Sam Mitchell vs Luke Hodge

[pacman]

Not me Voss is in my top 5 of all time.
Surprised.

 

[Gone Critical]

Judd is absolutely without question over-rated over his career. I think you would actually struggle to find an argument that he is not.

FTR, I would have Voss and Hodge of approximately equal stature, with Mitchell above both.

I love Sam Mitchell as a player. He is not in the same group as Voss who dominated his time. Sammy has been underrated because he has been left out of the best 10 or 20 in a year at times, he and Voss are just a diferent level.

As for Hodge being Voss's equivalent, I just laughed.

 

[QuietB]

Yep, two quiet matches out of 18. The thing is, all the well known big game players (Hodge, Bartel, etc) have had finals matches just as quiet or worse. What's more, Mitchell got the hard tag from Ling in the first and from Crowley in the second - probably the two best taggers of all time (and others like Hodge and Bartel don't usually cop the same hard tag). Incidentally, Hawthorn won both of these games and Clarko highlighted (at least for the Freo one) that he asked Mitchell to sacrifice his own game by occuping Crowley and allowing the other mids to have free passage.

I personally think Prelims are just as important as Grand Finals, especially for Hawthorn who seem to find the Prelim partcularly tough/high pressure. Looking at Mitchell's Prelims:

2008 - 33 possessions, 8 clearances, 7 inside 50's, 3 tackles - BOG

2011 - 31 possesions, 7 clearances, 5 inside 50's and a goal. With Lewis, probably BOG.

2012 - 29 possessions, 7 clearances, 9 inside 50's, 6 tackles - BOG.

2013 - 38 possessions, 11 clearances, 8 inside 50's, 6 one percenter's. Easily BOG (and one of the best finals performances of all time IMO).

2014 - 26 possessions, 8 tackles, 4 clearances. One of the best on ground.

Arguably BOG in 5 out of five prelims, 4 of which were decided by less than a goal and 3 which saw Hawthorn become premiers. If only people remembered prelims half as much as Grand finals (even though Sam has played a very good Grand Final and a Norm Smith worthy Grand Final as well).

Agree largely but Buygoyne was massive in the 2013 prelim, Mitchell was not easily BOG, maybe not at all.

You should never say out loud which one of your kids you love most. Same rules apply here.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Mitchell will be HoF on ability.
Hodge will be HoF on accolades.

Mitchell's disposal is so far ahead of Hodge's its not even funny. Mitchell all day.

 

[hawkman]

Amazing how we have won 3 flags with all these average players that we have

 

[HolyWars]

Mitchell's 2008 and 2013 Grandfinals really hurt his reputation but in reality theyre his only poor performances

Just for reference on how it matches up, Possessions 27.61(11) Tackles 4.44 Clearances 5.88

Yeah, 2008 in particular was a stinker from him. But then people need to remember that without his performances in the 2012 and 2013 Preliminary Finals, there would not have been a Grand Finals for Hawthorn to play in.

 

[detox]

Mitchell will be HoF on ability.
Hodge will be HoF on accolades.

Mitchell's disposal is so far ahead of Hodge's its not even funny. Mitchell all day.

Hodge will be Hof on accolades? Yeah I guess your right. Accolades he received for consistent elite seasons and dominating grand finals.

And as for Mitchells disposal? It's better than basically everyone's. Why use that to bag hodge, who also happens to be an elite kick.

 

[Bobby_]

Amazing how we have won 3 flags with all these average players that we have

Say thank you to Brian Lake. He's the sole reason why you have scraped through the last two preliminary finals.

Remember it was all on Shoenmakers shoulders to seize the moment in the big games

 

[Lethality]

Say thank you to Brian Lake. He's the sole reason why you have scraped through the last two preliminary finals.

He wasn't relied on in the 2014 PF. He kept Wingard quiet, but a small defender could've done that, and it looked like Wingard was keeping himself quiet anyway because he came alive in the final quarter for some reason.

I hope Heatherley gets a rookie promotion to replace kiaden Brand this year, he looks the goods.

 

[Mitchell54]

I took would take hodge if i could have one now.

5 years ago i would take Mitchell

 

[Claude Balls]

Interesting. Put Hodge up against another Hawthorn player and it seems the idolatry subsides.... who would have thought, based on the way Hawks fans carry on in other threads, that Mitchell would out-vote him 3 to 1.

 

[detox]

Is Mitchell better than Judd?

Pretty sure the Judd / Hodge poll is closer.

 

[Monkey King]

Is Mitchell better than Judd?

Pretty sure the Judd / Hodge poll is closer.

Just shows is how inconsistent BF polls can be. Not a very rational place sometimes.

 

[cyril4brownlow]

Mitchell has been the best hawk in a very successful era for the hawks. It is not unreasonable at all to consider him better than Judd.

 

[Monkey King]

Mitchell has been the best hawk in a very successful era for the hawks. It is not unreasonable at all to consider him better than Judd.

Oh goodness. Hawk fans have seriously lost all perspective. Next Mitchell and Hodge will be better than Ablett.

 

[cyril4brownlow]

Oh goodness. Hawk fans have seriously lost all perspective. Next Mitchell and Hodge will be better than Ablett.

I think you are either too biased or have no individual thought. How could saying Mitchell is better than Judd mean i have lost all perspective?

 

[Monkey King]

I think you are either too biased or have no individual thought. How could saying Mitchell is better than Judd mean i have lost all perspective?

Yes yes. I'm the one who is biased Alrightythen.

As for your question, it kinda answers itself. I'm just left shaking my head at what you blokes have come up with over the off-season.

What's next? Roughy better than Carey? Gibson better than Scarlett?

 

[cyril4brownlow]

Next Mitchell and Hodge will be better than Ablett.

What's next? Roughy better than Carey? Gibson better than Scarlett?

Your responses are so formulaic and simple-minded. Sorry for questioning your messiah princess.

 

[Monkey King]

Sorry for questioning your messiah princess.

Sums up the mentality really.

As for my formulaic responses, they're serious questions; how far are you prepared to push your fanboi exposition?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

It is a bit strange.

I came across this article the other day regarding the best big game players in the AFL.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl...t-biggame-player/story-e6frf3e3-1227069414874

They picked out Jimmy Bartel, Luke Hodge, Scott Pendlebury, Gary Ablett Jnr and Steve Johnson (Hodge won from Ablett).
They posted average possessions, contested possessions, clearances, tackles and goals in finals to evidence their claim (and a comment about each players best few finals).

The thing is, Sam Mitchell averages more possessions in finals (easily) than any of those players*. Same goes for contested possessions AND clearances. Only Pendles lays more tackles, with half a tackle more. What's more, some of the finals mentioned would not make Mitchell's top 10 finals.

He really is underratted as a big game player

*(in fact I haven't been able to find any player ever who averages more of the ball in finals than Mitchell)

Maybe they're basing it more on his 4 gf appearances. Last year I thought he was best on, in one other he was average and in the other two he was almost non-existent.

This is a tough poll for me. I love Mitchell's dual sidedness and I love Hodge's ability to produce in big moments and his leadership. I'd probably just take Mitchell. Maybe.

 

[La Vache]

The players have ranked Hodge at 8 and Mitch at 18.

Last season it was Hodge at 13, Mitch at 10.

My rankings at the end of 2014 were Hodge at 21, Mitch at 7.

I guess it's a pretty good poll.

 

[Schraderbrau]

What's next? Roughy better than Carey? Gibson better than Scarlett?

I'm waiting for a Hodge is better than James Albert thread, think the board might explode.

 

[Moist Biscuit]

I'm waiting for a Hodge is better than James Albert thread, think the board might explode.

Or a Hodge is the best Hawthorn player of the last 15 years thread.

 

[WWSD]

Or a Hodge is the best Hawthorn player of the last 15 years thread.

We don't need a thread for that. We know he's the best Hawk of this era.

 

[Moist Biscuit]

We don't need a thread for that. We know he's the best Hawk of this era.

Buddy >>Hodge