Is Puopolo underrated?

[Plastic_Hawk9]

I just have a small question for anyone that does not barrack for hawthorn. What is your opinion on paul puopolo?

Many people i have met say puopolo does no where near enough as he should do on the field. Much like rioli (apparently). Some have even said he isn't in the best 22 at hawthorn. The idea of this question came to me when i watched a highlights reel for his 2015 season and it was outstanding. So feel free to discuss

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2015-11-02/season-review-paul-puopolo

 

[Headless]

Hawthorn board.

EDIT: But to actually contribute to the thread, I don't think he's underrated. Everybody I speak to seems to think that he well and truly gets the job done. Maybe I'm outnumbered, here.

 

[Rack Watts]

Puopolo would be shit, at a club that wasn't as good as Hawthorn, if that's what you want to hear?

 

[Randomizor]

Quack

 

[Shane Hird]

Good ordinary player.

 

[Sultan]

He does his job. He is one of those frustrating players when you are barracking for the other teams as he gets awarded for so many head high tackles and seems to pop up for a goal when he needs to.

 

[Damon_3388]

I think he's done well to become the player he has, considering he was a small defender for Norwood when drafted.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Any small forward that gives 100% every time he is on the field is going to find it hard to be underrated in a champion team. The reason for that is that every time Puopolo runs someone down, makes a second and third effort, or pressures an opposition defender into turning the ball over with a wayward kick, the commentators are going to have an orgasm about it and start spouting the usual nonsense about how he'd be the first picked every week, or something along those lines. He'd need to be kicking 40+ goals a season to be underrated. He's a good player, who through sheer luck landed in the best possible situation for him as an AFL player when he was drafted.

 

[simba_]

he was a mature age pick wasn't he? he was spoken about on our board so i kept an eye on where he'd go and he went to one of the best places to go which was surprising. but he clearly works his ass off, perhaps a "footballers footballer", not flashy but doesn't need to be. hard and skilled. he's probably at the age where he will carry more of a load at hawthorn but he seems like the type to take it on no problem.

 

[master bate]

Ballantyne has more skill both at finding the ball and using it but he gets lambasted for not being able to get a kick come big games. Puopolo would get the same if he wasn't in such a super side.

He'd get a game at most clubs and maybe that makes him a bit underrated, but I don't think Hawks fans even realise how quick and with how much quality the ball comes in to the Hawks forward line.

It's a credit to those forwards that they fight for it, lock it and score so regularly that they increase the midfields confidence in them, but still, you could put a good VAFA footballer in the Hawks forward line and they'd get a kick most weeks.

 

[Scotland]

He's alright.

For a midget no one rated making his debut at 23 he's had a pretty remarkable career. 100 games now, 16 finals and 3 flags in 5 seasons. He's more successful than probably 99% of players in history.

2015 was probably his best season by numbers and in 23 games he had 306 disposals, laid 114 tackles and kicked 29 goals. Also had 24 goal assists.

Pretty comparable to Jamie Cripps who had 345 disposals, 139 tackles, 34 goals and 22 goal assists in 25 games. Cripps is 5 years younger, hasn't yet peaked (we hope) and doesn't get a lot of press outside West Coast (& St Kilda maybe) circles - because he'd not a triple premiership player with Hawthorn.

For a team like Hawthorn I think he's a real luxury. They've got two main targets in Roughead and Gunston, Bruest who kicks goals for fun and Rioli who creates goals out of nothing. That coupled with being good across the ground allows Puopolo to play a defensive focused game as a forward, and he's a tenacious little bugger who plays that role perfectly.

Perfect fit IMO. Hawthorn have a role for someone like him and he's able to fulfill it exactly as they need him to. I look at someone like Patrick McGinnity who has been our list seemingly forever and has similar physical attributes and he's far too spudly to play the same role as Puopolo.

But yeah, Hawks Board.

 

[LanceRomance]

The Peter Russo of the current era

 

[Belnakor]

Ballantyne has more skill both at finding the ball and using it but he gets lambasted for not being able to get a kick come big games. Puopolo would get the same if he wasn't in such a super side.

He'd get a game at most clubs and maybe that makes him a bit underrated, but I don't think Hawks fans even realise how quick and with how much quality the ball comes in to the Hawks forward line.

It's a credit to those forwards that they fight for it, lock it and score so regularly that they increase the midfields confidence in them, but still, you could put a good VAFA footballer in the Hawks forward line and they'd get a kick most weeks.

hard to disagree with everything, cept "he'd get a game at most clubs". IMHO he wouldn't be in the top 10 small forwards in the comp, so i'd have him getting a game at about half the teams in the comp.

he just has the fortune of playing in one of the best teams in memory. So yeah he looks good when they put the ball on a platter for him. What a surprise.

its like saying Brad Hill is an elite winger. The guy is a seagul who looks good in an awesome team. I call it the Des Headland effect.

 

[Scotland]

He'd get a game at most clubs and maybe that makes him a bit underrated, but I don't think Hawks fans even realise how quick and with how much quality the ball comes in to the Hawks forward line.

I reckon he's one of those guys that wouldn't necessarily get a game at every club but is in no danger of being dropped from a (the) top side.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Good player who's lucky to be playing in an amazing side. Rated about where he deserves.

 

[brendan84]

Plays for a free kick every time he is near the ball. A shit stain on our game.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Goes missing in big games.

 

[RUNVS]

I have always thought that reasonably average players can be made to look very good in great teams. Puopolo is a handy player, but if he was playing for Melbourne then he would not seem anywhere near as good as he does at Hawthorn.

 

[TwentyNine]

Gets a lot out of himself for not being a particularly talented player, he's probably the best defensive forward in the league and he does have the occasion show of talent with a good mark or clever goal. Smart player. I wouldn't call him underrated though but if he played for a less successful club he probably would be, as it is people tend to give Hawthorn players the respect they deserve (or much much much more than they do) based on recent successes.

 

[BoxMatrix]

Overrated player. Ducks his head. Downhill skier like his friend Breust. Lucky to be in a good team.

Will be shit in a couple of years.

 

[Severe]

Poppy is just delish.

 

[gavaniacono]

If he's good enough for mr Clarkson, he's good enough.

 

[Bardo State]

We were looking everywhere for a defensive small forward until Puopolo proved himself there. Almost the perfect player for the role he plays. Would get a game at every club but isn't a star by any means.

 

[Cynic]

No but he's a good example of why great teams aren't made up of 22 stars.

 

[parsons nose]

Lol at the comments 'he wouldn't get a game in a lesser team. News flash: it's easier to get a game in a lesser team. But let's not heed conventional wisdom.