Help me with my top 20 Players of All time list

[Ricmel]

John Nicholls won the John Nicholls medal 5 times. He is the last captain-coach to win a flag. He was first choice ruck for Victoria basically from 1960-1970. He is probably the most influential player on the field I have seen.
Norm Smith said Jack Dyer was the greatest player he had seen. So did plenty of others. Not Skillful? After he slowed down a bit and Bill Morris took over first ruck for Richmond, Dyer played as permanent forward and kicked 46, 64 and 45 goals in his last 3 seasons (although his best goal-kicking performance was 9 goals in the 1944 Prelim). Also - he invented the drop punt.
Bruce Doull - I presume you never saw him play. I'm a Richmond fan - I hate Bruce Doull! - and he was one of the greatest players I have seen - defender or otherwise.

I saw both Doull and Nicholls play. They were great players but not top 20 of all time. Nicholls record is great but compare it say to Gary Dempsey - 7 B and Fs and 13 top 10 finishes in the Brownlow, and I don't think Dempsey quite makes it. Doull is closer but I think the simple fact is there are a bunch of midfielders and forwards that make stronger claims. I think Peter Knights and David Dench were far better footballers than Doull but I wouldn't have either of them in top 20 either (though Knights is close).

Dyer, you could be right on him. I have not seen much footage other than the famous whack on whoever it was. Hard to make calls on players you know only by reputation.

 

[Ricmel]

I saw them all play. SOS was arguably the best fullback of the 3, but hands down he was the best footballer IMO. Could play anywhere on the best and thrive, FB on Dunstall, CHF on Carey, HB and midfield on Hird, Pert on him at FF. So many elite strings to his bow. I guess that’s why Dunstall rated him not only the best defender he’s seen, but a top 5 PLAYER overall too. Plugger rated SOS the best he played on too.

I agree SOS ahead of Scarlett and Langford. Scarlett suffers in these comparisons because he played in an era when there were not the great forwards - SOS and Langford played when forwards were probably at their historical peak. But I think David Dench is best fullback I have seen and Southby would be second.

 

[shaqsuns]

I always rated Darren Jarman as one of the best players I’ve ever seen even though he doesn’t get much love in these conversation. When he wanted to play football nobody could touch him.


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[ItsAllAboutMe]

Robert Harvey was just a more consistent Matthew Priddis.

 

[Wallaby]

Major asterisk next to dusty for his underworld links and off field substance issues.
Also winning norm Smith against the worst grand finalist in 100 years doesn't help his case.
Buckley and hird streets ahead

Hird won his Norm Smith against Melbourne (!). Melbourne finished 14th in 1999 and 11th in 2001. They got lucky because Carlton were pretty much a one-man team (Kouta) who got hurt two weeks out from the finals and Carlton promptly collapsed.
Hird had 3 Top-10 Brownlow finisheds in his career. Martin has done that the last 5 years in a row.

Buckley was good.

 

[crows dude]

Two of the greatest players of all time
Barry Robran and Malcolm Blight

 

[Deadpool]

Bartlett, Williams, Dench, Blight, Pratt, Judd most definitely Ron Barassi jnr.

Plenty of names that could go into that mix.

 

[gab213]

Franklin over Jezza for me.

Jezza Is an AFL legend but with 444 goals from 279 games could you say his record stacks up in comparison to Buddy's?



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Jezza played as a forward, back and midfielder, not a like for like comparison but I agree, Franklin should be on the list.

 

[Kappa]

Modern players should rightly dominate the list. Players have gotten significantly better over time.

 

[ConcreteWaters]

Jackovich CHB, Judd on ball, Matera on the wing and Cox in the ruck
Buddy would have to get a look in, although with a forwardline of Dunstall, Lockett, Ablett and Carey, spots are short

 

[footyfan1978]

A few guys that should be in contention. Geoff Southby and Glen Jakovic as defenders. Cox in ruck group

Tend to agree with those. I'd also add Ross Glendinning into consideration for key defenders.
Guy McKenna and Kenny Hunter as half backers probably the best I seen after Doull.

Buckley and Keith Greig fall short for mine.
Cannot believe guys like Robert Flower, Wayne Johnston and Malcolm Blight were not in the initial thoughts but in the mix for mine.
Kevin Bartlett also has to be in there as a rover that became the best small forward after Lethal Leigh.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Matthew Scarlett for defenders. Probably = best of all time, alongside Silvagni. Wouldn't be counting out Enright either.

Dustin Fletcher>>>Scarlett. People for get real easy.

 

[footyfan1978]

Also just heard the ghost of Laurie Nash whisper to me he should be in there as a forward.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Putting the Geelong hat on, Scarlett and Enright have to be in the conversation. Doull is rightly in there obviously but he and Enright are arguably the two greatest small defenders of all time and Scarlett - well many people will say that he’s the equal of silvagni and the prototype attacking fullback who could also keep is opponent scoreless

Dustin Fletcher was better than Scarlett. Andy Collins better than Enright. I would go as far as saying Wanganeen was also better than Enright too.

 

[Kavliaris69]

View attachment 757006

I would take our GAJ for Greg Williams, Michael Voss for Peter Matera, Jack Reagan for Chris Langford, Jesalenko for Lance Franklin.

Interchange needed: Jason Ackermanis, Luke Hodge, Glen Jakovic, Robert Harvey.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Rance > both of them

Dustin Fletcher better than Rance, Scarlett.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Pratt ranks ahead of coventry.

Silvagni does not belong here.

Scarlett better. As was langford.

Agree on Silvagni over rated. Dustin Fletcher was better also.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Franklin to me has a massive question mark over him. As a KPF competing with Hart, Lockett, Ablett, Hudson, Coleman etc he is extremely poor at overhead/contested marking. Probably the best 6'5" plus payer ever when the ball hit the ground and has a freaky highlights reel but did not have the impact or consistency of the great KPFs.

Franklin is easily the best forward since Dunstall and Locket retired. No big question mark about it. Why is the contested mark such a big thing for everyone. He is in top 5 best of all time. He is actually a decent mark overhead but people forget.

If he could mark the contested as good as the others he would be the GOAT forward no doubt.

 

[Craze]

Apart from being excellent rhyming slang, Chris Mew was as good a defender as I saw. Check out a few of his performances in state of origin, the ultimate test of a footballer

 

[PhatBoy]

Dustin Fletcher was better than Scarlett. Andy Collins better than Enright. I would go as far as saying Wanganeen was also better than Enright too.

Lol
Fletcher.

 

[PhatBoy]

Dustin Fletcher>>>Scarlett. People for get real easy.

Forget?
He retired after Scarlett

 

[Kavliaris69]

I always rated Darren Jarman as one of the best players I’ve ever seen even though he doesn’t get much love in these conversation. When he wanted to play football nobody could touch him.


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Jars was the most sublime user of the ball that I have seen. People remember his Crows days but his Hawks days were better.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Forget?
He retired after Scarlett

I know that but people forget how good this guys really was. Best back man since Jakovic.

 

[PhatBoy]

I know that but people forget how good this guys really was. Best back man since Jakovic.

He was very good but considering they played the same position, Scarlett’s career was played entirely within the span of Fletcher’s, and one of them was All Australian 6 times and the other was AA twice, competing WITH EACH OTHER for spots, exactly how can you possibly back that up with any evidence other than ‘because I said so’?

 

[zhoung]

Daicos has to be up there as a forward, even kicked 76 goals as a centre man in 1981 before injuries cruelled his career.

Impacted the way the modern game is played today