Bont has had a down year so far. Probably only B.O.G in one game.
Does Lachie Neale have a genuine claim to being the best player in the league?
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Bont has had a down year so far. Probably only B.O.G in one game.
Sigh... why does it always have to come back to a Vic thing. Maybe the guy just doesn’t know footy.
- Apr 12, 2015
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Best thing about Lachie Neale is he could not give a s&$t if people think he is the best player. He is consistent, does what the coach wants and asks him to do. Ultimate team man and great attitude towards everything. Super tough and has no ‘flog’ vibes what so ever. Was unbelievable at Freo as well.
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Almost right...well not really...well actually wrong pretty much across the board.
He only won two B & Fs at Freo (2016 and 2018).
In 2016, Fyfe missed 80% of the season with a re-fracture of the leg he did in the 2015 prelim.
In 2018, Fyfe missed seven games, and was comfortably leading the B&F count until R16 when he did his hammy and was out for the next six rounds.
Not a knock on Neale - he's a super player - but if you're going to make a point, try and back it up with at least something that's correct!!
- May 11, 2015
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No one at Freo wanted to see Neale go, and I'm sure in time the truth will come out as to why he left (it wasn't a go home reason and we were offering good coin) but it's a bit frustrating to see the adulation come his way when he was so overlooked in his time in Freo.
In 2016, he broke the league record for most disposals (33.5 a game!!) and was third in clearances - yet he didn't even make the AA team. Two years later, Mitchell wins the bloody Brownlow doing pretty much the same thing (lots of disposals, not many of them hurt).
What Neale did last season was no different to the four previous seasons at Freo.
That said, he has taken it to a new level this season (albeit only five games in). There were three main knocks on his game at Freo (and to some extent last year): Too slow, Most of his disposals were non-damaging handballs, for someone in the guts his tackling was very average. This season, he has really turend around the last two and as a consequence his metres gained is much higher and he's impacting the contest in more dangerous positions on the ground.
Kudos to him, I hope he gets the Brownlow this year - maybe then we might understand why he was so happy to leave and we were so happy to let him leave.
In 2016, he broke the league record for most disposals (33.5 a game!!) and was third in clearances - yet he didn't even make the AA team. Two years later, Mitchell wins the bloody Brownlow doing pretty much the same thing (lots of disposals, not many of them hurt).
What Neale did last season was no different to the four previous seasons at Freo.
That said, he has taken it to a new level this season (albeit only five games in). There were three main knocks on his game at Freo (and to some extent last year): Too slow, Most of his disposals were non-damaging handballs, for someone in the guts his tackling was very average. This season, he has really turend around the last two and as a consequence his metres gained is much higher and he's impacting the contest in more dangerous positions on the ground.
Kudos to him, I hope he gets the Brownlow this year - maybe then we might understand why he was so happy to leave and we were so happy to let him leave.
Look I agree Neale should have been AA that year and was underrated in his time at Freo but.
Comparing Neale in 2016 to Mitchell in his Brownlow year
Mitchell had more disposals, clearances, centre clearances, marks, goals, goal assists, score involvements, tackles, meters gained.
Some of those are close but Mitchell had a better season and that’s why he won the Brownlow.
Is the best player in the comp? No
Is the best player on the best team form wise in the comp? Yes
Great player and hes in the top 5 but you would have a few others before him if you were doing a draft now of a side you would want for the rest of the year. Hes been excellent and really impressed with how much more damaging he is with the ball but id have the names mentioned above before him (Fyfe, Cripps, Bont and Grundy) personally if I were drafting my team for the remainder of the year
Is the best player on the best team form wise in the comp? Yes
Great player and hes in the top 5 but you would have a few others before him if you were doing a draft now of a side you would want for the rest of the year. Hes been excellent and really impressed with how much more damaging he is with the ball but id have the names mentioned above before him (Fyfe, Cripps, Bont and Grundy) personally if I were drafting my team for the remainder of the year
TheKITC
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Bloody oath he does...
He's easily top 5 IMO and has improved his hurt factor in a couple of ways.
I'd go Neale, Bont, Cripps as top 5 locks, then the conversation opens up around Fyfe, Martin, Pendlebury (I'm a huge fan) and a couple of others for mine, depending on where you set the form and time parameters. Right now, Neale is every chance for a Brownlow and right in that conversation as the best, most in form player in the comp.
He's easily top 5 IMO and has improved his hurt factor in a couple of ways.
I'd go Neale, Bont, Cripps as top 5 locks, then the conversation opens up around Fyfe, Martin, Pendlebury (I'm a huge fan) and a couple of others for mine, depending on where you set the form and time parameters. Right now, Neale is every chance for a Brownlow and right in that conversation as the best, most in form player in the comp.
- Jul 14, 2005
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Weird retort - He is still an interstate player, who gets far less press than the average Vic star. I'd strongly dispute the average Vic supporter having little knowledge of him prior to his move to Brisbane.
My personal view is he wasn't in the absolute top echelon ('elite' end) of midfielders at Fremantle, but has graduated to being one of the best in the comp at Brisbane.
iBeng
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- Apr 3, 2012
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Hes alright tonight.
Agree, Neale is favorite for Brownlow and deserves to be. All of the big midfielders have been pretty s**t this season so I daresay he has a little handy lead, but it's only round 6. Expect Cripps to come hard.
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Good start anyway.
- Jun 27, 2020
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You wouldn't "lock" a player who has been awarded two Brownlow Medals (literally the highest individual honor bestowed upon any player) in the top five players within the competition? Priceless.
Danger showed he is still a superior player last night. Outside of that goal he kicked, Neale had basically no impact on the game.
The stats and sc looked good but watching the whole match, he didn't have a whole lot of impact.
The stats and sc looked good but watching the whole match, he didn't have a whole lot of impact.
- Oct 2, 2014
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Fyfe has been the best player for 5 years now - It wouldn't even be a debate if he didn't get injured so much.
I don't blame anyone who rates Danger as a better player that is a totally fine opinion to have but last night can't be proof of that. Danger was better last night 100%.
But if Neale is a better game than Dusty when they play the Tigers is that proof he is a better player, or same with Freo and Fyfe or the Dogs and Bont etc.
- Oct 9, 2006
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Grundy, Fyfe and Cripps are the three best players in the comp.
In that order.
In that order.
For me there is a difference between the best player in the league, and the best player at that time or that year. They can be the same player or they could be different.
The best player of 2020, that can be quite variable and a breakout season from a gun player, which could certainly be Lachie Neale.
The best player in the league, that for me looks at a bulk of work over a few years,
So for example a player might be in the top few players over a few years and be considered the best player in the league, but in each individual year, there might be a breakout player that has a single outstanding year where they were the best player that season.
For example some might have the view Fyfe is the best player in the league, but in any given year over the last 5, he might not have been the best player of each individual year in that time.
Same with Gary Ablett over 07-13. Best player in the league, but in 2010/2011 Swan and Judd may have had better individual seasons to be the best player that year.
I'd put Neale in the best player of 2020 bucket, but overall I still think there's a couple he's behind in bulk of work.
The best player of 2020, that can be quite variable and a breakout season from a gun player, which could certainly be Lachie Neale.
The best player in the league, that for me looks at a bulk of work over a few years,
So for example a player might be in the top few players over a few years and be considered the best player in the league, but in each individual year, there might be a breakout player that has a single outstanding year where they were the best player that season.
For example some might have the view Fyfe is the best player in the league, but in any given year over the last 5, he might not have been the best player of each individual year in that time.
Same with Gary Ablett over 07-13. Best player in the league, but in 2010/2011 Swan and Judd may have had better individual seasons to be the best player that year.
I'd put Neale in the best player of 2020 bucket, but overall I still think there's a couple he's behind in bulk of work.
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I should add that Martin is better than all of them. When he really feels like getting stuck in, that is.
owen87
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Elite midfielder, not the 'best' player though.
I rate guys like Martin / Dangerfield / Fyfe / Bontempelli / Cripps higher due to their versatility - their ability to play as a game-breaking Midfield or a pseudo-FF.
Neale is a Tom Mitchell type player to me; a brilliant clearance midfielder but lacks the versatility to be that best player in the comp.
Winning a Brownlow doesn't mean you're the best player, Franklin has had years where he'd be the most valuable player in the league but didn't win a Brownlow for example.
He's been the most consistent player in the league for awhile and especially this season.
I would compare it to Tom Mitchell. When Tom Mitchell won the brownlow he had the best season. Would anyone argue he was the best player and would they take him over more damaging, explosive and more talented players? No.
Neale will never universally be considered the best player. But he's still great.
I would compare it to Tom Mitchell. When Tom Mitchell won the brownlow he had the best season. Would anyone argue he was the best player and would they take him over more damaging, explosive and more talented players? No.
Neale will never universally be considered the best player. But he's still great.
- Jul 10, 2012
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I like Cripps but he is over rated. He goes missing way too often to be in the elite 3. Fyfe, Grundy, Neale for me. They consistently produce.
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Only Martin and Dangerfield can spend whole games up forward and dominate there, the rest are just rotated there a couple of times a game but usually don't spend much time forward. Cripps isn't even really that good when he plays there - dominates due to his height, but he's an appalling set shot. I have no doubt if Neale spend some minutes up forward he would be kicking goals (we certainly saw his ability at a forward stoppage last night), but Brisbane just don't like taking him out of the midfield; probably because they've got a slew of guys who can pinch-hit in the forwardline: Zorko, McCluggage, Berry etc.
Winning a Brownlow is still a reasonable indicator of your quality. People s**t on Priddis for it, but he had serious strengths as a player cobbled in with his below average kicking skills. Woewodin won in an average year, but winners are generally the very best players in the comp: Fyfe x2, Mitchell, Martin, Dangerfield, Ablett etc.
It's not the only metric for determining a player's value, but it's still a reasonable yardstick. I still think Mitchell's 2018 was underrated, and major reason why Hawthorn had such a good season despite their thinning midfield.
owen87
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Cripps is probably the weakest of that bunch up forward, with he & Bont both being young enough to still have scope to improve.
I think Priddis is a good example, fantastic season no doubt, but would anyone have described him as the best player in the comp that year? Ablett had close to his best ever season in 2014 before injury struck, and in all likelihood would have won the Brownlow if he'd played only 2 - 3 more games.
I don't think it's a slight on Neale's ability to say he's lacking that extra 'something' to be called the best player in the competition, he's an elite midfielder, as is Mitchell.
But if you look at guys like Ablett, Judd or Franklin at their peak, he's not at that level. Martin, Dangerfield & Fyfe have all got that bit extra to their bow, as does Bontempelli (and I think Cripps still has development to go up forward if he's released from the middle more often).
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