Is Gary Rohan the worst finals player of all time?

[Lavender Bushranger]

His career will go one of two ways now.
He remains this exceptional forward/midfielder who gathers the ball 16-17 times and kicks 2 goals per game, or he takes his game to the next level and does what Dustin Martin did in his late 20's.

What do you 'remains'?

I guess that's my point. I have never seen anything close to exceptional. Potential? Yeah. But I'm really yet to see anything much more than that.

He's obviously not hopeless..but I just don't quite understand the hype. I've just never seen it.

 

[My Tilly]

What do you 'remains'?

I guess that's my point. I have never seen anything close to exceptional. Potential? Yeah. But I'm really yet to see anything much more than that.

He's obviously not hopeless..but I just don't quite understand the hype. I've just never seen it.

There are not many players who can beat you in the air and on the ground. Name me players who can do this?
De Goey is much more consistent at it today.
Bontempelli, Curnow, Fyfe, Greene.

But it then gets sparse. Heeney booted 50 goals this year but his finals campaign was poor. He's the face of their football club and I think he can go up another notch or two in 2023.

 

[Dangas]

Grand Final 2022

3 kicks , 4 hand passes

Zero goals

The invisible red phantom

He continues to keep his reputation of doing sweet **** all in a Granny, he must have thought he was playing for the Swans today, was as useless as majority of the team, including Buddy.

 

[dirknowitzki]

Buddy Franklin did alot too.

 

[DanA]

To be fair you'd struggle to fill out the bests for Sydney today - Warner and ... um ... ah ...

Fox was pretty solid

 

[Do_Beta_Rapport]

I’m not a fan of his but the career he’s ended up having despite the horrific leg injury he had is impressive.

Premiership player, 180 games and still going.

Many players have never returned/played for very long after similar so credit to him.

 

[deanc]

He continues to keep his reputation of doing sweet **** all in a Granny, he must have thought he was playing for the Swans today, was as useless as majority of the team, including Buddy.

Rohan's team won by 81pts with roughly 80% of the play being undertaken in the Cats forward half and yet Rohan only had 7 disposals...!!! Unless his designated role was to shutdown McCartin's influence and/or be a decoy for Hawkins/Cameron, that's actually some achievement....

 

[Dangas]

Rohan's team won by 81pts with roughly 80% of the play being undertaken in the Cats forward half and yet Rohan only had 7 disposals...!!! Unless his designated role was to shutdown McCartin's influcence and/or be a decoy for Hawkins/Cameron, that's actually some achievement....

Fair point.

 

[Toump Ass]

To be fair you'd struggle to fill out the bests for Sydney today - Warner and ... um ... ah ...

Fox, Rowbottom probably their next best.

I agree it was a wretched day but Heeney's on a six-year contract rumoured to be 900k a year, and he's got talent (made AA this year).
3 finals this year, first and last were stinkers, wouldn't have been in the top 10 players for his side against the Pies.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Critiquing Rohan's performance by his disposal count makes as much sense as rating Close's game by his hitout numbers, it's not what he brings to the table.

This win was largely set up by Geelong's forward pressure: Stengle, Close, Miers Rohan. They're all great at it, but it's Rohan's specialty. By the third quarter, the Swans defenders seemed terrified anytime there was a ball in dispute in the area.

I'd encourage anyone who's looking for a really interesting read on AFL football to try Brandon Jack

Brandon Jack

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.4

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

4.5

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

2.8

4star

CL

0.7

3star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

's autobiography. Not because it really has much detail about Rohan, but because it underlines Rohan's value in an AFL team. Because without saying it in so many words Brandon Jack

Brandon Jack

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.4

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

4.5

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

2.8

4star

CL

0.7

3star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

really wanted to be the footballer that Gary Rohan

23

Gary Rohan

Age

33

Ht

189cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.6

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.0

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.5

4star

G

1.0

4star

D

8.8

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

2.8

2star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.3

3star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.8

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

4.2

5star

G

1.2

4star

is, he just couldn't kick well enough to make it happen. And when he was kicking around in the NEAFL, trying to get a look in with the senior team, he looked at gaudy disposal numbers with contempt, the only thing that mattered to him were pressure acts.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Did his job and got them there against Collingwood.

 

[Duskfire]

Again, I don't understand the scrutiny. Geelong got him for pick 61. Who gives a crap how well he does, why is there any expectation for him to do well beyond bring pressure? It would be like bagging Gryan Miers

32

Gryan Miers

Age

25

Ht

179cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

9.1

4star

HB

6.3

4star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

15.3

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

6.3

4star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.6

3star

G

0.9

4star

D

14.4

4star

K

8.4

4star

HB

6.0

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.2

4star

for not kicking a heap of goals. These players are on low wages that Geelong picked up for nothing. I could understand if Rohan is paid Jeremy Camero wages, but he isn't even close. Every grand Final side in history would have players who didn't do much and still won a medal.

 

[Oldmangrumpy]

Pulled 1 finals game out of his arse this year against the pies !
He plays his normal shit game the pies win that and the cats a different story all together
That’s why they want henry so bad

 

[Shane Heard]

Again, I don't understand the scrutiny. Geelong got him for pick 61. Who gives a crap how well he does, why is there any expectation for him to do well beyond bring pressure? It would be like bagging Gryan Miers for not kicking a heap of goals. These players are on low wages that Geelong picked up for nothing. I could understand if Rohan is paid Jeremy Camero wages, but he isn't even close. Every grand Final side in history would have players who didn't do much and still won a medal.

Yeah but you’d expect a bit more from tall lead up 3rd forward in a GF

Unfortunately for Gary, he was well covered by swans defenders

 

[Duskfire]

Yeah but you’d expect a bit more from tall lead up 3rd forward in a GF

Unfortunately for Gary, he was well covered by swans defenders

Or maybe he was covering them well?

Rohan keeps on getting picked. So either a) he has something on the coaching staff or b) his role is more important then goals and possessions. With Rohan there, hawkins doesn't get double teamed as much. he crashes packs and brings the ball to ground for the small foreards to work, etc etc. There is stuff he does, he doesn't just sit in the front pocket and not move, if you look at where he goes he ranges back and forth like any other forward. So clearly he is doing something, and that something is enough for him to get picked. If he was as useless as everyone claims he was, he wouldn;t be playing basically.

 

[Major Colvin]

Rohan is definitely an unusual player. Great pace, lovely mark and set shot, but just doesnt get a lot of it. In the possession obsessed analysis of the game he's obviously maligned. 7 disposals yesterday - does it really matter? Cameron didn't kick a goal until the last quarter (in fact was one of the few players soundly beaten by his opponent I felt), but both Cameron and Rohan kicked three goals a piece in the QF when they were really being challenged by Collingwood. If they lost that game that very likely wouldnt be premiers IMO.

Cameron and Rohan's performance's in the QF were just as important (perhaps moreso) than Smith's performance in the GF.

 

[HairyO]

Or maybe he was covering them well?

Rohan keeps on getting picked. So either a) he has something on the coaching staff or b) his role is more important then goals and possessions. With Rohan there, hawkins doesn't get double teamed as much. he crashes packs and brings the ball to ground for the small foreards to work, etc etc. There is stuff he does, he doesn't just sit in the front pocket and not move, if you look at where he goes he ranges back and forth like any other forward. So clearly he is doing something, and that something is enough for him to get picked. If he was as useless as everyone claims he was, he wouldn;t be playing basically.

Or Geelong have 16 or 17 very good players and then absolute list cloggers.

He does very well against poor teams and when the result doesnt matter. But his finals record is juat shocking.

How many votes for the GF in the B& F ? Least of all or was someone worse ?

 

[TEDDY24INC]

Or Geelong have 16 or 17 very good players and then absolute list cloggers.

He does very well against poor teams and when the result doesnt matter. But his finals record is juat shocking.

How many votes for the GF in the B& F ? Least of all or was someone worse ?

Best on in the final against collingwood, we wouldn’t have won the flag without his influence, jog on

 

[HairyO]

Best on in the final against collingwood, we wouldn’t have won the flag without his influence, jog on

There were a bunch of players who were as important as him. Also, even if you lost you would have then had Freo and then had the Swansin the PF.

The idea that he made your finals is just ridiculous.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Rohan is definitely an unusual player. Great pace, lovely mark and set shot, but just doesnt get a lot of it. In the possession obsessed analysis of the game he's obviously maligned. 7 disposals yesterday - does it really matter? Cameron didn't kick a goal until the last quarter (in fact was one of the few players soundly beaten by his opponent I felt), but both Cameron and Rohan kicked three goals a piece in the QF when they were really being challenged by Collingwood. If they lost that game that very likely wouldnt be premiers IMO.

Cameron and Rohan's performance's in the QF were just as important (perhaps moreso) than Smith's performance in the GF.

I'd never gotten around to posting it here, but I definitely saw the comparison between the two in the grand final. Cameron's two goals looked nice on the stat sheet, but they didn't really mean that much to the result. Similarly, I would have loved Rohan to get on the goalkickers list and I'm sure they could have manufactured one for him if it meant that much, but he's clearly just not wired like that. I think you could argue that their performances weren't too far apart, but that's not how the record books will show it.

Would have been nice for Hawkins to fill his boots against Brisbane and Sydney too and finish with 13-14 for the finals, but oh well, I'm sure they're over it.

 

[kickazz]

People who really know what has made Geelong come undone in many finals over the last decade (hint: it's got to do with I50s) and also what has been Sydney's best source of scoring this year will understand that Rohan played a good game on Saturday. Clunk a couple more of those contested marks and kick straighter and it would have been complete.

 

[Duskfire]

Or Geelong have 16 or 17 very good players and then absolute list cloggers.

He does very well against poor teams and when the result doesnt matter. But his finals record is juat shocking.

How many votes for the GF in the B& F ? Least of all or was someone worse ?

Do list cloggers get a consistent game though? Its not like he is in and out of the side. He had a few injury concerns early but he is a pretty consistent part of Geelongs team when he is fit. He has played 70 games for Geelong over 4 years, that is extremely consistent and its not something you would often see from a list clogger. A prime example of one for instance would be Z guthrie, who played 54 games or something over six years and it wasn't until the second half of this year he really came into his own.

I am willing to back Geelong in here and think Rohan just plays a non traditional role that he does wlel enough that allows him to get picked every week.

 

[Footy Smarts]

The obsession with stats is bizarre. Rohan was next to Paddy McCartin for a fair bit of the game. PM didn't take a single mark until he was moved forward. Shutting him down was a massive win for geelong.

Rohan was part of a forward line that worked magnificently and pressured relentlessly. You don't get that without every player doing their bit and working together to create space. I'm guessing the coaches couldn't care less how many stats he had.

 

[STPer18]

Was the matchwinner in the QF - the closest of our finals. More than earned his premiership medal.

 

[Shane Heard]

Or maybe he was covering them well?

Rohan keeps on getting picked. So either a) he has something on the coaching staff or b) his role is more important then goals and possessions. With Rohan there, hawkins doesn't get double teamed as much. he crashes packs and brings the ball to ground for the small foreards to work, etc etc. There is stuff he does, he doesn't just sit in the front pocket and not move, if you look at where he goes he ranges back and forth like any other forward. So clearly he is doing something, and that something is enough for him to get picked. If he was as useless as everyone claims he was, he wouldn;t be playing basically.

I kept a close eye on him and many times he fumbled, got slammed and caught with the ball, dropped marks etc

He’s just a very ordinary player who plays a blinder once every 10 or so matches