The Best Player you have seen - AFL & Demons

[deeflog 679]

best ive seen is Carey

best mfc ive seen is the ox

best player to bring me to the game is the wiz

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

AFL Carey

MFC Brent Grcic (spell check required)

[tonatopia 278]

MFC- schwarz, Jakovich

Afl- Lockett

[Return to Glory 8,453]

Most talented MFC player a dead heat between Schwarz and Jakovich; best was Flower.

Overall, a massive fan of Carey. Also rated Terry Daniher very highly. At 188 cm, for most of the 80's he was clearly the best key position utility player in the competition. He was amongst the best 2 -3 Centre Half Forwards, Centre Half Backs, Full Backs and Full Forwards in the league all at the same time. A better version of David Neitz and one of the great leaders of all time.

Great comment re Terry Daniher. What a star he was.

[Kenny Powers 90]

AFL Carey

MFC Brent Grcic (spell check required)

Grgic? I was trying to think of his first name the other day. He was suppose to be our Matthew Lloyd!

[The heart beats true 18,183]

Best player I've ever seen is an Ablett, but I'm trying to figure out which one. Snr was a true freak, where I think Jnr has some freakish abilities with an awe inspiring work rate.

Grgic? I was trying to think of his first name the other day. He was suppose to be our Matthew Lloyd!

I played junior footy with Brent. He is a classic example of recruiters wanting to see something in a player that simply wasn't there. I know for a fact that he would have been dropped from the under 18's if not for the demand of recruiters to keep playing him. 10 weeks later he became a number 4 draft pick (as a 17 year old back when clubs took as many kids as possible that looked like they could play basketball). It makes me realise that some recruiting is about momentum and potential as opposed to genuine desire and talent. Edited June 9, 2013 by The heart beats true

[Carrot Top 947]

Flower by a mile. Got even better with better players around him. He'd be the best of the best if he'd played in a power team.

Best from another team: Gaz snr. He could tear teams apart with that blank look on his face. Marking, kicking, strength, finesse, whatever. He just did it all better than the rest, and he did it with the handicap of not having a brain.

[Carrot Top 947]

It makes me realise that some recruiting is about momentum and potential as opposed to genuine desire and talent.

A hell of a lot of football is follow the leader. If Geelong picked Russian midgets then the rest of us would at least punt on one of them. Better to follow the leader and get it wrong, than not and get it wrong, I guess. I'd love for us to pick our own song to dance to for once but that has its own risks.

But that's story for another thread.

[Herry Prowse 7]

Melbourne: Neitz by a mile, Robbo not far off

AFL; Ablett Jnr, Ben Cousins when fit

I'm guessing Robbo would be a mile off.

Edited June 9, 2013 by Herry Prowse

[Pirlo 813]

Ablett for GC.

Never seen a more talented Demon than Liam Jurrah, but I'll go with Neitz.

[Bring Back Barassi 552]

Robbie Flower was a freakish talent. He was the true definition of silk.

[Return to Glory 8,453]

BBB, I'm surprised that he's not on every list. We forget how brilliant he was

[Bring Back Barassi 552]

We were so, so bad and he was so, so good

[Go the Biff 3,457]

BBB, I'm surprised that he's not on every list. We forget how brilliant he was

Some on here are too young to have seen him

He was amazing. In a good side he would have dominated the comp. Anyone doubting that need only look at what he did when playing for Victoria

The only one within a bull's roar of him was Schwartz at his best, pre-knees

Ablett Snr from other clubs. Freak. Scary to think what he might have done had he had his son's commitment & work ethic

Nod to Carey & Blight

[Guest]

For natural talent alone:
AFL: Gary Ablett Senior MFC: Allen Jakovich, David Schwarz

All three had more talent in their little finger than most blokes have in their entire bodies. For some of the younger D'landers, look up Jaka's 1991 season. He technically kicked the ton in reserves and seniors but there was NO-ONE who could stop him when he was on. We all know what happened to the Ox. He won a Bluey in 1999 but was never the same player after his reconstructions. Ablett Senior really was a footballing genius and is a great example of pumping people up to be something they are not. I remember reading a biography of him that described him basically as a prince amongst men but those who have been in and around Geelong as I have knew the truth.

Best all round package (combination of work ethic and talent)
AFL: Wayne Carey, Gary Ablett Jr. Melbourne: Garry Lyon

While Carey is as flawed an individual as Ablett Sr., I rate him higher that whilst he did spend most weekends on the gas as Pagan used to say, 'he can spend a weekend on the gas and come out and train the house down'. Ablett Jr., since he has moved to Gold Coast, is now on a par with Carey. I thought he would be stuffed when he went there as he would no longer have Lingy pushing blokes off for him but he has almost taken his game to another level. Plus those two have won flags and Ablett Sr. didn't.

Gaz's (as in Lyon) off field dealings with the club have given me the s***s but I will never question his commitment, courage and leadership as a player. I will always remember the night he played after Neil Balme was sacked. He was clearly shot but he pushed and pushed and his leadership pulled the boys over the line. A great night.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Guest

[dimmy 1,308]

Best ever Melbourne : Flower & Barassi.

Best ever : Abletts ( Me & Dad) , Peter Hudson & Jesalenko were sensational, Bruce Doull, Baldock& Skilton , Malcom Bligh

Toughest Pound for pound : Dermie !!

Unfulfilled talent : Jurrah ( could have been anything , but sadly the chasm has seemed too great)

[Sideshow Bob 2,462]

Absolutely amazed at the lack of love for Peter Daicos here. Him and Robbie flower were just incredible to watch. Time stood still when those 2 had the ball. Daicos was mesmerising at his best, went to a few filth games just because he would be on show ( especially the Carlton Pies games in the old Princes park and Vic Park Days). Robbie was similar but not quite the same freakish ability.

After Daics, Wayne Carey was the only other bloke I went to opposition games for. No explanation needed. Disco Roach was another old favourite

For the Dee's Jakovich, pre knee Schwarta, Stinga, Viney, B Lovett... Shaun Smith could take a grab too

[Maldonboy38 6,406]

MFC:

Flower.

Ox deserves a mention.

AFL:

Ablett snr. Jnr has better defensive skills and a bigger engine, but snr had a wow factor like no other and one main thing jnr lacks - he was a hard, vicious player who would monster you given a chance. Some of his (rare) tackles were vicious, and some of his bumps were bone breakers. If could hurt you he would and there was a hint of fear playing around him.

Special mentions:

Lethal Leigh Matthews. When other players were still using flat punts he was kicking drop punts off both feet and running rings around everyone.

Carey. Every skill, courage, leadership and arrogance. He strutted because he could.

These three remain the best ever for mine.

I was a couple of years too late for Skilton.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,016]

You can pretty much tell the generational differences of Demonlanders on this thread. Anyone who has put any of Neitz, Schwarz, Lyon, Tingay, Jacovitch, Farmer, etc as their best clearly didn't see Flower play, or, at least didn't see him in his prime.

My best three of all time: Matthews, Carey, Ablett Sr

My best three Demons: Flower, Lyon, Stynes (I'm too young to remember Barassi)

[nutbean 8,838]

Matthews then daylight..

Flower then daylight..