It's such a hard decision to compare players between eras, but if the decision is based purely. On football ability then for mine Joey johns was the correct decision. He was a better footy player than meninga, sterling, langer, fittler, Daley, lazo, Lockyer, kenny. I cannot give an opinion on coote or McCarthy or irvine.
Johns was as highly skilled as any player I have seen, great kicker and passer and an inovater. While he lacked a littl pace, he still made regular breaks and one of the things that sets him apart was his power. Alfie and sterlo great players, but neither possessed the physical strength of johns to dump front rowers on their backsides.
Plus add a great goal kicker.
So on football ability for mine johns is the best player of the last 30 years. Well wally would give him a run. Before that others can judge, but given There are already 6 immortals from pre 1980, would suggest that a more modern player should be added.
Mal great player, such a force outwide and perhaps the start of the huge outside back, and good for such a long time. Langer, sterlo, Kenny, fittler, Daley all great in their own right. Lockyer will surely become an immortAl in time. Lazo well lacks the playmaking side, but just a juggernaut who made every side he played in better.
But Joey is above all of them as a footballer.
I think most footy players would have some off field antics that may have been made much more public if they lived in the johns era. Certainly Johnny raper has plenty of stories.
In addition Joey off field controversies are not endless, he was caught once with a tablet and then admitted to using recreational drugs mainly in the off season, nothing to do with performance. Let's not forget there was no real drug testing pre 1990s. But in this contest it was only on field ability.
id he really say that?
