was gary ablett senior the most naturally talented player ever ?

[geelong_crazy26]

was gary ablett senior the most naturally talented player ever to play the game ? this does not mean he is the best just that he had the most ability

 

[one_twelve112]

Alex Jesaulenko was more naturally talented than Gary Ablett.

 

[Claude Balls]

One_twelve112, I shake my head.

Of course Gary Snr was the most talented to play the game. The reason why many won't go so far as to say he was the best ever, is that he often played the game like it was an individual sport, and failed to bring team mates into the game. Therein lies your answer.

 

[krisholio14]

Alex Jesaulenko was more naturally talented than Gary Ablett.

Jezza is a champ and will always be one of my favorite players, but Gazza has him covered by some distance.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, could do the things that Gazza did with the footy on a quarterly basis, week in week out.

I'm not just saying that coz i'm a Geelong fan either.

Get your hands on a tape of the 89 PF v Essendon. The game has never been played better by an individual ever, in the the history of the game, than the way Gazza played that day.

Here are some highlights...

[youtube]lM1Q2QT-GW4[/youtube]

 

[Hodgepodge]

He's no Lance Franklin, but a pretty good full-forward nonetheless.

 

[krisholio14]

He's no Lance Franklin, but a pretty good full-forward nonetheless.

Lance Franklin isn't fit to kiss Gazza's bootlaces.

 

[Hodgepodge]

meh, gary wasn't even the best forward of his time, there was locket and dunstall, then gary. . . franklin's ontrack to kick 100 goals in a regular season, in an era where many thought it was no longer possible. No other player is coming close to cracking the ton.

 

[krisholio14]

meh, gary wasn't even the best forward of his time, there was locket and dunstall, then gary. . . franklin's ontrack to kick 100 goals in a regular season, in an era where many thought it was no longer possible. No other player is coming close to cracking the ton.

OK, just wanted to make sure you had only been watching football since the mid 90's.

 

[Hodgepodge]

i watched the 80s too . . . he was a half-forward back then.

 

[krisholio14]

In the 80's Gary played wing/half forward, but basically just went wherever he felt like.

Name me one other player in the history of the game who has kicked 14 goals playing on a wing?

 

[Hodgepodge]

everyone kicked goals on richmond, dunstall kicked 17.5 on them and they were lucky to get away with that.

 

[krisholio14]

everyone kicked goals on richmond, dunstall kicked 17.5 on them and they were lucky to get away with that.

Not the point. I can name you other players who have kicked 17 goals in a game from full forward as Dunstall did. Where are those other players who have kicked 14 goals in a game off a wing?

 

[Skeppersap]

meh, gary wasn't even the best forward of his time, there was locket and dunstall, then gary. . . franklin's ontrack to kick 100 goals in a regular season, in an era where many thought it was no longer possible. No other player is coming close to cracking the ton.

Ablett didnt play as a permanant forward because he was more valuable playing around the ground in his younger days.

Judging by 1993, had he played FF from the start his goal kicking record would be well ahead of Dunstall and Lockett.

Best player ever, by some distance. Has has been mentioned, perhaps his only downfall is that he wasnt a great team player.

His son makes up for that though!

 

[Hodgepodge]

I don't know how many others have done that, or if gazza did it, at least from memory i remember him as a half-forward. I don't know if Leigh Matthews kicked 14 in a game, but he slotted through 91 goals in a year as a midfielder in the 70s, that's a real feat, over a year.

 

[krisholio14]

Ablett didnt play as a permanant forward because he was more valuable playing around the ground in his younger days.

Judging by 1993, had he played FF from the start his goal kicking record would be well ahead of Dunstall and Lockett.

Best player ever, by some distance. Has has been mentioned, perhaps his only downfall is that he wasnt a great team player.

His son makes up for that though!

Whats really amusing is that this bloke actually believes Buddy is better than Gazza snr. What's even more amusing is I know he's not the only Hawthorn supporter who thinks it too.

 

[Motormouse]

Dunstall was superb, and had the ability to completely change the way his team played and thereby the outcome of the game.

But for mine, Gary Snr was a genius. In so many aspects of the game, on so many occasions his mastery of the football left people awestruck. He had an almost unnatural (or if you prefer, the purely natural) ability to control the football, and the players around him to suit himself.

Words fail to do his numerous feats justice..... He was simply the best.

 

[Hodgepodge]

Ablett didnt play as a permanant forward because he was more valuable playing around the ground in his younger days.

Judging by 1993, had he played FF from the start his goal kicking record would be well ahead of Dunstall and Lockett.

Best player ever, by some distance. Has has been mentioned, perhaps his only downfall is that he wasnt a great team player.

His son makes up for that though!

Judging by 92, dunstall would have kicked 1500 goals if he didn't crack his skull . . . it's a silly argument.

 

[Hodgepodge]

i suppose you also thought this was a mark?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=03YRaXVR4gI

 

[krisholio14]

I don't know how many others have done that, or if gazza did it, at least from memory i remember him as a half-forward. I don't know if Leigh Matthews kicked 14 in a game, but he slotted through 91 goals in a year as a midfielder in the 70s, that's a real feat, over a year.

Leigh Matthews best in a match was 11 goals. In the year he kicked 91 goals, he did spend a reasonable amount of time up forward.

But we aren't talking about Lethal, he is the greatest of them all and you'll get no arguments from me on that.

You are saying Buddy Franklin is more talented and even a better player than Gary Ablett Snr. And that is just wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

 

[Hodgepodge]

gary spent a lot of time up forward when he had hair too . . . it's like saying richo's kicking 5 goals from the wing, but he's not, he's drifting forward and kicking a goal a qtr. I remember in the finals in the 80s when hawks played geelong, gary was more of a centrehalfforward than anything else.

 

[krisholio14]

i suppose you also thought this was a mark?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=03YRaXVR4gI

Whether you, or anyone else, likes it or not, it was paid a mark by the umpire, which means its a mark. The record books will forever show that it was a mark, so therefore, it is a mark.

 

[Hodgepodge]

You are saying Buddy Franklin is more talented and even a better player than Gary Ablett Snr. And that is just wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

Well i'm saying he will be, by the end of his career, barring serious injuries/mishaps, he'll be the greatest of all time.

 

[Hodgepodge]

Whether you, or anyone else, likes it or not, it was paid a mark by the umpire, which means its a mark. The record books will forever show that it was a mark, so therefore, it is a mark.

Of course it's a mark, but i'm asking you whether it is a mark.

 

[Hodgepodge]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jnAvTIY9UoI

have a dance . . . you'll notice these clips were taken from just 4 or 5 regular home and away matches.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

meh, gary wasn't even the best forward of his time, there was locket and dunstall, then gary. . . franklin's ontrack to kick 100 goals in a regular season, in an era where many thought it was no longer possible. No other player is coming close to cracking the ton.

lol never sore dunstall and locket do the things ablett did

are you saying franklin is better than Jonathan brown ? I don't think so