Yeah… Modra, Dunstall, Lockett, Carey, Ablett??
I’m pretty certain Fletcher will always be All-Time-Best Fullback for Essendon, 400 games and a career that spans some of the all time great full forwards.
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Hooker is a favourite of mine and he should be regarded one of Essendon’s all-time greats when he retires but he’ll never be better than Fletcher - he could take on the best forward or play as the third tall to a great effect or kick a goal from Punt Road and chase down a guy who is supposed to be faster than him.
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My opinion guys.
It’s hard to compare in 2 different era’s, and yes Fletch played on the greats, but those greats would not have kicked hundreds of goals in the current game. Hooker has a far better record against the big guys than what Fletch had. Sure Fletch might be the better all round defender, but Hooker the better FB, in my opinion.
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I’m not 100% on board, but you could certainly make the argument.
Fletcher did play on Dunstall, Ablett, Modra, Carey etc, etc. But he didn’t exactly best them.
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Hmmm, . considering Hooksey is a CHB, … not to mention an All Aussie CHB, … I reckon this is a pretty silly argument, … and in that light, original statement. 
Naming positions is pretty tough to do with how much they rotate but I would say Hooker is the deepest defender and Hurley plays higher up the ground.
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Fletch was great, but there is a bit of mythology about the bloke. As a get out of jail defender, he was great… very accurate kicking out of defense, could play on smallish players… as a 3rd man up, probably one of the best.
But he got towelled up against the big fwds… and decent but less-than-superstar blokes like Rocca, tore him to shreds. Can’t say that about Hooker… apart from his mobility/speed when playing on smaller fwds, he has few weaknesses
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Yeah, because the AA position means so much. Just ask Pavlich in the back pocket!
I love Fletch, but it’s hard to argue against this if you have watched enough football.
Certain blokes just consistently troubled him, such as Rocca. Kent Kingsley and Fraser Gherig are others that come to mind.
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Fletcher became a pretty damn good lock down full back by the time the 99-2000 era rocked up.
But he did many hard yards to get there.
It’s not difficult to argue against at all.
Until Hooker is clearly the best defender in the league over several years then he’s not even in the same postcode as Fletcher.
If Ablett Sr did okay against Fletcher, then he’d have made Hooker look like a traffic cone.
The day that Hooker plays on a 60 goal in a year kicking 5’ 7" player and smashes him, come talk to me.
Fletch has him for pace, sure as hell has him for kicking.
Spoiling isn’t even worth discussing.
And nor, really, is this.
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Hooker lining up on Betts in his prime would have crippled the Blitz server for eternity.
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The game Fletch played against Bris. in 2000 up there and in the wet was one of the greatest defensive games I’ve seen.
He was a brick wall.
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Hardly the argument though, is it?
With respect, that’s some pretty specific criteria you got there that doesn’t really prove much. As for pace and spoiling well, that’s not Hooker’s game… he reads the play and intercept marks better than anyone in the league. Like arguing Viv Richards wasnt much chop between the wickets… didn’t need to be when he smashed boundaries for breakfast.
Anyway, both great players - I probably shouldn’t have started a comparison btwn the two.
Fletcher is clearly the better defender, and player.
Clearly.
But as a one-out key defender taking the big full forwards, the margin is much closer.
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No of course not but how do you compare two players that play totally different roles.
Early on inb Fletchs career he was a more traditional FB but for his final 20 years he was a third tall.
Fletcher would be playing Hurleys role rather than Hookers.
So you’re saying that Fletcher was “clearly” the best defender over several years? Pretty sure he was AA on 2 times in his 400 game career.
As mentioned earlier, you can’t compare era’s. It is doubtful that Lockett, Dunstall, Ablett, Lloyd etc. would have kicked 100 goals in this day and age. Firstly the defenders these days are taller and faster, secondly the forwards are double and triple teamed at most contests because there are 36 players all within the 50m arc at any point in time and finally the intimidation factor would not be such a factor these days as the would miss the entire season for the stuff they used to get away with.
Don’t get me wrong, all champions, but if you put Buddy Franklin in that era, he would have kicked 100+ goals on a regular basis.
Hooker is not fast, but name one time that he has had a bag kicked on him? As I said, I rate Hooker as the better Fullback because he is able to stop the oppositions key player. I agree that Fletch has him covered in other areas.
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He’s looking great this season too. 30 marks across 3 games and he’s playing like he never had a break. AA form if it continues.
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Need Hooksy to stay fit all season. Would be devo if he did another calf or something.
Just waiting for that tweet to pop up and my heart to sink