Best era of AFL/VFL footy

[Phantom Gossiper]

95 Anzac Day match on Fox Footy last night, imho one of the greatest games of the last 40 years, and possibly my favourite game of all-time.

Plenty of run, hard tackling and bumping, some great contested marking (Alessio's grab a pearler), and two teams that kept attacking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONk-4qdWeuQ

[tigerpie]

The best era was shown on channel 7 on Monday before the Cats - Hawks game, the GARY ABLETT SNR era.

Yep agreed Beefy. i watched that too. Bloody awesome!

As for goal kicking accuracy, if you saw the state of the MCG in that footage it would explain a hell of a lot.

Ablett kicking torps from 35-40 metres out from goal, on what could only be described as a bottom paddock.

Blokes these days are pretty spoilt, but having said that, the canberra ground that the bulldogs played on last week would have been called off if it had rained heavily....that was a shocker.

[Phantom Gossiper]

I loved watching the GAblett Snr special Monday, brought back so many great memories!

But couldn't help while watching of wondering how many of the marks, bumps etc would've been allowed today? Would Ablett have struggled in this day and age with his style of play?

[tigerpie]

He would still have dominated in this era....could have been an even better player this era....if he bought into the professional requirements for players today.

Like all the greats, they'd dominate in any era.

Doenst work backwards though, as some of the so called elite players nowadays wouldnt have cut it in the 80's.

[Phantom Gossiper]

He would still have dominated in this era....could have been an even better player this era....if he bought into the professional requirements for players today.
Like all the greats, they'd dominate in any era.

Doenst work backwards though, as some of the so called elite players nowadays wouldnt have cut it in the 80's.

I enjoyed hearing Stoneham and Couch talk about how lazy Ablett was on the track!

On that, how good is Couch's laugh! His whole body laughs with him lol, was infectious!

[tigerpie]

I'm just imagining Gazza as fit as the blokes today....he would be unstoppable!

The current era has a lot of players who dont have that inate courage that was needed to play in that era imo.

The runners of today would be PLATTENED as happened in the 89 GF, and the forwards would get arms chopped, back of their hands punched and heads lopped off, or BRERETTONED.
Would be very interesting.

[Booney]

He would still have dominated in this era....could have been an even better player this era....if he bought into the professional requirements for players today.
Like all the greats, they'd dominate in any era.

Doenst work backwards though, as some of the so called elite players nowadays wouldnt have cut it in the 80's.

I enjoyed hearing Stoneham and Couch talk about how lazy Ablett was on the track!

On that, how good is Couch's laugh! His whole body laughs with him lol, was infectious!

GAblett Jnr is too, by some reports, less than enthusiastic about heavy training loads.

The debate of who is the better player, Snr or Jnr came up at my local pub on Monday. There was a good argument for both, with the general consensus that Nathan would soundly be the third best in the immediate Ablett family to have played the game.

FWIW, I think Jnr's dominance in the age of the professional footballer is incredible and he, IMHO, has surpassed his father as the best Ablett.

[Phantom Gossiper]

Whose Nathan Ablett?

[mighty_tiger_79]

Whose Nathan Ablett?

Premiership star

[tigerpie]

Gazz senior for mine Booney. I reckon Gaz jnr would have sooked it a lot if he played in the ol mans day.

Snr would outmark him, run through him and is a more penetrating kick. Remember...back then you could chop arms and heads back then, and the grounds were much heavier than now.
Jnr, however, because he's not as big, may have him covered for speed and agility.

Having said that their isnt a whole lot between them. Best father son combination ever by a mile.

[Mr Beefy]

Whose Nathan Ablett?

Michael Tuck's, Geoff Ablett's and Kevin Ablett's nephew

[Phantom Gossiper]

Whose Nathan Ablett?

Premiership star

So is Aaron Keating then

At least NAblett was better than Keating!

[woodublieve12]

Whose Nathan Ablett?

Premiership star

So is Aaron Keating then

At least NAblett was better than Keating!

Luke Ablett went alright... Except when he kicked across goal in the 2005 GF and laced out Cousins...