Opinion Best player in the game going into 2022?

Who is the best player in the competition going into 2022

  • Bontempelli

    Votes: 72 26.7%
  • Oliver

    Votes: 52 19.3%
  • Petracca

    Votes: 59 21.9%
  • Martin

    Votes: 34 12.6%
  • Greene

    Votes: 9 3.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 44 16.3%

  • Total voters
    270
Jul 14, 2005
18,723
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Carlton
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Google non sequitur.

That said, Oliver at 24 is only just entering his prime years and I expect he's going to get better and kick more goals, like he did in the second half of the year. He absolutely can reach the heights of those others. It's fair to say I don't value your ability to assess footballers.

Btw, You can only hope your namesick reaches Oliver's current level. At the same age and same amount of games played Oliver had over 100 more disposals and countless more contested possessions and clearances. Oliver won his first B&F in a year where he played 3/4s of it as a teenager. It was just his second season. From day one he's been a centre square midfielder, which is rare in itself. But look, you've become pretty ignore worthy, so if you get no response...
Amazing how many posters who don’t agree with your narrow point of view are ‘ignore worthy’ FWIW Walsh played mostly on the wing in his second season.

How did Oliver poll in the Brownlow in his third season? I’ll give you the answer: It’s 13, 18 less than Walsh in his dominant third year.

Walsh finished 6th in the AFLCA voting in his third season, Oliver 8th in his third season.

Walsh is currently ahead at the same age.
 
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WalshistheGOAT

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 25, 2019
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Google non sequitur.

That said, Oliver at 24 is only just entering his prime years and I expect he's going to get better and kick more goals, like he did in the second half of the year. He absolutely can reach the heights of those others. It's fair to say I don't value your ability to assess footballers.

Btw, You can only hope your namesick reaches Oliver's current level. At the same age and same amount of games played Oliver had over 100 more disposals and countless more contested possessions and clearances. Oliver won his first B&F in a year where he played 3/4s of it as a teenager. It was just his second season. From day one he's been a centre square midfielder, which is rare in itself. But look, you've become pretty ignore worthy, so if you get no response...
You can not value my ability to assess footballers but I'm pretty comfortable in backing my eyes on evaluating non carlton players.

On the other hand you seem to charge to defend reasonable debate on anything to do with ur boy Clarry and make out as if any critique or observations of his game must be shot down in the most ridiculous of fashions. Clarry is a great player and his ball winning ability is some of the best we've seen in the game. Unfortunate reality is that for majority of his career he's been a butcher by foot and this year he took a big step in fixing that but is still far from an elite kick.

Imo Trac and Bont right now are the only players who show the ability to be the contested beasts in the middle while also dominant forward of centre and Clarry is the best pure mid

If that's ignore worthy I welcome it with open arms because I know it's not me with the issue
 

Catsnlakers

Even Hank Moody is in awe of Geelong!
Oct 2, 2016
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Has there ever been a weaker list of top players in the game?
This is true. Especially when you look back around the early to mid nineties, the top 5-10 were all absolute all time greats.
 
Sep 15, 2007
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This is true. Especially when you look back around the early to mid nineties, the top 5-10 were all absolute all time greats.
early ninties: ablett, lockett, dunstall, carey, williams.

late nineties: carey, hird, voss, jarman, lockett, buckley

early 2000s: voss, hird, buckley, mcleod, riccuito, kouta, lloyd.

late 2000s ablett, judd, franklin, riewoldt, pavlich, brown.

early 2010s: ablett, franklin, fyfe,

late 2010s: dangerfield, martin, franklin, fyfe.

ealry 2020s current crop just no where near the above.
 

Catsnlakers

Even Hank Moody is in awe of Geelong!
Oct 2, 2016
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early ninties: ablett, lockett, dunstall, carey, williams.

late nineties: carey, hird, voss, jarman, lockett, buckley

early 2000s: voss, hird, buckley, mcleod, riccuito, kouta, lloyd.

late 2000s ablett, judd, franklin, riewoldt, pavlich, brown.

early 2010s: ablett, franklin, fyfe,

late 2010s: dangerfield, martin, franklin, fyfe.

ealry 2020s current crop just no where near the above.
Yep & just think in the early nineties you also had Modra & Sticks dominating too.
 

Trav 20

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 5, 2004
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early ninties: ablett, lockett, dunstall, carey, williams.

late nineties: carey, hird, voss, jarman, lockett, buckley

early 2000s: voss, hird, buckley, mcleod, riccuito, kouta, lloyd.

late 2000s ablett, judd, franklin, riewoldt, pavlich, brown.

early 2010s: ablett, franklin, fyfe,

late 2010s: dangerfield, martin, franklin, fyfe.

ealry 2020s current crop just no where near the above.
The current crop have 6-8 years to enhance their reputations with premierships and other related accolades.

It's way too early to assume their legacy.
 
Sep 15, 2007
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The current crop have 6-8 years to enhance their reputations with premierships and other related accolades.

It's way too early to assume their legacy.
Its not the premierships, reputations and accolades. They give the same amount out to every crop.

its solely about how good and spectacular a player they are. Thats it.

and in another 6 years it will be a different crop. Their time is right now.
 

Trav 20

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Its not the premierships, reputations and accolades. They give the same amount out to every crop.

its solely about how good and spectacular a player they are. Thats it.

and in another 6 years it will be a different crop. Their time is right now.
You'll find that reputations do indeed grow, or otherwise, by performances on the biggest stage. Petracca just had one of the great Norm Smiths as he put his team on his back in a grand final. His reputation has grown from that performance alone.

I suspect that because your club has had its time in the sun you can't possibly imagine players from another club emulating some of their feats.

Most players don't start playing their best footy until they reach around 25 and some of these guys have only just entered those prime years.

It's way too early to make declarations on their legacies now.

I get that you don't get that.
 

gbatman

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At his best it's Dustin Martin. Combination of ball winning but an ability to get it in dangerous areas and an elite ability to finish is a rare combination. The way Petracca played in the finals he was the best player in the game at that time.
 
You'll find that reputations do indeed grow, or otherwise, by performances on the biggest stage. Petracca just had one of the great Norm Smiths as he put his team on his back in a grand final. His reputation has grown from that performance alone.

I suspect that because your club has had its time in the sun you can't possibly imagine players from another club emulating some of their feats.

Most players don't start playing their best footy until they reach around 25 and some of these guys have only just entered those prime years.

It's way too early to make declarations on their legacies now.

I get that you don't get that.
This, Players like Oliver, Bont ect are still writing their legacies.

And you can generally tell which players will be great because they get awards in their early 20s

Comparing R.Harvey to Oliver at 24 years old as an example
Harvey had 3 AA's, 2 BnF's, Oliver had 2 AA's, 3 BnF's, 1 AFL coaches players of the year

Both roughly the same but then the real peak years start happening that makes players great.
 

WalshistheGOAT

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 25, 2019
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early ninties: ablett, lockett, dunstall, carey, williams.

late nineties: carey, hird, voss, jarman, lockett, buckley

early 2000s: voss, hird, buckley, mcleod, riccuito, kouta, lloyd.

late 2000s ablett, judd, franklin, riewoldt, pavlich, brown.

early 2010s: ablett, franklin, fyfe,

late 2010s: dangerfield, martin, franklin, fyfe.

ealry 2020s current crop just no where near the above.
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the early 2020s group. I can see Walsh, Mckay, Max King, Rowell and Bailey Smith elevating into the elite status of the game.

For me the next 5 years could look like Bont Trac Walsh King Smith as a top 5 and some great young prospects still on their way up.

I can't see Wines or Oliver stepping to that next level, nor Neale or Macrae etc. Just see them as limited in how much they can improve

Walsh and Smith seem the most likely to become those damaging goalkicking mids and Bont and Trac are already great and can continue to refine their games. King and McKay are genuine freaks and tough match ups for any defender so I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them bag 80 goals in a year over the next few
 
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nineteen eighty

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 18, 2003
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Google non sequitur.

That said, Oliver at 24 is only just entering his prime years and I expect he's going to get better and kick more goals, like he did in the second half of the year. He absolutely can reach the heights of those others. It's fair to say I don't value your ability to assess footballers.

Btw, You can only hope your namesick reaches Oliver's current level. At the same age and same amount of games played Oliver had over 100 more disposals and countless more contested possessions and clearances. Oliver won his first B&F in a year where he played 3/4s of it as a teenager. It was just his second season. From day one he's been a centre square midfielder, which is rare in itself. But look, you've become pretty ignore worthy, so if you get no response...

I rest my case your honour...

Bont of that list but Melbourne having 2 of them is why they're clear favourites to win it all again

Melbourne actually have 3...Gawn up there.
 

Flags_In_The_Bag

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 17, 2014
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Not a fan of overseas teams.....
Coming from a dogs supporter. How rich. How bad is your culture going when you have a 2nd year player in Weightman flopping in about 4 contests on grand finals day. Can't blame the kid when he has Macrae (in my display pic) and Hunter as mentors :)
Not rich at all, your club has plenty that milk them, if fact every club does.
 
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the early 2020s group. I can see Walsh, Mckay, Max King, Rowell and Bailey Smith elevating into the elite status of the game.

For me the next 5 years could look like Bont Trac Walsh King Smith as a top 5 and some great young prospects still on their way up.

I can't see Wines or Oliver stepping to that next level, nor Neale or Macrae etc. Just see them as limited in how much they can improve

Walsh and Smith seem the most likely to become those damaging goalkicking mids and Bont and Trac are already great and can continue to refine their games. King and McKay are genuine freaks and tough match ups for any defender so I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them bag 80 goals in a year over the next few
Surprised that you couldn't find room fdor Curnow, Weitering and any more Carlton players in general
 
Blatant bias apparently. Both their careers are only downhill from here.
Yet a guy who is the same age and has just won a b&f in a premiership team and won the AFLCA award is going to regress
 

WalshistheGOAT

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 25, 2019
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Yet a guy who is the same age and has just won a b&f in a premiership team and won the AFLCA award is going to regress
Regress and stagnate are very different terms.

Oliver could remain in the top handful of midfielders for the next 5-6 years and be a fantastic player for all of them but I don't see the scope of improvement in him needed to go from one of the seasons best players to one of the best of all time such as Judd, GAJ, Dusty etc

I think Trac is the far more likely of the two.
 
Jan 10, 2020
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I'm gonna have a crack:

1) Bont
2) Oliver
3) Petracca
4) Steele
5) Walsh

That's my 5.

Top few are preference based. I find those top 3 damaging and brilliant to watch.

Reckon Steele's two-way work is exceptional.

And Walsh will be a real star soon, he's building fantastically.

Also for what it's worth I think Touk Miller is thereabouts, too. Plays similarly to Steele to my eye
 
Jun 14, 2015
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Won't change the fact that Clarry has not shown in his career to date the ability to impact games as much as the true champions of the game like Fyfe, Judd, Dusty, Danger etc.
IMO Oliver's impact on games is underrated because he's usually at the start of the chain rather than the end of it. I don't think many had performances in 2021 that were comparable to Oliver's (first) game against Adelaide, he was massive. His strength is getting from contest to contest and winning the ball.

Trac is a little more like Dusty.

That we've got them both is ******* unreal and I go to bed sometimes thinking about how good it is that they both play for Melbourne Demons, even sometimes I dream of both of them pounding western blldogs into the dirt in the grand final, I'm cheering along and singing "grand old flag!", I always wake up really happy afterwards too.
 
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