First Final - how'd you rate these guys:

[Leather Poisoning]

Rioli
Renouf
Stokes

Did I miss anyone?

Anyway - I thought Rioli took a while to warm up to it, but he set up so many players with incredibly SMART footy.

Renouf - was great in the ruck. Took until later in the game for him to really throw himself into packs. The boys played through him a bit. When he gets some confidence up he'll be awesome. Very careful with his possession and did well I thought.

Stokesy - didn't see much of the little bloke. AFL.com says a corked thigh. When did this happen?

 

[Hawks1523]

Liked all their games. Rioli, the blokes decision making, being able to pull kicks and spot up options in the heat of the moment is unbeleiveable for a first year player!

Renouf.. I think Taylor will find it hard to push back passed him from here, keeps impressing me week in week out.

Stokes did his job, worked hard all night, not too sure when the corke / hamstring happened.

 

[Motown]

Did I miss anyone?

Tom Murphy.

Excellent game. Needed to step up with Gilham missing and Croad AWOL after half time. Did a great job, keeping whoever he was on quiet while putting in some quality spoils.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Tom Murphy.

Excellent game. Needed to step up with Gilham missing and Croad AWOL after half time. Did a great job, keeping whoever he was on quiet while putting in some quality spoils.

Was that really Murphy's first final???

Wow - was an absolute RIPPER.

This guy is a gun. I say him on their Murphy for a whle (before the bulldog got injured) and he completely blanketed him. Well done ona player that everyone is talking about in AA discussions.

 

[chaddles]

Rioli - fantastic, I especially loved the way he played upfield - he always seems to make the right decision on who to give the ball to

Renouf - just gets better and better, I think that was his 6th game - terrific game and showed a glimpse of why he is rated so highly

Stokes - was servicable, didn't do much wrong

Murphy - god he has come a long way this season, thought he was awesome last night

 

[Milkman_Joe]

Rioli - Mark my words, in 2-3 preseasons he will be the ELITE midfielder in the competition.

Explosive pace, always clean by hand or foot, excellent vision and decision making. He has it all. To think this guy has only completed 60% of preseason.

Renouf - Very impressed. Covers the ground very well, not scared to throw his weight around, great second efforts. Nothing like big men with a bit of mongrel.

Stokes - Tried hard, didnt feature much. Just the two tackles. With Osbourne and Brown playing so well in front of goal, this could be an opening for Xavier to come back in.

 

[tinnman]

Loved the way Rioli carved up Aker,the bloke is a tool and past his best but he is still a good footballer and Junior gave him a touch up with sheer pace and skill, goal assists are just as good as scoring them yourself.

Renouf showed what a mobile big footballer is capable of

stokes quite night but ossie was the small forward on song last night

Sewlls game deserves credit as well

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Rioli - I never cease to be amazed by what this player in his first season can produce. A genuine star, and last night indicated a big match player as well.

Renouf - We have got a good one here. He's going to be a regular player from 2009 onwards. What I like about him is he isn't daunted by the situation. Looks more like a 100 game player than a 1st year.

Stokes - As I rely upon replays in Adelaide, I haven't seen a lot of Stokes but he looks to have something. I'll bow to other peoples' opinions of him.

 

[chaddles]

Rioli - Mark my words, in 2-3 preseasons he will be the ELITE midfielder in the competition.

Explosive pace, always clean by hand or foot, excellent vision and decision making. He has it all. To think this guy has only completed 60% of preseason.

I was thinking the same thing watching him up the ground last night - bit more weight on him and he will dominate. Sewell and Mitchell doing the ground work and dishing it out to Rioli who gives it lace out to the forwards. Williams, Franklin and Roughy would be jizzing their dacks

 

[Off The Couch]

Murphy - absolutely outstanding game, took Brad Johnson completely out of the game

Rioli - said it in another thread. He didn't win the rising star, but his ability goes far beyond that award.

Stokes - when jnr and stokes are in the side together it just seems to work that much better

Renouf - Taylor may struggle to win his spot back, his last two games have been great.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Was Willo's first Final as well well done to the 5 boys great to get some finals games into Renouf & Stokes Junior was great as was Murphy on Johnson Willo was quite but did some good things!

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Renouf was excellent. No clangers by foot which was great to see. He just loves a contest. Took the right option each time he had it which was important.

Rioli - football genius. How did Rhys Palmer go in his first final??

Stokes - like him a lot and great experience for him. Didnt do a great deal but certainly did not get shown up at all.

Murphy - very solid performance, particularly given he had additional responsibility with Gilham missing.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Suzie - where did that leap come from. Outstanding effort. Interesting that both he and Robbie ran Hudson around.

Cyril-iously - The best first year player I have seen. that pass to Roughie in the last was poetry.

Stoker - His defensive pressure was again on show. Looks like his main role is to slow the ball movement out of our F50. He was pivotal in dismantling the doggies.

Murph - Has taken his game to the right level. As his confidence as grown his poise at the contest is first rate.

 

[Gilbert_Hodge]

Renouf - Man this kid is going well! He is going to be a good player.

Murphy - Gun. Did everything he needed to do and stepped up when Croad was out. Well done Murph!

Cyril - Really, this kid is amazing. His decision making is beyond awesome and his intensity is fantastic.

Stokes - Was quiet but did everything he needed to do. Chased and chased which cause lots of pressure of the Dogs' backline. Good Stokesy!

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Rioli - Hodge-esque. Doesnt need a whole lot of the ball to carve a team up. about 10 times he was at the bottom of a pack, and picked out a team-mate with a perfect pass.

Roof - so early in his career, will be even better in 2 weeks time.

Stokes - will be the stay-at-home FP next season, looks the goods. good performance, nto great, but didnt need to be this match.

papa Murph - awesome! killed all the dogs. best was in the 2nd (?) when he was at the edge of the square, dove and stopped a certain goal.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Was Willo's first Final as well well done to the 5 boys great to get some finals games into Renouf & Stokes Junior was great as was Murphy on Johnson Willo was quite but did some good things!

Well spotted Noose - I was only thinking of the young guys!

Willo just wasn't used. Presented well and set buddy up cleverly for a goal. Extremely good player that can pop up at any given time. He played under a bit of a corky cloud so the week off will be really good for this bloke.

 

[markr]

Renouf - I've been overseas for a month and was a bit surprised by the calls for him to have the slot ahead of Tails regardless of injuries, but after watching the Dogs game, and then the Blues and Eagles games on tape, I might just agree. He had a superb game, maybe Tails will edge him against a stronger bodied side though.

Murphy - A brilliant game and has cemented his place in the side. At the start of the year I struggled to see how he would find a slot, I thought of him as too small for the big forwards and not mobile enough for the smaller guys. I was wrong.

Cyril - A human highlight real. If it's him against only one or two opponents I just assume he'll win the ball. Shanked a few kicks early though, and misses goals he should slot (while kicking the freakshow ones) but that is being hyper critical of a kid who is probably top 10 in our B&F and who was a star against the Dogs.

Stokes - Did his job well by providing pressure in the forward line. I don't think I rate him as highly as others here though.