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

[blueboy25]

Rance - some calling him the best defender ever.

Played 3 finals and got a bath in at least 2 of them if not 3.

Elim final v Carlton: Waite and Duigan kicked 4 each rotating on Rance
Elim final v North: Waite kicks 4 on him

 

[McOrist]

Gary Rohan -particularly if the Swans make the grand Final.
He's a multiple 'Leon Davis' medal winner.

 

[McOrist]

Tippett.

His most memorable game was in a final.
He almost got Adelaide into the Grannie in 2012 with his performance against Hawthorn in the Prelim.
It was his last game for the Crows before Sydney made him one of their godfather offers.

 

[Mofra]

Motlop and Menzel - both appear to be set to be shopped around for next year, Menzel needs to tackle and Motlop needs to perform against quality opposition.

 

[GreatBradScott]

Cotchin. It's all psychological - he's good enough.

 

[sjohns12]

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.

Laird a downhill skier? That's pretty harsh and unfair I reckon

 

[sloppyjoespizza]

Definitely Tom Hawkins.
He's had one excellent final series way back in 2011 and even then he was playing on a bloke who couldn't move after halftime.
One bag of 5 goals but every other final he's been missing. Build like Tarzan, plays like Jane in September.

 

[Seeds]

Every Geelong player not named Dangerfield, Selwood or Taylor, but the main one for us, is Tom Hawkins.

taylor was close to worst on ground in the first half of the prelim last year. he aint excluded from the rest.

 

[Seeds]

Definitely Tom Hawkins.
He's had one excellent final series way back in 2011 and even then he was playing on a bloke who couldn't move after halftime.
One bag of 5 goals but every other final he's been missing. Build like Tarzan, plays like Jane in September.

agree. if you dont count hawkins excellent five finals games then he has been an ordinary finals players.

 

[pazza]

This is big Joey's time to show all those tools at his disposal.

 

[schmuttt]

Sydney imo. Richmond are a soft target here and whilst them not winning a final would be a poor look the swans have an allstar side and have underachieved in finals since 2012.

 

[Ricky Vaughn]

taylor was close to worst on ground in the first half of the prelim last year. he aint excluded from the rest.

I think he's been consistently good in our finals, with the exception of that Pre-lim though.
Hawkins has been mostly rocks or diamonds.

Even if Hawk just performs as well as his QF last year (a much better game than his stats suggest) in each final, I'll be happy.

 

[Grongey]

Tippett, Parker, Rohan, Cotchin, Hawkins, Zaharakis and Port Adelaide

 

[Luv_our_club]

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 W.

His legacy is elite. Last year he seemed forgotten by the footy world (TFW), but if he repeats some of his performance this year in September he might really rise in the imaginations of TFW.

 

[Duskfire]

Definitely Tom Hawkins.
He's had one excellent final series way back in 2011 and even then he was playing on a bloke who couldn't move after halftime.
One bag of 5 goals but every other final he's been missing. Build like Tarzan, plays like Jane in September.

Simply incorrect. Hawkins was good in 09 as well and great in the semi final against north as well when he went nuts and almost dragged Geelong over the line. I am not sure if someone who has played good in five or six finals games needs to prove anything.

There are far worst Geelong players then Hawkins. And Taylor. Motlop needs to make a stand in this final series in particular

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

Buddy's rep is not in question even he got donuts in every finals game this year

Buddy gets the best defender and usually double teamed. The opposition plan around nullifying him. He is an absolute gun, and has been for years.

 

[Thats Wright]

The Tigers reputation will be on the line in their elimination final.

Another elimination loss and Martin deserting ship will be an absolute disaster. Martin should just sign. Who pays 27 year old kiwis millions to live in the shadow of Ben Cunnington for 4 and a half years.

 

[MF]

Sydney imo. Richmond are a soft target here and whilst them not winning a final would be a poor look the swans have an allstar side and have underachieved in finals since 2012.

I would have thought our winning percentage in finals would be one of the best over that period.

 

[schmuttt]

I would have thought our winning percentage in finals would be one of the best over that period.

So you don't think you've underachieved since Buddy came in?

 

[MF]

So you don't think you've underachieved since Buddy came in?

Compared to the other 17 teams in the comp, definitely not. We've been one of the best over that period.

We wouldn't want to lose another GF though.

 

[schmuttt]

Compared to the other 17 teams in the comp, definitely not. We've been one of the best over that period.

Agree to disagree but if you make another GF geez you wouldn't want to lose three in a row.

 

[Anja_Nees]

Buddy's rep is not in question even he got donuts in every finals game this year

To be honest, Buddy has never really dominated a Grand Final. He's certainly kicked bags in other finals but from five starts in the big one his best return was 3.4 in a flogging (respectable) and one or two goals in each of the others.

A massive haul on Grabd Final day would cement his rep as a big game player, although it's not like people go around questioning it.

 

[Anja_Nees]

Compared to the other 17 teams in the comp, definitely not. We've been one of the best over that period.

We wouldn't want to lose another GF though.

Yeah the Buddy trade certainly hasn't been a flop. Sydney has obviously been very good. Should really have at least one from Buddy's time.

 

[Arc1]

The channel 7 commentary team.

Nice.

Except that there's no coming back from how bad they have been for such a long time.

 

[Arc1]

To be honest, Buddy has never really dominated a Grand Final. He's certainly kicked bags in other finals but from five starts in the big one his best return was 3.4 in a flogging (respectable) and one or two goals in each of the others.

A massive haul on Grabd Final day would cement his rep as a big game player, although it's not like people go around questioning it.

He carried Hawthorn back into the 2012 GF; was colossal. Just sadly didn't kick straight enough to seal it. Also did an amazing job in the 2014 landslide. I think his main issue is that he was a bit quiet in 2008 and 2013 when he actually was on the winning team.