In the truest sense of the much-loved footballing phrase, AFL fans are seriously ‘getting around’ Nathan Fyfe in 2015. And how could they resist?
A generational player. The best in the game. Surpassing Gary Ablett. These are the words being thrown around.
Rightly so.
The 23-year-old is setting the bar at near-record heights, and doing it in the areas that fans love to celebrate, and importantly, cheer for. Contested marks, clearances and winning the footy – these are the avenues on which Fyfe has muscled his way to the top of the AFL’s pedestal in 2015.
In the lead-up to the man’s 100th game, discussion has ignited as admirers and pundits try to decipher just how good Nat is.
‘Have we just witnessed the best opening ton in the history of the game?’ is the question on many lips.
On Wednesday night, Gerard Whateley and Mark Robinson posed that very question on AFL 360, putting Fyfe up against the likes of Chris Judd, Gary Ablett, Joel Selwood and Scott Pendlebury.
With some compelling stats backing them up, the pair concluded that Judd’s first hundred had not been surpassed.
“In order, I’d pick Judd, Fyfe, Selwood,” Whateley affirmed. “I think the Brownlow Medal and the North Smith gets Judd over the line.”
Robinson agreed, before going on to add, “Don’t underestimate the players taking the MVP off Ablett and giving it to Fyfe… That is huge.”
Ablett of course claimed five AFL MVPs between 2007 and 2013, the two he missed were taken by fellow Brownlow Medalists Dane Swan and Chris Judd.
So yes, as Robbo says, that’s huge.
Now whether you agree that Fyfe has just fallen short of Judd up to this point or not is irrelevant, we can all agree he’s carving out quite the legacy.
But will that legacy be five MVPs strong? Or one?
We can be sure Fyfe is intending that it won’t be the MVPs that are rattled off first when people reflect on his career 20 years from now. He wants premierships. He wants that Brownlow.
The players Fyfe found himself compared to by Whateley and Robinson have all experienced the ultimate success, and they did it incredibly early in their careers, something Fyfe almost achieved.
I know, I know. There’s still time.
Selwood strode into a dynasty in 2007, winning the first of three premierships and the Rising Star award in his first year. He’d have his second premiership just two seasons later, and his third with game 99.
Pendlebury stacked his cabinet in 2010 with a Pies premiership and a Norm Smith Medal, 92 games into his career.
Judd, well, he had the first of two Brownlow Medals under his belt after just 65 games. He went on to win a Norm Smith in his 86th, before completing the trifecta with the 2006 premiership in his 105th game in the AFL.
Ablett, well known for a comparatively slow start to his career, played 117 games before Geelong claimed the 2007 premiership. Perhaps Ablett can really join in the equation as Fyfe approaches his 200th.
Needless to say, if you want to overtake some of the game’s most impressive legacies, you need to get on your bike early, and really pump those legs.
In his article introducing us to the ‘Nat Fyfe Quadrant’, The Roar‘s Ryan Buckland rightly commented on Fyfe, “It’s almost been a full career’s worth of events and achievements in just five-and-a-bit short years.”
There is no arguing with that statement. However, the word that draws my focus here is almost, and importantly how long that highly adherent ‘almost’ will take to depart.
Six-and-a-bit years? Seven? Ten?
The pressure on top players to consolidate their claim as a league’s best is real, and generally it’s not a title fans allow to be transferred easily – think about the criticism that ghosted LeBron James as he took longer than expected to lead a side to NBA glory.
The question is then whether AFL greats should be subjected to the same standards? And where a great legacy sits if it’s premiership-less?
There have been many great AFL players that have never won a premiership, just as there have been many exceptional athletes in every sport who haven’t managed to etch their name on the main prize.
As harsh as it is, it’s the nature of history that the names without a place are the ones that fade from memory.
So far Fyfe has his name on Fremantle’s best and fairest and a player-voted MVP award. If the current Brownlow odds are anything to go by, he looks bloody likely to complete the individual honours portion of his footballing CV come the end of the year.
But beyond that, a premiership is still required.
If Fremantle can claim the flag in 2015, Fyfe will have staked his claim to every piece of silverware a player dreams of getting their fingers on, all by the age of 24.
Following Freo’s barnstorming start to the season Glenn Mitchell argued that if the premiership is not claimed by the Dockers in 2015, it will have been an opportunity wasted.
Leading into 2015, many had the Dockers pegged as having missed their premiership window, with their close swipe at the Hawks in 2013 and famous fade out of the finals in 2014.
In 2015, the men from the west have proven they’re not on the descent just yet, but the opportunities for Fyfe to claim a flag appear destined, as they were for all his worthy opponents mentioned above, to be weighted to the front-end of his career.
Fyfe needs to ensure the Dockers succeed (and soon) because not many players get the chance to etch their name in AFL history to the depth that Fyfe can, nor do many actually have the ability to ensure it happens off their own bat.
Fyfe’s got the chisel in his hand, now it’s time to etch.
JKost
Guest
I'm sorry, we must not be watching the same Nat Fyfe.
Ant
Guest
Therein lies the difference in Brownlow criteria from then til now. Wanganeen won a Brownlow from the back pocket. Hird from CHF into the midfield. The fact that Corey McKernan was an equal winner as well just goes to show that it was much fairer and less biased in favour of midfielders. Nat Fyfe is just another big bullocking midfielder who has a few different attributes. But the ability to change a game at the drop of a hat like Hird, Ablett, Carey etc he doesn't have. Sure, he's good for 30 touches and a goal but is he the type to turn a game in the space of five minutes? I don't think so.
Dean
Guest
What about poor old Pavlich!? Freo should work on his legacy first, before worrying if Nat Fyfe, who has probably 10 seasons ahead of him can get one. Pavlich built that club for Nat Fyfe to play in.
johno
Guest
Plenty of greats never won a premiership - Robert Harvey, Robbie Flower, Dougie Hawkins, Paul Roos, Paul Kelly, Gary Ablett Snr, Bernie Quinlan played 366 games without even a grand final appearance, Brad Johnson played 364 games and Chris Grant 341 without ever playing in a grand final, Brent Harvey has played 327 games since his last grand final appearance. Some guys play hardly any games yet win premierships - Jack Nuttall played only 27 games, one of those happened to be Footscrays one and only premiership. Travis Payze in his first 3 games in the VFL played in 3 finals matches for St Kilda, including their one and only premiership - he had 1 disposal in the GF. Trophies and trinkets and awards from the umpires are the shiny things on a players career, but the measure of their career is what they achieve out on the park and the manner in which they achieve it. If Fyfe never wins a brownlow or premiership people will remember him more for his footy than Brad Hill (2 premierships) or Shane Woewoedin (brownlow) - no disrespect to those two players
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
The questions could as easily be: "How important is a legacy to a player who is still relatively early in his career and is immersed in the week to week challenges of one of the toughest seasons of recent times?"; "Does the lack of premierships diminish a players ability?" and its related query; "Do we over inflate a premiership as a personal (as opposed to a team) achievement?".
Pope Paul VII
Guest
What about the legacy of legacy articles about legacies that haven't happened?
Casper
Guest
The Brownlow is a lot different now than when Hird and Wanganeen won it, or even when Cousins won. I think it will be the norm from now on that the winner will get 25 plus and big possession winners will poll well just about every year. I agree though, it can be a bit of a lottery, as the runner-up one year might have had a much better season than the previous years winner.
GazzaW
Guest
Premierships are important to a legacy as it is the extra bit that distinguishes a player form the others especially to the public in general outside of their own club. It shouldn't be but the reality is that it is. Fyfe is a great player has been from the start but it is a bit early to talk of legacies.however he could be one the greats of the game if he keeps it together for the rest of his career.
Liam Sheedy
Roar Guru
I think a Freo premiership is more important for the legacy of someone like Pavlich. His record on paper is as good as it gets, a premiership would complete the CV, especially in ratings from media pundits. But it is the old age argument in how important is a premiership in rating a player? It is the ultimate team success, but there has been some very ordinary premiership players and as a result I don't know how much credence we should be giving it in elevating a players status. Of course a good performance on GF day does no harm in enhancing the reputation!
johno
Guest
In his first 100 games Hird won a Brownlow with 21 votes after having polled a career total of 40 to that point (including the 21). Hird was technically 3rd that year behind McKernan (ineligible) and Voss, but due to rule changes was awarded as joint winner with Voss. Hird polled 47 votes in his first 100 games Fyfe has polled 75 (without counting the assumed 10-15 votes in his first 7 games of this season). Fyfe's best brownlow count was 25 votes - Hird, as I said, won with 21. Hird only polled double figures in the brownlow on 3 times in his entire career. Fyfe has so far polled into the double figures 4 times. Fyfe has played in a GF in his first 100 games, unlike Hird who won a premiership in his 24th game. But in that team was another player with less than 100 games and a brownlow already - Gavin Wanganeen - 18 votes won his brownlow. Now do you rate his 100 as better? 61 games - 1 brownlow, 1 premiership? Judd won his after 68 games. The bownlow can be a bit of a lottery depending on the year. You can win with 18 or you can lose with 30 (Sam Mitchell 2011) Wanganeen only polled 48 brownlow votes in his first 100 games
Me Too
Guest
Way to early to talk of legacies for Fyfe. The adulation is over the top. But in answer to the importance of a premiership to how we rank players - unfortunately it is worth more than a brownlow. Leigh Matthews, Ablett snr, Carey - all in the top five of most people's choices - only Ablett snr missed a flag - but had a nine goal grand final performance. When looking at R Harvey, Voss, Hird, and Ruccuttio many put Harvey down that list and argue no flag - he was the best of them throughout his career. Won every award possible - multiple times, but no flag in his pocket. Had he won one, or played for a big club, he would be given the same respect by fans as his peers.
Ryman White
Editor
Yep, we're doing a little future gazing here. It seems hard to imagine him never picking up a Brownlow, but you're right, zero for now. And if he doesn't tick all the boxes: premiership, Brownlow etc., would he be remembered next to the likes of Hird? Not sure Ablett is streets ahead anymore, he was. And Ablett's cabinet is as full as it will get I think. Fyfe's got a lot of catching up to do, but he's only 23... And Ablett hadn't achieved anything of note aside from leading Geelong in goals one season until a premiership in his sixth season, older than Fyfe is now.
Ant
Guest
Lol, legacy? Give it a rest. Zero premierships, zero Brownlows and a couple of AA jumpers. Wow. Gary Ablett Jr is streets ahead. As for best 100 games ever played, little bloke by the name of James Hird had a premiership, Brownlow and two All- Australian guernseys at 88 games and 22 years old. Keep the breathless fawning for those who actually deserve it.