Catatonic Shock
Premiership Player
Polly never played against Sandi.
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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Aaron Sandilands' legacy
- Thread starter HoneyBadger35
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Polly never played against Sandi.
- Apr 4, 2013
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Of course. Neither did Dempsey, Madden, Nicholls, Stynes, Michael, etc.
Ocha905
Norm Smith Medallist
Kill meThanks Dwayne
Hawthorn have won 8 flags since 1983 without a dominant ruckman. They're all very nice, but not necessary.
Sandilands is a beast. I'm still surprised he didn't kill Phil Davis in that collision all those years ago.
Not sure what's going on with Jacobs though. He doesn't usually allow his opponents to dominate him and it's happened a couple of times this season.
Not sure what's going on with Jacobs though. He doesn't usually allow his opponents to dominate him and it's happened a couple of times this season.
- Sep 22, 2000
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Well yes, i was providing statistics in games that Cox looked to have greater or equal impact on the games up against Sandilands.
Fully aware that Sandi towelled Cox up more than a few times, but it worked both ways.
Sandi absolutely monsters some ruckmen - Jacobs was on the end of it yesterday by the looks of it.
He is also good at ball ups around the ground, and in a wet contested game with a lot of stoppages he absolutely dominated.
As far as his legacy. I think he will be remembered by many as an underrated colossus who had he not been injured could have had 6 all AA and been remembered as one of the greatest. He will perhaps be still remembered as one of the best, simply because he rarely got beaten and was at times absolutely dominant.
Still feel he underachieved, but that is largely because it took so many years to get to his peak, and he still does little aside from win hit-outs. If he keeps this up for another couple of years he will be in the top echelon.
He is also good at ball ups around the ground, and in a wet contested game with a lot of stoppages he absolutely dominated.
As far as his legacy. I think he will be remembered by many as an underrated colossus who had he not been injured could have had 6 all AA and been remembered as one of the greatest. He will perhaps be still remembered as one of the best, simply because he rarely got beaten and was at times absolutely dominant.
Still feel he underachieved, but that is largely because it took so many years to get to his peak, and he still does little aside from win hit-outs. If he keeps this up for another couple of years he will be in the top echelon.
I know, Matthew Burton. The gentleman giant.
- Sep 9, 2003
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So in other words, they both had games where they got the better of each other?
That's a little different to "Sandi beat Cox every time they played"
A freak of nature. You can't be that tall, that strong and heavy and still have decent skills (kicking, marking, tackling, handballing, decision making) and get around the ground well. It's just unfair.
Not sure he has Cox covered, but they're completely different players. The simpletons who point to his size as the only reason he is good may want to have a look at Peter Street (another 211), Matthew Burton (210, solid ruckman) and then guys like Warnock (206) who is bog average.
Sandi is a footballer, smart, no fuss. He has some weaknesses but I can't think of any ruck getting the best of him consistently since 2006. He has beat Goldy & Sauce convincingly the last two weeks and had one of his best games last year against Sauce when the talk was he was the no.1 ruck.
Don't stir the monster. Our most important player - including Fyfe.
Sandi is a footballer, smart, no fuss. He has some weaknesses but I can't think of any ruck getting the best of him consistently since 2006. He has beat Goldy & Sauce convincingly the last two weeks and had one of his best games last year against Sauce when the talk was he was the no.1 ruck.
Don't stir the monster. Our most important player - including Fyfe.
There's still a pretty good chance he could be 6 time AA.
- Jun 23, 2008
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Even despite the injuries he's had, I think it's pretty amazing that a guy his size is now in his 14th AFL season, and has gotten 225 games out of himself so far. Pretty difficult for ruckmen of any height/weight to have that sort of longevity, let alone be high-quality, valueable players at the same time.
- Aug 17, 2006
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Sandilands' career can be summed up by one quote:
Nobody roots for Goliath
Wilt Chamberlain
Two things stick out for me. One: that Fremantle's stars have generally had days out against Geelong, but Sandilands is the one that has routinely abused us to the greatest extent, even going back to when Ottens was still around. And two: whenever there has been the obligatory flavour-of-the-month mid-season AA ruck choice of critics in recent years (one of those guys that has been thereabouts for years, but never made the final team), when that guy comes up against Sandilands, Sandi will annihilate him. It's the one position in the AA side where you can look at head-to-head performances to judge the contenders. And in those match-ups, Sandilands tends to make the other guy look like Michael Quinn.
He's simply the most under appreciated star of the past decade and it's not even close.
Nobody roots for Goliath
Wilt Chamberlain
Two things stick out for me. One: that Fremantle's stars have generally had days out against Geelong, but Sandilands is the one that has routinely abused us to the greatest extent, even going back to when Ottens was still around. And two: whenever there has been the obligatory flavour-of-the-month mid-season AA ruck choice of critics in recent years (one of those guys that has been thereabouts for years, but never made the final team), when that guy comes up against Sandilands, Sandi will annihilate him. It's the one position in the AA side where you can look at head-to-head performances to judge the contenders. And in those match-ups, Sandilands tends to make the other guy look like Michael Quinn.
He's simply the most under appreciated star of the past decade and it's not even close.
- May 20, 2014
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Terrible ruckman like Witts and Simpson as clubs search for the next Sandilands.
Never as good as Cox. If Sandi was 10cm shorter he wouldnt be anythung special. He dominates the hitouts due to his size and strength, with very few other strings to his bow. Not noted for marking, around the ground or kicking goals. Not near Cox imo.
- Aug 17, 2006
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And if Robert Harvey (or Cox, for that matter) wasn't such a running machine, he would have just been another good player. If Dustin Fletcher had Daniel Rich-proportion arms, maybe he doesn't even get to 200 games. Why is size/strength the only natural attribute that is marked harshly, as if it's some sort of unfair advantage? Shouldn't elite pace, endurance, leaping ability, coordination or massive hands be looked at the same way?
I love dumb comments like this.
It's as dumb as saying if Dustin Martin had a kick 10m shorter he wouldn't be anything special.
If Alex Rance was 10kg lighter he'd be nothing special.
If Steve Morris had 10% more IQ he'd still be as dumb as a brick.
You can't take what sets people apart and use it as a counter argument.
JUST DUMB
Upgrayedd
A Vote for Clive is a Vote for Justice
And if Pendlebury was 10cm taller he would be slower, weaker below the knee's and shit
Sandilands is the second best ruckman i've ever seen, he's constantly abused ruckmen all his career. It's a rare mix being 120 kilos and clocking up the amount of work around the ground as an AFL player is required to.
People will knock him for "not kicking more goals"
Sandilands has murdered everyone in tap contests and creating contests in the defensive 50, He's one of the better players in you can bomb it to him and he'll neutralise a contest at worst case if it happens to be a 2-3 on 1 against him. Which is more importaint then "Kick a goal now and then!"
Will be remembered as the 2nd best ruckman since the turn of the century (behind Cox, ahead of Ottens, Primus, Jolly and others I'm forgetting).
I think it will be a while before we have another ruckman who dominates the competition in the manner Cox and Sandi have. Probably another 15 years at least (maybe Grundy or Longer do, but unlikely for me that they reach the same standards).
To me that's a pretty high standing in the game.
I think it will be a while before we have another ruckman who dominates the competition in the manner Cox and Sandi have. Probably another 15 years at least (maybe Grundy or Longer do, but unlikely for me that they reach the same standards).
To me that's a pretty high standing in the game.
- Apr 4, 2013
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Exactly. If Gary Ablett Jnr wasn't the son of Gary Ablett Snr would he be as good? Maybe, being the son of Gary Ablett Snr didn't guarantee anything (although I'll always believe Nathan wasted his god given talent).
I also think the only flaw GAJ has is his lack of height. If he was as tall as Nathan he'd be the greatest of all time.
Agree, not the no. 1 contested mark in the league anymore this week. But who are those other rucks that are in the top 20 atm...
Those guys still have other great attributes (except Steve Morris who sucks in everything except courage and effort). Sandilands for me has one great attribute and isnt much better than any other ruck at anything else. In quite a few areas hes below a number of them (impact around the ground, possesion, mobility, contested marking, goalkicking).
