Most important player...

[Stiffy_18]

PS....Great exercise in player rankings to be reviewed at year end.


Are you thinking of doing it again?..................I want to catch DT out on Reilly

Not as much as I want to catch you out on Bode

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Gee Kane I'm sure your finding that list a little embarassing at this point

So hands up who rated Knights the last player on our list behind.......wait for it......................................Smith

The beauty about these exercises, is that is hard not to make a foolish prediction somewhere!

 

[outback jack]

People,

I said this last year and I'm saying it again this year.... don't be surprised if Nathan Bock turns out to be better than Hentschel and perhaps even Rutten. The kid is huge, has speed and agility. Once he learns to use his muscle around the ground and still maintain the ability to run off opponents... look out.

Having said that, I'm still a huge fan of Rutten. Been crying for him to be moved to FF for a long time now. IMHO he would dominate the position. In that case (and given that all the potential improvement in certain players actually materializes), I would move Kenny to FB, Bock at CHB, Hentschell at CHF and Rutten at FF.

PS... anybody going to the Roos/Swans game over here? (I know it's late notice..)

not sure about hentschel as he is a forward anyway so you cant really compare, but i would of said this last yr a bit too with the form bock was putting together. That was before the wcoast final where bock was just a little bit off his game and hansen beat him quite easily, that really lowered my opinion of him. Rutten is really the one that holds it altogether back there. If bock can step up the same level he did this yr though, hes a realistic chance at a AA CHB posi with the lack of competition.

In terms of most important player to lose it would go roo then rutten atm, especially when we come up against one of the monster forwards which used to hurt us. The way we play with isolating three tall forwards plus welsh, losing anyone of the key position players will require a KP re-jig like what happened against the saints, which really hurts our structure and gameplan. Luckily most KP players don’t get injured often and we don’t rely on the mark stevens types anymore.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Not as much as I want to catch you out on Bode

Gee this forum can get spiteful at times

 

[WaynesWorld19]

The beauty about these exercises, is that is hard not to make a foolish prediction somewhere!

That's what makes them interesting PLUS you can't recount on your player assessments during the season

 

[WaynesWorld19]

not sure about hentschel as he is a forward anyway so you cant really compare, but i would of said this last yr a bit too with the form bock was putting together. That was before the wcoast final where bock was just a little bit off his game and hansen beat him quite easily, that really lowered my opinion of him. .

The year before he petered out in the finals for WWT.

Would appear the Long season has gotten the better of him over last couple of years.
He also found it difficult towards the end of qtrs last year.

Maybe a conditioning issue previously but I'm guessing he would have (should have) clocked up some km's to get his fitness levels up.............. I have a hunch we'll see with his new found confidence and enthusiasm a much fitter Bock

 

[outback jack]

The year before he petered out in the finals for WWT.

Would appear the Long season has gotten the better of him over last couple of years.
He also found it difficult towards the end of qtrs last year.

Maybe a conditioning issue previously but I'm guessing he would have (should have) clocked up some km's to get his fitness levels up.............. I have a hunch we'll see with his new found confidence and enthusiasm a much fitter Bock

Yes shouldn’t make a assumption on one game as many people incorrectly did with that WWT game, but it was more of a class/talent difference imo. He continually let Hansen get the the ball and mark holding the play up and i think it was more do to with the strong winds that day and bocks poorer ability to read the ball (a talent of the better players often overlooked). Rutten for instance is a good reader of the ball, it allows him to often take marks on kick ins, or even with the ball coming in one on one. I think bock needs to be at the top of his game atm with some players to be competitive. Agree athletically he is a very good prospect though, tall and very quick and getting stronger too, just needs to work on his defensive side. A definite player for us.

 

[Markthirtytwo]

I disagree.

West Coast have a crappy forward line but they win games.

Point is, a good midfield covers a multitude of sins. If you have a great midfield, it covers halls in your backline (Exibit A: West Coast) and it makes up for your lack of great forwards (Exibit A: West Coast).

As for the answer to original Question: Roo and any one of our talls. We've seen what it meant to miss Roo and a tall (Bock) in a finals against St. Kilda. We lose bite in the midfield (and general leadership) and with a tall missing it unbalanced us. Hentschel did a good job on St. Nick but it left a huge hole in our forward line. I don't think we have a player ready to step up if one tall gets injured or suspended. Watts would have been that player had he not gone back to his mummy.

I did say for most clubs Stiffone. I take your point but only to a point.
While yes a top side will have a top midfield, but if they are down for any reason, and it's happened to us, that is where a top forward line will step up and take the game by the scruff of the neck and get the pill themselves.
Get the running halfbacks to deliver over the centre line and you still are in with a chance.