critical/bias being a Melbourne supporter of him his hit on Simmons in the 2000 GF. Would cop 16 weeks with the new rules. Instead he served his 4 weeks in the pre season

But taking bias/hatred out of it he was pretty scintillating

Still I reckon he was number 2 as far as indigenous wingman go as far as I have seen, but that is more to do with how great Matera was
 
FWIW I hated Buddy for a long time, purely because how good he was but as I've got older and so has he I can sit back and appreciate that one I'll tell my kids and grandkids that I watched him play live

But in in my time (say mid 90's onwards) I would have Buddy in the top 3-5 players I have ever been old enough to watch. And if anyone had him as the number 1 player I could understand and wouldn't argue with it

Maybe its better to say he is the most physically gifted player of all time. I mean a 6ft 7 guy do things he has done is just phenomenal. He is like GAJ imo, we just didn't/don't appreciate how good they were/are until they are out of the game
 
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