Is Puopolo underrated?

[TyHawk]

Don't get me wrong, he's a good player, rate his effort, workrate and has great footy smarts. And there's plenty of 3rd tall types of his type who are great players.

Of course you would be happy with his output.

Just don't think he would walk into any other side and be a key player, as was stated by someone.

And Duryea? Really?

I agree with your points on Stratton , he is a very reliable defender but not of the 'Elite'. But not sure why you don't rate Duryea? A lot of my footy mates rate him even higher then most hawk supporters I know and I'm on board as well now. I reckon he has a beautiful left peg, best overhead mark at the club for his height, and mostly I like the 'mongrels' about him. Maybe one more year at that level and it would be easier to rate him.

 

[TyHawk]

I reckon this is the key difference between what a lot of Hawk fans and others are seeing.

Puopolo and Stratton to me are classic role players doing a good job in a great team. Their role is a key component of the sides success but the player themselves isn't key to that role. As the name implies a role player is something any number of players could take on and perform successfuly in a successful team surrounded buy better players.

At Collingwood a few years ago when we won flags and had many top 4 finishes Nick Maxwell and Jarryd Blair performed very similar roles to Puopolo and Stratton. The role is important but the individual player isn't. That's very different to what Mitchell, Hodge, Rioli etc bring.

Very very good post.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Don't get me wrong, he's a good player, rate his effort, workrate and has great footy smarts. And there's plenty of 3rd tall types of his type who are great players.

Of course you would be happy with his output.

Just don't think he would walk into any other side and be a key player, as was stated by someone.

And Duryea? Really?

Stratton wouldn't walk into any other side and be a key player, that's just silly. But I think he would be in the best 22 of most other sides.

Not sure why you are bringing up Duryea, I didn't. Again though, very happy with what he has got out of himself, under rated kick.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Stratton wouldn't walk into any other side and be a key player, that's just silly. But I think he would be in the best 22 of most other sides.

Not sure why you are bringing up Duryea, I didn't. Again though, very happy with what he has got out of himself, under rated kick.

That's what my original post that ruffled feathers was replying to. Looks like I may have been responding to a troll.

 

[cyril4brownlow]

At Collingwood a few years ago when we won flags

when we won flags

flags

s

Decent post though. Kudos.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

I agree with your points on Stratton , he is a very reliable defender but not of the 'Elite'. But not sure why you don't rate Duryea? A lot of my footy mates rate him even higher then most hawk supporters I know and I'm on board as well now. I reckon he has a beautiful left peg, best overhead mark at the club for his height, and mostly I like the 'mongrels' about him. Maybe one more year at that level and it would be easier to rate him.

Yep, good player and getting better, just again not going to be a key player in most sides he's a part of at this stage.

 

[cryptor]

So every Hawthorn player would be a key player in another side?

No, I don't think so. A lot of the best 22 would at most clubs if asked to play similar roles though.

Take Puopolo and put him at Sydney where he'd probably be their best and only small forward and he's probably going to struggle. Put him at one of the 2 Adelaide sides where they already have a couple offensive small forwards and he'd shine.

I guess then the argument becomes "obviously needs good players around him" which I still don't think is exactly the case. He just needs the right types of players around to do his role well. No point causing turnovers in forward 50 if there's no goal sneaks about to capitalize on it. And if he could do it all himself then he'd be a superstar like Rioli or Wingard.

 

[Gone Critical]

Decent post though. Kudos.

You got me.

 

[threesixpio]

Can't believe this thread is still going

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

No, I don't think so. A lot of the best 22 would at most clubs if asked to play similar roles though.

Take Puopolo and put him at Sydney where he'd probably be their best and only small forward and he's probably going to struggle. Put him at one of the 2 Adelaide sides where they already have a couple offensive small forwards and he'd shine.

I guess then the argument becomes "obviously needs good players around him" which I still don't think is exactly the case. He just needs the right types of players around to do his role well. No point causing turnovers in forward 50 if there's no goal sneaks about to capitalize on it. And if he could do it all himself then he'd be a superstar like Rioli or Wingard.

No doubt most of them would be able to perform similar roles at most other clubs - but imo Puopolo is not going to be a 'key player' anywhere.

Don't think there'd be a spot for him at the Crows, to use one of your examples. Might force Cameron out today, but not for long.

Can't believe this thread is still going

~*off-season*~

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Don't think there'd be a spot for him at the Crows, to use one of your examples. Might force Cameron out today, but not for long.

Depends on what you're after... He is a much different player to Betts and Cameron, he actually applies defensive pressure

 

[cryptor]

No doubt most of them would be able to perform similar roles at most other clubs - but imo Puopolo is not going to be a 'key player' anywhere.

Don't think there'd be a spot for him at the Crows, to use one of your examples. Might force Cameron out today, but not for long.



~*off-season*~

To me he makes Breust and Rioli better players because he causes turnovers that allow those guys to score easier. I would think he'd have the same impact at Adelaide by freeing Cameron and Betts up a bit. But obviously someone somewhere needs to be dropped for that to happen. That's where each team is different. Perhaps the extra goals created there aren't worth it for Adelaide if it means they need to give up a tall forward or something else in the midfield or defense.

 

[blue harvest]

Agree with the first part of the above post.
It's actually Puopolo making those other forwards look better rather than other players making him look good. Those forwards are just as much or even more role players than he is.

Puopolo rarely gets the ball delivered to him on a platter as some posters seem to think. It's normally him delivering it on a platter to someone else, for example his precision pass to Gunston running towards goal in the GF. And his gather and precision pass to Rioli inside 50 to set up the Schoenmakers goal in the 3rd. Or in a contested scrappy situation he sets up goals, for example his gather, baulk and handpass to Hodgey for his banana goal. Or that Gunston goal where he was able to take the mark uncontested on his chest, well guess who was underneath it holding out one of the defenders?

Actually the more I think about it the more I realise how much he is underrated. Gun.

 

[Gone Critical]

Agree with the first part of the above post.
It's actually Puopolo making those other forwards look better rather than other players making him look good. Those forwards are just as much or even more role players than he is.

Puopolo rarely gets the ball delivered to him on a platter as some posters seem to think. It's normally him delivering it on a platter to someone else, for example his precision pass to Gunston running towards goal in the GF. And his gather and precision pass to Rioli inside 50 to set up the Schoenmakers goal in the 3rd. Or in a contested scrappy situation he sets up goals, for example his gather, baulk and handpass to Hodgey for his banana goal. Or that Gunston goal where he was able to take the mark uncontested on his chest, well guess who was underneath it holding out one of the defenders?

Actually the more I think about it the more I realise how much he is underrated. Gun.

You do understand what the role of a defensive forward is don't you. Of course his pressure and the whole team pressure causes spills etc. That's what he is there for. All defensive forwards make the life of the offensive forwards easier, it's their job.

 

[JackFlash]

He's a pain in the arse, which means he gives us grief when we play them. He's a good solid player.

 

[Kram]

He's a pain in the arse

Oh don't tell Bruce that.

 

[blackcat]

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

i reckon he is a phenomenal player, top200 in AFL, but if you took him out of Hawthorn, he could go either way, struggle to be in best 18 of another team's starting best, or, he could go to another level, and be a top100 player

 

[mike123]

Depends on what you're after... He is a much different player to Betts and Cameron, he actually applies defensive pressure

You say that as if Betts and Cameron don't

 

[InFiction]

Personally I think Puopolo does his job well, and is a fairly unique player. Could be compared to many other small forwards in the competition in many aspects, but where he differs from most is his tackling and defensive pressure. Very similar to Cyril Rioli. Most small forwards have a "see ball kick goal" mentality, I think Puopolo has a "see ball help team, then maybe kick goal" mentality.

That being said, it's impossible to say how he'd perform in another side without the compounded pressure of Cyril Rioli and Luke Breust snapping at his heels. It's just one of those arguments, isn't it?

 

[cryptor]

You say that as if Betts and Cameron don't

That's because they don't. Or at least no where near the same level. They'll only put defensive pressure on if they're closest and they can see it leading directly to a goal opportunity for them. Puopolo will chase down across over half the ground just to affect their disposal in the chance it might cause a turnover that allows his team to score a goal.

 

[HairyO]

i reckon he is a phenomenal player, top200 in AFL, but if you took him out of Hawthorn, he could go either way, struggle to be in best 18 of another team's starting best, or, he could go to another level, and be a top100 player

Shane Edwards better?

 

[TyHawk]

Shane Edwards better?

This is a serious question but.....WHO?

 

[HairyO]

This is a serious question but.....WHO?

That guy from Richmond that Buddy cleaned up when he only copped a week for what pretty much everyone outside of Sydney and Nat Fyfe would have got 2 or 3 weeks for.

 

[blackcat]

Shane Edwards better?

not playing in a pocket, i reckon the hawthorn kid with the beard is better in a pocket in the hawks, but he would probably be degrees worse if put in a richmond team, like i reckon gunston and breust are top20 players in the entire league, but mebbe not if they were taken from glenferrie rd

 

[TyHawk]

That guy from Richmond that Buddy cleaned up when he only copped a week for what pretty much everyone outside of Sydney and Nat Fyfe would have got 2 or 3 weeks for.

Nat fyfe *