Opinion I'm sick of hearing that Jack Riewoldt is in career best form

[Morro]

I'm not Convinced he's in career best form. I don't reckon he could kick 80 goals now as a stay at home FF these days. But I'll concede he is a different player and couldn't have played his current role a few years ago.

He's adapted, not necessarily better.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

I think what they are trying to say is that despite his lack of goals he is having as big a impact if not greater this year !

 

[aislegi]

I just don't think it's directly comparable. You don't need to be very good to kick 40 goals in a poor side because there are so few options.

 

[Tigerforlife78]

I'm not Convinced he's in career best form. I don't reckon he could kick 80 goals now as a stay at home FF these days. But I'll concede he is a different player and couldn't have played his current role a few years ago.

He's adapted, not necessarily better.

I think some of it is also the obvious evolution of our forward line from being 90% Jack reliant to Dimma developing a spread of scorers up forward to make us harder to shut down. We didn't have the drawing power or cola of Sydney or the head start of clarkos plans at the hawks for this plan originally so Dimma has had to work with what hes got, I would say he is tracking ok in this direction but it will also mean less goals for Jack drawing a man/men or playing up the ground more. All in all though opposition supporters are kidding themselves if they don't think ol Jacky boy would be a straight up inclusion in their best 22 at their club.

 

[57Tig]

He's playing great footy at the moment, and this is the best he's looked in a few years, but it sickens me how everyone just pretends his 2010 season never happened.

Back in 2010, after starting the season with 15.15 in his first 7 games, he went on a goalkicking rampage that hasn't been matched since.

4 goals vs Hawthorn
6 goals vs Essendon
4 goals vs Port Adelaide
6 goals vs St Kilda
10 goals vs West Coast
3 goals vs Brisbane
5 goals vs Sydney
5 goals vs Fremantle
3 goals vs North
2 goals vs Collingwood
2 goals vs Adelaide
1 goal vs Melbourne
2 goals vs Carlton
7 goals vs St Kilda
3 goals vs Port Adelaide
6 goals vs Carlton
0 goals vs St Kilda (KO'd in the first 5 minutes)
1 goal vs Hawthorn
4 goals vs Collingwood
5 goals vs North
5 goals vs Brisbane
4 goals vs Fremantle
4 goals vs Bulldogs
4 goals vs Essendon
3 goals vs Port

That's 99 goals in 24/25 games. Dave Gourdis crunched his ribs shortly after that and he slowed down a bit.

Jack absolutely dominated back in 2010. It's great that he's now managing to have an impact even when he's held to 1-2 goals, but he was winning games off his own boot in 2010. Colossal. Yet if you go onto the main board and say that Jack's peak was better than Tommahawk's or Taylor Walker's you'll get howled down as a crazy person. Seriously, try it some time.

It's nice to see him starting to get some recognition as a gun forward, because he has been disgustingly maligned for a long, long time.

End rant

true a fantastic year from then on opposition worked him and richmond out and he has not scored the same although has been fantastic and our leading goal kicker. The reason I see this as some of his best foot ball is he is not predictable any more and gets his possessions all over the ground and is still up there with the leading goal kickers of the comp. He is ranked 5th and other than cameron there is no genuine full forward above him. the game is evolving and jack is re learning. as an overall game that was at least one of his best if not the best game he has played

 

[rideclutch]

Hard to argue with your OP Barry_Badrinath - kicking goals is kinda what footys' about and for a period there he was untouchable in that regard.

My comments on the main board were in regards to what I have seen him do live, off the ball. The way he reads the play and his workrate before he marks it is outstanding in every sense of the word, possibly unmatched right now. His footy nous/skill has always been on par with the elite mid/small forwards in the game, now we see that same skill and his pressure all over the ground, not just when a goal is nearby.

Personally I think he's 95% as dangerous inside 50 as he was in 2010, but infinitely better everywhere else. So perhaps what we're really discussing is semantics:

Career best form? Debatable. More complete player? Undeniable.

 

[This Is Anfield]

I've always maintained that he's one of the smartest footballers going around. He does so many little things that don't stand out its easy to miss. Let people keep under rating him.

Agree, his field kicking, left & right, is elite.

I love it when everyone else underestimates/dismisses RFC or its players. If these idiots want to go on thinking that Lids is a soft sheepdogging chip scab, Houli is afraid of contact and Jack is a petulant sook, let them. It will be all the sweeter when we steamroll them and make their players look second rate.

Absolutely, lazy pigeon holing.

 

[TigerImposter]

OP got it spot on
Has always been a well rounded player who is clever from below the knees to jumping in the air
Is doing all the things he was doing from day one at Coburg and people who have forgotten his 2010 year I suggest you go and watch the highlights reel. Always works hard and like any big fwd he's entitled to have dummy spits as this is in their make-up
Just looks busier now bc his tank is bigger and has a few more mates around him giving him a hand
In 2010 we were absolute rubbish and he was amazing and I doubt Franklin would have done any better in the same team
Champion bloke and always gave the fans at Coburg quality time .an old fashioned down to earth gentleman

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

I actually think that he's a far better footballer today than back then.
He is having a seriously good season.

 

[TigerTime88]

I don't mind the career best form stuff - he is playing seriously well.

I hate when the commentators make comments about his 1%ers like he's never done them before - he's always been team orientated!

This is me watching the commentary in a nut shell.

"He is playing for the team more this year with his GA's up and tackling".

Reckon if they ever bothered to check, which is their job they would realise he ranks extremely high in these stats his whole career.

The media are funny as it seems as soon as one person says something they all hear it and then regurgitate it. Seems none of them can think for themselves so they grab one special comment and do it to death.

 

[Tiger71]

He's playing great footy at the moment, and this is the best he's looked in a few years, but it sickens me how everyone just pretends his 2010 season never happened.

Back in 2010, after starting the season with 15.15 in his first 7 games, he went on a goalkicking rampage that hasn't been matched since.

4 goals vs Hawthorn
6 goals vs Essendon
4 goals vs Port Adelaide
6 goals vs St Kilda
10 goals vs West Coast
3 goals vs Brisbane
5 goals vs Sydney
5 goals vs Fremantle
3 goals vs North
2 goals vs Collingwood
2 goals vs Adelaide
1 goal vs Melbourne
2 goals vs Carlton
7 goals vs St Kilda
3 goals vs Port Adelaide
6 goals vs Carlton
0 goals vs St Kilda (KO'd in the first 5 minutes)
1 goal vs Hawthorn
4 goals vs Collingwood
5 goals vs North
5 goals vs Brisbane
4 goals vs Fremantle
4 goals vs Bulldogs
4 goals vs Essendon
3 goals vs Port

That's 99 goals in 24/25 games. Dave Gourdis crunched his ribs shortly after that and he slowed down a bit.

Jack absolutely dominated back in 2010. It's great that he's now managing to have an impact even when he's held to 1-2 goals, but he was winning games off his own boot in 2010. Colossal. Yet if you go onto the main board and say that Jack's peak was better than Tommahawk's or Taylor Walker's you'll get howled down as a crazy person. Seriously, try it some time.

It's nice to see him starting to get some recognition as a gun forward, because he has been disgustingly maligned for a long, long time.

End rant

Great post!

Who hacked your account mate ?

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

but it sickens me

Same here mate.Sickens me that they just call him Jack Riewoldt instead of Premiership player Jack Riewoldt.

 

[Foley#41]

I think Jack is as good as he's ever been and better than 2010.

In that season we won only 6 games, all between rounds 10 and 18. In that context, I really don't think opposition coaches would have seen us as a threat. They'd put a good defender on him one on one, and Jack would kick a good bag (averaged 3.7 a game), but the other team would still win (average 17 goals to our 12 goals). The opposition probably saw it as good challenge for the back man.

The last three years we are a threat. Good teams play a blocking player in front of Jack and his personal output drops a bit. But he is working harder and smarter up the ground, opening avenues for other forwards and mids.

Now with Vik and Griff, we have three players who all need a good defender, and Jacks goal/assist numbers are better than ever.

Having said all that, commentators are reactive dicks with goldfish memories who will be saying Jack is washed up if he only kicks one goal next week.

 

[Varicho]

I don't think there's any doubt he is in Career best form. Sure he has kicked more goals in previous years, but this year he is doing everything...

All Australian Lock.

 

[juss]

His all round game is a lot better than it was in 2010. His 2010 was more spectacular, but his game at the moment is really bringing teammates in and making us a better side. It's not just about assists, it's about workrate, tackling, chasing, decision making, etc.

 

[aislegi]

He can't have been that great in 2010 because weren't we worse than Fitzroy?

 

[Madtiger2006]

He's playing so well the commentators the other night were praising him for how well he was standing on the mark!

Previous years he would jog instead of run. I noticed his new intensity at the start of the nab and he's kept it up. He used to whinge to the ump when he could have chased. He's better in this area now.

 

[Mr Magic]

Previous years he would jog instead of run. I noticed his new intensity at the start of the nab and he's kept it up. He used to whinge to the ump when he could have chased. He's better in this area now.

Helps with the team winning but I agree, his improved body behaviour is another big positive and difference!

 

[RunningBounce]

Career best form? Debatable. More complete player? Undeniable.

I agree.

Rating an Aussie Rules player is seriously fraught. Stats never quite capture it, and everything else is subjective. Even the Brownlow is just the collective subjective opinion of the umpires.

You could argue Riewoldt was better in 2010, and you couldn't be wrong. You can argue his in career-best form now, and you couldn't be wrong. It's just opinion.

My opinion is that a rounded player is a better player. I'm loving Riewoldt's season.

 

[RunningBounce]

I'd also add that most good AFL-level players have one career-best season in them that everyone admires. How good was Mick O'Loughlin in 2005?

The truly memorable players have more than one season like that. How good was Plugger, every season between 1987 and 1999?

I'm happy that we're arguing which season was Riewoldt's best

 

[Tigerforlife78]

I'd also add that most good AFL-level players have one career-best season in them that everyone admires. How good was Mick O'Loughlin in 2005?

The truly memorable players have more than one season like that. How good was Plugger, every season between 1987 and 1999?

I'm happy that we're arguing which season was Riewoldt's best

Good point mate, would rather that than we're arguing about if he will ever reach his best.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

He can't have been that great in 2010 because weren't we worse than Fitzroy?

We were. Then Jack took over and we won 6/9. He managed to lead the "Worse than Fitzroy" side to 4 straight wins, 2 of them over finalists.

 

[aislegi]

We were. Then Jack took over and we won 6/9. He managed to lead the "Worse than Fitzroy" side to 4 straight wins, 2 of them over finalists.

So, I guess it should be "worse than Fitzroy, except for Jack Riewoldt"

 

[mcuzzy]

Pretty debatable. The reason his role changed so much was because he was being figured out, keep a strong full back on him and if that doesn't work, just drop someone else back to cover the space he uses.

2010 Riewoldt playing in 2015 wouldn't be a good as 2015 Riewoldt playing in 2010 imo.

 

[Googstar]

Probably his most consistent year I would have thought. Career best maybe, maybe not. He was awesome in 2010.