Analysis Hawthorn and Individual Awards

[Hawk_francais]

Crumbs for squabbling peasants

 

[Pessimistic]

I'm trying to remember which AA team 13-15 the hawks team that year would have had a good chance of beating

 

[Randy Campbell]

Lucky premierships aren't decided on a vote or we wouldn't have any of them in the last decade.

Not just the last decade.

As long as we have the respect of each other, the respect of our supporters, and the respect of the football community, then we have known we have done our best. '
Allen Jeans.

Hopefully striving to be the most liked by our opposition never becomes part of our club culture.

 

[Dragz]

There's no i in team.

There's a me if you use a couple of the letters though

 

[Aramis]

Even if Clarkson wins a COTY award It's still going to be argued to no end that it came at the wrong time....

Next year is probably one of his best shots to do it.. from missing finals > rebuilding > to possible awesome performances + finals? who knows... I'm just enjoying the ride!

 

[grumbleguts]

Individual awards, like stats, are for loser clubs and media hacks. They fuel public opinion, which can be frustrating, but ultimately have no bearing on the only thing that matters in this team sport - team success.

I had an argument last weekend for suggesting Hodge was the greater footballer than Ablett. In truth I reckon many players from this generation are greater than Ablett. The true and only measure of an individual's greatness in a team sport is the impact they have on the team and their ability to help the team succeed. And Ablett is one of the most selfish players in the game.

If a player's greatness - like individual awards - were measured solely on a player's ability to get the ball and what they do with the ball, then Gary Ablett Jnr is the greatest player from this era and his father is one of the greatest players of all time. But I don't rate either in my top 20 greatest footballers. Most talented, sure. But not greatest.

To me greatness is measured equally - or even more so - by what a player does without the ball, both on and off the field. On the field, without the ball, Ablett would be looking for the next handball 1-2 or a free kick. Hodge would be defending, directing teammates and ensuring Clarkson's game plan is followed. Hodge made the 21 blokes he played with better. Ablett made himself look good

Greatness is inspiring teammates and playing through adversity. While Ablett would miss a month with the slightest of niggles, Hodge would front up on grand final day with broken ribs and lead his side to victory.

Bottom line when measuring an individual's worth in a team sport can only be which player was most likely to influence team success. Put Hodge or Ablett with 21 random players and we all know which side would be better off in 3 years. And the proof is in the pudding - Hodge led the most successful side of the modern era. Ablett led a club gifted the most talented kids and draft picks ever assembled and led them to be a basket case. There is no way Gold Coast would be in the the state it is today if they landed Hodge, or Riewoldt or Selwood instead of Ablett. All are greater players than Ablett.

Leadership beats talent and the greatest players are invariably those who got the best out of their teammates and led their team to success.

Individual awards measure talent. And for some clubs, that is ultimate. But only premierships measure greatness. And Hawthorn knows that.

Hahaha! If a player's greatness were measured by how many times they get the ball and what they do with the ball, ablett's name wouldn't even come up. Handballing to a team mate to receive it back and then bomb blindly into the forward line then rinse repeat is hardly what most would call great.

 

[OzJohnnie]

Not saying you did. But many on our board are paranoid enough to suggest such things.

Are you talking about me? I know you're talking about me. Why are you talking about me?

 

[Roddy]

Yes, I love how Cat fans especially, and people sucked in by the Geelong hype, work themselves into a frenzy over stuff like 'winning percentage' and the number of AAs and Charlies they have, and yet we have 4 flags in this period to 3, including a 3-peat as against not even a back to back, and we have 13 flags in 92 years to their 9 in 120. Staggering delusions of grandeur...

 

[HolyRioli]

We have more pcms than any other team

Actually right now West Coast does

 

[Gralin]

Yes, I love how Cat fans especially, and people sucked in by the Geelong hype, work themselves into a frenzy over stuff like 'winning percentage' and the number of AAs and Charlies they have, and yet we have 4 flags in this period to 3, including a 3-peat as against not even a back to back, and we have 13 flags in 92 years to their 9 in 120. Staggering delusions of grandeur...

Actually if you ask a cats fan they have 457 flags or something, apparently VFA counts, or Pokemon or something I can't work it out.

Probably all one Dynasty because it was the same club too

 

[Roddy]

Actually if you ask a cats fan they have 457 flags or something, apparently VFA counts, or Pokemon or something I can't work it out.

Probably all one Dynasty because it was the same club too

Yeah, I've heard they want to include all flags won by their players in junior ranks before they joined the club in their flag count.

 

[RhinotheFC]

And won't be alive when they name him coach of the century in 2099

Which coincidently will be Joel Selwood last AA selection.