Players who carried the team on their back

[ReturningHawk]

Zach Merrett, Patrick Cripps. These players do it every week, despite their teammates often turning their toes up.

From your team, from other teams. who are the great team-carriers in your club's history? I'm thinking of Ben Cunnington, Nathan Jones... who else?

 

[eaglespremiers]

Nic was huge for us during periods where our midfield was mediocre (or worse). Absolute monster at clearances.
Also Ben Cousins in the late 90s, early 2000s.

 

[craffles]

GAJ at Gold Coast then daylight second

 

[janty]

Greg Jennings did it with a broken leg.

 

[MF]

Paul Kelly

 

[Nostradumbass]

Maradona

 

[ReturningHawk]

GAJ at Gold Coast then daylight second

True. Plugger?

 

[QuietB]

GAJ at Gold Coast then daylight second

Carey at North went ok

 

[Sttew]

Joel Selwood.

 

[Bald]

Josh Kennedy of the Swans variety did it at times. Still remember thinking he was going to win the 2016 premiership off his own back.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Carey at North went ok

Although the winning percentage was little different when Carey was injured compared to when he was playing. The Feral-Scum did a thing when he did his thing, and it was something like 66% when he played and 63% when he didn't over his time at North. Its a bit like saying Buddy carried Hawthorn or Sydney, they were still good teams without their star.
From memory, it might have been when Carey was out for three weeks or more that it became more noticeable on the win column. Presumably the extra load started to take its toll around that point.

Nathan Jones definitely up there, and yeah GAJ at GC. Stretching the memory but maybe Roger Merrett for some of his time at the Bears?

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Laughable that Buckley hasn’t yet got a mention.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Nathan Buckley carried a very ordinary team on his back to two grand Finals.

 

[Mofra]

Our winning percentage going into this year when Bontempelli was missing through injury was 17%.

 

[rapidfire7]

Robert Harvey, Boomer, Scott West, Touk Miller are a few others who immediately come to mind.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Nathan Buckley carried a very ordinary team on his back to two grand Final losses.

Fixed that for you.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Dustin Martin carried "the worst Premiership team ever" to trio of flags. So he wins this thread hands down.


South of the Yarra loves this.

 

[BF Tiger]

Dustin Martin carried "the worst Premiership team ever" to trio of flags. So he wins this thread hands down.


South of the Yarra loves this.

I remember BigFooty nuffies telling us that Edwards, Houli, Ellis, Grigg, Vlastuin and even triple premiership captain Cotchin, and others, were never going to be premiership players.

And also that Prestia was dumb as dogshit ( https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/dion-prestia-is-clearly-as-dumb-as-f.1143964/ )

So clearly Dusty overcame all these deficient players.

 

[Pomsta]

Richo

 

[TigerTime88]

Joel Selwood.

I would argue Selwood had plenty of help. Literally stepped into a premiership team with all time greats.

 

[DaicosDisciple35]

Nick Daicos 24 season ranks as one of the biggest carry jobs ive seen. Cripps too. Tom Lynch at GC deserves a bit of love there too.

 

[Sttew]

I would argue Selwood had plenty of help. Literally stepped into a premiership team with all time greats.

I would argue there were plenty of occasions - one game that immediately comes to mind was v Swans in Sydney where Selwood did it all in the last quarter to will the Cats over the line - where Selwood led by example and got Cats over the line.

It is no coincidence that Cats won their first premiership in 44 years in Selwood's debut year.

It is a fallacy to argue that players could only carry shit teams on their back.

 

[voorhees]

Richo

beat me to it..
on field and off field man carried the club through some tough times.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Nick Daicos 24 season ranks as one of the biggest carry jobs ive seen. Cripps too. Tom Lynch at GC deserves a bit of love there too.

Tom Lynch post dynasty Tigers from 2021-current.

With Lynch playing Richmond's record is 22w, 2d, 22l. 50% win rate.

Without Lynch it is 13-1-33. 29% win rate.

You will probably struggle to find a player in the AFL who is more important to his team's winning chances than T Lynch at Richmond.

 

[fake tyrone]

As others have said, GAJ at Gold Coast. I can't remember which year it was now, but I firmtly believe that season when they were 8-3 after 11 or 12 rounds would have ended with their first finals appearance if Gaz hadn't gone down injured.

Also if my memory doesn't fault me, I reckon Nathan Brown carried Richmond when he moved to the Tigers in 2005. The season got off to a great start and he seemed to be involved in everything until he broke his leg. The season went out the window after that and he never really found that blistering form again.