Best 25 players of the past 50 years

[GVGjr]

I'll just make my point and go.

Kelvin Templeton had won two Colemans and a Brownlow (playing in the hardest position on the field) by the time he was 22. He had more talent in his little finger than 99% of the players on everyone else's list. And 99% is being pretty generous to the other players. It's actually 100% but I don't want you to think that I'm gilding the lily about how good KT was so I'll say 99%.

Templeton > every other player I've seen, funnily enough over the last 50 or so years.

That is all.

There was a 6 year patch of his footy where he was as good as any player to have played but his last 2 seasons with us plus his 3 years at Melbourne, all impacted by his injuries, would distract many from judging him the way most of us did during those years.

His kicking dropped off dramatically and it was sad to see him struggling with the distance from 30 or 40 mtrs out.

Great player.

[Twodogs]

I really rated Ross Glendinning and I'm surprised he's not rating a mention.

CHF or CHB and he was a nice accurate kick.

He was no KT but he was OK for a North player.

[GVGjr]

15 goals. 9 behinds. Including a couple that fell short and a couple that went out of bounds. That's 30 shots at goal.

Find me a better individual performance in V/AFL history. Best. Player. Ever.

You've neglected to mention in that game he received some of the softest marking decisions I can recall after half time
It's like everyone were willing him on to kick a bag of goals. It could have easily been 20 goals on that day.

[Twodogs]

You've neglected to mention in that game he received some of the softest marking decisions I can recall after half time
It's like everyone were willing him on to kick a bag of goals. It could have easily been 20 goals on that day.

30 shots at goal.


2 Colemans and a Brownlow by the age of 22.


Find me a better record.

[GVGjr]

He was no KT but he was OK for a North player.

Fairly long career, quality player, Brownlow medalist and very versatile. You might be rating him a tad harshly.
He missed some footy was well because he had a few seasons playing in the WAFL before he came across to the AFL

[GVGjr]

30 shots at goal.


2 Colemans and a Brownlow by the age of 22.


Find me a better record.

He was a champ no doubt but he's being judged for his career not up to a certain age and his last few seasons don't do him justice.

[Twodogs]

Fairly long career, quality player, Brownlow medalist and very versatile. You might be rating him a tad harshly.
He missed some footy was well because he had a few seasons playing in the WAFL before he came across to the AFL

That just means Templeton acheived pretty much Everything Glendinning did (except Glendenning wasn't a centurion goal kicker nor did he win two Colemans) in roughly half the playing time. If Glendenning's career was effectively over by the time he was 22 (as KT's was) we would never had heard of him. He wouldn't have won a Brownlow, captained a VFL team (or two) or even played VFL football.

KT>>>>>>>Glendenning.

[GVGjr]

That just means Templeton acheived pretty much Everything Glendinning did (except Glendenning wasn't a centurion goal kicker nor did he win two Colemans) in roughly half the playing time. If Glendenning's career was effectively over by the time he was 22 (as KT's was) we would never had heard of him. He wouldn't have won a Brownlow, captained a VFL team (or two) or even played VFL football.

KT>>>>>>>Glendenning.

I'm not saying Glendinning was a better player than KT when both were at their best but he had a very good career over the journey.
KT struggled over his last 4 or 5 years and even you would have to agree.

[Twodogs]

I'm not saying Glendinning was a better player than KT when both were at their best but he had a very good career over the journey.
KT struggled over his last 4 or 5 years and even you would have to agree.

Templeton was playing on one leg for the last half of his career. Maybe if Glendenning had won a Brownlow or a Coleman hobbling around on one leg (not that I'm saying that KT won his awards on one leg, just that Glenndenning didn't either but it still took him twice as long to achieve half what KT did) then I'd agree he was a better player. But he didn't. He achieved almost as much as KT in roughly twice the time.

Hell if he'd even led his club goalkicking on one leg with 50+ goals (like Templeton did at Melbourne) then maybe he got close to KT in one aspect of football.

He was a champ no doubt but he's being judged for his career not up to a certain age and his last few seasons don't do him justice.

It was judging the best player I thought? It's not Templeton's fault that he hobbled through the last few years on one leg (mind you he kicked 50+ goals one year at Melbourne on that one leg! how many other players have kicked 50 goals in a season playing on one leg?) On any objective analysis carried out by anyone who knows football Templeton packed more into a 6 year career than most other champion players did in 10-15 years. Six years of playing football on two legs and he won three major AFL awards. Who else has a record of winning the comp's major awards in half the seasons he completed?

Just to finish off, this is a list of KT's acheivments and awards a friend of mine published on the Australianfootball.com site


Kelvin Templeton was a once in a generation player as a glance at his dazzling CV will attest:


-The first key forward to claim the Charles Brownlow Medal (1980).
-Two club best and fairest awards (1978 and 1980).
-Back-to-back leading goalkicker awards in the VFL (1978 and 1979).
-First player in VFL history to have separate 100-goal (1978) and Brownlow Medal (1980) seasons.
-First player from his club to top a century of goals in one season.
-Lead his club goal kicking tally for five consecutive seasons (1976-1980).
-Gained interstate selection with Victoria four seasons in a row (1977-1980).
-78-game consecutive goal-scoring streak.
- See more at: http://australianfootball.com/articl....rPFsnU6A.dpuf

Better that record. I can understand supporters of other clubs not wanting to admit what a great player KT was or even younger bulldog supporters not assuming that the best player our generation ever saw played with us. What I can't understand is supporters who saw most of his career forgetting what an unbelievably great, versatile player he was. His bulldog career is only second to Ted Whitten's.

[Webby]

It was judging the best player I thought? It's not Templeton's fault that he hobbled through the last few years on one leg (mind you he kicked 50+ goals one year at Melbourne on that one leg! how many other players have kicked 50 goals in a season playing on one leg?) On any objective analysis carried out by anyone who knows football Templeton packed more into a 6 year career than most other champion players did in 10-15 years. Six years of playing football on two legs and he won three major AFL awards. Who else has a record of winning the comp's major awards in half the seasons he completed?

Don't get me started on Scott West not being on the list either.

Scott West I can kind of understand. Great extractor of the footy, but lacked the damaging, match winning edge to his game. Exceptionally consistent, but I often suspected the opposition would, I don't want to say allow, but I will say that they would not mind having West carry the footy or kick it. If he had Jarman or Harvey's foot skills or some ball carrying ability, he'd have bolted it in.

On KT, I firmly believe there's a case for him to be top 10. I won't go into detail why as I've mentioned it all before. Two Colemans and a Brownlow by 22 (and a Brownlow from CHF, no less!) are compelling.

I actually think we're the reason KT isn't in the HOF. Partly because we're small and quiet, and partly because KT left is, we don't seem to have pushed his case all that hard.

[Twodogs]

Scott West I can kind of understand. Great extractor of the footy, but lacked the damaging, match winning edge to his game. Exceptionally consistent, but I often suspected the opposition would, I don't want to say allow, but I will say that they would not mind having West carry the footy or kick it. If he had Jarman or Harvey's foot skills or some ball carrying ability, he'd have bolted it in.

On KT, I firmly believe there's a case for him to be top 10. I won't go into detail why as I've mentioned it all before. Two Colemans and a Brownlow by 22 (and a Brownlow from CHF, no less!) are compelling.

I actually think we're the reason KT isn't in the HOF. Partly because we're small and quiet, and partly because KT left is, we don't seem to have pushed his case all that hard.

Scott West hit targets by foot at a rate of almost 70% over most of his career (mostly over 25-30 metres, maybe, but they hit a target 3/4s of the time) and his hands were wven better. The "Scott West can't kick to save himself" was an urban myth. Add that to the fact that Scooter got 700+ possessions a season and leaving him out is preposterous.

We shouldn't have to push our players in front of the judges. It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain how good they were.

[hujsh]

No Bontempelli=shit list

[bornadog]

We shouldn't have to push our players in front of the judges. It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain how good they were.

We have always been ignored over the years. You look at things like the mark of the year, or goal of the year, rising star, or DVDs produced showing the season highlights and we are mostly absent.

Chris Grant, Dougie Hawkins, absolute champions hardly ever beaten on their day, and consistent throughout their career. Gary Dempsey, one of the best ruckman ever, is all hardly ever talked about. Yes 2016, we had alot of publicity, only after winning the GF. No one gave us a chance in the finals and this year I have already heard on the radio, callers saying we won't even make the 8. No one is saying we are a top 2 side. We are ignored.

I have learnt to just ignore as well - these stupid lists produced by so called experts who are mesmerised by the Hirds, the Ablett's and Careys and Carlton, Collingwood and Richmonds of the world.

[1eyedog]

I think you're right about the subjectivity. However the top 3 seems pretty unanimous. Interesting you rate Parkin, as I recall him saying that Koutifides was the best player he coached... I remember thinking "But you coached Matthews in his peak!!"

Says to me That Parko would be departing further from the consensus than even Malthouse.

Did he really say that? That's surprising I always respected Parko's seemingly objective opinion. I'd have Matthews, Ablett Snr, Carey, Lockett...

15 goals. 9 behinds. Including a couple that fell short and a couple that went out of bounds. That's 30 shots at goal.

Find me a better individual performance in V/AFL history. Best. Player. Ever.

All our players needed to do that day was kick it near KT and the umpire blew the whistle.

Based on the sample size there's little doubt he's somewhere between 5-10 for me. If he had of played a full career unimpeded by injury he'd easily crack top 3. His Brownlow year from CHF was the best year of football I've ever seen anyone play ever.

[Webby]

When you think that there have been between 12 & 18 teams in the VFL/AFL at all times over the past 50 years and 14+ for the majority of it, the law of averages says that we'd be lucky to have more than one to two players on the list. Grant and Doug are stiff, but it's not outrageous that they'd miss out. KT and definitely Quinlan have a strong case.

Melbourne fans (with absolutely every right) would be complaining about Robbie Flower missing
Richmond would have fans howling about Francis Bourke missing.
Hawthorn fans would be howling about Hodge, Tuck and even Platten missing.
Norf fans about Greig and Dench... And probably even Boomer..
Crows fans about McLeod & Ricciuto.
Dockers fans about Pavlich
Fitzroy fans about Bernie Quinlan and perhaps Garry Wilson
Brisbane fans about Simon Black
Eagles fans about Peter Matera
Aints fans about Riewoldt and Harvey
Blues fans about Kouta and probably Sticks
Bombers fans about just about everything
Pies fans about Millane, Daicos, Thompson, Swan and Buckley
Swans fans about Goodes and Kelly
Port fans about Wanganeen (along with support from the Bombers fans complaining about everything..)
Geelong fans about Scarlett and probably Dangerfield.


Point is, with just 25 spots, there's a lot to squeeze in. It'd probably be more fun to do our own!