Opinion Most valuable position on the field?

[Cleric]

What position is the hardest to fill with a quality position in your opinion?
What's the most valuable in a trade scenario?

I think a small forward like Rankine, Pickett etc is one of them, alongside a tall dominant forward like Thilthorpe, Sam Darcy etc.

Others think that hybrid forward mid like Petracca or DeGoey are.

 

[Purple Suit]

Mid Fielders that kick goals. You need to win it first and kick lots of goals so the players that can do both are gold.

 

[faible]

What position is the hardest to fill with a quality position in your opinion?
What's the most valuable in a trade scenario?

I think a small forward like Rankine, Pickett etc is one of them, alongside a tall dominant forward like Thilthorpe, Sam Darcy etc.

Others think that hybrid forward mid like Petracca or DeGoey are.

Goal kicking midfielder (a consistent one) e.g. Martin, Dangerfield, Petracca and/or an elite KPF would easily be the most consistently highly valued and traded players.

These are the guys that can force a game on to their terms, small forwards aren't that.

 

[Cleric]

Goal kicking midfielder (a consistent one) e.g. Martin, Dangerfield, Petracca and/or an elite KPF would easily be the most consistently highly valued and traded players.

These are the guys that can force a game on to their terms, small forwards aren't that.

With the small forwards, it's hard to find elite ones. Charlie Cameron, Rankine, Pickett etc are as rare as hens teeth.

 

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[My_Username]

With the small forwards, it's hard to find elite ones. Charlie Cameron, Rankine, Pickett etc are as rare as hens teeth.

But it's entirely possible to have a successful team without one.

So while, like any elite player, they're great to have they're not THAT valuable in the broader scheme of things.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Key forward

 

[Cleric]

But it's entirely possible to have a successful team without one.

So while, like any elite player, they're great to have they're not THAT valuable in the broader scheme of things.

I'm not sure it is nowadays. Richmond won flags based on their small forwards, and most every club is on the lookout for them.

The really good ones like Rankine and Cameron can also go through the middle as well.

 

[Cleric]

Key forward

I think if you have a really dominant tall, you will get more at the trade table for them.

 

[Golumless]

But it's entirely possible to have a successful team without one.

So while, like any elite player, they're great to have they're not THAT valuable in the broader scheme of things.

A counter point would be that bringing in a gun small forward is one of the more efficient ways to bounce from being in the mid table to a contender.

However, if we're taking this question in the spirit and trying to think of a potential equal to a top tier inside midfielder, the only one which comes to my mind is half back flank. Mainly because teams are placing their best outside players there to control the outside game and beat the opposition press, plus it's likely one of the best intercept defenders on the team.

 

[Mr Meow]

With the small forwards, it's hard to find elite ones. Charlie Cameron, Rankine, Pickett etc are as rare as hens teeth.

Stengle, Moore, Bolton, Miers, Hill, Greene, Daniels, Rioli, Papley, Weightman haven't exactly been mugs the last few years.

 

[My_Username]

I'm not sure it is nowadays. Richmond won flags based on their small forwards, and most every club is on the lookout for them.

The really good ones like Rankine and Cameron can also go through the middle as well.

and Richmond's small forwards were both pretty ordinary and completely different from those you named (being mostly focused on defensive pressure).

Not exactly an argument for the need for 'Elite' small forwards.

 

[Cleric]

Stengle, Moore, Bolton, Miers, Hill, Greene, Daniels, Rioli, Papley, Weightman haven't exactly been mugs the last few years.

No doubt, but that doesn't disprove my point.
How much of a extra dimension did Stengle make to the Cats when he came?

 

[Cleric]

and Richmond's small forwards were both pretty ordinary and completely different from those you named (being mostly focused on defensive pressure).

Not exactly an argument for the need for 'Elite' small forwards.

That's exactly what an elite small forward brings. It makes the forward line quicker and less predictable, they kick freak goals that come about when the ball is in chaos, and they put defensive pressure on the defenders.

I'm a bit stunned that people don't understand the value of an elite small defenders.

 

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[Natho]

A ruckman. Example being a Gawn type. Dominant in the CBD's. Taking marks around the ground and the ability to fill the hole down back and help the backline.

 

[happy_eagle]

A ruckman. Example being a Gawn type. Dominant in the CBD's. Taking marks around the ground and the ability to fill the hole down back and help the backline.

The last three premiership ruckmen

Darcy Fort
Darcy Cameron
Rhys Stanley

 

[Golumless]

A ruckman. Example being a Gawn type. Dominant in the CBD's. Taking marks around the ground and the ability to fill the hole down back and help the backline.

You can even put them on the bench for 10-20% of the game.

 

[Ralll]

Hard to go past the gun midfielders.
They can dominate the general play while floating forward to kick goals.
Don't think any other position has the ability to impact in such a way.

 

[philthy05]

With the small forwards, it's hard to find elite ones. Charlie Cameron, Rankine, Pickett etc are as rare as hens teeth.

They’re rare as hens teeth because afl clubs rate it as the least important position, and any one that’s good enough gets moved up the ground where they’re considered more important.

Teams are happy to throw any capable player into the small forward spot. Something like 80% of small forwards playing on any given weekend are either mids who can’t fit into a teams mid rotation or mids resting forward

There’s a tonne of mids who could go play forward and be good to elite.

Hell just at port and of rozee butters or jhf would be elite if they played their full time.

If the entire afl coaching body across many coaches past and present think that much of the small forward position , how could it be the most important position?

 

[bzparkes]

Agree with goal-kicking mids. Difficult to rely on just your forwardline to kick winning scores. Generally the best teams have top-line mids who'll kick a goal or 2 each game.

 

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[philthy05]

Mids and key forwards are easily the most valuable positions

Mids impact the game the most of any position and kf is the hardest position to play, the hardest to draft / develop.


If you wanted to be more precise midfielders who can clear contests by foot, ie breakaway from congestion / navigate traffic to escape congestion and mids who can use the ball elite by foot.

Any mid who has both those tricks is a generational talent.

 

[SSSSSS]

Goal kicking mid.
Gun KPF.
Intercept defender with elite kicking/speed

 

[WesternSydneyHawk]

I would say clearance winning mid who can open up play and get the ball out of tough situations is critical. Kicking goals is the cherry on top.

I think that running small forwards/wingmen are becoming increasingly important. The kind who can run down to the opposition's forward 50 and apply defensive pressure, or sprint to the wing to get involved in a passage of play, then sprint to the goal square to snap a goal.

And the other position that's really critical in a strong, intercept marking defender. Someone who can read the play, take a mark, and then send the ball the other way.

Now, some of you would've noticed I'm a Hawthorn supporter, and I basically just described the roles played by Day and Newcombe; Ginnivan abd D'Ambrosio; snd Sicily.

And I think finding the right players to fill those roles I described was the key to Hawthorn going on its winning streak at the end of last season.

In other words, the difference between a team that plays finals footy and a bottom four side in the modern game is players who play those roles well.

 

[Rotayjay]

As Leigh Matthews said during footy commentary in Round 1, 2015, midfielders are a dime-a-dozen, but quality key position players are hard to find. I think the hardest position to fill is still centre half-forward, if you want a really good one.

Despite that, if the question is what position brings the most value to the team, I still think inside midfielders are the most vital of all. You can get away with meh key forwards and defenders if you have several good midfielders. Recent history i