Cripps Bontempelli Merrett Kelly - the next big 4?

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conrad_437

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Merrett is gaining on him, it's okay to watch Bomber games now, we arent too bad now. You should do so, to see for yourself.
Did last round, and I love Merrett. Am afraid to say though that there is still considerable daylight between him and Bontempelli and it will stay that way for the foreseeable future (remeber that Bontempelli has only had a limited pre-season and is still taking games by the scruff of the neck and leading us to wins).
 

conrad_437

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Bontempelli has been afk for the first half of the last two games, you'd never see that from Merrett. They're different players, but their quality levels are similar.
Imagine him when he extends that to a consitant performance across for quarters! Never realised having a gun young player was this good.
 

Substance

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I would put Merrett 2nd but in another 20 games he could be on par with Bont. I still think Champion Data have it about right. Bont top 10, merrett about 25th, Cripps 50th.

Bont ~615
Merrett ~475
Cripps ~441

Less gap between Merrett and Cripps than Bont and Merret IMO.
 

Substance

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Bontempelli has been afk for the first half of the last two games, you'd never see that from Merrett. They're different players, but their quality levels are similar.
Not that it should need to be mentioned again, but Bont had a very limited preseason just like 2016. Remember how he didn't poll a single coaches vote in rounds 1-6? And then he polled 88 in the next 15 games. That's what 6 rounds of fitness gets you. In round 4 2016 we had people saying Billings had gone past Bontempelli because of this, despite his performances still at a high standard. Careful you don't go too early.

EDIT: AFK means away from keyboard. I think you meant MIA.
 
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threenewpadlocks

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Not that it should need to be mentioned again, but Bont had a very limited preseason just like 2016. Remember how he didn't poll a single coaches vote in rounds 1-6? And then he polled 88 in the next 15 games. That's what 6 rounds of fitness gets you. In round 4 2016 we had people saying Billings had gone past Bontempelli because of this, despite his performances still at a high standard. Careful you don't go too early.
To put that into perspective, Danger got 121 from 22 games = an average of 5.5. Bont 88 in 15 is 5.9 average per game.
 

Ozil

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There's also Josh Kelly, and O'Meara is still in the conversation, long-term I still think he'll be a gun.

Five years from now though I think Heeney and Petracca will be there with Bont and at the level Danger/Fyfe are at now (Bont is almost there now).
Kelly probably not rounded enough for me (could make the same argument for Cripps, mind) and I don't have a whole lot of love for Jaeger but he's missed so much footy.

Agree 100% re Heeney and Petracca.
 

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Jobe Watson

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Well, for all those doubting Merrett's ability to produce with a tag... copped Robinson in the 2nd half and still finished with 32 touches and produced some game-winning pieces of play in the final quarter.

Wasn't his best game - his kicking was a little off and he didn't win as many contested possessions/clearances as usual - but was still in the top 3 players on the ground such is his quality.
 

JayJ20

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Merrett butchered the ball at times against us.

He's good, but not as good as Bontempelli, simple as that.
He wasn't at his best today, but still was in the top 3 players on the ground, which says a lot really. That kick before 3/4 time was very uncharacteristic. Many elite players have a brainfade, so for that to be uncharacteristic for a 21 year-old shows how consistent he is.

Not at the level of Bont, but certainly not disgracing himself.
Gun
 
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