Has the AFL world overrated Taylor Walker?

[Topkent]

I agree.

For another example - Look at Dustys last quarter in the QF. 4 touches, 4 direct score assists including 2 goal assists in about 5 minutes of play which just blew the cats out of the water.

Players who have the capacity to consistently put players in scoring opportunities are worth their weight in gold. Walker is very good at that, plus is very capable of hitting the scoreboard himself. its a shame he did his knee when he did- he was really hitting his prime.

Exactly. The only way a FF is valuable these days is if he is like Kennedy and can convert his set shots giving reward to the hard work done up field. What Walker does is provide a target at CHF which opens up the field for the rest of the Adelaide forwards to work around and why they have such fluid ball movement

 

[Sammymoite]

Mmmm nah, great leader for his club etc. props to him.

However, he would have to be one of the most overrated personalities in the game by a country mile.

The mullet automatically made people think he was some big character and showman, but in reality he is one of the more dull and simple bastards you'll hear on tv

Good mo though

 

[John Who]

Mmmm nah, great leader for his club etc. props to him.

However, he would have to be one of the most overrated personalities in the game by a country mile.

The mullet automatically made people think he was some big character and showman, but in reality he is one of the more dull and simple bastards you'll hear on tv

Good mo though

Gee, you could probably say that about any AFL captains (dull, lacking big personality). It's the culture of the clubs and fans wanting the captains to be "do more walk than do the talk".
Though as a Crows fan, I do see Walker's cheeky comments from time to time. There is a bit of character under that Captain's portrayal.

 

[HairyO]

Rated as best captain by his peers for the 2nd year in a row

But what would the players know, some of BF think he has been overrated.....

Great work Tex! Just need to get 2 more wins to really make a hero of himself

Player awards mean less than media awards because half of them admit to not watching any football outside of weekly match analysis for work.

 

[Glenno23]

Player awards mean less than media awards because half of them admit to not watching any football outside of weekly match analysis for work.

Highly doubt it's half of the players don't watch any footy. Reckon 25% is closer to the mark

 

[HairyO]

Highly doubt it's half of the players don't watch any footy. Reckon 25% is closer to the mark

Every year the AFL surveys all the players. A couple of years ago they asked if they watch football outside of work. Pretty much all the young guys said no and pretty much all the old guys said yes.

Which makes sense. Most of us dont take our work home on the weekend.

 

[John Who]

I agree.

For another example - Look at Dustys last quarter in the QF. 4 touches, 4 direct score assists including 2 goal assists in about 5 minutes of play which just blew the cats out of the water.

Players who have the capacity to consistently put players in scoring opportunities are worth their weight in gold. Walker is very good at that, plus is very capable of hitting the scoreboard himself. its a shame he did his knee when he did- he was really hitting his prime.

Regarding goal assists, it's also important to appreciate who is giving the assistance and where the assistance came from. In Walker's case, most of his assist are between 40-60m out from goal with sharp foot/hand passes. You can also argue that due to his ability for long kicks, half or more of his assists could well have been scores themselves. If Walker played more selfish, he might actually give the Coleman medal a big shake in the last couple of years. It's his unselfish acts that's being highly regarded by his team and peers alike.

 

[Roddy]

He's a big presence, and certainly commands the opposition's best defender, but the size, presence and athleticism haven't quite added up to the truly dominating forward force that he possibly could be. I wonder if we still haven't seen his absolute best yet....

 

[HairyO]

He's a big presence, and certainly commands the opposition's best defender, but the size, presence and athleticism haven't quite added up to the truly dominating forward force that he possibly could be. I wonder if we still haven't seen his absolute best yet....

Not sure if subtle praise for Ryan Burton.

 

[FISTO]

She's okay noting special tho

 

[juss]

Fantastic captain and leader, there are a number of key forwards I'd pick before him though.

 

[jackster83]

Mmmm nah, great leader for his club etc. props to him.

However, he would have to be one of the most overrated personalities in the game by a country mile.

The mullet automatically made people think he was some big character and showman, but in reality he is one of the more dull and simple bastards you'll hear on tv

Good mo though

Dyson Heppell thread.

 

[Roddy]

Not sure if subtle praise for Ryan Burton.

Burto was the best we had at that time, with Chip, Stratts and Birch all injured.

 

[demondavey]

Mmmm nah, great leader for his club etc. props to him.

However, he would have to be one of the most overrated personalities in the game by a country mile.

The mullet automatically made people think he was some big character and showman, but in reality he is one of the more dull and simple bastards you'll hear on tv

Good mo though

We aren't talking about his personality, moustache, or haircut.

 

[demondavey]

Averages 15 possessions, 6 marks, and 2 goals. Has kicked 50 for the year. Plays up the ground, brings other players into the game, elite field kicking, great leader. Bloke is not ******* overrated.

 

[sr36]

You'd like him to get more of the footy, but boy does he do some damage with the possessions he gets.

 

[bjwilliams]

Go watch his final against Freo a few years ago. He is one of the best kicks going around. Outside 50 there is no better forward.

Not even Buddy?

 

[demondavey]

Replace him with Tippett and Crows are still on top.

Hahaha! Tippett.....

 

[demondavey]

Uh yeah they are just as important. If a forward gets a lace out pass 10m directly in front then he gets all the credit at the end of the day despite it being entirely on the bloke who created it.
Jesse Hogan kicked 7 against Brisbane yet I reckon all 7 were as a result of brilliant kicks or work up the field. Yet he is the hero because he got on the end of 7.

It's difficult to find a big forward these days who can kick them. Whilst the forward gets the credit for nailing the goal, they also wear the flack when the miss them. I.e Charlie Dixon. At the end of the day the forward has to convert, so I am happy to give him credit.

 

[Topkent]

It's difficult to find a big forward these days who can kick them. Whilst the forward gets the credit for nailing the goal, they also wear the flack when the miss them. I.e Charlie Dixon. At the end of the day the forward has to convert, so I am happy to give him credit.

Dixons game was far more expansive than Hogans though. Dixon took some contested marks and made goals out of nothing whereas Hogan was merely on the end of beautiful kicks. Still have to kick them so 7.0 makes you a match winner but he didn't have the influence of Dixon for port.

 

[demondavey]

Embarrass yourself much?

5th in the Coleman, #1 player for scoreboard impact in the comp but yeah just a lame structure player.

Unfortunately people still think that if he doesn't take 6 contested marks and kick 5 a game then he hasn't contributed. I think it's also because he has a profile. All the stats you just produced effectively destroy any argument against him. I've no doubt he could kick another 15-20 if he wasn't giving them off.

Ultimate team player, ultimate leader and great captain. You want to see him leading Adelaide to a flag just through his total selflessness as a player. There'd be 17 other clubs willing to have a guy like him on their list. Kind of guy that would just step up and win a Norm on GF day.

 

[demondavey]

Dixons game was far more expansive than Hogans though. Dixon took some contested marks and made goals out of nothing whereas Hogan was merely on the end of beautiful kicks. Still have to kick them so 7.0 makes you a match winner but he didn't have the influence of Dixon for port.

How do you rate influence though? I'd say kicking 7 is pretty influential. Being on the end of those kicks is where any decent FF should be. I also agree with you, because poor Dixon missed 6 shots. So he was obviously in the right spots, but you want your big forwards closing.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Like Jono Brown. Lovable big bogan who oozes talent, but the results don't always match the expectation or rhetoric.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Walker being rated the best captain by the players lines up with Luke Parker being naned in the Top 10 players in the comp.

Both are massive reaches.

 

[demondavey]

Walker being rated the best captain by the players lines up with Luke Parker being naned in the Top 10 players in the comp.

Both are massive reaches.

Standard Hawthorn arrogance - we are still better than everyone else. Newsflash, there are 17 other teams in the competition with good players as well.