Cripps Bontempelli Merrett Kelly - the next big 4?

[citizen-erased]

Clubs need to stop drafting redheads in general.

pfft

 

[Xhoquelin]

Wish the Dogs could throw Bont in the middle full time and put the debate to rest.

 

[citizen-erased]

Wish the Dogs could throw Bont in the middle full time and put the debate to rest.

Macrae, Libba, Wallis, Dunkley, Hunter, Dale, Jong.
They're pretty set for mids. With Boyd, Redpath and Schache potentially in for 2018, may see less of Bont up forward though.

 

[Xhoquelin]

Macrae, Libba, Wallis, Dunkley, Hunter, Dale, Jong.
They're pretty set for mids. With Boyd, Redpath and Schache potentially in for 2018, may see less of Bont up forward though.

Just really not much quality in that midfield. Most of them are supporting cast members not the main actor. Having Bont in there would take some pressure off Dunkley Dale McLean who, otherwise would have their hands full trying to make up for Libba’s pathetic waste of his talent.

 

[citizen-erased]

Just really not much quality in that midfield. Most of them are supporting cast members not the main actor. Having Bont in there would take some pressure off Dunkley Dale McLean who, otherwise would have their hands full trying to make up for Libba’s pathetic waste of his talent.

they do base a lot of their gameplan around support casts doing their job over 4 quarters, rather than x-factor or flair.
Won them a premiership too.
He will play there more next year though one would think. If Boyd and Redpath are ready to go, i cant see them going much taller than that.

 

[Xhoquelin]

they do base a lot of their gameplan around support casts doing their job over 4 quarters, rather than x-factor or flair.
Won them a premiership too.
He will play there more next year though one would think. If Boyd and Redpath are ready to go, i cant see them going much taller than that.

Fair point but Bont was huge in the finals series, did a lot of his work in the guts.
A fair few players played out of their skin too, not sure if Smith, Dunkley, Libba, Dahlhaus can reproduce their form.

I’d personally have their forward line as:
HF: Dahlhaus Schache Daniel
F: Crozier Boyd Smith

Looks very vanilla but I don’t think the midfield holds up without Bont, and if they want to reutrn to 2016 finals form they need Dunkley, Lipinski, McLean, Dale to really kick on and that will happen easier with Bont there IMO. I think Dickson and Crameri losing form came at a good time, the Dogs can’t keep getting away with no talls and I think they need a legitimate huge power forward who can split packs, take marks and kick bags, and I don’t think that is Redpath.

 

[TylerDurden]

Personally, I think Cripps has him covered pretty easily.

Mitch was 3rd in the brownlow behind dusty and danger, in a shite side. He’s a freak mate.

 

[Brutalitops]

Mitch was 3rd in the brownlow behind dusty and danger, in a shite side. He’s a freak mate.

Very vanilla. People in here have been criticising the damage/influence of Merrets possessions and Cripps' preference for handballing, not sure Tom Mitchell is gonna fare much better tbh.

Tom Mitchell is the poster boy for getting a lot of it and not doing much with it.

 

[conrad_437]

Mitch was 3rd in the brownlow behind dusty and danger, in a shite side. He’s a freak mate.

He's a gun. But for someone who receives that much of the pill, you'd expect him to be much more impacting than he is.

 

[RobbyRoy]

Mitch was 3rd in the brownlow behind dusty and danger, in a shite side. He’s a freak mate.

Terrific player no doubt and his hands are up there with the best, but in terms of all round contested ball wining, I think he's a fair way off Patrick Cripps. With 13cm and 9kg on Mitchell it's probably fair enough too.

 

[E Shed]

Kelly is an absolute Ferrari but I would still have Bont a rung above anyone else in this list. He belongs in the Fyfe/Martin/Danger bracket for me.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Very vanilla. People in here have been criticising the damage/influence of Merrets possessions and Cripps' preference for handballing, not sure Tom Mitchell is gonna fare much better tbh.

Tom Mitchell is the poster boy for getting a lot of it and not doing much with it.

Don't really wanna detract from this thread by talking about Tom too much but i don't think that is fair.

I will agree earlier in the year he was probably not having as big of an impact with the ball as i probably would have liked, but that is probably due to just joining the team and getting used to how his team mates play. By around the mid part of the season and beyond though he was elite. He was single handily keeping us in and winning some games at times during this season. Now he may not have all the tricks of Danger and Dusty but lets be honest very very few do. What he lacks in that area he makes up for in consistent 4 quarter performances week in week out.

He also manages to hit the scoreboard at times playing as a pure midfielder. Doesn't kick as many as Danger and Dusty but he does it without playing as a forward as well.

 

[Rack Watts]

T Mitchell will be the best contested mid in the comp for the next decade. Cleanest hands in a clearance I’ve seen.

Simon Black, Diesel Williams and Jobe Watson?

 

[footyfan1978]

Simon Black and Diesel Williams?

EFA

 

[Rack Watts]

EFA

Jobe had hands every bit as good as these two.

 

[footyfan1978]

Jobe had hands every bit as good as these two.

I know where your hands are Danker.

 

[Rack Watts]

I know where your hands are Danker.

As do I yours, tanker.

 

[Laphroaig]

T Mitchell will be the best contested mid in the comp for the next decade. Cleanest hands in a clearance I’ve seen.

Haven't been watching footy for long then?

 

[footyfan1978]

As do I yours, tanker.

Somebody with a good sense of humour. Always knew Polar Bears were cool dudes.

 

[TylerDurden]

Terrific player no doubt and his hands are up there with the best, but in terms of all round contested ball wining, I think he's a fair way off Patrick Cripps. With 13cm and 9kg on Mitchell it's probably fair enough too.

Cripps is a beast, no doubt. But it doesn’t matter when Tom gets to the pill first. Hands and balance are that good, likewise his core strength and ball security. He’s a clearance animal.

 

[TylerDurden]

Haven't been watching footy for long then?

Only enough to see Hawthorn win 9 flags in my time. His hands are as clean as any. Including S Mitchell.

 

[Laphroaig]

Only enough to see Hawthorn win 9 flags in my time. His hands are as clean as any. Including S Mitchell.

Perhaps uncover your other eye then.

 

[Foucault1989]

Cripps is a beast, no doubt. But it doesn’t matter when Tom gets to the pill first. Hands and balance are that good, likewise his core strength and ball security. He’s a clearance animal.

I believe Cripps has more clearances than any player his age in the history of AFL. I remember hearing that stat last year. I think he knocked off Libba. Now if that is anything to go off I think it would be fair to say he will be the most dominant contested ball player in the next decade

 

[Endless]

The classic "bonts kicks 'look' good" argument... pity Cripps, Kelly and Merret are all more damaging with the pill than - "lets kick a 50m lazer to no one in particular but hey at least it looks good" Bont.

The Bont is basically Mitch Robinson but his balls travel at 10m above the ground as opposed to 30m high arcs

Have you actually watched a bulldog game?

 

[ManOfClay]

Have you actually watched a bulldog game?

He’s trolling. Has done so for a long time when it became apparent 30m helicopter punt Cripps didn’t stack up