Which current player has the best football IQ?

[Gray matters]

Would be interesting to see people's opinions regarding this, would probably be a few players I have missed who could be up there.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Hard to go past Gaz imo.

 

[Kram]

Pendles.

 

[Leezorr]

For us Bob Murphy would be right up there, comp wise I think it's either pendles, Mitchell or GAJ.

 

[joop]

Chris Dawes, he's a lawyer....


Zing

 

[eth-dog]

Sam Mitchell is a slow, small inside mid who can barely kick over 40 metres, yet is rightfully called as one of the best players in the game. To me that says he's got a footy brain like no other.

 

[Gray matters]

Sam Mitchell is a slow, small inside mid who can barely kick over 40 metres, yet is rightfully called as one of the best players in the game. To me that says he's got a footy brain like no other.

I am of the same train of thought, absolute freak

 

[Kavliaris69]

I am of the same train of thought, absolute freak

Try telling that to Carey. LOL

 

[Kavliaris69]

It is a tough question you ask OP. When I think about footy IQ I would suggest that it's a player that can read play, read the ball flight, execute a game plan, improvise outside the game plan, adapt to the changing flows of the game, bringing others into the game, the vision to find a right (not any) man or evade.

The most important attribute would be the player that can make the right decision on where to send the ball and having a good notion on what the flow on may be after that play. Predicting the play ahead is the key to the decision.

That's why there are a lot of A graders but not all have the nous, IQ and the balls to do what needs to be done. Some of the best decision makers I have seen are Pendles, Hodge, Mitchell, Selwood, Malceski and Stevie J (Jobe Watson in his younger years was also pretty good). GAJ is a champ and a ball magnet as we all know but does not have the IQ that these guys possess IMO to make these measured decisions in a split second.

 

[chaelsonnen]

Hodge for me. His footy skills are sometimes overrated, but imo his footy IQ is the best out there.

 

[The Bomb]

Ablett, gets more of the ball compared to the other mids and kicks more goals then them all also.
Right spot at the right time all of the time.

 

[GarnerSmash]

Mitchell, Hodge, Ablett and Bartel.

The ability of Ablett and Mitchell to direct play in the middle of the park, to create their own space and to implement the give and go to get themselves into an open position to receive is phenomenal.

The ability of Hodge and Bartel to read the play a phase or two before the ball is in their part of the ground and position themselves perfectly to influence the contest is also fantastic. Combined with an innate understanding when their team needs them to stand up, and the ability to do so is invaluable to their team and the sign of a great player.

 

[Roachy8]

Re. the players listed - GAblett.

I'm also gonna drop this here and then run far away in anticipation of a fire-storm...
Jack Riewoldt is a very very smart footballer.

 

[Wargreymon90]

Mitchell

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

Pendlebury, followed by Mitchell. If by football IQ we are talking about ability to read flow of the play, see things others don't see and pick the best option.

That is to say, it is a measure of how fast their mind works compared to their physical attributes. Neither Pendlebury or Mitchell are quick but seem to have all the time in the world. I wouldn't put GAJ on the same level because he does have the physical attributes, he is quick, yes he is a good decision-maker but that isn't the hallmark of what makes him a champion.

 

[Jak!x]

Hodge for me. His footy skills are sometimes overrated, but imo his footy IQ is the best out there.

Footy skills are definitely overrated, but has the IQ to make up for it.

 

[WWSD]

Scott Pendlebury. Reads the game exceptionally well.

 

[Sprout]

Wondered wtf Wingard was doing in this company.

Saw the OP's team and got my answer.

 

[pacman]

Sam Mitchell is a slow, small inside mid who can barely kick over 40 metres, yet is rightfully called as one of the best players in the game. To me that says he's got a footy brain like no other.

It was no wonder he didn't get drafted as an 18yr old.

 

[Big Fresh]

Between Mitchell and Pendlebury. They're both able to sum everything up so quickly.

 

[Slax]

Dustin Fletcher easily trumps anyone on that list

 

[Kavliaris69]

Dustin Fletcher easily trumps anyone on that list

Good call on that one. A very very smart footballer. I wouldn't say trumps everyone but definitely in the best.

Well done for thinking outside the square and considering a non-midfielder.

 

[Slax]

Good call on that one. A very very smart footballer. I wouldn't say trumps everyone but definitely in the best.

Well done for thinking outside the square and considering a non-midfielder.

The simple reason why he is still playing at 40 is because he understands the game so well and where he needs to be to fulfil his role. I think that is actually harder than being in the midfield and getting the ball.

Good vision and skills mean you know how to use the ball, a good football brain means you know where the ball is going to go before it is even kicked.

 

[blitzer]

I was going to pick Pendlebury and then Slax mentioned Fletcher and i thought - yeah that makes a lot of sense. Fletcher was able to play as a 17 year old on some of the great forwards of the 90s and is still going at 40 in large part thanks to his great football IQ. In fact his ability to make really quick decisions in defense has always been one of his great strengths.

So Fletcher then Pendlebury for me.

 

[Spitter9]

Sam Mitchell comfortably. What he lacks in pace makes up with extraordinary football intelligence. Smartest player in the game