Player reputations - who do you think needs to have a good final series?

[The 747]

Hawkins does not play well against the Swans. Personally I think the Cats should trade him out.

Nobody in our team plays well against the Swans.

And er trade him? Is that a joke? We have nobody else

 

[Bedi]

Terrible form in finals... Wait,what?

If he puts in a shocker he could well be on the chopping block

 

[Power Raid]

I hope every Port player has a break out game

 

[Bokonon_]

I hope every Port player has a break out game

As do we all, for our clubs. I cant buy into individual players, finals are a time for team performances. Opposition can choose who stands out to some extent. As long as they cant shut down enough threats to win, I'm good.

 

[_Mike_]

I think Richmond is the team with the monkey on their backs in comparison to the other teams competing. So with that the Tigers would need quite a few to stand up and make a mark this September. Riewoldt, Cotchin, Grigg, Nankervis and Rance are going to need to have take it up a few gears so its not left to Martin to carry the load.

 

[Luv_our_club]

Harry Taylor was always the player i would have liked Hawthorn to take from Geelong, but his reputation feels like it has suffered of recent. People forget quickly how good he was. If he can repeat his game against the Tigers, would that remind people or confuse them about his legacy, or enhance?

 

[beert]

Also the 2014 semi was one of the most dominant solo performances I've ever seen live.

Is that where he went full-on beast mode in the last quarter, and they lost narrowly?

I don't watch a lot of football, but that was a performance to remember. Not just kicking a bag of goals against a soft opponent (which is ok, but not that special), but dominating in a tough contested final against good opposition.

 

[Xtreme]

Nobody in our team plays well against the Swans.

And er trade him? Is that a joke? We have nobody else

Cat fans are so confident that Ablett is coming back home, just plonk him as full forward

 

[Heaps of fun]

Is that where he went full-on beast mode in the last quarter, and they lost narrowly?

I don't watch a lot of football, but that was a performance to remember. Not just kicking a bag of goals against a soft opponent (which is ok, but not that special), but dominating in a tough contested final against good opposition.

Yep, we had them all but buried. He was a one man army and it came down to the last minute. Great footy moment as the siren went Nathan Grima, his opponent, instinctively hugged Tomahawk.

 

[javaguice]

Jack darling to tear comp new one

 

[TiggerMan22]

Cotchin and it's not even close. He has captained a team that got steamrolled in the second half by a inferior Carlton team, got blown away within minutes at Adelaide Oval and then went completely missing against North in their last finals loss.

North one is fair.
He had 26 touches and 2 goals against Carlton.
And who cares if their enfrior. Some teams just match up better and the game went the same as the 2 home and away ones.
We gave it all just to make finals in 2014 and came up against a rested port at home that came within 3 point of beating Hawks in a prelim. Considering Hawks won the GF by 10 goals I think it's fair to say Port where very good that series.

 

[TiggerMan22]

Trent Cotchin, without a doubt. Got completely towelled by Jacobs in their last final. I feel like his perceived 'elite status' amongst the AFL general community, took a massive hit after that. Which may or may not be unfair for just one poor, albeit very important game. May have even tarnished his Brownlow a little as people forget how much of a gun he was, during his brownlow year (they only like to remember the more recent elimination final).
Even as a North supporter, he seems like a decent bloke. Hope he can get the chip off his shoulder these finals and play well.

Only the fools in the facebook's comments would think a game played in 2014 tarnished an award from 2012.

 

[blitzer]

Cotchin is the first person that comes to mind and has been widely discussed already.

Wines is one I would probably nominate. Stepped up to a new level this year and he'd want to show that he can get the job done in some big games.

Essendon obviously haven't won a final in forever. I'd probably nominate a few of our senior players that could really elevate their reputations by putting in some good finals performances. Not really focusing on the younger blokes or the guys that are past their best.

Hurley - Probably going to be AA in 2017 and was AA in 2015 - great opportunity for him to show his ability on the big stage. H&A only counts for so much.

Zaharakis - His form since about round 7 has gone totally beneath the radar of opposition supporters but he has been lethal since then. Averaging just shy of 30 touches a game since his poor first 2 months and really doing some damage. Had an incredible 15 inside 50's against Gold Coast last week. It would be good to see him step up when it counts.

Hooker - A player that has been an elite defender and has now been shifted forward. Having a very productive season but not really on the radar of most. Some big performances in finals would really shift how he is viewed as a player.

 

[mike91]

Taylor Walker.

 

[Hobbes]

Isn't it years since a player has performed well in finals for Melbourne?

 

[PerthBoy86]

Cotchin, Walker, Jenkins

 

[who_let_the_dogs_out]

The 5 or 6 swans players that failed to show up on GF day last year. McGlynn retired and Xavier Richards delisted, but the other GF passengers in that 22 will be keen to make amends.

 

[offtherails9]

The whole Crows team just about.

Looked at as soft downhill skiers for the most part (Atkins, Smith, Laird), plus the captain and forward pocket are known to go missing when the going gets tough.

There will be a few Giants players flat about last year thinking it was a big chance. Greene wouldn't love anything more than to shove it up all the haters by smashing it in the finals. Ward will be looking to amend his early exit in the prelim due to concussion, if he was alright they probably would have won that game.

He doesn't need it but I'd love to see Buddy have a big finals series just to further cement his status as a legend of the game.

Riewoldt from the Tigers I reckon, I don't really see the hate and pressure for Cotch as much as others - he goes ok.

 

[Aramis]

Taylor Walker - good club man and team player, bit overrated in his position... needs to really get physical and impose himself on the play.
Eddie Betts - scene is set, this could be Eddie time.
Trent Cotchin - needs to stand up as the captain, especially in the heat of finals.
Dustin Martin - would solidify himself into history with a good finals series.

 

[PhatBoy]

Dangerfield probably. Hasn't had many stand out games (at least for me)

35 vs Hawthorn last year, 19 contested, 6 inside 50s, 7 clearances

39 vs Sydney, 21 contested, 9 inside 50s, 9 clearances

Not sure there's a lot more he could have done.

I think Hawkins has to do a bit, ironically before he became a genuine elite player he played a big hand in some great finals wins but since 2011 he's only had one really big game, kicking 5 against North 3 years ago.
Can probably excuse him last year as we were awful going inside 50 but he needs to step up.

 

[PhatBoy]

Harry Taylor was always the player i would have liked Hawthorn to take from Geelong, but his reputation feels like it has suffered of recent. People forget quickly how good he was. If he can repeat his game against the Tigers, would that remind people or confuse them about his legacy, or enhance?

Fair enough if other teams supporters don't really see him as we do, he's not an eye-catcher aside from his marking, but I think in his own way he's been colossal this year.

People have ragged on his move forward but forget that he kicked 5 in a vital win over the Dogs, 5 in a poor performance against the minor premiers, and 4 in a hugely important win over Richmond, playing in a totally unfamiliar role. He also played his part to perfection in a strange way over the first few months, when Hawkins was probably in AA form.
Any time we have needed him to go back, he's done it and had an immediate impact.

To me all this year has done is enhanced his standing as a brilliant team player, a hard worker, and a very dependable part of the side. Wouldn't swap him for anyone.

 

[Gydafud]

35 vs Hawthorn last year, 19 contested, 6 inside 50s, 7 clearances

39 vs Sydney, 21 contested, 9 inside 50s, 9 clearances

Not sure there's a lot more he could have done.

Yeah, fair point. Maybe because they were a close game, and a big loss, that his impact was less, but maybe they would have been worse off without him. High possession but what impact?

 

[JPetro83]

Betts. simple. the last 2 years he has kicked bags of 5 goals in the Elim finals but in the semi finals against better opposition he hasn't delivered.
I want him to carve it up to get the haters and the flogs that bag him out off his back

 

[JPetro83]

The channel 7 commentary team.

I wont be listening to them.. volume down.. ABC radio turned up. ABC radio is pure footy commentating with no ego's or floggatry.

 

[PhatBoy]

Yeah, fair point. Maybe because they were a close game, and a big loss, that his impact was less, but maybe they would have been worse off without him. High possession but what impact?

Our forward structure was a mess against Sydney, not sure there was a lot he could do - though he himself may have been the logical answer if we could have spared him up forward for a while.