Biggest waste of talent in the AFL?

[Virgin Dog]

Jake stringer

Beat me to it, was about to post him.

Go back and watch his 2016 highlights. He had "best player in the competition" written all over him back then. He's not as bad a player as the likes of Hogan, and has his moments, but geez he has been a massive waste of talent so far in his career. He has never replicated that form of 2015/2016 that had people calling him the next Ablett Snr. Now, he's an okay player who can light it up on the odd occasion but otherwise is no more than a poor man's De Goey.

 

[footyfan1978]

As stated above. Jesse Hogan just could have been anything. If he sorts himself out physically and mentally he’ll be great for giants.

At 17, he looked like he was on a path to something like a Lockett but it has just not happened.
Hopefully at Giants he finally gets something near his potential.

 

[footyfan1978]

Jake stringer

He's the other one. He was hyped too early and in rare moments showed some power like a Gary Ablett Snr but turned out he mostly fizz with a few good moments here and there. But just too much few and far between to live up to The Package that Brian Taylor tried to nickname him. Which also showed BT not up to it either. He tried to copy Lou Richards nicknaming players but generally Louie the Lip's nicknames worked. The Flying Doormat. Galloping Gasometer, The Ghost, Macedanian Marvel, The Hulk, The Flying Dutchman, Superboot, Flea Weightman, Rotten Ronnie Andrews, Lethal Leigh etc etc ...Lou had a knack for this, that BT tried to copy but failed big time.

 

[La Dispute]

I reckon Wingard is more a case of a guy peaking early than being unfulfilled potential. Still won multiple AA nods at Port Adelaide, and was pretty good as an impactful small forward. Looks like the 2015 AA forwardline wasn’t especially strong though, with Stringer also getting a spot.

Was never going to do much in a declining Hawthorn team.

 

[Milanista28]

I think Stringer has been more than ok for us but agree he's levels below what we've seen, I still think he can play some really good footy for us over the next few years.

 

[footyfan1978]

Of all the players I seen in last three decades, Laurance Angwin was biggest waste of talent. He was agile as the King twins about two decades earlier than them but had personal issues that meant he went off the rails or got seriously injured regularly and would then get into trouble off field.

 

[who_let_the_dogs_out]

Beat me to it, was about to post him.

Go back and watch his 2016 highlights. He had "best player in the competition" written all over him back then. He's not as bad a player as the likes of Hogan, and has his moments, but geez he has been a massive waste of talent so far in his career. He has never replicated that form of 2015/2016 that had people calling him the next Ablett Snr. Now, he's an okay player who can light it up on the odd occasion but otherwise is no more than a poor man's De Goey.

His problem these days is he's carrying far too much weight, his body will continually break down. In 2015 he was in good nick, it's been downhill ever since.

 

[WillHayward]

Wingard & Oliver are two that spring to mind. The latter just needs a decent coach to best utilise his talent, not sure the former can use that as an excuse anymore...

Both had decent seasons imo

 

[Virgin Dog]

He is what he is though. He has reached his ceiling, It has more to do with wrong predictions early on his career than waste of any talent.
Jesse Hogan is a waste of talent as personal issues prevented him from ever becoming a better version of himself.

Nathan Ablett wasted a career that very likely would have been outstanding. He was displaying skills not very many tall players possessed at his age. Left foot, right foot. Terrific pair of hands and had very good awareness.
I think he could have been talked about in the same vein as Tom Hawkins, had he had the desire to succeed.

Problem is Stringer has dropped off a cliff since 2016, and never regained that form. Kicking 56 goals as a 21 year old medium forward is massive, and not many players were capable of producing the highlight reel that he did. In his final year at the Dogs, and the 3 years at Essendon, he's been a shell of his former self and come nowhere near the potential he was hinting at having.

I can understand arguments for Hogan being right up there in wasted talents, although it's only been 2 deplorable years so far, when Stringer has had 4. Bit of time to go before we see just how much or how little these two produce in their remaining careers.

 

[Off Tap]

Daniher mentally weak as piss

Mentally weak or mastermind?

Gone from a bona fide s**t show at the Bombers to a bona fide flag chance at the Lions.

Was never going to win a flag at the Bombers considering his age and the state of the Bombers list.

 

[Milanista28]

Mentally weak or mastermind?

Gone from a bona fide sh*t show at the Bombers to a bona fide flag chance at the Lions.

Was never going to win a flag at the Bombers considering his age and the state of the Bombers list.

If he plays 22 games he'll win the Coleman. Lions was a good choice for him.

 

[Shadow89]

Current players only - so who do you think it is?
Injury excludes players from nomination (e.g. Curnow would be a superstar with a second working knee).

Stengle with his off-field issues would be close, and Willie Rioli with his urine sample tampering means we miss out on another.
Who else deserves a nomination?

Steven Motlop with a bullet. Could have been Cyril Rioli esque had he actually given a crap on a consistent basis. Such a waste

 

[The 747]

Wingard & Oliver are two that spring to mind. The latter just needs a decent coach to best utilise his talent, not sure the former can use that as an excuse anymore...

Oliver? The Clayton Oliver?

 

[Ando727]

Jesse Hogan owns this thread atm

2015- 20 games 44 goals
2016- 21 games 41 goals
2017- 10 games 20 goals
2018- 20 games 47 goals
2019- 12 games 13 goals
2020- 7 games 5 goals

If anything, all this shows is that Hogan is a serviceable 40-50 goal forward, but not a generational player. Maybe that's been his biggest problem, too much hype and expectation. Bit like Michael Hurley - was supposed to be a champion but turned out to just be a regular good player.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

is top of this list, has the talent to be a top 5 player in the comp and only Dusty and Dangerfield can turn games like he can.

 

[The 747]

Stringer, now happy to be a fat occasional contributor for the Bomber fans who can dream about that "one day he will finally be fit"

Hogan, but he has had a lot of challenges so hard to pin it all on him whereas Stringer is just a lazy player.

 

[The 747]

If anything, all this shows is that Hogan is a serviceable 40-50 goal forward, but not a generational player. Maybe that's been his biggest problem, too much hype and expectation. Bit like Michael Hurley - was supposed to be a champion but turned out to just be a regular good player.

Hogan is not a 'good player" he is trash now. Could barely get a game for a rebuilding Freo that paid the world for him and got traded for nothing.

 

[La Dispute]

Problem is Stringer has dropped off a cliff since 2016, and never regained that form. Kicking 56 goals as a 21 year old medium forward is massive, and not many players were capable of producing the highlight reel that he did. In his final year at the Dogs, and the 3 years at Essendon, he's been a shell of his former self and come nowhere near the potential he was hinting at having.

I can understand arguments for Hogan being right up there in wasted talents, although it's only been 2 deplorable years so far, when Stringer has had 4. Bit of time to go before we see just how much or how little these two produce in their remaining careers.

Can see either side, but I suspect it was a bit of a flash-in-the-pan season. He had a heap of confidence, was in prime condition and used his physical traits to his advantage, but still lacked some fundamental awareness at times. Tries to fend off when it's not on, and ignores basic first options. When his instincts are right he can look spectacular, but he is also prone to some dumb decisions, even when he was at his peak.

Like Wingard, was probably the beneficiary of being included in a pretty weak 2015 AA forwardline too.

 

[owen87]

Toby Greene is top of this list, has the talent to be a top 5 player in the comp and only Dusty and Dangerfield can turn games like he can.

Disagree, Toby turns it on when he's on-ball but that's more a how he's used thing than a waste of talent.

Hogan is the prime one for me, followed by Daniher. Both have the tools to be anything, but don't have the work-rate of a Reiwoldt or a Franklin to get there.

 

[frggr]

Steven Motlop with a bullet. Could have been Cyril Rioli esque had he actually given a crap on a consistent basis. Such a waste

Played out of position through a needs basis while at Geelong I reckon. If they'd plonked him in the F50, his goal sense and acceleration would have been massive

 

[markm106]

At 17, he looked like he was on a path to something like a Lockett but it has just not happened.
Hopefully at Giants he finally gets something near his potential.

I remember watching him the first year when he couldn’t play AFL. He was rag dolling mature AFL key backs.

 

[Sttew]

although Dangerplonk's ego gets in the way of his talent

Heaven help the competition if his ego didn't get in the way! 8 x AA's; 4 X B&F's, 1 X Brownlow....

 

[HairyO]

I reckon Wingard is more a case of a guy peaking early than being unfulfilled potential. Still won multiple AA nods at Port Adelaide, and was pretty good as an impactful small forward. Looks like the 2015 AA forwardline wasn’t especially strong though, with Stringer also getting a spot.

Was never going to do much in a declining Hawthorn team.

Wingard's 2020 was as good as either of his last 2 years at Port.

His 1st year at Hawthorn was interrupted by injury.

 

[HairyO]

Heaven help the competition if his ego didn't get in the way! 8 x AA's; 4 X B&F's, 1 X Brownlow....

At least 2 of those AA were not even close to deserved.

The 10th best mid in the comp shouldnt get a spot on the forward line ahead of actual forwards.

 

[Dinsdale]

I was Waiteing for that

my post got deleted, thought I was in the bay, but your quote of mine is still there so my point was made