Top 20 Midfielders for 2016

[MotleyLemon]

Sloane is a beautiful kick.

Don't know who you've been watching.

I have been watching Rory Sloane.

 

[Milux]

1. Ablett
2. Fyfe
3. Pendlebury
4. Mitchell
5. Gray
6. Dangerfield
7. JPK
8. Hanners
9. Priddis
10. Selwood
11. Mundy
12. Sloane
13. Mundy
14. Parker
15. Wines
16. Shiel
17. Ward
18. Boak
19. Treloar
20. Cotchin

The order starts falling apart after the top 5 and I've probably forgotten someone but that's my list.

Dont rate beams or rockliff? Or just forgot them.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Not very closely then.

Watch again. Properly this time.

 

[MotleyLemon]

Not very closely then.

Watch again. Properly this time.

I think even Adelaide fans would admit he was a bit down in 2015, had some injuries.

No arguing that he's a great runner, and tough on the inside, but I wouldn't describe him as the kind of bloke you can build a midfield around. Great "gives his all attitude", but not an elite midfielder.

 

[smasha]

Cotchin in the top 5.
Waiting for BF replies.

 

[Ian Dunross]

He's Jimmy Bartel

Just hasn't played in a team that's made grannies after grannie.

He's a gun.

Like Jimmy he's more of a good at everything not great at anything.

Tough as nails, leader.

He may not be an elite midfielder.

But he's an elite footballer.

 

[Unique Name]

Dont rate beams or rockliff? Or just forgot them.

Forgot Beams he would be in the 10-20. Not the biggest fan of Rockliff to be honest. I don't watch many Brisbane games so my opinion is probably way off the mark. In the games he has played against Fremantle he was a tackling machine and got heaps of the ball but didn't really impact the game much, at the end of the game when I went over the stats I was shocked by his numbers. I think Hanley and Beams are above Rockliff.

The order after my top 8 is very loose.

 

[Milux]

Forgot Beams he would be in the 10-20. Not the biggest fan of Rockliff to be honest. I don't watch many Brisbane games so my opinion is probably way off the mark. In the games he has played against Fremantle he was a tackling machine and got heaps of the ball but didn't really impact the game much, at the end of the game when I went over the stats I was shocked by his numbers. I think Hanley and Beams are above Rockliff.

The order after my top 8 is very loose.

Very fare opinion.

Hanley and Beams do more of the flashier things in football. Rockliffs a no fuss get in and get the ball mid and his inside 50s (when he gets the chance to spend time up that end of the ground) are second to rich in our team.

Got word rockliff will spend more time forward next season so he may get noticed abit more.

 

[MotleyLemon]

He's Jimmy Bartel

Just hasn't played in a team that's made grannies after grannie.

He's a gun.

Like Jimmy he's more of a good at everything not great at anything.

Tough as nails, leader.

He may not be an elite midfielder.

But he's an elite footballer.

Yeah reckon you might be a bit off the mark here chief.

Bartel could rack it at will, is a smart positioning over hard running type, and was/is elite overhead for a bloke of his size.

Surely Sloane should have a Brownlow by now, playing in a worse midfield with less guys stealing votes off him?

 

[Doggstats]

He copped more of tag then Bontempelli.

Here are some fact's that I forgot to add:

Bontempelli started getting hard tagged from the very first bounce of the season. In our Round 1 win vs West Coast by Scott Selwood, this video also has their coach give an explanation as to why they hard tagged The Bont:



FYI, Bont was BOG this game (3 Brownlow votes), just like he was in many games that he was tagged in this year.

As for Cripps, the first hard tag he received came in round 13 against GC (Raines):

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-06-28/cripps-copping-a-hard-tag-is-a-good-thing-says-barker

So Bont was tagged way more this year yet still received a ton more Brownlow votes and was voted by the coaches as the best young player in the comp (Cripps came 2nd).

One thing Cripps has ahead of The Bont though is that whilst Bont was hard tagged in only his 17th game, it was unbelievably only Cripp's 13th game. I don't know what the history books say, but I can't think of many other players in history that started receiving hard tags (midfield) less than 20 games into their career, let alone 13. Chris Judd is the only player I can think of that might be close (although Cousins was still getting tagged for awhile after Judd's debut IIRC).

Are there any players in history that started getting hard tagged as young and as inexperienced as Bont and Cripps?

Cripps was 20 and 3 months old in only his 13th game when the tagging begun, whilst Bont was only 19 and 4 months old, in his 17th game.

In an era of fantasy points, coaches votes, Brownlows etc, there is still no bigger compliment and validity of a players impact than having the opposition team sacrificing one of their players for the single purpose of shutting you down for the whole game.

 

[SizeMatters]

Here are some fact's that I forgot to add:

Bontempelli started getting hard tagged from the very first bounce of the season. In our Round 1 win vs West Coast by Scott Selwood, this video also has their coach give an explanation as to why they hard tagged The Bont:



FYI, Bont was BOG this game (3 Brownlow votes), just like he was in many games that he was tagged in this year.

As for Cripps, the first hard tag he received came in round 13 against GC (Raines):

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-06-28/cripps-copping-a-hard-tag-is-a-good-thing-says-barker

So Bont was tagged way more this year yet still received a ton more Brownlow votes and was voted by the coaches as the best young player in the comp (Cripps came 2nd).

One thing Cripps has ahead of The Bont though is that whilst Bont was hard tagged in only his 17th game, it was unbelievably only Cripp's 13th game. I don't know what the history books say, but I can't think of many other players in history that started receiving hard tags (midfield) less than 20 games into their career, let alone 13. Chris Judd is the only player I can think of that might be close (although Cousins was still getting tagged for awhile after Judd's debut IIRC).

Are there any players in history that started getting hard tagged as young and as inexperienced as Bont and Cripps?

Cripps was 20 and 3 months old in only his 13th game when the tagging begun, whilst Bont was only 19 and 4 months old, in his 17th game.

In an era of fantasy points, coaches votes, Brownlows etc, there is still no bigger compliment and validity of a players impact than having the opposition team sacrificing one of their players for the single purpose of shutting you down for the whole game.

All the Bont did was boot it 50m into the forward line... Yawn

 

[MotleyLemon]

All the Bont did was boot it 50m into the forward line... Yawn

You've got a lot to look forward to with Ben Keays then.

 

[CD__]

1. Nathan Fyfe
2. Gary Ablett
3. Patrick Dangerfield
4. Scott Pendlebury
5. Robbie Gray
6. Daniel Hannebery
7. Sam Mitchell
8. Joel Selwood
9. Josh Kennedy
10. Dayne Beams
11. Luke Parker
12. Dustin Martin
13. Matt Priddis
14. David Mundy
15. Dylan Shiel
16. Dyson Heppell
17. Travis Boak
18. Jordan Lewis
19. Marcus Bontempelli
20. Jack Steven

Tried to place more emphasis on damaging disposals, rather than total stats.

 

[MotleyLemon]

1. Nathan Fyfe
2. Gary Ablett
3. Patrick Dangerfield
4. Scott Pendlebury
5. Robbie Gray
6. Daniel Hannebery
7. Sam Mitchell
8. Joel Selwood
9. Josh Kennedy
10. Dayne Beams
11. Luke Parker
12. Dustin Martin
13. Matt Priddis
14. David Mundy
15. Dylan Shiel
16. Dyson Heppell
17. Travis Boak
18. Jordan Lewis
19. Marcus Bontempelli
20. Jack Steven

Tried to place more emphasis on damaging disposals, rather than total stats.

Why is Hanneberry so high then?

 

[Kingfish73]

Missing persons list perhaps?

I have never understood the whole Cotchin thing. Deledio and Martin are miles ahead of him and have critical impacts in games. Cotchin chalks up possession but never seen him hurt teams. But then again, I dont watch him every week.

 

[CD__]

Why is Hanneberry so high then?

Why not? I've never understood people questioning his ability to hurt the opposition. His kicking obviously isn't elite but it's generally better than he is given credit for. The opposition coaches must have thought he was reasonably damaging this year and they are probably better judges than you or I.

 

[MotleyLemon]

Why not? I've never understood people questioning his ability to hurt the opposition. His kicking obviously isn't elite but it's generally better than he is given credit for. The opposition coaches must have thought he was reasonably damaging this year and they are probably better judges than you or I.

Top 5 for total handballs, top 25ish for total kicks.

He must be the best player in the comp if you're weighting hurt factor over stats.

More damaging than Sam Mitchell?

I don't even think he's the most damaging mid at Sydney.

 

[CD__]

Top 5 for total handballs, top 25ish for total kicks.

He must be the best player in the comp if you're weighting hurt factor over stats.

More damaging than Sam Mitchell?

I don't even think he's the most damaging mid at Sydney.

I'd argue that his gut-running ability - particularly late in quarters - is very damaging.
For argument's sake, who do you think is Sydney's most damaging mid? Parker and Kennedy are both often criticised for their foot-skills.

 

[MotleyLemon]

I'd argue that his gut-running ability - particularly late in quarters - is very damaging.
For argument's sake, who do you think is Sydney's most damaging mid? Parker and Kennedy are both often criticised for their foot-skills.

Jack is, or at least he once was, but now he only gets it 15 times a game.

Sydney's midfield with Parker/Hanneberry/Kennedy/Tom Mitchell is very vanilla. Too many similar players, no genuine outside guys, especially now Lewis Jetta has gone.

Hopefully Heeney and Mills add a bit of something different.

 

[First Poster]

Wrong. Cripps first tag came in round 12 against GC, where he got shutdown. Whilst Bont's was being tagged since round1 (Scott Selwood). In fact Murphy received more tags all year that Cripps did.

Cripps is a great inside bull but just doesn't have the explosive x-factor that Bont uses to break away from taggers.

Example: This vid below was against Ben Jacobs who was easily the best tagger all year. With Jacobs hanging off his back he still gets a clearance, breaks away, only to have Jacobs come back and he breaks away from him again, beating him twice in 1 play. On the stat sheet this would only count as 1 disposal but he singe handedly created a goal from a back half stoppage while being tagged.



Bonts disposals are just worth so much more than Cripps.

PS. That game against North, Bont ended up easy BOG (3 Brownlow votes + all 10 coaches points), with Jacobs hanging off him all game. 10 clearances, 18 contested disposals and a goal.

Showing a highlight video proves nothing.

I could just reply with a highlight of Cripps hand balling over his head after gaining a clearance with a heavy tag to set up Bell for a goal. And say "this is why Cripps is not that far behind Bont. "

I think you guys are getting me wrong. I have never said he is better the Bont. Don't think I even said he was equall. All I have said is that Cripps should more of a consideration to top 20 if The Bont is getting in everyone's Top 20.

Patrick Cripps is a gun and will be in everyone's top 20 by the end of next year. Bookmark it.

 

[First Poster]

Here are some fact's that I forgot to add:

Bontempelli started getting hard tagged from the very first bounce of the season. In our Round 1 win vs West Coast by Scott Selwood, this video also has their coach give an explanation as to why they hard tagged The Bont:



FYI, Bont was BOG this game (3 Brownlow votes), just like he was in many games that he was tagged in this year.

As for Cripps, the first hard tag he received came in round 13 against GC (Raines):

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-06-28/cripps-copping-a-hard-tag-is-a-good-thing-says-barker

So Bont was tagged way more this year yet still received a ton more Brownlow votes and was voted by the coaches as the best young player in the comp (Cripps came 2nd).

One thing Cripps has ahead of The Bont though is that whilst Bont was hard tagged in only his 17th game, it was unbelievably only Cripp's 13th game. I don't know what the history books say, but I can't think of many other players in history that started receiving hard tags (midfield) less than 20 games into their career, let alone 13. Chris Judd is the only player I can think of that might be close (although Cousins was still getting tagged for awhile after Judd's debut IIRC).

Are there any players in history that started getting hard tagged as young and as inexperienced as Bont and Cripps?

Cripps was 20 and 3 months old in only his 13th game when the tagging begun, whilst Bont was only 19 and 4 months old, in his 17th game.

In an era of fantasy points, coaches votes, Brownlows etc, there is still no bigger compliment and validity of a players impact than having the opposition team sacrificing one of their players for the single purpose of shutting you down for the whole game.

Nice reply.

My last reply I wrote before reading this one.

One this is for sure we have 10-12 years to go to watch these to guys perform.

Number 1 & 2 in years to come. And I'm sure we will argue about that when the time come!

 

[shintemaster]

1. Nathan Fyfe
2. Gary Ablett
3. Patrick Dangerfield
4. Scott Pendlebury
5. Robbie Gray
6. Daniel Hannebery
7. Sam Mitchell
8. Joel Selwood
9. Josh Kennedy
10. Dayne Beams
11. Luke Parker
12. Dustin Martin
13. Matt Priddis
14. David Mundy
15. Dylan Shiel
16. Dyson Heppell
17. Travis Boak
18. Jordan Lewis
19. Marcus Bontempelli
20. Jack Steven

Tried to place more emphasis on damaging disposals, rather than total stats.

Perhaps move Heppell up the list - he damages Essendon plenty of times with his disposal.

 

[Trob]

Watson and heppell in the top 20.. Don't think so buddy. Cripps was a mile head of both of those names. As was Dane Swan

Kidding yourself

 

[CD__]

Jack is, or at least he once was, but now he only gets it 15 times a game.

Sydney's midfield with Parker/Hanneberry/Kennedy/Tom Mitchell is very vanilla. Too many similar players, no genuine outside guys, especially now Lewis Jetta has gone.

Hopefully Heeney and Mills add a bit of something different.

You're preaching to the choir ! Sydney really need a big year out of guys like McVeigh and Lloyd who are good users by foot. I think we'll see Buddy playing further up the field as well and he's comfortably the Swans' best field kick.

 

[TropperFarquhar]

Kidding yourself

Swan finished Top 10 in the Brownlow and was nominatied for the AA side. He was a mile infront of Watson last year and has been for his career.