Best Small Forward in the League?

[wce4premiership]

Jamie Cripps overall isn't close, but the form he is in is career best and he's doing big things in big games.

Hopefully he continues.

 

[MotlopMagic]

Gray, Greene and Breust in no particular order.


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[The Prosecutor]

Why does De Goey keep getting mentioned? He's 191cm tall.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Jamie Cripps overall isn't close, but the form he is in is career best and he's doing big things in big games.

Hopefully he continues.

Underrated for sure. Gets it done, which is a great trait in a player.

 

[HTPunter]

What is the cut-off height to being considered "small"? Toby Green is 182cm. Robbie Grey is 183cm. Luke Breust is 184cm. Josh Caddy is 186cm. If you counted Caddy as small rather than medium he'd be in the conversation - same goals per game as Breust and more than the other two. For what it's worth I would consider him a medium-sized forward. But what about the other three?

No height cut off, just based on playing style for me. Caddy clearly a marking option, De Goey plays on the likes of Rance and goes head to head with them on the lead and one-on-one. Ziebell 188cm yet is so far from a `small` forward. Dickson 184cm another `medium` forward because of his strengths.

Obviously different standards for everyone but if a players primary role are opportunities once the ball is on the ground for either goals, assists, tackles, pressure they are classified as a `small` forward for me. Aaron Young in 2018 perhaps the example I would use of a `taller` player being a small forward by role (changed his role - 3 marks, 4 tackles a game).

 

[HTPunter]

Breust had a mare of a finals campaign. Two games for one goal and no impact.

Greene was BOG last week with 27 touches, 9 marks and 3.3.

Greene followed up by being WOG the next week. Small forwards struggle in finals as a general rule.

 

[HTPunter]

Jamie Cripps overall isn't close, but the form he is in is career best and he's doing big things in big games.

Hopefully he continues.

Really making a strong effort to work up the ground and both ways, along with Ryan and Rioli, which helps performances in big contested games as opposed to just being a goalkicking small forward etc. Impressive, thought he stagnated in his career for a while after a career best 2015 but he`s going to end 2018 with/near 40 goals

 

[Scotland]

Greene followed up by being WOG the next week. Small forwards struggle in finals as a general rule.

I don't want to jink him for next week but Jamie Cripps has been flying. Had great form leading into the finals and hasn't missed a beat in two finals so far. He's not a massive goal kicker (usually 20 or 30 something a season) but he's quick and is working up the ground a lot more. He's 3rd for inside 50s for us and we look better with Ryan inside 50 who is more likely to create something out of nothing and Cripps at half forward. Rioli is starting to work up the ground more too. Both "Krakouer brothers" (equal parts lazy and racist) have been good in the finals so far too, but Ryan is the sort of small forward I'd expect to have up and down games.

 

[Sab22]

Breust the more consistent small forward otherwise Greene > Breust

 

[mike123]

Small forwards struggle in finals as a general rule.

Not really

 

[Darkyprotector]

We

On this year's form, how could you possibly argue that it's anyone other than Luke Breust?

Top 5 in the Coleman race as a small forward, top 10 goal assists, top 5 score involvements and 2nd in Tackles i50.

Let's put the myth to bed

He's average only gets the ball when some teammate does the hard work

Overrated and success because of system

Did you watcH RANCE ( full back of the universe ) TRYING to play on Jordan , getting humiliated we'll think Jordan's number 1

 

[Tbonefreo]

Greene without a doubt. Money on him for the brownlow nexy year if he stays fit

 

[Benny78]

Ablett or Betts

 

[Woobla Stainz]

Don't think any of them are the best in the league, well not yet anyway but WCE have 3 of the top 10 in the league IMO. Cripps, Rioli and Ryan are fantastic and each bring something unique

 

[wce4premiership]

I still think Wingard or Robbie Gray could be the best if they didn't rotate through the middle, Walters probably in the same boat (his dives s**t me though, he's not a good actor).

Gray also loves a bit of mayo when the umpires are looking.

 

[Back One Out]

Breust. Had a shocker of a finals series though. Awful.

Amazing how Cyril gets so much attention and hype, yet Breust just goes about it, better and consistently.
358 goals in 185 games. Just gets the job done.

Whereas Cyril has kicked 275 goals in 189 games. Probably shades Breust with his faster, high intensity pressure he creates.

Cyril set up goals for everyone else. He wasn't a finisher like most of small forwards in this thread. Probably the most unselfish team-oriented forward I ever saw. He made things happen. He won contests. He won the ball back off the opposition with his tackling, pressure and intercepts.

There is a reason why his coaches and teammates consistently rated Rioli as one of the 3 most valuable Hawks during our 4 flag dynasty (and it has nothing to with the Channel 7 commentary hype.)

Breust is a gun footballer - he is the complete small forward - but he isn't on Cyril's level as a match-winner

 

[hk89]

He's average only gets the ball when some teammate does the hard work

Then why are almost half his possessions contested? He's a small forward and only gets about 3 less contested possessions per game than Treloar. Breust is also a good contested mark given his size. Has only taken 3 less contested marks than De Goey, who is a 191 cm forward.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Greene or Breust lean towards Greene just

 

[WWSD]

We


Let's put the myth to bed

He's average only gets the ball when some teammate does the hard work

Overrated and success because of system

Did you watcH RANCE ( full back of the universe ) TRYING to play on Jordan , getting humiliated we'll think Jordan's number 1

You don’t kick 30+ goals every season since 2011 and average 45 goals per year by accident!

He had a significantly better season then last year despite Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Hill etc all departing. That is also taking into account that the Hawks have one of the worst midfields in the league.

Breust led the league in most statistical categories amongst the small forwards in 2018.

 

[hk89]

Greene or Breust lean towards Greene just

Greene probably has more impact overall (when he gets on the park), because he usually gets a lot more of the ball than Breust does, so can impact even when not hitting the scoreboard, but in terms of a pure small forward, Breust's consistency is hard to go past. Breust has only been in the system one more year than Greene, but has 358 career goals compared to Greene's 139.

Some rate Breust down because of the quality he had around him in our peak years. However there is only a finite number of inside 50s, and when you are competing for your share in a forward line that at times featured Buddy, Roughy, Gunston and Rioli, I don't think you are the highest priority target for many of those entries. Also showed this year he can still stand up even with mediocre delivery and less star factor around him.

 

[Yoda_]

Can I nominate Orazio Fantasia and we re - visit this thread post 2020 please?

 

[WWSD]

Can I nominate Orazio Fantasia and we re - visit this thread post 2020 please?

In 2020 Jade Gresham will be the best small forward.

 

[Yoda_]

In 2020 Jade Gresham will be the best small forward.

True, Fantasia will be as much of a small forward as Robbie Gray currently is (40:60 split)