Hawthorn's Most Important Player

[Fluro Boots]

I'd say Hale's 2013 finals series was outstanding. Was easily the best ruckman in the finals that year.

Without looking at stats to back it up I reckon his last 6 weeks of 13 were excellent. It seemed he remembered how to take good contested grabs around the ground not just in the forward line. Marking power around the ground is just as important if not more so from your ruckman, it's what i like about ceglar and mcevoy too.

Cant exactly remember which game it was in 13 but remember us kicking long to hale from fullback to the point of the square 3 or 4 times and each time he marked it or set us up well. Hale and Roughy taking the next step have played as big a part in us going from also rans to B2B premiers as anyone, Lewy deserves to be included in that as well.

 

[Hawks1994]

Although Hodge is god, I would say Roughie for the simple fact of the many different roles he can play and all extremely effective

 

[Brant]

Pro....-35, I think it was - maybe in a Training thread - suggested that Roughy will take over as 'Mr Fix It' once Hodge has retired. That comment almost had me spitting out my coffee!

What a terrifying thought for opposition coaches: they finally see off Hodgey into retirement, only for a bigger (redder) version to replace him!!!! I thought the poster (pretty sure P-35) was in great form calling this so early & I think it'll be the way we go.

 

[cryptor]

Pro....-35, I think it was - maybe in a Training thread - suggested that Roughy will take over as 'Mr Fix It' once Hodge has retired. That comment almost had me spitting out my coffee!

What a terrifying thought for opposition coaches: they finally see off Hodgey into retirement, only for a bigger (redder) version to replace him!!!! I thought the poster (pretty sure P-35) was in great form calling this so early & I think it'll be the way we go.

We'd still need to find a replacement for Roughy in the forward line. I know we have TO'B who has shown some, but not yet quite enough to suggest he will make it.

 

[Brant]

We'd still need to find a replacement for Roughy in the forward line. I know we have TO'B who has shown some, but not yet quite enough to suggest he will make it.

For sure.

 

[seysearles]

Pro....-35, I think it was - maybe in a Training thread - suggested that Roughy will take over as 'Mr Fix It' once Hodge has retired. That comment almost had me spitting out my coffee!

What a terrifying thought for opposition coaches: they finally see off Hodgey into retirement, only for a bigger (redder) version to replace him!!!! I thought the poster (pretty sure P-35) was in great form calling this so early & I think it'll be the way we go.

Hasn't Roughy been a Mr Fix-it since 2011-2012 when Bailey was injured and he was forced to play on ball? He was basically a fwd come ruck midfielder. You can often catch him in the back line also (see below in 2014 gf).

 

[Brant]

Hasn't Roughy been a Mr Fix-it since 2011-2012 when Bailey was injured and he was forced to play on ball? He was basically a fwd come ruck midfielder. You can often catch him in the back line also (see below in 2014 gf).

I'm not arguing with your post SS - just think it'll go to another level when Hodgey is gone. He'll still be a Fwd come whatever, but I expect we'll see him line up everywhere from FP to FB in the same game come 2016.

 

[cryptor]

Hasn't Roughy been a Mr Fix-it since 2011-2012 when Bailey was injured and he was forced to play on ball? He was basically a fwd come ruck midfielder. You can often catch him in the back line also (see below in 2014 gf).

You're obviously mistaken. Roughead never goes into the back line according to the all knowing opposition supporters in this thread... http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/best-tall-swingman-in-the-afl.1084668/page-6

 

[Procrastinator35]

Pro....-35, I think it was - maybe in a Training thread - suggested that Roughy will take over as 'Mr Fix It' once Hodge has retired. That comment almost had me spitting out my coffee!

What a terrifying thought for opposition coaches: they finally see off Hodgey into retirement, only for a bigger (redder) version to replace him!!!! I thought the poster (pretty sure P-35) was in great form calling this so early & I think it'll be the way we go.

Na mate, it weren't me....Like to take the cred for it, but must have been some one else....Since he did his Achilles I reckon Clarko has been loathe to play him backwards of center, while also minimizing any time in the middle to cameos when required.

FWIW, I see Breust as our next Mr Fixit...Kid just keeps getting better year after year & has shown no sign of slowing down in that dept either....I expect to see his time in the middle increase significantly this year, & eventually foresee his role to that of an around the ground trouble-shooter, once we find an adequate replacement up forwards for him!....His instincts for the game situation are first class!

 

[Brant]

Na mate, it weren't me....Like to take the cred for it, but must have been some one else....Since he did his Achilles I reckon Clarko has been loathe to play him backwards of center, while also minimizing any time in the middle to cameos when required.

FWIW, I see Breust as our next Mr Fixit...Kid just keeps getting better year after year & has shown no sign of slowing down in that dept either....I expect to see his time in the middle increase significantly this year, & eventually foresee his role to that of an around the ground trouble-shooter, once we find an adequate replacement up forwards for him!....His instincts for the game situation are first class!

Whoa... Hold it right there - Breuset as a Mr Fix It? That after Hodge, Roughy & Burgoyne?

No, Mr P-35, I'm starting to think that you're our Mr fix It! Suggesting on-field changes years before they happen! I'm keen to hear whether yo think Sicily will replace Breust (as he moves midfield) & whether TO'B might replace Gunners if he moves KPF?

 

[Procrastinator35]

Whoa... Hold it right there - Breuset as a Mr Fix It? That after Hodge, Roughy & Burgoyne?

No, Mr P-35, I'm starting to think that you're our Mr fix It! Suggesting on-field changes years before they happen! I'm keen to hear whether yo think Sicily will replace Breust (as he moves midfield) & whether TO'B might replace Gunners if he moves KPF?

Na mate....I have no more special abilities than any other poster in here, other than using my own 2 eyes when watching us play!

Having been served up a glut of replays on the Foxtel I.Q this off season, gives one the opportunity to dine out on things which you wouldn't necessarily notice nor focus upon when otherwise heavily invested in the outcome of every mark, kick & handball of each & every play!

Breusts' abilities & improvement across these past 4 seasons is no secret!....It just becomes apparent in big matches the amount of times he steps up at a crucial moment to either apply a crucial tackle, goal assist or goal himself in so many games.

A perfect example of this, is in the round 18 game against the Swans....With 10 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter we are some 22 or so points behind & struggling to gain ascendancy of a match we so desperately needed to win....Enter Breust!....He had a direct hand in almost all of the next 5 goals we kicked from there on in during the 3rd quarter. I'd go so far as to say that he was the main instigator of what happened thereafter...Alot of this was owing to his work in the midfield & half forward, which enabled us to overtake the Swans & lead by 9 points going into the final break....A break which ultimately decided the outcome of that game & in our club ensuring a top 2 finish in 2014!

His first goal in the Grand Final to immediately answer Buddy's goal & put us back on level pegging was all class....And came at a crucial time to curtail any thoughts of them gaining an ascendancy or momentum.....The kid is a class act....It ain't rocket science my friend.

As for Sicily & O'Brien?... I, like you and many others in here, hold high hopes for both of em....No player is ever a direct replacement or swap for another & Sicily is a different beast altogether to Breust....From the little I've seen of the Mafia Man, then it's pretty obvious that he has a great pair of hands on him, but when it comes to his ground play when the ball is on the deck, then he bears little resemblance to the deft skills & abilities Breust brings to the table!...If there is a Gunston comparison to be had on our list, then Sicily is more the man I'd reckon.

O'Brien I very much like the look of & am very excited by what he brings to the table in terms of his skill-set....The kid is a beautiful mover & has such clean marking & kicking skills that it's hard not to be impressed by him....He may have a build similar to Gunstan ATM, but I genuinely see him as the long-term replacement for Roughead at full-forward, without a shadow of a doubt!

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

You're obviously mistaken. Roughead never goes into the back line according to the all knowing opposition supporters in this thread... http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/best-tall-swingman-in-the-afl.1084668/page-6

Geez Rough's taken massive strides in his versatility and knowing when to drop back etc.

 

[killerspud]

It's bizzare but I think we can cover Rough - Gunston, Breust, Rioli, Hale and the midfield can kick a winning score (It's like how not having franklin didn't make a difference) - Always seen Rough as more icing than cake.

I also think we can cover Hodge.

The one I don't think we can cover is Burgoyne because simply there is no one with his big game poise and his ability to just go where things are going wrong and make it right. So I'd nominate Burgoyne as our most important player followed by the Lake/Gibson combination (hopefully Frawley can give them backup and Stratton is the closest thing we have to Burgoyne backup but needs to develop a goal-kicking string to his bow)

 

[cryptor]

It's bizzare but I think we can cover Rough - Gunston, Breust, Rioli, Hale and the midfield can kick a winning score (It's like how not having franklin didn't make a difference) - Always seen Rough as more icing than cake.

I also think we can cover Hodge.

The one I don't think we can cover is Burgoyne because simply there is no one with his big game poise and his ability to just go where things are going wrong and make it right. So I'd nominate Burgoyne as our most important player followed by the Lake/Gibson combination (hopefully Frawley can give them backup and Stratton is the closest thing we have to Burgoyne backup but needs to develop a goal-kicking string to his bow)

We got by without Buddy precisely because we had Roughy. Take Roughy out and the only big body down there is Hale and it's not the same.

 

[seysearles]

It's bizzare but I think we can cover Rough - Gunston, Breust, Rioli, Hale and the midfield can kick a winning score (It's like how not having franklin didn't make a difference) - Always seen Rough as more icing than cake.

I also think we can cover Hodge.

The one I don't think we can cover is Burgoyne because simply there is no one with his big game poise and his ability to just go where things are going wrong and make it right. So I'd nominate Burgoyne as our most important player followed by the Lake/Gibson combination (hopefully Frawley can give them backup and Stratton is the closest thing we have to Burgoyne backup but needs to develop a goal-kicking string to his bow)

 

[Rushed_Behind]

View attachment 106822

Beat me to it. Not enough love for the great man. When sh1t is hitting the fan enter one S. Burgoyne. I love the man. I didn't think I could love a man more than Luke Hodge, but S. Burgoyne is mowing him down for my love.

 

[Gralin]

We need both playing well to threepeat
I think we could win enough games to play finals missing Hodge, not sure if we could missing Rough
I don't think we can win a Granny without Hodge (2 Norm Smiths) maybe we could without Rough but who wants to

 

[Procrastinator35]

The way we carved up Sydney in the Grand Final, then it wouldn't have mattered who played at full-forward, they'd have kicked 5 goals....All of Rougheads' goals were delivered to him on a platter by Cyril , Gunston, Hill etc.....Having said that though, he would still be the player we could least afford to lose & find hardest to replace, in terms of our team structure, as was evident in the Preliminary final....Lake would be a close second.

Our most important player so far as consistency of performance across the entirety of Clarko's reign would have to be Mitchell....He is the main cog in our engine room & leads from the front by his deeds/actions on the field.

For leadership & presence, then we all know it's Hodge!....For big game awareness, Burgoyne,,,,For X factor, Cyril!

The question in the O/P is way too general & open ended when assessing a Champion Team that's full of Champions!....Too many essential ingredients.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Poll needs Stevic option.

 

[markr]

Can I vote for Clarko?

 

[cryptor]

Poll needs Stevic option.

My ears are burning...