Norm Smith Medal - they got it wrong

[MB1908]

Hodge did not outplay Ablett. Ablett was the best player on the ground by a fair way. As a simple rule though unless the game is won/lost in the last 15 minutes then the losing side should simply not have the Norm Smith.

IMO Ellis, Williams, or Dew were more worthy winners.

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

Luke Hodge was great today, not taking away from that, the simple fact is that Gary Ablett, like his father in a losing GF against Hawthorn 20 seasons earlier was clearly best on ground.

Kicks: 12
Handballs: 22
Efficiency: 85%
Goals: 2
Clearances: 8
Tackles: 5

Hodge was basically playing his spare man in defence role again (which he does extremely well), while Ablett carried his team for most of the game.
IMHO Abletts performance today was Judd and Bucklley like (2002,2005)

You know nothing about football mate! Maybe you might wanna learn the a thing or two about the game before GC17 enter the comp. Hodge had the most contested possesions (11) on the day, 26 all up 20 kicks (how many overpossessed handballs did Ablett have?) and kicked a crucial goal in the 3rd. If we didnt have Hodge we would not have won.

Besides, taking individual awards away from Ablett amuses me. Seriously, was he annoyed he didnt get the Norm Smith? Theres his problem right there. Judd and Buckley were embarrassed to win the medals in losing teams and Hodge would have been to if he had of won if Geelong got up.

 

[Goldnbrown]

man, Ablett's stats say it all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i just got back from the game a few hours ago (not knowing any stats).
but after having a looking at the numbers, my best players are confirmed.
and i know plenty of players got junk stats. but not Ablett.

there's no way Luke Hodge was bog. everyone knew Ablett was best on. he was awesome.
Xavier Ellis was Hawthorn's best, but i don't think he was Norm Smith material.
also, Cameron Ling and Matthew Scarlett had to be in contention for their shut-down roles on Mitchell and Franklin.

on a 3-2-1 basis, i would've gone:
3. Ablett (GEE)
2. Ellis (HAW)
1. Ling (GEE)

it was a very big team performance by Hawthorn. no real standouts.
Geelong had heaps of stats, but didn't convert them into goals.
StevieJ came too far up the ground. i certainly didn't read too much into his 34pos.
Bartel, Corey, Selwood, Sewell, Crawford all had 25+, but i didn't really notice them much. probably Selwood was the best of that lot.
Clinton Young was the best man on the ground at half-time, but i don't think he came back on.
Hodge's game was cheap playing that halfback role. i wouldn't have had him in the top10 players on the ground.

Ablett >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hodge

What is the point of going to the game if you don't actually watch it? How can you possibly give 2/3 votes to a team that lost by over 25 points? If you had watched the game you would no doubt have seen Hodge repeatedly run off his man to create the lose situation. Clearly the BOG.

 

[t3te50]

Hodge deserved it. He was so good that everyone though he played as the spare man hahaha. He left his man on many occasions to cover for another.

The other underrated player was Buddy. He quelled Scarlett's influence on the game hahahah

Go hawks!

 

[TimRobbo]

What about Dew? he would have to have been one of the major reasons for Hawthorn's win. I thought he stood up when the game was going Geelong's way and turned it around for the hawks.
BOG in my opinion!

 

[caitsith01]

Can't complain about Hodge getting it, but posters here saying Ablett did not have much influence or that Hodge was "easily" best on ground are just completely blind. I don't know whether it's irrational hatred for Ablett/Geelong, irrational love of the Hawks/Hodge/the "broken ribs" media beatup, but Ablett's game was absolutely sensational and he actually kept Geelong in it longer than they deserved to be.

 

[lopozop]

All year we've been told our defence is our biggest weakness. On Saturday it was our best performing 'unit' (and that's with our best tall defender going down in the first half). Hodge is the biggest reason for this. Not only is he himself a gun but he makes those around him play better. Every time he went near the ball he seemed to make something out of it.

Everyone watching it at my place agreed at around 3 quarter time that the medal was Hodge's, neutrals included. And we weren't even drunk yet!

The only two judges who had Ablett ahead of Hodge were Luke Darcy and Gilbert McAdam (2 votes, gave his 3 to Sewell). Leigh Matthews, Brian Taylor, Mark Williams and Emma Quayle all gave their 3 votes to Hodge. Matthews didn't give Ablett a vote at all - 3 Hodge, 2 Selwood, 1 Dew.

That's fairly resounding.

BTW who is Gilbert McAdam? What's NIRS? Just curious.

EDIT: I just read though my post and it seemed anti-Ablett. I'm not - he's a gun. I just really think Hodge was the most important player on the day. Not all these medals can go to midfielders you know!

 

[Lakey91]

What about trent croad then?

handballs 1
disposal efficiency 100% (game high)
tackles 1
marks 1

all this after only 11 minutes in the second quarter!
if he had of kept going, he could of got like.....3 possessions!

shut up and give it hodge. he was obviously the best....

 

[db swannie]

What about Cyril Rioli??? He did some amazing things throughout the entire game. BOG for me.

 

[Big Carl]

Abou time everyone got over the Norm Smith............very repetitive and boring
Move on!

 

[ashy_magpies]

i thought cambel brown was bog

so did i, browny was fantastic playing both forward and back, kick started hawthorns afternoon with that big bastard goal from 50 in the first qtr, just a really solid performance.

didn't even cop a vote in votes or a mention in the best!!

 

[wce4premiership]

Ablett was not as good as hodge.

Hodge was like the general, stats aren't everything. Ablett was brilliant, easily geelongs best and easily in the top 3 players on the day but i think hodge deserved it.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Judd and Buckley were embarrassed to win the medals in losing teams and Hodge would have been to if he had of won if Geelong got up.

His dad was embarassed to win it in 89 too I think.

If Geelong had have won, no chance would Hodge have won the NS.

 

[PottSie2]

His dad was embarassed to win it in 89 too I think.

If Geelong had have won, no chance would Hodge have won the NS.

They didn't and he did. No ifs, buts or maybes.

Either Hodge or Ablett would have been deserving winners.

lols to the Cats people saying Hodge was a loose man in defense ... shows how much you rate your forwards ...

 

[Hodgepodge]

Hodgey was BOG in Champion Data as well. A much better game than Ablett's, Garry got a lot of uncontested ball and had a lot of handballs.

 

[Powerstufff]

....If Geelong had have won, no chance would Hodge have won the NS.

Hard to argue. But if Hodge had not been good enough to win the NS Geelong would have won the Grand Final.
Hodge influenced the game in a way Ablett could not, for all Ablett's brilliance.

 

[Go Cats!!]

I dont think they got it wrong but there was probably 3 or 4 people who would have been deserving winners, it just happened to go Hodgeys way.

 

[Jay-Z]

Besides the fact that he handballed too many times, Ablett's game was impecible. He was clearly BOG in my eyes and as his coach said was the only Geelong player who really looked like he REALLY wanted to win.

Also agree that Clinton Young would have gone very close if he stayed on the field

 

[Hodgepodge]

Clearly hodge was best afield for the game. Particularly did well in the final quarter when the game was on the line. Also kicked the goal that put the Hawks in front, from which the cats never recovered

 

[spartan hawks]

One percenters arent included in stats and let me tell you had hodge not played the hawks probably would not have won.Luke hodge proved to the football world how much of an impact player he is.Even though ablett had a great game he had no impact.Presence and toughness wins flags not stats.

 

[efcboy]

i thought xavier ellis missed getting a lot of credit because he doesn't have a big profile like the others.

 

[Hodgepodge]

Actually 1%ers are stats. Hodge had 8, the most of anyone.

 

[Hodgepodge]

i thought xavier ellis missed getting a lot of credit because he doesn't have a big profile like the others.

Ellis did real well and got a lot of recognition for his game. But don't think he was up there with Hodge and Dew.

 

[QuietB]

Ablett played a ripper of a game, but for mine he was not BOG. He had heaps of stats but they were not damaging enough for mine. At times his forward entries lacked pentration, and a lot of handballs were bakwards under pressure.

The cats needed a midfielder to convert their domination of early possions into goal opportunities for their forwards and it never happened. Why? Because a) the possessions from midfield lacked penetration and accuracy, and b) because Hodge was in the way.

Selwood was also sensational for the cats.

Dew won the game and would have been a worthy winner of the NS. Cyril played the best 10 possession game I will ever witness. But Hodge was immence. I have watched it about 3 times now as well as being there and he was clearly the BOG.

You think of how much pressure the hawk backline was under with 63 forward entries by the cats - someone back their must have had a blinder and that someone was Luke Hodge. He must of personally dealt with at least 30% of the cats forward entries - maybe more. He was great and his leadership was something else.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Having now watched the game again, I was surprised how many of Abellet's possessions were dinky kicks out wide, a number that went to a contest and even some that were turned over.