Andrew Swallow - how do you rate him?

[Vlad2Gilligan]

It is time for a serious discussion about Andrew Swallow.

Any serious footy watcher who saw him tonight would say he was, quite simply, immense.

A few years ago there were questions about his a) awareness and b) disposal by foot. I think it is fair to say his hard work has paid off and he has rectified both of these deficiencies in his game.

As a player, I reckon he is now one of the best in the league. As a leader, he took over from Harvey and has stood up even when his teammates have rolled over (see Port and WB matches).

I believe he is now one of the top 15 midfielders in the league.

What do you think? And why?

 

[TheKanga]

Fantastic midfielder & captain.
He has been excellent this year.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Every year he gets better, extremely hard worker.
Gun!

 

[Engimal]

Not to add ANOTHER North comment to the thread but he's outstanding. Definitely elite, by every sense of the word.

 

[AG]

Has been very good for a few years now. Doesn't seem to be reaching those high levels this year or does he?

 

[kaiserchief13]

He is a good player but his lack of speed means he will never be a star.

 

[AG]

He is a good player but his lack of speed means he will never be a star.

A lot of great players weren't blessed with speed. Football smarts and the right mentality will always be the only must have qualities to becoming a star. Athletic abilities are complimentary.

 

[Engimal]

He is a good player but his lack of speed means he will never be a star.

I would have thought Jobe Watson is considered a star?

 

[Spitta09]

He is a good player but his lack of speed means he will never be a star.

He is already a star mate, though definitely not in the pendles/murphy etc absolute elite category. Very good user of the ball and one of if not the best clearance players in the comp.

 

[kaiserchief13]

A lot of great players weren't blessed with speed. Football smarts and the right mentality will always be the only must have qualities to becoming a star. Athletic abilities are complimentary.

Star/elite same thing. I would put Swallow behind the elite mids such as Ablett, Pendlebury, Swan, Murphy etc and with the 2nd tier mids such as Thompson, Hayes, Priddis etc

 

[The Nostradamus]

He is a good player but his lack of speed means he will never be a star.

He actually has good pace, you will notice it on saturday

 

[Eth]

All-Australian-smoky-highly with a big second half of the year.

His clearance and contested work is exceptional.

 

[fairdinkum]

All-Australian-smoky-highly with a big second half of the year.

His clearance and contested work is exceptional.

Excellent response.

I believe you might be a good judge of football.

Bigfooty needs more of you.

 

[demondude]

Star/elite same thing. I would put Swallow behind the elite mids such as Ablett, Pendlebury, Swan, Murphy etc and with the 2nd tier mids such as Thompson, Hayes, Priddis etc

Thompson is a 1st tier mid IMO.

 

[Tas]

He is a good player but his lack of speed means he will never be a star.

He ran the 20m sprint in the draft camp in 2.92, which while not blazing quick isn't exactly slow. He should be playing the follower role instead of the extractor role, he has an amazing capacity for the offensive side which is hard for him to show playing the extractor role, he also cops some very heavy knocks playing the current role and is usually conceding 10kg+ against the bigger inside mids.

We just need guys like Cunnington and Ziebell to mature and take the brunt of the extracting work.

 

[iDon]

You start the thread fairdinkum under an alias and comment and like everything. Brilliant.

He is a quality player, nearly a complete player.

 

[fairdinkum]

He ran the 20m sprint in the draft camp in 2.92, which while not blazing quick isn't exactly slow. He should be playing the follower role instead of the extractor role, he has an amazing capacity for the offensive side which is hard for him to show playing the extractor role, he also cops some very heavy knocks playing the current role and is usually conceding 10kg+ against the bigger inside mids.

We just need guys like Cunnington and Ziebell to mature and take the brunt of the extracting work.

I normally am heavily skeptical of your posts but this is very good.

However it is more like 5kgs.

 

[fairdinkum]

You start the thread fairdinkum under an alias and comment and like everything. Brilliant.

He is a quality player, nearly a complete player.

You [IMO] are a very good poster. Please don't ruin it by going ad hominem.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

2nd teir elite mid. With the likes of Priddis, Hayes etc. Great player.

 

[Rod Stroker]

He is a good player but his lack of speed means he will never be a star.

Yeah because Hayes is a real greyhound.

 

[Rod Stroker]

2nd teir elite mid. With the likes of Priddis, Hayes etc. Great player.

Hayes a 2nd tier elite mid? LOL! He's been their best mid for years in a team that has regularly gone deep in September.

 

[.Shotties.]

He's no K. Jack.

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

2nd teir elite mid. With the likes of Priddis, Hayes etc. Great player.

Agree, very good player but a notch below the best mids in the game. He was outstanding this week, but hasn't done much in the last month has he?

 

[The Prosecutor]

You start the thread fairdinkum under an alias and comment and like everything. Brilliant.

He is a quality player, nearly a complete player.

Very strong call out.

Good player, a bit like Jobe Watson of a few years a go.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Very good player, but in not the in class of Ablett, Pendlebury or any of the top-line midfielders in the game. If Pendlebury is an A+ grade player, then Swallow is an A grade player.