Lloyd was a very, very good player.
Seriously.
Anyone who doesn’t have him in the top 3 Essendon players, yes including Jobe, of the last quarter century is a poor judge.
Hird.
Bit of a gap.
Lloyd/Fletcher, just like the ends say.
Ordinary captain, not worth listening to as an analyst, but one of the GOAT.
Twice the player Silvagni was at his prime, and he was FB of the Century.
:rolls eyes:
I heard recently that his 5 years from 98-02 were comprable to Coleman... but i couldn't be a.rsed finding the stats.Lloyd averaged 3.9 over those years, Coleman 5.5 over his career of a few less games.
Top bags:
Coleman: 12 (on debut), 11, 10, 10, an awful season where he only got 7 four times and averaged just 4.7 , 13, 13, 10, 11, 10, 10, 10, 14, 5 before final injury (can’t remember how early in the game that was)
Lloyd: 13, 10, 11
Hudson, the only man to average more than Coleman: 10, 10, 12, 16, 13, 13, 11, 11, 10, 12, 10, 10
Similar 10 goal bag rate for the first and last there.
Matthew Lloyd was very good at football. . http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/20355634/footy-forensics-statistics-west-coast-josh-kennedy-season-ages
Ahem
Someone else could do the visuals, but the numbers (to one significant figure( speak for themselves:
1949 John Coleman 1.5
1950 John Coleman 1.5
1952 John Coleman 2.0
1953 John Coleman 1.5
Lloyd is up with the greats (Ablett, Dunstall, Lockett)
He would have easily kicked 1200 goals if there was no flooding (something all the great Full forwards never had to deal with). He would have also kicked 1200 goals if he hadn’t have done his hamstring.
Many people look at Lloyd and remember what he was at the end of his career. Big body, lack of agility and short of a few yards. This is everything he wasn’t for 80% of his career.
While he had the luxury of having the likes of Mercuri and Rioli putting the ball lace-out in front of his eyes, the midfield could also bomb the ball inside 50 and he would out mark defenders 3-1 in a pack he had no right to win.
Plus you had the era of the James Clement and Max Hudghton when it was perfectly legal to chop arms and jump on top of a Forward’s back when they’re leading at the ball.
The fact he kicked over 900 goals is a testament to him and the era he played. For me he’s neck and neck with Hird as the best player our club has had in my time.
I said in a previous post that the only reason he didn’t kick over 1,000 goals was due to the severity of that hammy. His start in '06 was imperious and would have easily kicked 80ish goals
It was very dark times 2006 and beyond. We didn’t have the cattle. I don’t think it would have been as dire if there were two situations that never happened.
Both completely out anyone’s control. But imo led to incredibly dark times at the EFC. Rama was on track to becoming our best midfielder and eventually captain the club.
When Lloyd returned from his hamstring, he bulked up. He lost his agility and he lost his pace. He tried to model himself on Carey as a centre Half forward. He wasn’t the same.
Unfair to use injuries as a reason why he didn’t reach 1200.
Could similar reasons be used on Ablett, Lockett and Dunstall?
Lockett missed games due to suspension and injury yet still reached 1200. Didn’t he kick 80 goals from 10 games one season? That’s just crazy.
Dunstall cracked his head and also missed games.
Ablett retired for a year. Heck he even played off a wing for half a season.
Lloyd is below those three. Regardless of injury / flooding reasons.
He’s the best full forward since 2000. The only one near him is Buddy Franklin but I doubt Buddy would be categorised as a full forward.
Lloyd turn 40 yesterday, and EFC give us his 5 best. I didn’t appreciate he was only 22 in 2000. Gee he was good, an Essendon champion.
Oh the goals, oh the hands. Very good footballer was Lloydy.
Happy Birthday for yesterday…
Vice like mark
Amazing accuracy too
A lot tougher than people give him credit for. Would sit under the high ball time after time.
Amazing durability. Apart from the hammy And finger injury I don’t recall him missing too many games
