Opinion Could Lachie Neale be considered the GOAT if he wins the AFL treble?

[Cleansweep17]

All while statistically being beaten by Dangerfield in every important category.

Except influence in games which is what the awards are voted on.

Have a sook

 

[Pistol Night]

Except influence in games which is what the awards are voted on.

Have a sook

We get it. Dusty had an amazing 2017. We will never say otherwise

 

[Warhorse]

Except influence in games which is what the awards are voted on.

Have a sook

Dangerfield had a better season on pretty much every statistical measurement thats important - that's not something that can be debated.

 

[Pistol Night]

Dangerfield had a better season on pretty much every statistical measurement thats important - that's not something that can be debated.

Well you're about to find out how wrong you are!

 

[Cleansweep17]

Dangerfield had a better season on pretty much every statistical measurement thats important - that's not something that can be debated.

Write a letter to the AFL the whole industry clearly got it wrong.

 

[Warhorse]

Well you're about to find out how wrong you are!

Well dusty did have more clangers per game so he was better at something I guess

 

[T2B_]

When plenty of people don't consider Dusty as GOAT, no way is Neale.

Very good player however.

 

[PhatBoy]

At some point there will be an alarm bell that goes off alerting people that an award doesn’t guarantee that any level of quality has been reached relative to other independent events, especially in sports, and sports where game by game voting is involved.

 

[The Unforgiven]

Nope because he still won’t beat Dustys 2017 season of:

Brownlow, MVP, Coaches award, Gary Ayres award, NS, AA, B&F and a flag.

It will never be beaten.

Please!

Danger was robbed of the 2017 Brownlow and Houli was dobbed of the Norm Smith. Anyone with a brain knows this.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Doesn't matter what he wins he will never be the GOAT because he's simply not the best player of all time.

 

[iameviljez]

Norm a long way ahead of a brownlow for mine.

You couldn't seriously suggest that, say, Brian Lake is a better player than Shane Crawford.

 

[iameviljez]

Doesn't matter what he wins he will never be the GOAT because he's simply not the best player of all time.

Pretty much. I know this is an over-simplification, but it's true.

To be in the GOAT conversation, a player needs to be so much better than the rest of the players in the comp that it is clear and obvious. Ablett Jr, Lethal and Carey both fitted this description; Neale does not.

For what it's worth, I think Dusty is now seen more as the ultimate Big Game player, like a better version of Gary Ayres, rather than the GOAT. If he'd kept up his 2017 output for another 5 years, then he probably would have been the GOAT.

There are a number of players who have a Norm, a Brownlow, and a flag, just not in the same year. Diesel, Bartel, Hird, Black... Matera went extremely close to a Brownlow, Ablett Jr could easily have won a Norm Smith in 2008, Petracca likewise could/should have won a Brownlow in 2021.

 

[Cleansweep17]

Please!

Danger was robbed of the 2017 Brownlow and Houli was dobbed of the Norm Smith. Anyone with a brain knows this.

And how good is it that people won’t remember it that way. Please sook more

 

[jakson68]

I like Neale as a player but if he wins a third Brownlow, that really just drops the relevance of the award down a notch.
He would be a very undeserving triple Brownlow medalist.
Again, I know that sounds harsh and I truly dont mean to come across as nasty but a triple Brownlow medalist, should be seen as the absolute elite of the elite.
Neale is a great player but he isn't triple worthy.

 

[Lunchtime]

Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

31

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

has won 2 Brownlow medals. If he wins a third one tonight, where does that put him in terms of assessing him/ranking him for midfielders/players in modern footy or at least from 2000 onwards?

I mean yes he is a very very good player but I wouldn't have him ahead of Ablett Jnr, Martin, Judd, Dangerfield, Franklin.

Interested in your thoughts..

 

[iameviljez]

I like Neale as a player but if he wins a third Brownlow, that really just drops the relevance of the award down a notch.
He would be a very undeserving triple Brownlow medalist.
Again, I know that sounds harsh and I truly dont mean to come across as nasty but a triple Brownlow medalist, should be seen as the absolute elite of the elite.
Neale is a great player but he isn't triple worthy.

The Brownlow has always been a bit of a lottery to a certain degree, though - I mean, Woewoedin, Priddis, Wanganeen, Libba... all good footballers, but nowhere near the best in the league.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Lachie Neale has won 2 Brownlow medals. If he wins a third one tonight, where does that put him in terms of assessing him/ranking him for midfielders/players in modern footy or at least from 2000 onwards?

I mean yes he is a very very good player but I wouldn't have him ahead of Ablett Jnr, Martin, Judd, Dangerfield, Franklin.

Interested in your thoughts..

Martin doesn't belong in those list of names sir.

 

[PhatBoy]

Lachie Neale has won 2 Brownlow medals. If he wins a third one tonight, where does that put him in terms of assessing him/ranking him for midfielders/players in modern footy or at least from 2000 onwards?

I mean yes he is a very very good player but I wouldn't have him ahead of Ablett Jnr, Martin, Judd, Dangerfield, Franklin.

Interested in your thoughts..

He’s an excellent player. Anyone who watches him can see that but it’s like assessing the worth of anything where two different scenarios apply.

You can draw comparisons to literally any field where there is competition.

Let’s look at a game of cricket. In a test match in 2001, let’s imagine there’s a Brownlow for test matches. Somewhere in the world Kumar Sangakkara was man of the match that year for making a century against Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile at Kolkata, Rahul Dravid came in with his team 4-down, having followed-on against Australia, 1-0 down in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against a team who had won 16 tests in a row, an attack including Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, and made 180.

It was truly one of the greatest test innings of the last 30-40 years. And it wasn’t even the best knock of his team’s second innings, and might not have even gotten the TWO points for the match because at the other end VVS Laxman made 281, and with the ball Harbhajan Sing took 13-200 for the match as India somehow came back to win the match.

Meanwhile Sangakkara probably gets 3 points in this ‘fantasy cricket Brownlow medal.’

Which player out of Dravid and Sangakkara played better cricket?

Yes it’s a nice award and you can bet your bollocks to a barn dance that the player who wins it, HAS played good football, but it’s not going to reflect necessarily a particular level to which they have played relative to other players in either a particular round, season, or career.

 

[Lunchtime]

And how good is it that people won’t remember it that way. Please sook more

He’s an excellent player. Anyone who watches him can see that but it’s like assessing the worth of anything where two different scenarios apply.

You can draw comparisons to literally any field where there is competition.

Let’s look at a game of cricket. In a test match in 2001, let’s imagine there’s a Brownlow for test matches. Somewhere in the world Kumar Sangakkara was man of the match that year for making a century against Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile at Kolkata, Rahul Dravid came in with his team 4-down, having followed-on against Australia, 1-0 down in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against a team who had won 16 tests in a row, an attack including Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, and made 180.

It was truly one of the greatest test innings of the last 30-40 years. And it wasn’t even the best knock of his team’s second innings, and might not have even gotten the TWO points for the match because at the other end VVS Laxman made 281, and with the ball Harbhajan Sing took 13-200 for the match as India somehow came back to win the match.

Meanwhile Sangakkara probably gets 3 points in this ‘fantasy cricket Brownlow medal.’

Which player out of Dravid and Sangakkara played better cricket?

Yes it’s a nice award and you can bet your bollocks to a barn dance that the player who wins it, HAS played good football, but it’s not going to reflect necessarily a particular level to which they have played relative to other players in either a particular round, season, or career.

The players I mentioned in my initial question I think are ahead of Neale. But he I still a very good player.

 

[iameviljez]

Meanwhile Sangakkara probably gets 3 points in this ‘fantasy cricket Brownlow medal.’

Which player out of Dravid and Sangakkara played better cricket?

One day when Ablett Senior had 36 touches and kicked 5 from the wing against peak West Coast, Blight said "It's almost unfair that you only get three votes for a game like that".

 

[Pistol Night]

One day when Ablett Senior had 36 touches and kicked 5 from the wing against peak West Coast, Blight said "It's almost unfair that you only get three votes for a game like that".

That whole 89 finals was just otherwordly. Toyed with everyone

 

[Lunchtime]

That whole 89 finals was just otherwordly. Toyed with everyone

27 goals from those 4 finals matches. An average of 6.7 goals per game. Plus he won the Norm Smith medal as well. Had the Player of the Finals award been around then - he would of win it.

 

[Pistol Night]

27 goals from those 4 finals matches. An average of 6.7 goals per game. Plus he won the Norm Smith medal as well. Had the Player of the Finals award been around then - he would of win it.

He would of won 2nd and 3rd as well.

 

[PhatBoy]

One day when Ablett Senior had 36 touches and kicked 5 from the wing against peak West Coast, Blight said "It's almost unfair that you only get three votes for a game like that".

Exactly, and Neale himself has probably had days like that to be fair. He had a game against the Pies where he had 30/2 with a goal assist and carried his team in a poor overall performance and was no chance to get a point; Hoskin-Elliott booted 6, Sidebottom had 40, and Grundy smashed it in the ruck.

Meanwhile in a game last year he got 3 votes for 20 touches, no goals, no assists in a win over GWS where Brent Daniels had 20 touches, 4 goals, a goal assist 4 tackles and didn’t get a vote.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

GOAT season is a reasonable discussion.

Dusty in 2017 qualifies for that chat.

GOAT player?

Neither Dusty or Neale are in that conversation