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

[King Corey]

Was looking at some stats today. Easy to forget how good this bloke is probably the most underrated player at North.

Didn't rate him when he was drafted. I was wrong.

Yep. Our best player. Amazing how many don't appreciate him.

At the least our best midfielder now and probably equally best with Wells and Swallow in the last 10 years.

 

[Engimal v3]

Didn't rate him when he was drafted. I was wrong.



At the least our best midfielder now and probably equally best with Wells and Swallow in the last 10 years.

Yep. Our best player. Amazing how many don't appreciate him.

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Yep, and I don't think most casual football fans could name him.

I'd have our top 4 as:
1/2. Higgins, Cunnington
3. Tarrant
4. Brown

After that, it's daylight.

EDIT: Fully fit, I would actually have Jacobs in there. Genuinely one of the best taggers I've seen.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Choggy Mulk.

 

[Event Horizon]

Yep, and I don't think most casual football fans could name him.

I'd have our top 4 as:
1/2. Higgins, Cunnington
3. Tarrant
4. Brown

After that, it's daylight.

EDIT: Fully fit, I would actually have Jacobs in there. Genuinely one of the best taggers I've seen.

I would agree with that, and I was thinking Ziebell is 27 years old today, yet he hasn't really reached any great heights unfortunately.
But I wouldn't put Jacobs anywhere near the top 4. For a tagger to get such a mention, he must also do a lot of damage with the ball in hand.

 

[Mav]

Yep, and I don't think most casual football fans could name him.

I'd have our top 4 as:
1/2. Higgins, Cunnington
3. Tarrant
4. Brown

After that, it's daylight.

EDIT: Fully fit, I would actually have Jacobs in there. Genuinely one of the best taggers I've seen.

I think you're under rating a fully fit Waite.

 

[Engimal v3]

I think you're under rating a fully fit Waite.

So do I. But I don't have great hopes of him playing out much of a season anymore. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Jindrrk]

Didn't rate him when he was drafted. I was wrong.



At the least our best midfielder now and probably equally best with Wells and Swallow in the last 10 years.

King's arent supposed to admit that they're wrong.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Didn't rate him when he was drafted. I was wrong.



At the least our best midfielder now and probably equally best with Wells and Swallow in the last 10 years.

On output Swallow and Wells are still one rung above Ben imo. Another good season and I reckon he'll be equal. Another B&F and then for sure he's there.

 

[Heaps of fun]

On quality I think his 2015 season is as good as a North midfielder has had this millennium.

 

[Val Keating]

Only people that aren’t footy people would’nt rate Cunners. I reckon his teammates would love playing with him, he makes other players better.

 

[Horace]

On output Swallow and Wells are still one rung above Ben imo. Another good season and I reckon he'll be equal. Another B&F and then for sure he's there.

If I had to have someone play for my life, I'd pick Ben every day of the week and 365 days of the year. Wellsy went missing or got injured too much for my liking. Spitta was good but I don't think quite as good as Ben.

 

[Heaps of fun]

If I had to have someone play for my life, I'd pick Ben every day of the week and 365 days of the year. Wellsy went missing or got injured too much for my liking. Spitta was good but I don't think quite as good as Ben.

Spitta was good enough to win three B&Fs. Ben's put together 4-5 good seasons. Spitta and Wells put together two great careers.

 

[King Corey]

Swallow had the most non-negotiable effort of any North player in the last decade. It stood like dog's balls when he came back into the side during 2017 and still willed himself into more contests than his younger or less injury affected teammates.

Ben is a gun but has been prone to a little Scott era switching off here and there.

 

[ferball]

If I had to have someone play for my life, I'd pick Ben every day of the week and 365 days of the year. Wellsy went missing or got injured too much for my liking. Spitta was good but I don't think quite as good as Ben.

I'd probably pick Spitta in that situation.

But Cunners is another thing entirely. Diesel Williams like at his best and he could play that role for another 7 or 8 years maybe.

The idea of him playing a few years with Jy Simpkin, LDU and even someone like Hartung is mouth watering. Cunners and Josh Kelly and the midfield is immediately one of the best in the league.

 

[Arthur Cloke]

Ben Comfortable simply has zero interest in defending. Once the ball is out of his vicinity, it’s just a slow jog back to defence. Zero urgency.
And when he gets a free kick or takes a mark, it’s a painful 1-2 steps back and a kick off one step.
Not good enough from a guy who could be an A Grade footballer.
Wonder if a new coach would make this guy realise his potential. I suppose we’ll never know.

 

[tazaa]

Was definitely taking it easy last night. 2nd half moreso.

 

[King Corey]

Ben Comfortable simply has zero interest in defending. Once the ball is out of his vicinity, it’s just a slow jog back to defence. Zero urgency.
And when he gets a free kick or takes a mark, it’s a painful 1-2 steps back and a kick off one step.
Not good enough from a guy who could be an A Grade footballer.
Wonder if a new coach would make this guy realise his potential. I suppose we’ll never know.

Was still one of our best players. Which is frightening.

 

[Horizons_00]

Swallow had the most non-negotiable effort of any North player in the last decade. It stood like dog's balls when he came back into the side during 2017 and still willed himself into more contests than his younger or less injury affected teammates.

Ben is a gun but has been prone to a little Scott era switching off here and there.

No real concenquences for having lazy games

 

[Snake_Baker]

REALLY disappointed when he didn't go back and nail a goal from 40 that he could kick with his eyes shut, early in the second quarter to give us a couple of goal lead. Ben tried one of those dinky cross goal lob passes that resulted in a turnover and Richmond goal. The spring dropped completely out of us from this point onward.

I love you Ben, but you're one of the leaders of this club and you're supposed to set the example. Next time this happens, take the responsibility on your shoulders and take the ****ing shot! It was a ****ing terrible piece of football from a bloke that should know much better.

 

[King Corey]

REALLY disappointed when he didn't go back and nail a goal from 40 that he could kick with his eyes shut, early in the second quarter to give us a couple of goal lead. Ben tried one of those dinky cross goal lob passes that resulted in a turnover and Richmond goal. The spring dropped completely out of us from this point onward.

I love you Ben, but you're one of the leaders of this club and you're supposed to set the example. Next time this happens, take the responsibility on your shoulders and take the ****ing shot! It was a ****ing terrible piece of football from a bloke that should know much better.

Was it his poor decision making or robotically applying team instruction without applying any critical thought the state of the immediate play and the game?

(you can copy and paste that question for all of our senior players)

 

[Harris 10]

And when he gets a free kick or takes a mark, it’s a painful 1-2 steps back and a kick off one step.

This absolutely drives me friggen nuts, it's the easiest thing to fix but it just keeps happening.

It must be one of those easy fixes that Scott keeps talking about.

 

[Arthur Cloke]

Was still one of our best players. Which is frightening.

Very.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Was it his poor decision making or robotically applying team instruction without applying any critical thought the state of the immediate play and the game?

(you can copy and paste that question for all of our senior players)

I don't know, but our players apprehension within 35 to 50 metres from goal is a major concern and at a guess, I would have to go with the coaching panel.

We play like we're more concerned with turnovers than scoring goals.

 

[King Corey]

I don't know, but our players apprehension within 35 to 50 metres from goal is a major concern and at a guess, I would have to go with the coaching panel.

We play like we're more concerned with turnovers than scoring goals.

Agree on both counts. In the 1st half when we were actually in it, we inexplicably passed, switched or channeled back to the corridor under no immediate pressure to players in worse positions showing zero game sense from the culpable senior players.

Predictably this saw us kick-start a few offensive chains of play for them which then got their confidence and flow going.

It used to be only Scott Thompson who'd have a paddock in front of him and choose to run head-first into opponents and bounce handball into space to setup a turnover. Nowadays the whole team joins in on the fun.

 

[shintemaster]

How Ben Cunnington plays in a pre season game of any sort worries me not in the slightest as long as he is fit. In fact, I'd prefer if he didn't go in too hard. Same with Higgins and a few others. Part of the reason scoring is heavy in these comps IMO, defenders need to be willing to get hit to stop goals and to be honest, why would you bother unless fighting for that last spot.