Past #10: Ben Cunnington - will retire from the AFL after * game - 238 games/95+ goals/2x Syd Barker Medalist/Shinboner - thanks for everything Cunners

[Val Keating]

Not a bad critique for Benny by Pendlebury on his podcast with Jay Clark, rates his fend off better than Dusty's if I interpreted correctly.

You did. (Paraphrasing) He said something like Dusty will do one when he’s on the move but Ben pushes people away to create space.

 

[koshari]

You did. (Paraphrasing) He said something like Dusty will do one when he’s on the move but Ben pushes people away to create space.

well he has been practicing that move,

 

[Val Keating]

well he has been practicing that move,

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Nice of Cunners to pass his knowledge on to the old bloke

 

[RobZombie]

You did. (Paraphrasing) He said something like Dusty will do one when he’s on the move but Ben pushes people away to create space.

Interesting that Pendles calls out the same thing I've noticed over the years. Our two best clearance players of the last decade, Swallow and Cunnington, are a study in contrasting styles. Spitta was a master of hitting a clearance situation on the move and coming out the other side with the ball, using his agility and burst to get clear (never mind his staight-line speed). Cunners gathers the ball and stays with it, balanced and poised to go where the play needs him to.

 

[Val Keating]

Interesting that Pendles calls out the same thing I've noticed over the years. Our two best clearance players of the last decade, Swallow and Cunnington, are a study in contrasting styles. Spitta was a master of hitting a clearance situation on the move and coming out the other side with the ball, using his agility and burst to get clear (never mind his staight-line speed). Cunners gathers the ball and stays with it, balanced and poised to go where the play needs him to.

I’m sure we didn’t get to see the best of Swallow. Iirc the game he got injured in was against Geelong. His form up till then had been good but that day the clean contested ball he was getting was something else. Very underrated player.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Billy Not Really]

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That photo is some renaissance art type stuff.

I want that in a museum painted in oils.

 

[ferball]

I know he plays for Collingwood but I've never thought of Pendlebury as a dickhead.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

I’m sure we didn’t get to see the best of Swallow. Iirc the game he got injured in was against Geelong. His form up till then had been good but that day the clean contested ball he was getting was something else. Very underrated player.

He did his achilles against Melbourne.

 

[Themanbun]

I’m sure we didn’t get to see the best of Swallow. Iirc the game he got injured in was against Geelong. His form up till then had been good but that day the clean contested ball he was getting was something else. Very underrated player.

Swallow is one of those guys whose career seems less impressive than it was because towards the end of it, we were trying to move him out the way of Ben Cunnington's career progression.

Andrew was an absolute jet and criminally underrated. How many clearances against Adelaide that day?

 

[Kimbo]

I know he plays for Collingwood but I've never thought of Pendlebury as a dickhead.

Scott Pendlebury on Ben Cunnington's...

 

[Val Keating]

He did his achilles against Melbourne.

What injury did he do against Geelong? Can you remember?

 

[Thewlis Dish]

What injury did he do against Geelong? Can you remember?

Got knocked out from memory, either just before or just after Cunnington got a massive corkie.

 

[brettman135]

I know he plays for Collingwood but I've never thought of Pendlebury as a dickhead.

You get the feeling he's going to make a really good coach at some point.

 

[AdmiralBenson]

Hope Cunningham has another big game

 

[ferball]

Scott Pendlebury on Ben Cunnington's...

You can take that comment at face value as well but it was inspired by that unfortunate bit of graphic design.

 

[ferball]

You get the feeling he's going to make a really good coach at some point.

If he's smart he'll learn alot from Buck's review. Its also a reference to the unfortunate placement of his head in that photo.

 

[koshari]

Watch every team place a player either side of cunners from now on.

 

[Kimbo]

You can take that comment at face value as well but it was inspired by that unfortunate bit of graphic design.

As with my comment.

 

[The Y Factor]

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This is awesome!!

My favourite quote from that and I recommend it to everyone in here was "He stands still!" something along the lines of "everyone is cutting across lines, finding space - he just stand still!"

It was awesome.

 

[ferball]

As with my comment.

Yeah I know but I thought I'd better make it clear to everyone.

 

[ferball]

If Wedding Parties Anything ever re-release their 3rd record they need to put a picture of this guy on the cover.

He is The Big Don't Argue.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Martin uses his fend off to keep space.

Cunnington uses it for that reason, but also to create space.

He has another arrow in his quiver.

I particularly liked Pendles breakdown of why his fend off is so effective:

"The other thing he does, soon as he gets the ball is he utensils it like he's about to handball, so you think 'wheres this going to go?' buys himself a second and then as you go to tackle him then he can fend you off. So I find it hard to tackle"

 

[Snake_Baker]

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[Val Keating]

Bit of love in this