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

[TruRoos7]

Our Ben10....

 

[Arthur Cloke]

Ben 10's start to the season has him officially as an A Grade mid-fielder. Challenge for him is to now stay there.

 

[Colbys Boots]

Couldn't give a definitive yes or no, but the fact he's not getting his "one a game" means he has developed and bettered his game.

I never thought there was anything wrong with Ben's game or his technique. When other players were set upon the instant they took possession of the ball, they would hold the ball in and allow themselves to be taken to ground. They would make absolutely no effort to release the ball, other than perhaps a melodramatic feigned attempt to punch the ball with one hand while tightly gripping it with the other. The umpires inevitably fell for the charade and called for a ball up.

In the same situation, our Ben would stand up in the tackle and would desperately attempt to get an arm free to release the ball. It was this very effort that saw him penalised, "one a game" as you say. It was always grossly unfair as he was simply doing as both the spirit and the rules of the game require him to do - make an attempt - whereas the others were faking it and playing for a stoppage.

But I agree that Ben has developed his game so that the morons who officiate are given less opportunities to do the wrong thing.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Flawed Genius]

Geez the big boys love to roughhouse

 

[darko]

2 tough boys right there.

 

[Flawed Genius]

Dusty: Mate
Ben: G'day
Dusty: Got an idea for you. It's a win win
Ben: Nup
Dusty: Good chat

 

[Thewlis Dish]

There's so much mutual respect in that little exchange.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Heaps of fun]

Geez the big boys love to roughhouse

Cunners's ability to be a campaigner within the rules of the game is elite.

 

[The Butcher]

I don't love things, ideas or thoughts... but I borderline heart Ben Chuggington

 

[koshari]

He has the best set of hands since Keith Greig.

there was this bloke called diesal but we can ignore him for the time being.

 

[Benno_900]

There's so much mutual respect in that little exchange.

They did play TAC Cup in the same team.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

He ******* well dead set is gifted

The bloke is a clearance savant who isn't blessed with lightning speed. But he's as good as there's been at the coalface and absolutely gifted in that area

To minimise him to a good honest trier is unfair to Ben. He's a legitimate star of this team and the competition as a whole

I should have been more specific. Athletically he isn’t the most the gifted.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Cunners's ability to be a campaigner within the rules of the game is elite.

CUNNINGTON'S PUNCHED HIM IN THE GUTS!

 

[hilly]

They did play TAC Cup in the same team.

Nup.

 

[Coalface]

Love it! ******* champ!

 

[iSmack]

I should have been more specific. Athletically he isn’t the most the gifted.

Has an elite brain.

Knows how to position, knows where the ball will be, knows where his team mates are and knows where his opponents will be.


He might not have foot speed, but is very elusive with his shoulders and hips...

His ability to absorb, shrug and then deliver by hand accurately creatws soo much run for us...

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[ferball]

Love this bloke.

Epitome of a shinboner, not the most gifted footballer but wills himself on every contest, never takes a backward step, gives 100% every game and really love the hard tough stuff.

He would’ve been a Brownlow medalist had he of played in the 80’s or 90’s I reckon.

He might still be. You should have said "...not the most athletically gifted footballer" cos the only thing he really lacks is pace. If he was fast he'd already be in GOAT discussions. Otherwise I agree 100%.

 

[ferball]

I should have been more specific. Athletically he isn’t the most the gifted.

You probably should ignore that previous post then.

 

[Tas]

 

[Snake_Baker]

Brad Scott lauds 'elite' record-breaker Ben Cunnington

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says the AFL world should recognise Ben Cunnington as an "elite" player after the midfielder had a record 32 contested possessions in the Kangaroos' spirited 10-point loss to Richmond on Sunday.Cunnington was unstoppable in the midfield from start to finish, with his tally bettering the previous record set by Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield and Sydney's Josh Kennedy, who had both previously amassed 29 contested possessions in games.

"It is domination. It is an unbelievable performance," Scott said. "I thought he was exceptional and ... I think he is an elite player. I think he has been an elite player for a long time, I think maybe people don’t hold him in the same regard as some other midfielders in the comp but I think that is starting to change.

"[It was] one of his best [games] but he is very good most weeks. Even when he is not having 32 contested possessions he does a lot of work for us that goes unnoticed around stoppages, and yes, he has come a long way since Paul Roos said he was not AFL standard."

The former Sydney and Melbourne coach Roos infamously said as a media commentator in 2011 that Cunnington and his teammate Jack Ziebell were "unfit for AFL level" and "next to useless" during a loss to Richmond that year.

North took the Tigers to the wire at Etihad Stadium on Sunday with the usually accurate Ben Brown missing two final term set shots, which could have put the Kangaroos in a winning position had he converted.

Despite how impressive they looked against the reigning premier and in wins against Sydney (round seven) and Hawthorn (round five), Scott refused to be drawn on making lofty declarations on how good his side could be.

"You guys [journalists] write the expectations," he said. "We never talk about expectations. We are just trying to win every game we play, and we are trying to get better.

"We don’t sit here and think ‘gee we are going to start putting expectations on ourselves’. The expectation we have is the foundation level of effort we bring, and that hasn’t fluctuated so far this year. As long as that continues we think we will be competitive."

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick praised North Melbourne’s effort in pushing the Tigers and said that he was delighted with the even performance of his side.

"We challenged our boys once again and they lifted,” Hardwick said. “We played a really good opposition today.

“We don’t need one player - Cotchin was outstanding, Kane Lambert and those types [too] - but we don’t need to rely on one player standing up. They’ll just move aside and come in and fill his role better.

“We are becoming less and less reliant on certain players to play their best every week ... that’s a sign of a maturing side.”

Hardwick said Richmond "didn't play overly well today", but said that was because of North Melbourne creating a "finals like" pressure in the game.

"We learn things from every game we play," he said. "They did some things really well ... we will train our players up [to counter] that."

Neither side had major injury concerns although Jarrad Waite was restricted in the final term with a cork. North’s Luke McDonald was reported for a head high bump on Kane Lambert in the second quarter.

 

[Benno_900]

Nup.

I meant the State Competition.

Dusty, Cunners and Rohan all played for Vic Country.

 

[giantroo]

 

[SpiderBurton22]

Remember when all the dreamteamers on here were going on about how we should trade this bloke?