Hepps is better than Rama was and his ceiling is higher, too. Rama was a gun but the teams he played in were pretty strong… Look at Blumfield and Caracalla post Essendon to give you an idea how much better that team made players look.
What I loved about Rama was that he had that infectious enthusiasm that lifted the whole club and Bob Murphy esque foot skills.
I will have to youtube Rama to see what all the fuss is about, as his stats don't really tell the story. Ignoring his 1st year when he payed only 2 games, if his best years were 2000/1/2 he was only averaging 15.7-17.4 disposals, looks like he was about 3rd in line for the rising star in 2000 (his 2nd year) and he got 4, 3, & 7 BL votes respectively for those years. He got 13 goals in each of those years which is pretty good I suppose from 24, 25 and 23 games.
I guess he had a lot of good players around him at the time and was in a dominant side, this would have both helped him and limited his opportunities (it's not lost on me that breaking into that side and playing every match for 3 years required serious talent!). Also the game was played differently then.
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pc-essendon-bombers--adam-ramanauskas
In comparison, Heppell at about the same age (first 3 years) averages about 21 disposals a game (averaging 28 disposals this year) but hardly any goals (16 for his whole career to date), has won a rising star (1st year) and has similar BL votes (4, 3, & 10).
Now just so I can compare, was Rama better than Heppel? And was he going to be better than Heppell will be?
You cant compare possessions then and now. Very few went close to 30 possessions and 25-26 was considered the way 35 is today.
I know Rioli is most praised for his delivery to Lloyd, but that's not how I remember him best.
In my mind virtually all of his posessions are like this.
The Johnsons are belting ten bells out of the opposition for the contested ball on the wing.
Rioli jogs up behind the contest. Stands there.
Somehow the ball falls into his lap.
He turns inside, not taking a single step, standing fully upright, and kicks the footy barely twenty metres. And you're thinking, 'Rioli! WTF! We need to clear the ball!'
But it hits an Essendon player, probably Caracella, on the chest and he has no-one anywhere near him. We are away.
Sorry guys, probably get flamed for this but people putting Gumby in this conversation, spare me will ya.
Sorry guys, probably get flamed for this but people putting Gumby in this conversation, spare me will ya.
No flame, good call.
The reason for Riolis short career was mainly his doing.
Rama's was not. Hence my vote for Rama.
The reason for Riolis short career was mainly his doing.
Rama's was not. Hence my vote for Rama.
Wondering if that makes Ritchie Valens better than Jimi Hendrix.
The reason for Riolis short career was mainly his doing.
Rama's was not. Hence my vote for Rama.
I'm not even sure Rama qualifies. The average AFL career is less than 100 games, so statistically, he had a longer than average career.
losing him was an absolute ■■■■■, but in reality it wasn't an abnormally short career. Ditto Rioli really.
The reason for Riolis short career was mainly his doing.
Rama's was not. Hence my vote for Rama.
I'm not even sure Rama qualifies. The average AFL career is less than 100 games, so statistically, he had a longer than average career.
losing him was an absolute *****, but in reality it wasn't an abnormally short career. Ditto Rioli really.
Short probably the wrong word, probably unfulfilled would be better.
Win. Both Rioli and Rama were talented, however the one whose career was a greater loss was Rama as it felt like he was destined to be an out and out champion but cancer got in the way. Rioli had the skills to be a champion but not the dedication for it so after a year or two you could see he was never going to reach the heights his talent suggested he could.
Don't get me wrong, Rioli was ■■■■■■■ awesome, but I think losing Rama was a bigger loss. Rama was a shock when it happened, Rioli we knew he lacked the dedication hence why he was so fat half the time*
*and despite this, he never got caught
Rama because he actually was a loss of talent. He didn't just turn up every 6 weeks, play a good game and then stack on 400kg. He was an actual footballer playing football until circumstances beyond his control cut him down. The other 3 were lazy ■■■■■. ■■■■-rammingly talented no doubt, but lazy ■■■■■■ who played 1 good game out of every 6 and/or were 4 metric tonnes over weight.
Rioli by the length of the straight.
Also, LOLs at the people who enter a thread comparing four stated players to each other, but feel the need to add a superfluous fifth player to the discussion.
Rioli.
If his knees were fine, he would have been able to probably trained harder, and dropped a bit more.
What vision, what disposal, what class.
I would give up the use of my favourite apendage if I could have have had his talent.
(notsurebutidthinkaboutitifofferedbyagenieinabottle)
I think that there aren't enough older supporters views expressed re this topic.
Any bomber supporter old enough to have seen Neil Daniher play before he injured his knee (first of four knee reconstructions) would know that he was a much better talent / prospect than Rama or Rioli. I saw him win a game for us at Princess Park when swung from the backline to the forward line in the last quarter in his second or third year at the club.
Then of course supporters even older than me may remember a guy called Coleman whose career was cut short in his prime by a knee injury that in those days was inoperable.
I don't deny Deano didn't help himself and do 110% of what he could have, but he had a fkg ■■■■ body and even if he was fit he wouldn't have added any meaningful length to his career.
d for holding thre ballI think that there aren't enough older supporters views expressed re this topic.
Any bomber supporter old enough to have seen Neil Daniher play before he injured his knee (first of four knee reconstructions) would know that he was a much better talent / prospect than Rama or Rioli. I saw him win a game for us at Princess Park when swung from the backline to the forward line in the last quarter in his second or third year at the club.
Then of course supporters even older than me may remember a guy called Coleman whose career was cut short in his prime by a knee injury that in those days was inoperable.
Yes moved really late in the last quarter despite us shouting from just under the coaches box for him to be moved much earlier. Then Fitzpatrick got pinged for holding the ball too long! Absolute classic match. about 77,000 crowd too at Princess Park.
Daniher had wonderful skills, one of the most natural talents I have ever seen. However I do think Rioli was in the same class. Rioli and Daniher just seemed to make time stand still, made everything look easy.
I think that there aren't enough older supporters views expressed re this topic.
Any bomber supporter old enough to have seen Neil Daniher play before he injured his knee (first of four knee reconstructions) would know that he was a much better talent / prospect than Rama or Rioli. I saw him win a game for us at Princess Park when swung from the backline to the forward line in the last quarter in his second or third year at the club.
Then of course supporters even older than me may remember a guy called Coleman whose career was cut short in his prime by a knee injury that in those days was inoperable.
See OP.
Rioli.
If his knees were fine, he would have been able to probably trained harder, and dropped a bit more.
What vision, what disposal, what class.
I would give up the use of my favourite apendage if I could have have had his talent.
(notsurebutidthinkaboutitifofferedbyagenieinabottle)
That's why his knees were farked...the lack of dedication to training and dropping the kgs. He was his own worst enemy.
Rioli.
If his knees were fine, he would have been able to probably trained harder, and dropped a bit more.
What vision, what disposal, what class.
I would give up the use of my favourite apendage if I could have have had his talent.
(notsurebutidthinkaboutitifofferedbyagenieinabottle)
That's why his knees were farked...the lack of dedication to training and dropping the kgs. He was his own worst enemy.
I hate to be crude, but who gives a ■■■■?
Lloyd would have been better in the last half of his career if he didn't throw his arm out and beg for a free kick that was never coming.
Does that make him worse than Cummings?
■■■■, no.
Rioli.
If his knees were fine, he would have been able to probably trained harder, and dropped a bit more.
What vision, what disposal, what class.
I would give up the use of my favourite apendage if I could have have had his talent.
(notsurebutidthinkaboutitifofferedbyagenieinabottle)
That's why his knees were farked...the lack of dedication to training and dropping the kgs. He was his own worst enemy.
I hate to be crude, but who gives a fark?
Lloyd would have been better in the last half of his career if he didn't throw his arm out and beg for a free kick that was never coming.
Does that make him worse than Cummings?
fark, no.
Llyod reached his full potential, Rioli did not.
I am not questioning Rioli's talent. He didn't do himself any justice, he could have been one of the best ever...
Ramanauskas for me.