- Banned
- #801
No way do the Suns pass on Swallow, they'd still take him over Gaff in a heartbeat.
Nope, Johnson was an integral part of the Swans' Premiership.
Draft Review 2010 - Revisit the 2010 Draft
- Thread starter The Bomb
- Start date
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I'd also take Swallow over Gaff in a heartbeat. I expect Gaff to come back to the back over the next few years. He had a massive headstart with his endurance.
It wouldn't surprise me to see Swallow, Atley, Wallis, Libba and Parker end up better players.
That's not taking anything away from Gaff. He was a safe selection and he's great at what he does.
It wouldn't surprise me to see Swallow, Atley, Wallis, Libba and Parker end up better players.
That's not taking anything away from Gaff. He was a safe selection and he's great at what he does.
- Banned
- #803
I strongly doubt the highlighted will.
Swallow yes, Parker maybe. Gaff already is one of the league leaders in metres gained, uncontested possessions and long kicks. Give him a season or two and he will be one of the best outside runners in the comp.
He collects a lot of ball, runs and carries then often brilliantly sets up players. Also has a tonne of physical improvement left. There have been plenty of midfielders like Harvey (St Kilda) and Cousins, who started as great gut running players, but never fell behind their immediate peers as they developed.
It is not just Gaffs gut running that sets him apart, he has a brilliant football brain, excellent kick, is a very smart user of the ball, but most importantly he is incredibly driven and will keep forcing improvement. It would take a lot for a player like Atley to catch him up.
Atley has the talent to surpass Gaff quite easily. Same as Swallow. Wallis, libba and parker are the ones who i doubt.
Smith has better stats and go and watch his finals games this year. Smith has outplayed Johnson anyway you look at it.
In the finals this year-
Brodie Smith v Sydney 20 Disposals
Brodie Smith v Freo 20 Disposals and nearly BOG
Brodie Smith v Hawks 16 Disposals and 1 Goal
Alex Johnson v Ade 11 Disposals
Alex Johnson v Pies 11 Disposals
Alex Johnson v Hawks 15 Disposals
2012 Season Brodie Smith - 22 Games, 371 Possesions and 5 Goals
2012 Season Alex Johnson - 25 Games, 351 Possesions no Goals.
Brodie Smith is a better player than Johnson. Outplayed him the whole year and left him in his dust during the finals series where the quality players stand up.
Liam Anthony > Taylor, McPharlin, Glass and Richards.
Igloo
Not a mod
Well, if he has more disposals he must be better. Boyd > everyone.
Membling
Brownlow Medallist
Not sure if Cleric understands that Johnson is essentially a KPD who can play on talls and smalls whilst smith is a rebounding defender...
Also please watch Johnson's series
Also please watch Johnson's series
You don't understand football very well do you, bud?
Nearly as much as you do if you think Johnson is better than Smith. Johnson is the third defender not a KPD.
But don't be lazy and watch Brodie Smiths finals games. Or just watch the Adel v Freo game, then come back and say who is the better player. Brodie had a better season and a better finals series. Brodie >>>>>>>Johnson.
I have no opinion on whether Smith is better than Johnson, I was more commentating on how you came to the conclusion, not the conclusion itself.
- Banned
- #815
Does a player's first two seasons and team success make him a better footballer and long term prospect than other defenders such as Brodie Smith or Matthew Watson?
Ben Reid didn't fire a shot in his first two season...
Smith's a gun. You clearly didn't see his finals. Everyone will say "Carlton needs the taller defender", but I'd take Smith over the third tall. We need a good medium/small defender.
Membling
Brownlow Medallist
Sigh if you must compare players then compare them to someone who plays a similar position such as Atley or Heppell who are both rebounding defender/midfield rotation sorts. Johnson is only playing as 3rd tall due to Grundy and Richards ahead in KPD stakes as well as him being a rake at the moment. When Richards retires he will step into his role
Membling
Brownlow Medallist
Actually I watched all the finals. The problem is the underrating of Johnson that seems to continually happen on this site.
- Banned
- #819
Disagree strongly, Atley has some ok pace and agility, but not much of a fan of the rest of his game. He has a long way to go before reaching Gaff's standard now, let alone overtaking him.
Its a lot more than ok.
- Banned
- #821
So what, so does Brennan. He really doesn't impress me that much.
Gaff is a gun now. He will only get better, elite endurance, excellent disposal and/or decision making is a rare combination. Guys like Dal Santo, Cousins, Crawford and Harvey, though each different players fit in that mould. Gaff has a broad frame, as he develops physically his inside game will progress and even if it doesn't he is already demonstrating that he could become one of the games elite midfielders.
Whilst Atley has some solid physical attributes, that is no where near enough to claim he has the talent to surpass Gaff quite easily. Pace and agility are simply one measure of talent, when it comes to ball winning ability, skills, endurance and footballing smarts Gaff has him well covered.
Atley hasn't even played in the midfield yet, and when he does you will see why Atley will overtake Gaff.Both players are fantastic to watch but for X factor Atley will overtake him in 2
years
bombermick
Norm Smith Medallist
This is why North fans are so annoying on this site. Gaff is already a star, a Stanton with elite disposal. Atley had a good year, but is nowhere near Gaff's level.
yaco55
Hall of Famer
Atley needs to improve his footy smarts and kicking to reach Gaff's level.
- Banned
- #825
No.
People said the same thing about Deledio for years and it has taken him awhile to fully grow into his current role. Atley is not as talented, nor athletically gifted as Deledio.
Gaff has the attitude and ability to become that gut running Robert Harvey type, sure there are others that may be quicker or flashier, but he is already producing at a very high level and with each consecutive season he will keep improving or working even harder. Like I mentioned, elite gut running ability, coupled with great skills and/or decision making is a pretty rare combination.
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