Gone Critical
Moderator
- Moderator
- #26
I think Gibbs and Rioli have "champion" written all over them. They are two of the best young talents in the AFL and already they are making their experienced opponents look a bit silly. If both of them have have luck with injuries and they stay fit over the next 5-6 seasons, then we could be talking about two future Brownlow medallists.
Rioli has those electrifying evasive moves that I haven't seen since his uncle Michael Long was at his peak. Sometimes it's like watching Neo from The Matrix dodging bullets, as he weaves his way through traffic, then stops and lets everyone run past, clutching at thin air. There's not much of him, but he has a lot of ticker. Just an incredible first season of football. The knockers and naysayers think us Hawk fans are going overboard. They don't know what they are talking about. I can't remember ANYONE playing with such poise in their first year of football, at such a young age.
Gibbs is one hell of a smooth mover. He is a Rolls-Royce. He was the consensus first pick in the 2006 draft and this season, you could see why. Good size, quick enough, silky skills. He's had a nice, gentle apprenticeship in the AFL playing at half back and tagging the best midfielders. Some folks have called him "Squibbs", but the important thing is that he has come through unscathed. Judd/Gibbs/Murphy is going to be a hell of a combination.
I've noticed that Gibbs (and his mate Murphy) were prone to taking a dive or ducking the head on a regular basis in 2008, conning the umpires and winning cheap free kicks. Hopefully Gibbs gets this out of his game and stays on his feet. It'd be a shame to see a generation of the game's best footballers (Joel Selwood included) play like pansies throughout their careers. Although, this is probably more of an umpiring issue than a personal attack on the guy.
Chewy this does nothing for your credibility or to clear you of the perception of a wacking Hawthorn bias