Does Izak Rankine have the highest natural talent in the AFL?

[Osho]

Jammara does things for his size that are way too natural, It has always annoyed me when I hear in basketball discussions about guys like shaq that he has no skill, being big powerful or fast is a skill in my mind, It is something you are better at than someone else.

Yeah, skill is broad.
What about those intercept markers who read the play like a book? Or those blokes that always get in positions to get the ball? It's uncanny. And those other blokes who are near error free?
Would one say Stewart or Pendleberry are less skilled than Rankine?

Resilience, is it a skill? Can you get better at it the more you try? I think, yes!

Not to deny Rankine, he's terrif to watch, a real draw card.

 

[Cleric]

I remember watching him in the Sanfl in the years before he was drafted thinking he was the most talented junior I'd seen.

There are a bigger of other players already mentioned that would be on a similar level of talent.

I went down to watch SA and WA play at the U18 national carnival, and sat near a group of recruiters. He did some really freakish things and the scouts would just break out laughing and shaking their heads when he did. One.of them said to another guy that he is the most talented Jr he has ever seen.

 

[Bostonian]

Dylan Moore

13

Dylan Moore

Age

25

Ht

177cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

5.1

2star

HB

6.7

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.9

4star

G

0.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

is better than Rankine.

 

[Cleric]

natural talent = doesn't train hard enough

give me preternatural talent of gagf

No doubting that, but this is about who is the most naturally talented, not who's the best player. The two are not the same.
Speak to people like big Dipper about Darren Jarman. He said the most freakish player he has ever seen.
When he first came to Hawthorn, Dipper was given the task of being him training partner. After a couple of weeks Dipper went to the coaching staff and said that DJ was not going to cut it. He was lazy, didn't train hard or properly, didn't listen and had no discipline. He said that he didn't want to be partnered up with him anymore.
He.said that the next week the footballs came out and he just blew all their minds with what he was capable of.
Without doubt, DJ won the Crows two flags.

 

[Cleric]

I mean, if we're speaking about 'natural talent' it probably isn't worth mentioning guys who took multiple years to come on, as clearly they needed development work. Rankine is still only borderline elite and he's 24.

Harry Sheezel is probably the best and most versatile first and now second year player I've ever seen. Bloke stepped into the competition averaging 30 touches, with elite disposal, and has now played at an elite level as a defender and midfielder, when the position he was drafted for was as a forward. With the minimal amount of 'development' time he's had in the AFL, he's one of the few players you can say were elite straight off the bat on talent.

People do seem to be conflating agility and evasiveness with natural talent in general in this thread though.

AFL is such a multifaceted sport, being talented at avoiding tackles and getting shots at goal is a small fraction of the skills required to play the game.

This isn't about who is going to win the most AA, Brownlows or B&Fs, it about who has the most freakish skillset.
Rakine was Adelaide's best player this year, and in everyone's rolling AA side, but a long injury and suspension has curtailed that.

 

[Cleric]

Reading the thread title, an English teacher may be the only one that truly knows the answer

What if I told you English was my second language? It's not, but what if I told you that?

 

[Osho]

What if I told you English was my second language? It's not, but what if I told you that?

Now knowing English is not your 2nd language by self admission, if you said it was indeed your 2nd language, could I call you a liar?

 

[Cleric]

Now knowing English is not your 2nd language by self admission, if you said it was indeed your 2nd language, could I call you a liar?

Now you are just talking in riddles sir.

 

[bluespooner]

Now you are just talking in riddles sir.

If Rankine's the highest natural talent then it is a sign that the game is a lot poorer than it once was. He wouldn't be in the same sentence as Darrin Jarman.

 

[blitzer]

I mean, if we're speaking about 'natural talent' it probably isn't worth mentioning guys who took multiple years to come on, as clearly they needed development work. Rankine is still only borderline elite and he's 24.

It depends on why they aren't elite. For example maybe the only thing holding them back was fitness. Dangerfield and Gary Ablett Jnr were a lot like that early in their careers. Clearly huge talents but limited to the forward line early on until they were able to build up a tank.

 

[SC_Power]

I find it oddly amusing that there are so many Aboriginal players that are being claimed as having the "highest natural talent".

I think a few people here dismiss some Aboriginal players hard work and dedication in favour of "he is just born talented" - especially considering some of those players arent even close to the best in the AFL.

FYI I think the highest natural talent in the AFL currently is: Patrick Dangerfield (explosive & big bodied - supposedly his socks didn't fit properly around his calves they are so big.. just a genetic freak)

Amen to that…. The narrative about natural talent vs hard work based on race has been pedalled by the ignorant (myself included on occasion) for far too long, in all sports.
You simply can’t compete at the top level of any sport without hard work.

Same with strength vs smart.
English soccer commentators were outed on this type of bias.

It has held back sections of societies from senior sporting roles in coaching and management.

 

[Osho]

Now you are just talking in riddles sir.

Earwax?

 

[Dangerousfield]

Cleric, fix the grammar in the thread title

have not has

Izak on a par with a dozen others

 

[Cleric]

Cleric, fix the grammar in the thread title

have not has

Izak on a par with a dozen others

The things I does for you people.

 

[Back One Out]

HAHAHA.

Pickett has kicked 152 goals from his first 101 games.

Cyril Rioli 140 goals from his first 106 games.

Put that in your pipe.

Geez mate… Be careful… Sounds like you’ve blown a phoo phoo valve…

Cyril was the most unselfish forward the game has ever seen

He set up goals for his teammates

He didn’t get on the end of the play and finish off the work of his teammates like most small forwards

He was a match winner, a three time All Australian, a Norm Smith medalist and a certainty to be inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame


Kozzy dreams of having the career which could compare to Cyril’s

He might do it. He has the natural talent. It’s just a pity for you that it won’t be here in Melbourne

 

[danster168]

Geez mate… Be careful… Sounds like you’ve blown a phoo phoo valve…

Cyril was the most unselfish forward the game has ever seen

He set up goals for his teammates

He didn’t get on the end of the play and finish off the work of his teammates like most small forwards

He was a match winner, a three time All Australian, a Norm Smith medalist and a certainty to be inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame


Kozzy dreams of having the career which could compare to Cyril’s

He might do it. He has the natural talent. It’s just a pity for you that it won’t be here in Melbourne

haha, a pretty weak reply. You had a go at Pickett's goal totals only to get stunned by the fact that he's kicked more than Cyril in his first 100. You said Pickett's goal totals were poor. Well apply the same flawed logic to Cyril before telling people that Kozzie's goal totals alone are poor, when in fact they are extremely good.
Cyril was a gun, he just kicked less goals than Pickett. Pickett is ahead of Cyril at the same age for goals and that's a fact.

This was fun. Nothing else to discuss.

 

[carndapies]

Charlie Curnow is a shout. What he has going for him, you can’t teach. His bag of tricks may not be as big but I’d take him over Rankine.

His tongue work for the umpires before and after games is stuff of legends

 

[carndapies]

I really dislike 2 things:
1. Generalisations - this is something all Carlton supporters do
2. Lists

 

[Purple7x08_24]

NO

I think he could be a really good player but at this point he needs more consistency

 

[BRider]

Sheezel.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Sheezel.

Stengle.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Hard to measure, but the way he weaves around, how clean he is, kicking freak goals is frigging impressive. I think at being that mid/crumbing forward combo he's one of the best I've seen, talentwise. Reminds me a bit of Aker or McLeod.

 

[Go the Guts]

natural talent = doesn't train hard enough

give me preternatural talent of gagf

I’ll take D Jarman’s natural talent and 2 flags

 

[danster168]

Back One Out how good was Nick Watson today. 4 possessions. 3 from staging frees. 0 goals. 1 behind and 1 on the full.

 

[Lingsface]

I think Conor Rozee on his best day is close to the top.