As a "young fella", Jonathan Brown watched in awe from the Geelong grandstand as Gary Ablett senior weaved his magic.

Last Sunday, the Warrnambool local and former Geelong Falcons U18s star was all but reduced to a gobsmacked spectator again as Gary Ablett junior inspired the Cats' 93-point AFL win over the Brisbane Lions.

While Brown reckons Ablett Jr is already on "level pegging" with his famous father, the Lions skipper still doesn't believe he is the outright best player in the competition.

Ablett is the runaway favourite for the 2009 Brownlow Medal after racking up more than 40 possessions for the second straight game against the hapless Lions.

Brown is a pretty good judge of Ablett's current form after enduring last Sunday's "embarrassing" loss.

But he still can't separate the Geelong talisman and Carlton skipper Chris Judd.

"I think him and Judd are probably on a par," Brown said in Brisbane on Tuesday.

"Ablett is just unbelievable. He's quickly matching his old man's reputation.

"He is probably one of the hardest guys to have ever played the game to tackle to the ground - he's got superb balance.

"But in my eyes him and Judd are the two best."

Brown saw both Abletts in their prime but was reluctant to say who was the best.

"Because they are different positions you can't compare them," Brown said.

"You have to say they are pretty level pegging just for the impact that they have had on their games, and for their sides.

"I saw (Gary Ablett) senior as a young fella going down to Geelong to watch them but not as many games as I would have liked."

But Brown said Ablett had set the bar for an AFL midfielder.

"You would have thought that he has got maximum votes for the Brownlow and his club's best and fairest (in past games this season)," he said.

"I have seen a lot of great players and played with a lot of great players but he's in a purple patch at the moment that is as good as anyone's had."

And if the Lions (2-3 season record) turn around their hot and cold season, they may have Ablett and his Cats teammates to thank.

Asked what Lions coach Michael Voss said to the team after the Geelong shellacking, Brown said: "Learn from the example that Geelong set us.

"It was a lesson on how the best side goes about it."

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