Hurn vs O'Brien

[wcesam]

Who is the better player, Shannon Hurn or Harry O'Brien?

Hurn is an excellent one on one defender, great mark, constantly mops it up down back and is easily one of the best kicks in the comp - if not THE best. Having a breakout year imo.

O'Brien is also very solid as a lockdown defender, utilizes pace and strength in the contest and on the rebound but has an average kick.

 

[Donakebab]

O'Brien has better run and carry, but Hurn is the better defender and his kicking makes him much more valuable, that right foot of his is an awesome weapon.

 

[i_hate_scams]

not sure about the average kick bit

 

[The Gtrain]

not sure about the average kick bit

Agreed have you not seen the coke zero adverts

 

[wcesam]

Agreed have you not seen the coke zero adverts

my mate goes to me 'do you reckon that's real?'

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

Hurn tends to turn it over more (5.8 compared to 4.3 a game) and has more critical errors then OBrien (2.0 to 0.3 a game). This would sugget that Hurn either goes for more, works further up the ground or is not as good a kick as OBrien. OBrien just about always hits his target and is a better then average kick with very good penertration (often can kick it 60-65 metres). Hurn wins a lot of the classic stats (disposals, marks etc) More hardball for OBrien and he rarely loses a 1v1. I have not seen enough or Hurn to vote in the poll yet.

 

[Underdog]

Hurn is clearly a better kick Pleasedontfail11. Simply, he's one of the best in the game.

Having said that, I can't separate them. Both very good, albeit very different defenders.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Hurn by a bit.

 

[Donakebab]

Hurn tends to turn it over more (5.8 compared to 4.3 a game) and has more critical errors then OBrien (2.0 to 0.3 a game). This would sugget that Hurn either goes for more, works further up the ground or is not as good a kick as OBrien. OBrien just about always hits his target and is a better then average kick with very good penertration (often can kick it 60-65 metres). Hurn wins a lot of the classic stats (disposals, marks etc) More hardball for OBrien and he rarely loses a 1v1. I have not seen enough or Hurn to vote in the poll yet.

Since you're just quoting stats you obviously have no idea who Shannon Hurn is. On of if not the best kicks in the league. Streets ahead of O'Brien in footskills.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

Since you're just quoting stats you obviously have no idea who Shannon Hurn is. On of if not the best kicks in the league. Streets ahead of O'Brien in footskills.

You seam angry . I know who he is. What I said earlier was that I havent seen enough of him to make a judgement. I showed the stats to show that he turns it over a bit and makes errors with his kicking. Does not mean he is not one of the best kicks in the league. Maybe at times he goes for to much. Sorry that I made a ill-informed statistical observation in a internet forum.

 

[Number 10]

Harry is f-ing frustrating to watch when he has the ball in hand. 1/5 kicks he will do a very nice pass under pressure, 1/5 kicks he will be under no pressure and just kick ur standard kick to a free man, 3/5 kicks he seems like he closes his eyes and just bombs it to wherever he may see some black and white.

The only reason the figures may look good is because they are to contests and that is counted as an efficient kick.

Then we look at Hurn who has the best (yes, the best) kick in the league and will kick from the goal square to the centre square hitting up a player lace out. But does he do it enough when he isn't kicking out from a behind? Not enough for mine, it should always, always be in his hands coming out of the defence...

Like the OP said, one has great skills, the other has great rebound through pace and strength and both are largely great defenders one on one.

Taking this into account, if I was starting a team from scratch and could only pick one it would be Hurn. But if you could give marks out of 20 as far as a well rounded defender goes - Hurn = 16.5/20, Harry = 16/20 - so not much in it.

 

[hellfire]

Hurn is clearly the better kick, can't argue that.

Harry clearly the better defender, despite his role changing a bit this year [playing more in Maxwell's role by leaving his man a lot].

Hurn provides precision off half back, Harry provides explosive pace off half back.

Certainly wouldn't swap them, but both excellent players.

 

[Bic]

Hurn by a long way.

Don't understand the Harry hype. Maybe I should grow an afro and get noticed by my boss too.

He is so overrated, and I am not trolling. Just really poor in the air when it is 50/50, not talking poor kicks in favor of a defender.

Harry is very good at breaking the lines, run and carry and big clearing kicks though, which is still very handy.

If Hurn had Harry's pace, he would be elite.

 

[Patron]

This is a damn good poll actually in my opinion. Should be closer. Obviously Hurn is a much better kick(one of the best) but i really do rate Obrien's run out of defence.
If i was unbias i would probably go with a tie.

 

[oliverjames]

from an unbias perspective, both players excel in their duties as defenders. Given Hurns ability to kick 60+ metres and hit up a target on his tit...you'd have to say Hurn. Both players attack the ball with ferocity that can be admired by all players and fans!

 

[Zahasouvlakis]

Hurn by a bit.

Yep. I do not think Harry O is any good one on one and his offensive game is poor.. running 20 metres and bombing it blindly 50 metres isn't that impressive to me.

 

[anti_]

pretty good poll i think.

Harry is more dynamic than hurn, he's also quite proficient at 'team lifting' acts. he's a dogged player who would be one of the only guys in the league that regularly towels up mark lecras.

Hurn is in the top 5 kicks in the league, doesn't lack courage and is a competent 1v1 defender. i think he would absolutely dominate at collingwood and be an AA defender. he's played fantastic in the past 2 weeks, marking a number of opposition kicks providing great 3rd man spoils.

i think if obrien played for wce he'd be a much lesser player...he plays with so much confidence at collingwood because he can afford to. at other clubs im not so sure he could get away with some of the things he tries...he does seem to just hoof the ball up field 55m on many occasions. although you would do this considering you have trav cloke who plucks everything.

obviously i'd take hurn, but it's fairly close at this point in time. hoping hurn can become an AA player in the future.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Hurn easily for mine. Harry O is better at running 20 metres in a straight line and hoofing the ball 50 metres upfield to nobody, Hurn is better at everything else.

 

[September_Glory]

Admire Harry O a lot, played against him as a junior (he was playing ruck!).

Hurn for me though. He right foot is hurt factor personified.

 

[dajesmac]

^ That's Naitanui mate.

 

[dajesmac]

Although I voted Hurn, O'Brien is being given enough credit here. I notice his bombing the ball 50m to no one as much as anyone (something I've noticed Swan does at every opporunity, but lets not get into that) he rebounds so well and has speed and is incredibly hard to tackle which can be invaluable to a team. It's very hard to execute an effective press on Collingwood when they have guys like that.

Still think Hurn is the better footballer, is very good defensively also, added to his nutcracking offensive game.

 

[2TONE]

Although I voted Hurn, O'Brien is being given enough credit here. I notice his bombing the ball 50m to no one as much as anyone (something I've noticed Swan does at every opporunity, but lets not get into that) he rebounds so well and has speed and is incredibly hard to tackle which can be invaluable to a team. It's very hard to execute an effective press on Collingwood when they have guys like that.

Still think Hurn is the better footballer, is very good defensively also, added to his nutcracking offensive game.

this poll has been hijacked by eagles cheerleaders that have no sense of humility, considering that your last 6 games against the pies the ave losing margin is over 70 points.. hurn being a good ave footballer, and to the same extent obrein is to, these type of players dont win you games of footy, so this poll is shit. who give a shit whos better.. but yet obrien stands alone with a premiership medal, aa medal and also has spoken to the d lama. obrien instructed him how to escape the 10,000 foot crevice using a putter the d lama was grateful and blessed him and the pies with many more premierships....

 

[kerrazy]

this poll has been hijacked by eagles cheerleaders that have no sense of humility, considering that your last 6 games against the pies the ave losing margin is over 70 points.. hurn being a good ave footballer, and to the same extent obrein is to, these type of players dont win you games of footy, so this poll is shit. who give a shit whos better.. but yet obrien stands alone with a premiership medal, aa medal and also has spoken to the d lama. obrien instructed him how to escape the 10,000 foot crevice using a putter the d lama was grateful and blessed him and the pies with many more premierships....

umad bro?

 

[Donakebab]

this poll has been hijacked by eagles cheerleaders that have no sense of humility, considering that your last 6 games against the pies the ave losing margin is over 70 points.. hurn being a good ave footballer, and to the same extent obrein is to, these type of players dont win you games of footy, so this poll is shit. who give a shit whos better.. but yet obrien stands alone with a premiership medal, aa medal and also has spoken to the d lama. obrien instructed him how to escape the 10,000 foot crevice using a putter the d lama was grateful and blessed him and the pies with many more premierships....

Please change my vote to O'Brien naow!

I've spoken to the Dalai Lama, does that make me better than Hurn too?

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Hurn easily for mine. Harry O is better at running 20 metres in a straight line and hoofing the ball 50 metres upfield to nobody, Hurn is better at everything else.

When is there ever "nobody" upfield for Collingwood?

You must be thinking of our opponents. We have the best contested marking division in the competition up forward, and our gameplan revolves around getting the ball down there as quickly as possible.

Harry O'Brien frequently beats a smaller opponent back towards their own goal, picks up the ball, breaks a tackle from said smaller opponent, runs his full measure, and kicks the ball 55m, usually resulting in inside 50s, and inside 50s usually turn into multiple inside 50s for Collingwood, and multiple inside 50s turn into more goals than any other team in the competition.

Obviously he's not as good a kick as Hurn, but Harry is a big, big part of our success.