The better brother

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Wallaby

Wallaby

Brownlow Medallist
Golf Enthusiast Veteran 10k Posts Podcaster
May 8, 2007
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vic
AFL Club
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Lots of sets of brothers have played in VFL/AFL history. In many cases, one was labelled a star early on in his career, but in some cases the brother with the lesser reputation has gone on to be the better player.

Examples - I seem to recall that Nathan Ablett was originally rated higher than Gary.
Travis Tuck was far higher rated than Shane, but he has a lot of ground to make up (I know, injuries etc).

Sometimes they get it right - Travis was always going to be the best of the Clokes, and while David Kernahan was OK, I still rate his brother slightly higher.

So any other examples of where the lower-rated brother has turned out better?
 
We've had the 'worse' brother on several occasions. Gasper, Ottens, Cockatoo-Collins (x2) & Longmuir are the ones who stand out. Perhaps Warnock when their careers have both finished?

Then there's Jay Viney, Brian Stynes and Matthew Febey, but they don't really count, although we could also mount an argument that we got the better one as well ;)
 
St.Kilda boasted they had "the best of the Houlihans" upon drafting Josh. Spent three years on the list without playing a senior game, his career overshadowed by Ryan (195 games), Adam (94) and Damian (11).
 

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The Shaws:
Ray captained Collingwood followed by Tony who captained a flag and played 300 games. Then Ray's kids came along and Heath wasn't rated when taken but his older brother Rhyce came with a fair bit of expectation (as did his counsin Braden).
 
Demonheart said:
We've had the 'worse' brother on several occasions. Gasper, Ottens, Cockatoo-Collins (x2) & Longmuir are the ones who stand out. Perhaps Warnock when their careers have both finished?

Then there's Jay Viney, Brian Stynes and Matthew Febey, but they don't really count, although we could also mount an argument that we got the better one as well ;)
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You've got the better Davey by a country mile. The other one only ever seems to fall over and break his arm.
 
Tim Watson started out as Larry (who? I hear you ask) Watson's kid brother.

Oh, and Geoff Ablett had a younger brother who played for a while. Can't remember his name now.
 
The Burton brothers - Matt was better than Jay obviously

The Parker brothers - Shane was loads better than his brother - Adam Parker IIRC?

The Longmuir brothers - JLo loads better than Troy

All Freo players

Still have to wait to see what young Sandilands is like :p

There is also the Dodd clan - we've had Brad Dodd (One punch Dodd; Demolition derby), who is cousins with current player Stephen Dodd
 
MagooTheRoo said:
Oh, and Geoff Ablett had a younger brother who played for a while. Can't remember his name now.
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I think Gary Snr was always rated as a potential champ. and the best of the lot - it just depended upon whether he got his head together.

Richmond also picked Andy Kellaway pretty much because his brother was going OK - Andy went on to AA and a B&F.
 

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Identical twins are interesting.

Scotts - Chris started the better but Brad finished beter
Febeys - Stephen > Mathew
Selwoods - You would have to say at this stage Adams the better player
Wakelins - not sure who was the better player at the saints because i could never tell them apart, but Shane @ Collingwood > Darrryl @ port
 
Wally/Peter/Phillip Matera.

All very good, but Peter was a once in a generation wingman. But I still reckon Phil was the difference in the 2005 GF.

didn't see too much of Wally, apparently he was a gun in the WAFL though, one of the inaugural eagles players towards the end of his career in his mid 20s.
 
Before being drafted, Anthony Rocca was touted as being better than Sav. Although it's debatable, I would argue that Sav ended up having a better career.
 
Daics35Marvel said:
Before being drafted, Anthony Rocca was touted as being better than Sav. Although it's debatable, I would argue that Sav ended up having a better career.
Click to expand...

How is it debatable? Big Sav every day and twice on Sundays.
 
Think at the end of the day John Worsfold will be a little better known than his brother Peter in a football sence
 
Carlton took John Nicholls to keep his older brother Don who they took the year before happy. Big Nick probably had his big brother's measure when all was said and done. ;)
 

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The better brother

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