Aussies 30 Greatest Australian Athletes of the Past 30 Years

[Randall Stevens]

Firstly kudos for taking on a very difficult task which you have obviously put a lot of thought into.

However, I am still trying to understand your criteria. Have you taken into account what you think of them as people as well as performers for example?

Some specifics:

1. You have rated Gilchrist and Ponting very high (both of which I agree with), but left out Warne and McGrath altogether. I would have those two in the top 10.

2. For mine Susie O’Neill is by far your biggest omission. A personal favourite of mine so I am probably biased, but I would have her close to top 10 also.

3. No golfers in your list. I think solid cases could be made for Greg Norman and Adam Scott. Is golf just a sport you don’t rate, or did these two just ‘miss the cut’?

From those on your list I think Cadel Evans is your most under sold - top 5 for me, and I would never have even considered Erin Phillips, but you have already explained your rankings of those two in detail.

Anyway, well done as I said, there are some worthy inclusions I would have forgotten.

 

[Teen Wolf]

it's your list, so you can do what you want. But for me, you are comparing a Ferrari to a Telsa and then concluding that the Telsa is the faster car because it can do something different.

In terms of Basketball, it is a non-contest on who is better. Jackson was a freak. A center who shots 3, rebounds, great defender and could do anything at 6'5. Which means you are basing it on AFLW, which is 2 years young, domestic, not professional and has huge questions regarding the standard.

What part of Erin Phillips' athleticism isn't freakish, though? Amazing body. Clearly very disciplined. Covers the ground well with speed, agility and endurance. Terrific hand-eye coordination. Excellent in the big moments. And she plays one of my favourite games in the world. What's not to like?

I don't even think she's the best women's footballer going around, though. If that doesn't tell you where I'm coming from, nothing will.

Firstly kudos for taking on a very difficult task which you have obviously put a lot of thought into.

However, I am still trying to understand your criteria. Have you taken into account what you think of them as people as well as performers for example?

Some specifics:

1. You have rated Gilchrist and Ponting very high (both of which I agree with), but left out Warne and McGrath altogether. I would have those two in the top 10.

2. For mine Susie O’Neill is by far your biggest omission. A personal favourite of mine so I am probably biased, but I would have her close to top 10 also.

3. No golfers in your list. I think solid cases could be made for Greg Norman and Adam Scott. Is golf just a sport you don’t rate, or did these two just ‘miss the cut’?

From those on your list I think Cadel Evans is your most under sold - top 5 for me, and I would never have even considered Erin Phillips, but you have already explained your rankings of those two in detail.

Anyway, well done as I said, there are some worthy inclusions I would have forgotten.

Good question. I haven't consciously let what I know about any of them as people skew my judgment, except maybe in a good way for a few instances.

What seems to be creating some confusion is that I'm not just strictly going off who is/was most dominant in their sport. Warne and McGrath are almost the opposite of what my list is about. I'm taking the "World's Greatest Athlete" moniker that is traditionally assigned to champion decathletes, and playing around with it a little. For me, it's sort of about who brings the widest array of athletic qualities to their sport and how dazzling are they when doing it.

In the case of golf, it's just a bit too specialised and not quite captivating enough for my liking. Hat off to anybody who can break 90, though.

 

[Wallaby]

If you are just picking people on athletic ability only, I don't see how you can leave out Anthony Mundine. Reached the absolute peak in 2 completely different sports.

 

[masai]

If you are just picking people on athletic ability only, I don't see how you can leave out Anthony Mundine. Reached the absolute peak in 2 completely different sports.

3, he also excels in gasbagging.

Cadel Evans >>>> Susie O'Neill >>>>>>> Bradbury >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> daylight >>>>>>>>>> Erin Phillips.

 

[BobbyMorri]

I would rate Lydia Lassila or Torah Bright as our best winter Olympians.

I would also rate fast bowlers as the most athletic cricketers.

AFLW is not a great showcase of someone's skill due to all the trash involved. You put Jesse White in a semi-pro comp in basketball and AFL, he would look world class as well.

 

[Randall Stevens]

Good question. I haven't consciously let what I know about any of them as people skew my judgment, except maybe in a good way for a few instances.

What seems to be creating some confusion is that I'm not just strictly going off who is/was most dominant in their sport. Warne and McGrath are almost the opposite of what my list is about. I'm taking the "World's Greatest Athlete" moniker that is traditionally assigned to champion decathletes, and playing around with it a little. For me, it's sort of about who brings the widest array of athletic qualities to their sport and how dazzling are they when doing it.

In the case of golf, it's just a bit too specialised and not quite captivating enough for my liking. Hat off to anybody who can break 90, though.

Thanks for clarifying - as I thought we are looking at it from very different perspectives. I was looking at it from a point of view of results based sporting achievement, whereas you have clearly explained that your list is significantly about athleticism as well as results - which is fine!

 

[Teen Wolf]

If you are just picking people on athletic ability only, I don't see how you can leave out Anthony Mundine. Reached the absolute peak in 2 completely different sports.

I did mention upfront there was a personal bias at play here. So no, I'm not just picking people on athletic ability only. If I was still as enthusiastic about boxing as I once was, he'd be on my list.

I would rate Lydia Lassila or Torah Bright as our best winter Olympians.

Likewise, and rather ironically, the "score out of 10" sports have embittered me to no end over the years.

I would also rate fast bowlers as the most athletic cricketers.

I have one at #7, at least. But if Mitchell Johnson had Jason Gillespie's brain, what a force majeure that would be. I've got high hopes for Pat Cummins now that he's keeping fit (up until a day ago, darn it).

AFLW is not a great showcase of someone's skill due to all the trash involved. You put Jesse White in a semi-pro comp in basketball and AFL, he would look world class as well.

I saw enough Collingwood VFL games last year to know that isn't consistently true. Besides, semi-pro comps aren't all alike, which is where I think the term is misleading. Some have a high concentration of the best players, some don't.

One example to counter the first part of your statement: I've been very impressed by the way top AFLW footballers work in extremely heavy traffic. You either don't think that takes skill, or you haven't noticed what I have. If I'm in the minority on this point, I wouldn't be shocked, but I don't think we're changing each other's minds.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Slater at 3 is way too high to say the least, back end of the 30 possibly though. Perry should easily be in the top 3 (personally I'd have her at 1 and no question about it). Lydia Lassila (ariel skier) should have been there somewhere. Probably a few too many basketballs. Ben Simmons is pushing it.

Personally Darren Lockyer is in the list if you are including RL players. He dominated 2 positions (unlike Slater), captained his State and country. It's no wonder he's going to be the next Immortal (announced this season)

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Slater???? He isn’t even better than Inglis, let alone blokes that are in the next three or four levels above.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Slater???? He isn’t even better than Inglis, let alone blokes that are in the next three or four levels above.

Agreed personally probably wouldn’t make my list albeit I take my hat off to anyone that wants to attempt a list like this.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Ohhh I reckon some of you guys slept through seasons 1 and 2 of Australia's Greatest Athlete presented by Rexona. Billy climbs a mean rock wall!

Slater at 3 is way too high to say the least, back end of the 30 possibly though. Perry should easily be in the top 3 (personally I'd have her at 1 and no question about it). Lydia Lassila (ariel skier) should have been there somewhere. Probably a few too many basketballs. Ben Simmons is pushing it.

Personally Darren Lockyer is in the list if you are including RL players. He dominated 2 positions (unlike Slater), captained his State and country. It's no wonder he's going to be the next Immortal (announced this season)

How do you feel about Lance Franklin as the highest ranked AFL player?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

How do you feel about Lance Franklin as the highest ranked AFL player?

Would probably be in my top30 but not as high as Franklin was ranked personally.