Analysis Best Young Key-Forward in the Competition

[Chip Scab1]

Also upon checking, this is just blatantly wrong.
Sam Darcy is averaging 3 goals, Neale is averaging 1.9.
Despite missing 7 games (including the game he injured his knee in the opening minutes) Darcy has still kicked 7 more goals for the year than Neale. That isn't even accounting for Darcy being a far better field kick.

It's actually embarrassing that you think Neale should be mentioned in the same sentence. Huge powergap between these two players.

They barely play the same sport. Don't mind Neale, but Darcy and Thilthorpe are worth $3m a year, each.

 

[Vindicater]

Neale kicking three goals quickly against us when on a MSD ruckman turned defender Blakiston

Then we switch that well known future hall of fame defender Laverde onto him and he goes quiet.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Also upon checking, this is just blatantly wrong.
Sam Darcy is averaging 3 goals, Neale is averaging 1.9.
Despite missing 7 games (including the game he injured his knee in the opening minutes) Darcy has still kicked 7 more goals for the year than Neale. That isn't even accounting for Darcy being a far better field kick.

It's actually embarrassing that you think Neale should be mentioned in the same sentence. Huge powergap between these two players.

Lol, he's clearly talking about the back half of the season. He's averaged 3 goals a game from his last 9 and some of his bags have been against the better teams in that period like the 5 goals against GWS in a loss. His last 9 games match Darcy's average for the year and is ahead of Thilthorpes. He had a bad start to the year but even is annual average is a rounding error off Cadmans.

He has a way to go before you could put him in the conversation, but he's 13th in the Coleman having been 30th only a month or ago. He's not miles off.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Neale kicking three goals quickly against us when on a MSD ruckman turned defender Blakiston

Then we switch that well known future hall of fame defender Laverde onto him and he goes quiet.

Laverde was basically the only defender you had so wherever you out him we just targeted the other guy.

I'm definitely not saying Neale is better, but he is top 5 for the age bracket on goals kicked this year which is pretty good for a ruck picked at 33.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Can we start a ‘Who is the best old not exactly a key forward in the conventional sense in the competition?’ thread?

Too niche?

Nah do it. Gunston should get celebrated

 

[Tall poppy Syndrome]

Lol, he's clearly talking about the back half of the season. He's averaged 3 goals a game from his last 9 and some of his bags have been against the better teams in that period like the 5 goals against GWS in a loss. His last 9 games match Darcy's average for the year and is ahead of Thilthorpes. He had a bad start to the year but even is annual average is a rounding error off Cadmans.

He has a way to go before you could put him in the conversation, but he's 13th in the Coleman having been 30th only a month or ago. He's not miles off.

Really rate Neale. Agree that he’s not at Darcy and Thilthorpe level but interested to see what his ceiling is.

Went to the Easter Monday game at the MCG and remember him taking a monster contested mark in the midfield at a really critical point of the final quarter. Pissed me off at the time but felt like a momentum shifter in a tight high pressure game - any young player capable of that clearly has something going for them.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Lol, he's clearly talking about the back half of the season. He's averaged 3 goals a game from his last 9 and some of his bags have been against the better teams in that period like the 5 goals against GWS in a loss. His last 9 games match Darcy's average for the year and is ahead of Thilthorpes. He had a bad start to the year but even is annual average is a rounding error off Cadmans.

He has a way to go before you could put him in the conversation, but he's 13th in the Coleman having been 30th only a month or ago. He's not miles off.

Didn't think it would be that hard for people to work out but thank you. I have little doubt he will be right there with them the whole of next year. All they have on Neale at the moment is media flogging themselves silly over them while Neale delivers the same.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Nah do it. Gunston should get celebrated

My word he should

 

[hawksrus]

Lol, he's clearly talking about the back half of the season. He's averaged 3 goals a game from his last 9 and some of his bags have been against the better teams in that period like the 5 goals against GWS in a loss. His last 9 games match Darcy's average for the year and is ahead of Thilthorpes. He had a bad start to the year but even is annual average is a rounding error off Cadmans.

He has a way to go before you could put him in the conversation, but he's 13th in the Coleman having been 30th only a month or ago. He's not miles off.

Mate are you serious? You're trying to pump up his form on the back of the easiest run home draw of all time?

5 goals against GWS without Sam Taylor is the best opposition Shannon Neale kicked a bag against. He is not even remotely close to Darcy and Thilthorpe, and it doesn't just come down to goalkicking output.

Shannon Neale is in the Harry McKay, Mitch Lewis, Joe Daniher tier of key-forwards: a solid big man who can take a mark and kick goals, maybe even snag a Coleman.
Darcy and Thilthorpe are generational footballers with complete skillsets.

Night and day.

 

[hawksrus]

Didn't think it would be that hard for people to work out but thank you. I have little doubt he will be right there with them the whole of next year. All they have on Neale at the moment is media flogging themselves silly over them while Neale delivers the same.

Ok, so you're delusional. Good to know.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Ok, so you're delusional. Good to know.

Guess so. Like I said we will see what their goal amounts are next year. I'm sure you'll have nonsense excuses for why Neale has as many or more. As for 'complete skill sets' you speak of Neale is as good or better than the other two in the ruck, does well at ground level and was a national 400 and 800m runner in high school.

 

[hawksrus]

Guess so. Like I said we will see what their goal amounts are next year. I'm sure you'll have nonsense excuses for why Neale has as many or more. As for 'complete skill sets' you speak of Neale is as good or better than the other two in the ruck, does well at ground level and was a national 400 and 800m runner in high school.

Nonsense excuse? Notice how you're not actually addressing anything I'm saying, probably because you know you can't, and its more comforting to believe your own delusions.

Aaron Naughton has a higher goal tally than Sam Darcy right now, yet nobody speaks of him being the better forward. You know why? Because like Shannon Neale, Naughton gets to play second banana, gets the lesser opponent, more 1v1s while Darcy gets double and triple teamed.

Despite all the attention Darcy gets, he's still good enough to beat Neale's seasonal goal tally comfortably, and that's despite missing 7 games with injury. He and Thilthorpe are also borderline elite distributors by foot, something I would think Geelong fans would understand the value of following Tom Hawkins' career, but hey, clearly being a "400m/800m runner" is what really counts for you now

 

[PhatBoy]

Shannon Neale isn't even remotely close to the level of Darcy and Thilthorpe. Quit being delusional.

I’m looking around for anyone who’s said he’s at the same level: haven’t seen anyone yet.

However over the last dozen games - which includes one where he was subbed out with a foot injury at quarter time, a guy that a lot of people said would probably be a complete bust has produced:

2.6 goals a game, 0.5 goal assists per game, 1.5 contested marks, 11 disposals, 2.8 tackles, 3.75 hit outs

In the same period, Thilthorpe has had:

2.4 goals a game, 0.66 goal assists per game, 1.9 contested marks, 13.4 disposals, 2 tackles, 7 hit outs

The guy on top isn’t his team’s main forward (though granted his side doesn’t have 3 tall forwards it has two and one of them does more running).

On balance, you’d take the guy below. It’s a better all round contribution. But the guy in top has still had a great 3 months of footy and is certainly not far behind.

No one is trying to claim Shannon Neale is as good as the other two. F**k people get tetchy as soon as someone mentioned a name in the same hemisphere as someone else. All that’s been said is that he has improved a lot at a rapid rate. And he’s actually had his best games against the best sides we’ve played in that time, aside from Brisbane: 5 goals against the Dogs, 5 against the Giants, and 4 against the Swans, at a stage where we were 3 goals down inside the first 10 minutes.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Nonsense excuse? Notice how you're not actually addressing anything I'm saying, probably because you know you can't, and its more comforting to believe your own delusions.

Aaron Naughton has a higher goal tally than Sam Darcy right now, yet nobody speaks of him being the better forward. You know why? Because like Shannon Neale, Naughton gets to play second banana, gets the lesser opponent, more 1v1s while Darcy gets double and triple teamed.

Despite all the attention Darcy gets, he's still good enough to beat Neale's seasonal goal tally comfortably, and that's despite missing 7 games with injury. He and Thilthorpe are also borderline elite distributors by foot, something I would think Geelong fans would understand the value of following Tom Hawkins' career, but hey, clearly being a "400m/800m runner" is what really counts for you now

I directly addressed what you said when you mentioned 'complete skill sets' and I raised what Neale brings other than just goals. Elite endurance and speed being some of them (due to his athletics background). Yes we aware of what being a good distributor by foot looks like and loved Tom but Neale is already a much better set shot than Hawkins ever was. Don't know that he will ever be quite as effective or creative up the ground but don't think he will have that asked of him either.

 

[PhatBoy]

Nonsense excuse? Notice how you're not actually addressing anything I'm saying, probably because you know you can't, and its more comforting to believe your own delusions.

Aaron Naughton has a higher goal tally than Sam Darcy right now, yet nobody speaks of him being the better forward. You know why? Because like Shannon Neale, Naughton gets to play second banana, gets the lesser opponent, more 1v1s while Darcy gets double and triple teamed.

Despite all the attention Darcy gets, he's still good enough to beat Neale's seasonal goal tally comfortably, and that's despite missing 7 games with injury. He and Thilthorpe are also borderline elite distributors by foot, something I would think Geelong fans would understand the value of following Tom Hawkins' career, but hey, clearly being a "400m/800m runner" is what really counts for you now

Aaron Naughton is averaging less goals a game than Sam Darcy would probably be a logical starting point. That’s just a hunch as to why people talk about him a little less.

 

[hawksrus]

I’m looking around for anyone who’s said he’s at the same level: haven’t seen anyone yet.

I thought he was a year off being considered among the top names but he's coming home like a steam train.

Darcy and Thilthy still better but he is on the trajectory

Didn't think it would be that hard for people to work out but thank you. I have little doubt he will be right there with them the whole of next year. All they have on Neale at the moment is media flogging themselves silly over them while Neale delivers the same.

As for stats, it's already been made clear they do not come close to telling the full story. For some reason Geelong fans do not seem too keen to talk about the teams he's played against in the back end of the year.

Shannon Neale will never be the same caliber of footballer as Darcy and Thilthorpe. Only the most one-eyed Geelong fans would believe otherwise. It's equivalent to the suggestion that Harry McKay is just as good as Tom Hawkins or Nick Riewoldt. Completely different levels of class and ability.

 

[PhatBoy]

As for stats, it's already been made clear they do not come close to telling the full story. For some reason Geelong fans do not seem too keen to talk about the teams he's played against in the back end of the year.

Shannon Neale will never be the same caliber of footballer as Darcy and Thilthorpe. Only the most one-eyed Geelong fans would believe otherwise. It's equivalent to the suggestion that Harry McKay is just as good as Tom Hawkins or Nick Riewoldt. Completely different levels of class and ability.

He is on the trajectory. Wow that must mean he’s going to win 10 Coleman’s

 

[hawksrus]

He is on the trajectory. Wow that must mean he’s going to win 10 Coleman’s

He is not on the trajectory to be in the same class as Darcy and Thilthorpe. Simple as that.

 

[PhatBoy]

As for stats, it's already been made clear they do not come close to telling the full story. For some reason Geelong fans do not seem too keen to talk about the teams he's played against in the back end of the year.

Shannon Neale will never be the same caliber of footballer as Darcy and Thilthorpe. Only the most one-eyed Geelong fans would believe otherwise. It's equivalent to the suggestion that Harry McKay is just as good as Tom Hawkins or Nick Riewoldt. Completely different levels of class and ability.

I literally just talked about the fact that his best games have been against the best teams we have played. I could have added in that he also kicked a goal and had 4 goal assists against Fremantle.

I was keen to talk about it before anyone else brought it up: what did you want me to do, talk about it before I addressed it in a different thread about a different player?

RT had 1 goal against the Giants, 1 against us, 0 against the Pies, 0 against Hawthorn, 1 against Brisbane, 1 against Collingwood.
Neale has had some bad days too. 0 against the Lions, 1 against Adelaide, 0, against Hawthorn, 1 against Collingwood, 1 against the Giants, 1 against Brisbane.

Again, Thilthorpe is the better player. He’s had the better career. He’s a more rounded footballer and a more dominant one. No one is suggesting any different. But scoffing at people suggesting that another guy who has done bloody well for half a season and numerically gone pretty close to him, could become as good as him down the line, is silly.

 

[PhatBoy]

He is not on the trajectory to be in the same class as Darcy and Thilthorpe. Simple as that.

Wow I’ve never heard black and white statements on this site come back to bite people. This must mean Neale should give up all hope.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Darcy, Thilthorpe, Morris and Caddy are all tall, great overhead and at crumbing, very dangerous players. Darcy has the advantage of being the tallest and is unbeatable overhead, Thilthorpe almost as good with a bit more bulk, whereas Morris I think is the most mobile maybe. Dear us looking like the best Darcy.

 

[STPer18]

SHANNON NEALE

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Shannon Neale has to be rocketing up these boards into discussions.

Most improved player in the league also surely

 

[Dazb86]

Has to be Shannon Neale

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Has to be Shannon Neale

No it’s not Shannon neale, but he deserves a mention in discussions and would be on a list of best young key forwards.