Shane Crawford or Ben Cousins?

[scaryness]

My dad brought up the question out of the blue when discussing footy. Who do you think was the better player?

Shane Crawford:
305 games
224 goals
22.4 disposals per game
4.5 marks per game
2.8 tackles per game

Best and Fairest winner (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003)
All Australian (1996, 1998, 1999, 2002)
1999 Brownlow Medallist
2008 Premiership player

Ben Cousins:
270 games
217 goals
22.6 disposals per game
3.5 marks per game
1.8 tackles per game

Best and Fairest winner (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005)
All Australian (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006)
2005 Brownlow Medallist
2006 Premiership player

 

[Jade]

Eh?

Cousins was one of the greatest midfielders in the games history - Crawford was not.

 

[Buddy23#]

Eh?

Cousins was one of the greatest midfielders in the games history - Crawford was not.

Yep every thing above you says they are polls apart.

 

[Igloo]

Honestly couldn't choose. I was a huge fan of both.

 

[headache1]

Yep every thing above you says they are polls apart.

The stats don't, but watching them sure did. Crawford was very good, Cousins was brilliant.

BTW, the expression is poles apart.

 

[Claude Balls]

Cousins comfortably.

 

[hawkman]

Crawford is underated due to playing the fool. He carried our midfield between 95-05

His season in 1999 was one of the best i have seen by any player

 

[Jatz]

cousins by heaps. nothing against crawf but cousins was just a freak with the things he could do

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Cousins by a mile

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Crawf did everything, he's a victim of playing his career with a side that struggled on field
Many coaches from his playing days say that he revolutionised the way the game is played, with his ability to keep running

Alan Joyce said crawford was the first player he had seen to train as hard and be as dedicated as crawf



He had elite skills, was super quick, and had great endurance, you could argue as good as cousins


Not saying he was better then cousins, but he certainly wasn't as far behind as many posters on here indicate

 

[Groupie_]

Matthew Knights or Crawford

Cousins was on another level to Crawford.

 

[Hate]

Cousins comfortably.

 

[Trav 20]

I voted Cousins, but those saying "Cousins by a mile" are simply displaying their ignorance.

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

I voted Cousins, but those saying "Cousins by a mile" are simply displaying their ignorance.

And I thought they were displaying their opinion.

Cousins easily. IMO.

 

[Blacky]

Benny

 

[Peter maxwell]

Ben Cousins by a fair margin.

 

[beta_condition]

Maybe Cousins if he had half the dedication and self control as Shane.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Honestly I'd say Crawford. Obviously some bias on my side but he played in a poor side for most of his career and carried our midfield through a lot of that time. His stats show just how good he was and more so how consistent he was. Whilst I think Cousins was a great player I think Crawford was marginally better but less decorated. Again I'm sure many will disagree and I acknowledge that I'm probably a bit biased but yea.

 

[The Dice Man]

Cousins by a Nullabor.


Only hawks fans could possibly see it any other way.

 

[crazywildhorse]

Cousins is basically the Eagles best ever player, but I suggest that he probably under performed with regard to his natural talent. In other words, had he been switched on like Crawf, he would have been better by a mile. At the end of the day, as the stats suggest, they were very similar.

 

[Trav 20]

And I thought they were displaying their opinion.

Cousins easily. IMO.

Opinion and ignorance are often the same.

 

[WCEbrody]

Cousins also played in a pretty average side most of his career at the eagles finishing 4th,5th,7th,5th,13th,14th,8th,7th,7th,2nd and 1st in 2006.

Still think 2001 was his best year where he was All Australian and finished 5 votes off the brownlow behind Voss,Mcleod and the winner Akermanis all while West Coast finished 14th on the ladder.

Anyways,both great players but i'm obviously going to say Cousins as i watched more of his career.

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

Opinion and ignorance are often the same.

You're entitled to your own ignorance.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

I truly don't understand how anyone can say they were miles apart. Could those who feel this please enlighten me?

The only thing I can think of is those posters are too young as Crawford was at his best pre 2000 whilst Cousins' peak was in 2006?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

The only thing that splits them for me is I watched Cousin's old man play at Geelong and Ben was born in the same hospital as me. I guess a negative against him that he didn't choose Geelong under f/s

Crawford was a very good footballer who beat Geelong virtually on his own at least a couple of times that I can think of when Hawthorn were terrible and had no right to win.

For players that I've seen, I'd have the pair of them just above Robert Harvey and slightly below the likes of Buckley, Voss and Jnr and well behind Greg Williams.