Rodney Eade and Leigh Matthews unimpressed by Ablett

[BulldogBelle]

Rodney Eade and Leigh Matthews unimpressed by Ablett (http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/sport/afl/story/0,26547,24433510-5016212,00.html)
The Age
Daryl Timms | October 01

GIVING votes in the Grand Final is always tough because millions of people are watching and everyone has an opinion. Just ask coaching luminaries Leigh Matthews and Rodney Eade, who both wobbled when asked yesterday about not giving Geelong champion Gary Ablett any votes.

Both chose to ignore the elusive Cat, despite his dazzling 34-possession, two-goal performance in a losing team.

Matthews, a four-time premiership coach, was one of the six official judges for the Norm Smith Medal, won by Hawthorn star Luke Hodge.

Western Bulldogs coach Eade ranked the game's best players for his Sunday Age column.

Debate has raged this week over Matthews and Eade brushing Ablett.

Asked why he didn't give Ablett votes, Matthews said: "I could have. But I'm not going to justify my votes."

Matthews said Ablett was fantastic, but so were other players.

"You make a quick judgment," he said. "It's a quick voting system. All of a sudden you have to put your votes in slightly before the (final) siren.

"I was occupied for the two hours of the Grand Final. It's a constructive call, that's all it is."

Matthews did special comments for Channel 7 during the Grand Final.

Eade said yesterday he made a mistake by not giving Ablett any votes. He gave votes to five other players.

Eade said he still rated Hodge as the best player on the ground, but should have had Ablett second, equal with Hawthorn's Brad Sewell.

"I had to get my article out and in hindsight if I'd had more time to think, I would have given him votes," he said.

Eade admitted he missed some passages of play because he did not have a good view of the game from his seat.

"I wasn't sitting in a box or anything like that," Eade said.

"Thinking about it later, I would have had Ablett second best."

Matthews gave his votes to Hodge (3), Joel Selwood (2) and Stuart Dew (1).

He was the only official judge who did not give Ablett a vote. All other judges gave Ablett either three votes or two votes.

Ablett was second to Hodge in the Norm Smith Medal, four votes behind the Hawthorn champion.

[Mantis]

Ablett was second to Hodge in the Norm Smith Medal, four votes behind the Hawthorn champion.

Plays half a season of good footy and now he's a champion. Good work Daryl.

[mighty_west]

It's funny when you hear all the uproar about Ablett coming second again, he made a habit of that this season.

But in reality, he was good in the Grand Final, but not best, i was sitting with a few mates watching the game on TV, we all picked Hodge before he was announced, plus i also thought Selwood was Geelong's best player, don't think Ablett was as damaging as he could be.

[wimberga]

The Media are starting to get too Ablett concious IMO.

He is a good player in a good side but it doesnt mean that he is set to win the medals. there are plenty of good players in the AFL that dont even get talked about. I for one probably rate Hodge higher than Ablett, yet there was no talk about his 2 votes in the brownlow medal, right?

[LostDoggy]

Wim -- you rate Hodge higher than Ablett.

SERIOUSLY?

[wimberga]

Lantern - Seriously.

Dont take this as I dont rate Ablett, but yes i do Rate Hodge higher. I rate Judd higher aswell. To me, these guy play well and BRING the other players around them into the game. lets say for example theres a crucial ball up in the attacking 50 for the respective teams at crunch time. Ablett will shake the tag, rung thbrough, collect teh tap, turn around and sna on the right from 40 and score. Judd will hit the pack at pace, collect the ball, shake the tackle, break 20m clear before dishing it off to someone else to kick the crucial goal. This is just one example. Hodge for mine just has that competitveness and guts, but is all class when it comes to skills. He seems to play knowing what he has to do. If you ask me, it seems like Ablett goes out to most games feeling or looking like he is trying to impress.

[Twodogs]

Wim -- you rate Hodge higher than Ablett.

SERIOUSLY?




If I were picking for us I'd take Hodge over Ablett in a heartbeat. Hodge provides the hard edge that a team needs and brings leadership and off field stability to the table. When you need someone to pick up the players around them and take them where he wants to go Hodge is your man and that's exactly the sort of hard nosed attitude we need.

[Bulldog Revolution]

If I were picking for us I'd take Hodge over Ablett in a heartbeat. Hodge provides the hard edge that a team needs and brings leadership and off field stability to the table. When you need someone to pick up the players around them and take them where he wants to go Hodge is your man and that's exactly the sort of hard nosed attitude we need.

Couldn't disagree more TD, as a player, Ablett is a match breaking, centre square stoppage dynamo who knifes opposition teams right through the heart, whereas Hodge gets his kicks behind the ball and sets it up cleverly but needs others to deliver the killer blows and is far from the game changer that Ablett is IMO. Sure Ablett stages for a few too many free kicks, and is a protected species, but he is almost untackleable.

[wimberga]

IMO, Hodge is more versatile than Ablett aswell. You can only judge them on where you have seen them play, and thats fair enough, but Twodogs is right, Hodge is definetely the courageous leader type. The media play that line a bit too much, but its true.

Think of it like this, your heading into the biggest game of the year, theres been lots of buildup and you know its going to be a tough game. Would you rather have the guy who wont get tackled, kick 2 goals and have 32 posessions,, or have the guy who wont miss a tackle, wont give up, will take on players twice his size and win, and show the other team just how tough you are too beat. for me, Hodge does more than ablett ever good. Ability is only a small part of football

[bornadog]

IMO, Hodge is more versatile than Ablett aswell. You can only judge them on where you have seen them play, and thats fair enough, but Twodogs is right, Hodge is definetely the courageous leader type. The media play that line a bit too much, but its true.

Think of it like this, your heading into the biggest game of the year, theres been lots of buildup and you know its going to be a tough game. Would you rather have the guy who wont get tackled, kick 2 goals and have 32 posessions,, or have the guy who wont miss a tackle, wont give up, will take on players twice his size and win, and show the other team just how tough you are too beat. for me, Hodge does more than ablett ever good. Ability is only a small part of football

I think Ablett will end up winning you more games, he is a match breaker, the X factor.

Both top players, hard to judge which is better.

[LostDoggy]

But I don't even rate Hodgey.

Maybe I'm just a bad judge (I probably am). But Hodge just does the easy stuff. Play a kick behind. Dish out some 'tough' crap (I still think they're wusses, really, the Hawks), handball to the player always standing open to your right. Run diagonally and kick to the open side. I'm not saying anyone can do it (obviously these guys are all great athletes) but there has to be at least ten other guys in the league doing exactly the same thing, just in crappier teams.

Gary Junior may well end up, pound-for-pound, in the top five best centremen to ever play the game, with Matthews, Judd-prime and the like. Forgive me, but there just doesn't seem to be any comparison -- not even in the same galaxy, for mine.

[MrMahatma]

Ablett for me for sure. Hodge is good, but Ablett is a jet.