Russell Ebert, Barry Robran, Paul Bagshaw?

[sturt1]

Who was the better player? I want those people that saw these guys at their best to argue this. In my opinion (buyist) Bagshaw was the best.

[Leaping Lindner]

Anyone else want to have a crack at this. I'm still in shock.

[am Bays]

Well what I saw of B Robran (1977+) he was a hack

So I can't really comment on him as he was way past his prime (read way past that incident).....

What I can barely remember of Bagshaw and Ebert was that Bagshaw could do the more mecurial/amazing things i.e. was arguably more skillful than Ebert but Ebert was the more consistant at playing at a high level....

In short Bagshaws brilliance fluctuated Eberts was consistantly high....

If both were "on" though watch out!!!!

[McAlmanac]

That's BARRIE Robran. Blasphemy. You chose Bagshaw because you enjoy shopping?

Robran, Ebert, Bagshaw. For an even tougher quiz, throw in Blight and Cornes and try to rank them.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Ebert, Robran & Bagshaw... The triumverate of 70's SANFL excellence!
Tough call on who was the better player!
I suppose you can go on Magarey Medals received...
But that doesn't really enter into it!
('Mister Magic' Paul Bagshaw didn't win one!)

Malcom Blight & Graham Cornes also a good call...
Though Blighty spent most of his time at North Melbourne!

[oldfella]

Very hard tp separate but Robran for me - moved with the balance & agility of a 6 foot - 12 stoner but was actually 6 foot 3 or 4 and played around 14 stone - had the ability to control a game.

Truth is, add Jezza from Vic and you have my all time best 4 that I have seen play.

absolute cream

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

"ALEX JESAULENKO, YOU BEAUTY!!!!"
Wasn't the Carlton champ 'Jezza' originally from Canberra?

[McAlmanac]

"ALEX JESAULENKO, YOU BEAUTY!!!!"
Wasn't the Carlton champ 'Jezza' originally from Canberra?

Correct

[Mr66]

Ainslie?

[Wedgie]

I really wanted to comment on this thread earlier but I never saw any of them at their best and opinions were asked of people who saw them at their best.
I talked to my old man today who saw a lot of footy (and played a lot of footy) in the older days and he rates Robran and Ebert as clearly the best on a par, then a rung down he rates Bagshaw and Lindsay Head equally.
The thing going for Robran and Ebert was they could play many positions not just on the ball.
There's probably not too many people on here who were around to see Farmer at his best but from what I read about the great man he'd be up there in the top 3 or 4 too.
Talked to a couple of old fellas at bowls about him recently and they all claim Farmer was to football what Bradman was to cricket, that sentiment is expressed in many of the articles of the time too.
You can only play well in the position you're put and he played Full Forward and to a lesser degree Centre Half Forward like noone else in this state. His record will never be beaten.

[magpie in the 80's]

ebert and robran = magarey medals
bagshaw=0

enough said

[GWW]

Robran, Ebert, then a bit further down the ranking is Bagshaw, who was obviously good but i dont think is generally put in the first 2 players' category. Ebert and Robran are universally regarded as their clubs' best ever players, but i'm not sure that Bagshaw is (Morton, Fitzgerald, Davies, Shearman).

[Wedgie]

My old man actually trained with Lindsay Head, said the guy was absolutely phenomenal, he'd run one way and hand pass it sideways to someone 20 metres away who might not be expecting it, his vision for the game was unbelievable.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Ainslie?

Ainslie Football Club has produced some champions in the past...
Like Saint Kilda Premiership player & former Central Districts coach Kevin 'Cowboy' Neale
& dual Premiership player, Brownlow medallist, former Captain & Bomber Legend James Hird.
But Alex Jesaulenko hailed from the A.C.T. club Eastlake.

[Adelaide Hawk]

ebert and robran = magarey medals
bagshaw=0

enough said

Hmmm ... interesting. So you are saying Grimwood, Duckworth and Antrobus were better players than Bagshaw?

[Wedgie]

ebert and robran = magarey medals
bagshaw=0

enough said

Hmmm ... interesting. So you are saying Grimwood, Duckworth and Antrobus were better players than Bagshaw?

Exactly, I don't think I'd rate Greg Whittlesea or Mark Naley as better players than Ken Farmer too.

[magpie in the 80's]

ebert and robran = magarey medals
bagshaw=0

enough said

Hmmm ... interesting. So you are saying Grimwood, Duckworth and Antrobus were better players than Bagshaw?

Exactly, I don't think I'd rate Greg Whittlesea or Mark Naley as better players than Ken Farmer too.

JUST MY ANSWER TO THE THREAD TOPIC AH AND WEDGIE. DONT REMEMBER SEEING GRIMWOOD, DUCKWORTH, ANTROBUS,WHITTLESEA, NALEY IN THE THREAD TITLE

LIKE A LOT OF TOPICS DISCUSSED ON THIS SITE TEND TO GO OFF THE ACTUAL TOPIC

[am Bays]

ebert and robran = magarey medals
bagshaw=0

enough said

No offence meant to Ebert or Robran who are legends in the game, but a possible explanation for Bagshaw not winning a medal is that in the Port and North and sides of that era they were the standout players (no offence meant to the other members of the North and Port sides of the late 60s, 70s and early 80s)....

Bagshaw was up against Halbert (early in his career) and then Davies and Graham who also polled well on Magarey night. Bagshaw often had great teammates taking votes off him....

FWIW though I do rate Ebert ahead of Bagshaw but I never saw Robran in his prime save for the 71 GF on Late Night Legends last year so I'm not in a great position to judge him.

Maybe I need to prime BPBRP with the singing syrup and I've no doubt he'll be able to regale me with how good Robran was, not that I need much convincing as 3 Magarey's speak for itself.

[Adelaide Hawk]

ebert and robran = magarey medals
bagshaw=0

enough said

Hmmm ... interesting. So you are saying Grimwood, Duckworth and Antrobus were better players than Bagshaw?

Exactly, I don't think I'd rate Greg Whittlesea or Mark Naley as better players than Ken Farmer too.

JUST MY ANSWER TO THE THREAD TOPIC AH AND WEDGIE. DONT REMEMBER SEEING GRIMWOOD, DUCKWORTH, ANTROBUS,WHITTLESEA, NALEY IN THE THREAD TITLE

LIKE A LOT OF TOPICS DISCUSSED ON THIS SITE TEND TO GO OFF THE ACTUAL TOPIC

I realise those players were not mentioned, but I am not getting off the subject. You made a statement about Robran and Ebert winning medals whereas Bagshaw did not. You made the inference that the other two were better players because they won medals. I was merely pointing out that the fact Bagshaw never won a medal is irrelevant when discussing who were the better players. Had Robran or Ebert never won a medal, they still would have been just as good as players.

[GWW]

Its an interesting area of debate - players having teammates who take votes from them. I think you can look at it in a couple of ways. I would argue that Port had great players in 71, 74, 76, and 80 (Light, Woite, Cunningham, Phillips, Evans etc etc), but Ebert was just a class above them, so as to prevent them to take votes off him, whilst it could be argued that Bagshaw wasn't superior enough to avoid the other Sturt champions taking votes off him.

FWIW, i think Whittlesea had a magnificent year in 88, he was a deserving winner, but whether or not he was able to maintain that form for the rest of his career is another thing.