Shaun Higgins has been fantastic in his later years
Best nomination I've seen.
Blues fans would know more but to me Kade Simpson was much more consistently damaging HBFer as an over 30 year old then he was as a wingman.
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Shaun Higgins has been fantastic in his later years
Best nomination I've seen.
Blues fans would know more but to me Kade Simpson was much more consistently damaging HBFer as an over 30 year old then he was as a wingman.
Sorry to be a stickler but Richo was exactly 6'6" (and the best runner at Richmond), so yeah, was a bit of a beast on the wing.Richo's best year as a footballer in my opinion was in 2008 when he nearly won the Brownlow playing as a 6' 3 wingman for the second half of the year. It rends to be forgotten because a few games into 2009 Wallace put him back on the field after he'd done a hammy and he tore it off the bone.
Drew Brees
LBJ
Tom Brady
RF Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic
Floyd Mayweather Jnr
Mayweather was all time great material in his 20’s. He didn’t get better in his 30’s just got bigger fights. He was better in his 20’s, but was considered too much of a risk for the bigger names to fight, plus, he was at a smaller weight division bereft of talent. Such was his class in his 20’s that he regularly jumped divisions looking for challenges anyway.
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Burgoyne is a weired one. He peaked around 2006-07. But theN was an average mid for many years before getting much better in his 30s again albeit in a pinch hitting role.
Harvey is definately oen that fits the mold. He still had serious pace and damage even in his mid to late thirties let alone early thirties.Can't say he was better in his 30s, but maybe more consistent - Boomer Harvey played 8 season in his 30s and averaged > 21 touches in all of them, and > a goal a game in all of them except 1, which is unbelievable. Before the age of 30 he had a couple of seasons averaging < than a goal a game and 4 seasons averaging < than 20 touches (not including his first season when he played 1 game), although to be fair all his AA gongs came in that patch.
you can Add Zlatan Iborhomavic as well....Drew Brees
LBJ
Tom Brady
RF Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic
Floyd Mayweather Jnr
Craig Bradley was a consistently good player. It helped being super fit though. Came to Carlton at 22 after 5 years at the Port Magpies. He didnt retire at Carlton until 37 or 38.It's close with Simpson. He had a fantastic 2010 year on the wing, but probably played the footy he was most remembered for after going to a half-back flank under Malthouse (might be the only good thing Malthouse did for the club). Simpson won the BnF for Carlton in our last finals year (2013) aged 29 - that was a pretty good team too. His best statistical season was 2016 (aged 33), and that was also the only year he made the All-Australian squad.
Ed Curnow is another from Carlton -turned 30 this year. He had slightly better numbers 2 years ago, but this year he has just so reliably shut down the best opposing midfielder, while also playing a more attacking role himself. Carlton's midfield numbers are all down under Teague as part of our game plan, but from the eye test at least he's better at 30 than ever before.
Of course, the all-time Carlton example of this is Craig Bradley. Had 55 brownlow votes in 9 seasons prior to 30, and 86 votes in 8 seasons after 30, including hist best ever season in '99 at age 35. He was a fantastic rover when he first came to the club but thrived when switched to that outside role from '95 onwards. He did win 2 BnF before 30 and only 1 after, and split All-australians 2 before and 2 after as well, but for consistency I'd take 30+ Bradley.
Foreman won a world title vs Michael Moorer in late 1994.On the flipside the likes of Holyfield and even Foreman to an extent (not as dominant in his second coming but probably a lot smarter) certainly produced some of their best in that time.
Though I think with Boxing the scope for one's peak is a lot longer than in football or other sports
Craig Bradley was a consistently good player. It helped being super fit though. Came to Carlton at 22 after 5 years at the Port Magpies. He didnt retire at Carlton until 37 or 38.
Foreman won a world title vs Michael Moorer in late 1994.
Evander Holyfield has won world titles in his 40s as well.
Bernard Hopkins has had decent fights in his 40s and 50s.
Has Hawkins really improved that much or is there just a lack of strong experienced key forwards elsewhere to compare him to? Not shitting on Hawkins btw, he's always been a thorn in our side when Reg Grundy hasn't been there to play on him, but a few years ago he was still competing with the likes of peak Franklin, Kennedy, and Walker. Then you still had the likes of Nick Riewoldt around still producing quality.Tom hawkins just won the coleman at 32. In the last 3 years he has been a top 3 key foward in the comp in each year. Before that he was more like a 4-8 top key foward. Clearly improved in his thirties.
what other players have oddly got better after they hit 30?
daniel rich is 30??? wtfThis is Daniel Rich's best year right on 30.
Yep. I came here to post this.Ricky Henderson's 2019 was by far his best year.
This is not a troll question, observing Tom do you think he has gotten better as a player or that his peers have declined?Tom hawkins just won the coleman at 32. In the last 3 years he has been a top 3 key foward in the comp in each year. Before that he was more like a 4-8 top key foward. Clearly improved in his thirties.
what other players have oddly got better after they hit 30?
So the adage of player finishing their career up forward holds true.Minimum 50 games before and after 30yo. Improvement due in many cases to playing closer to goal.
Player Gms < 30 Gms 30+ Gls < 30 Gls 30+ Diff Quinlan, Bernie 251 115 1.56 3.70 +2.13 Blight, Malcolm 123 55 1.85 3.95 +2.10 Ablett senior, Gary 146 102 3.53 5.06 +1.53 Lynch, Alastair 183 123 1.54 2.85 +1.31 Harris, Dick D. 144 52 2.49 3.63 +1.14 Mueller, Jack 163 53 1.50 2.51 +1.01 Merrett, Roger 190 123 1.01 1.96 +0.95 Jarman, Darren 128 102 1.31 2.14 +0.82 Coventry, Gordon 198 108 3.96 4.77 +0.81 Bartlett, Kevin 247 156 1.64 2.38 +0.74 Waite, Jarrad 154 90 1.27 2.01 +0.74 Titus, Jack 187 107 3.06 3.71 +0.65 Vallence, Harry 140 64 3.34 3.97 +0.63 Matthews, Leigh 243 89 2.59 3.21 +0.63 Goodes, Adam 252 120 1.06 1.64 +0.58 Johnson, Brad 269 95 1.38 1.96 +0.57 Hall, Barry 204 85 2.43 2.95 +0.53 Petrie, Drew 222 110 1.18 1.66 +0.49 Olliver, Arthur 200 72 1.18 1.65 +0.48 Giansiracusa, Daniel 213 52 1.18 1.52 +0.34 Neitz, David 247 59 2.00 2.31 +0.30 Pavlich, Matthew 256 97 1.91 2.18 +0.27 Kickett, Derek 66 86 1.03 1.29 +0.26 Milne, Stephen 188 87 2.01 2.26 +0.26 Akermanis, Jason 248 77 1.24 1.48 +0.24 Kernahan, Stephen 173 78 2.88 3.08 +0.20 Whitten senior, Ted 211 110 1.07 1.23 +0.16 Schimmelbusch, Wayne 234 72 1.12 1.26 +0.14 Lee, Dick 174 56 3.04 3.18 +0.14 Harvey, Brent 248 184 1.15 1.27 +0.12 O'Loughlin, Michael 247 56 1.70 1.79 +0.08 Chapman, Paul 222 58 1.30 1.34 +0.05 Moriarty, Jack 118 52 3.88 3.92 +0.04
He is better. His did his back in early 2013 and was hampered by it for the next 4 years. Had to switch from a jumping foward to a wrestling foward. his best year was 2018 stats wise followed by 2012 (the year gefore he did his back). 2019 was back to normal stats wise but this year he seems to have lifted again although a bit hard to evaluate stats this season whith shorter games.This is not a troll question, observing Tom do you think he has gotten better as a player or that his peers have declined?
E.g. I would say Jack Riewoldt has declined recently, as has Franklin (hasn't played), J Kennedy, Tex Walker, etc.