Next Captain?

[oporto]

Have you ever tried to kick a football with groin issues? If not come back to me when you have and maybe then you will understand why Boaks kicking hasn't been as good as it looked like it would become.

This is another excuse reserved for someone who simply isn't a good kick and has become an average player

He is by far the closest thing we have had to a consistently performing attacking midfielder for 5 years yet you choose to level your criticism at him? Until the rest of our team can match the standard that Boak has set over the past 5 years then I don't even see why we are discussing him. Talk about addressing the wrong issues!

Which is precisely why Port Adelaide finds itself in its current predicament. I'm a realist. Boak is just a player. Until he proves otherwise, he should be rated accordingly

It still amazes me how many people thump on about the creed yet routinely forget to apply it

 

[Chopperdave]

This is another excuse reserved for someone who simply isn't a good kick and has become an average player

Sometimes injuries are acceptable excuses though? Look at Luke Ball... His kicking was shocking at St Kilda in his last few seasons. Gets his groins right and suddenly he is more than acceptable. I get it you don't like Boak as a player. Has he been dissapointing yes. Have injuries played some part in that. Yes. Is it ok to use injuries as an "excuse"? Sometimes yes it is.

 

[Wargreymon90]

Whether you like Boak or not, he is still out best midfielder who cops the no.1 tag every week. He's our main clearance player and is second in average disposals behind Kane

 

[PatientMental]

Travis Boaks disposal this year isn't too far away from the "Elite" even after playing injured most of the year

Sam Mitchell 75.2
Dayne Beams 73.1
Scott Pendlebury 71.2
Matt Priddis 70.4
Gary Ablett 69.1
Jobe Watson 69.3
Josh Kennedy 67.8
Dane Swan 67.4
Scott Thompson 65.5
Trent Cotchin 65.5
Travis Boak 63.8
Patrick Dangerfield 63.1
etc

 

[BIG MATTY T]

This is another excuse reserved for someone who simply isn't a good kick and has become an average player


Which is precisely why Port Adelaide finds itself in its current predicament. I'm a realist. Boak is just a player. Until he proves otherwise, he should be rated accordingly

It still amazes me how many people thump on about the creed yet routinely forget to apply it

Amen

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Travis Boaks disposal this year isn't too far away from the "Elite" even after playing injured most of the year

Sam Mitchell 75.2
Dayne Beams 73.1
Scott Pendlebury 71.2
Matt Priddis 70.4
Gary Ablett 69.1
Jobe Watson 69.3
Josh Kennedy 67.8
Dane Swan 67.4
Scott Thompson 65.5
Trent Cotchin 65.5
Travis Boak 63.8
Patrick Dangerfield 63.1
etc

Is that disposal % efficiency stats? If so, then given Boak averages about 23 disposals a game, then if Boak turns one or two of his poor disposals into clean disposals, or a ground ball with eyes as Crash Davis would say, then his stats are elite.

 

[BIG MATTY T]

Is that disposal % efficiency stats? If so, then given Boak averages about 23 disposals a game, then if Boak turns one or two of his poor disposals into clean disposals, or a ground ball with eyes as Crash Davis would say, then his stats are elite.

Problem is elite players average more disposals then 23

 

[Peck]

Our team has never acheived high possesion numbers like other teams. I don't believe at all that it is our players that are the problem either, I just think its the way that our team plays. There is no way that some of the hacks that get 35-40 possesions are just better at accumulating than Boak, Gray, Hartlett, Ebert, Kane Cornes, Cassisi, Broady, etc. etc.

Boak's 27 touch game made him the absolute BOG against Melbourne (going a ways back i know). I think 40+ possession games are related to how much a team passes the ball back and forth, rather than player ability.

 

[Chopperdave]

Our team has never acheived high possesion numbers like other teams. I don't believe at all that it is our players that are the problem either, I just think its the way that our team plays. There is no way that some of the hacks that get 35-40 possesions are just better at accumulating than Boak, Gray, Hartlett, Ebert, Kane Cornes, Cassisi, Broady, etc. etc.

Boak's 27 touch game made him the absolute BOG against Melbourne (going a ways back i know). I think 40+ possession games are related to how much a team passes the ball back and forth, rather than player ability.

I think this also relates back a little to our fitness levels. Other than Kane who we know is a fitness freak none of our players do really push that 30+ mark. Broadbents already improved his fitness (smoking related?) and his number of disposals went up this year. Hopefully if we get our fitness levels back to AFL standard that takes our 20-25 poss players up to the elite 25-30+ per game level.

 

[TheFVK]

Which is precisely why Port Adelaide finds itself in its current predicament. I'm a realist. Boak is just a player. Until he proves otherwise, he should be rated accordingly

Boak is just a player, who has outperformed everyone else in our midfield in the past 5 years. So yes, in that sense Boak is just a player.

I agree that we find ourselves in our current predicament because of his aforementioned lack of support.

Look I don't think Trav has hit his peak either, but in the development hellhole that has been our club he is one of the only guys who has gotten anywhere near where his potential deems he should- see Salopek, Thomilf, Banner, MMotlop and basically most of the players on our list even now.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Our team has never acheived high possesion numbers like other teams. I don't believe at all that it is our players that are the problem either, I just think its the way that our team plays. There is no way that some of the hacks that get 35-40 possesions are just better at accumulating than Boak, Gray, Hartlett, Ebert, Kane Cornes, Cassisi, Broady, etc. etc.

Boak's 27 touch game made him the absolute BOG against Melbourne (going a ways back i know). I think 40+ possession games are related to how much a team passes the ball back and forth, rather than player ability.

Yeah, this. From memory even Kane only topped 30 disposals once this year, and he was leading the competition for possessions a few years back. Primus' shitty stop-start, pump the ball 50 metres down the line to a pack of 20 players gameplan was just totally not conducive to high possession numbers.

 

[BIG MATTY T]

Our team has never acheived high possesion numbers like other teams. I don't believe at all that it is our players that are the problem either, I just think its the way that our team plays. There is no way that some of the hacks that get 35-40 possesions are just better at accumulating than Boak, Gray, Hartlett, Ebert, Kane Cornes, Cassisi, Broady, etc. etc.

Boak's 27 touch game made him the absolute BOG against Melbourne (going a ways back i know). I think 40+ possession games are related to how much a team passes the ball back and forth, rather than player ability.

I agree with you...to a certain extent

I believe that if players are good enough they will find a way to get the ball and in saying that even if boak does get more disposal next season can't say your 100% happy with his disposal that would be just taking the piss

I thought I was a lone gunman in my thoughts with boak but it seems that a few ppl on here share my exact same opinion, which is he is a solid inconsistent player at best.

I have heard so much bull**** excuses for boak I just shake my head in disbelief at some of the stuff that get said to defend him as players/champions like Kane cop unessasry abuse for without even a murmmer of defence from this board in a matter of fact ppl join in, it's 1 actually reason why I do go hard at boak.

But when you compare some like boaks to Kane's career they don't even compete.

 

[Lagooner]

Apples and oranges.

Kane and Trav are completely different players and its ridiculous to even try to compare their careers (and their respective strengths and weaknesses).

Getting back to the captain discussion for just a moment, I think its more important to appoint the best leader as opposed to the best player. So in this respect I don't think it matters if Boak is or isn't our best player.

If he's the best leader at the club then he's the man for the job.

 

[BIG MATTY T]

Apples and oranges.

Kane and Trav are completely different players and its ridiculous to even try to compare their careers (and their respective strengths and weaknesses).

Getting back to the captain discussion for just a moment, I think its more important to appoint the best leader as opposed to the best player. So in this respect I don't think it matters if Boak is or isn't our best player.

If he's the best leader at the club then he's the man for the job.

Once again it's more the critisism one receives compare to praise the other receives I think that's pretty fair comparison

 

[Del80659]

I feel that we all knew Boak was fantastic and needed a better team around him as our team was crap... and now we are debating just how good he is too much, we know he is great and should make a courageous captain.

 

[PatientMental]

Going by the tone of this thread, I'm going to assume the race is now between Travis Boak and Kane Cornes.

 

[Wargreymon90]

Well this thread has gone to shit

 

[n4nirvana]

^^

Essentially the question for Kenny remains

To Cassisi or not to Cassisi that is the question

 

[Dobie G]

Nothing sinister or underhanded here, Boak's a fantastic captain and will be so for quite a few more years, however all good things eventually come to past.
After Boak, all in very good time, who will it be?

Source

PORT ADELAIDE
Travis Boak won't be stripped of the captaincy any time soon. The All Australian midfielder thrived in his first year as the club's leader, notching career-best numbers and personally sparking numerous comebacks. He's arguably the most integral member of the side and at 25 he's still got a lot of football in front of him. Like Boak, Brad Ebert is a consistent performer who can't help but lead. At another club he might well have become skipper and many thought he might have been appointed at Alberton, but with Boak in charge Ebert is a sensational right-hand man. Further down the track, Oliver Wines is a mature footballer who could step into Boak's shoes, by which time Wines will likely be an elite player in his own right. – Harry Thring

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[Shaucob_Burjan]

One of Trengove/Wines/Wingard after Boak I reckon.

 

[El_Scorcho]

I'd expect Boak to remain captain for at least another 5 or 6 years, at least.

So it legitimately could be anyone, but you'd hope one of Wines or Wingard has well and truly anointed themselves by that stage

 

[tribey]

This is another excuse reserved for someone who simply isn't a good kick and has become an average player


Which is precisely why Port Adelaide finds itself in its current predicament. I'm a realist. Boak is just a player. Until he proves otherwise, he should be rated accordingly

It still amazes me how many people thump on about the creed yet routinely forget to apply it

"BIG MATTY T likes this"

Yep.

 

[Dobie G]

The ones in the current leadership group who are younger than Boak; Ebert, Trengrove and Hartlett are all only about 2 years younger, so perhaps the earlier generation, Wines, Wingard, Impey would be the heir in waiting.

 

[tribey]

The ones in the current leadership group who are younger than Boak; Ebert, Trengrove and Hartlett are all only about 2 years younger, so perhaps the earlier generation, Wines, Wingard, Impey would be the heir in waiting.

This is largely irrelevant because this thread is 1) pre-Boak and 2) barring the captains curse he will lead us until he's 30, but if Jasper Pittard can ever back up his play with what's between his ears he'll go close.

 

[Janus]

"BIG MATTY T likes this"

Yep.

If you ever wanted a snapshot of BMT's knowledge about footy...it's in this thread. I can't believe this guy would champion a spud like Matt Thomas and yet go to town on Travis Boak, who has been getting no help from our midfield for years.