Rich vs Natanui

[Embers]

This polls been done to death on the Eagles board. Lets do it here.. Most Eagles fans sided with Rich early on but over the past month or so alot of us have changed our mind on the basis of

1) Richs injury problems
2) Natanuis X factor and draft camp results
3) Ability to pick up Swift/Hill at pick 18
4) Seabys gone in a years time

So if you were in Eagles position, who would you pick and why

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I'd pick Rich- he is the safer pick and I do feel that you need a elite midfielder more than a elite ruckman- you have enough rucks on your list.

 

[240volt]

Rich like Ebert was last year will be ready to go round1 2009, Natanui will take a bit more time.Myself i would go for Rich but im sure the Eagles will know what there doing.

 

[coasting]

Rich is a safer bet but I would choose Naitanui.

Rich will be a good player but at best will be like a Bartel, a cog in a machine. I don't feel he is a game-changing type player. I suspect that with his lack of pace and the always increasing speed of the game that any sort of injury is going to show him up - he won't age well and in time will be exposed by quicker players much like Paul Hasleby is. Even in that Vic metro game he won a lot of the ball but the Vic Metro boys killed WA through the midfield with their pace - and he wasn't surrounded by slow players.

Naitanui is more risky but could be more like a Franklin, not in the way he plays, but a game-changing type player that has to be game-planned against. He could very well revolutionize the ruck position and would be almost impossible to match-up on. He is also much more than just a ruckman and could play any number of positions. I'm just trying to imagine Sandilands trying to keep up with him around the ground - I would be licking my lips at that match up.

In summary, I would choose Naitanui but i'm very confident the Eagles will take Rich and have had their eye on him for a long time now.

 

[mickelboy182]

Rich, as others have mentioned, the safer bet.

 

[Cruiser23]

Naitanui by more than what you think. He has really grown on me over the past few months and Rich hasn't really done much lately to indicate he deserves to be taken ahead of Naitanui.

Personally, at worst i see Naitanui becoming a good player, the more i see him play the more he doesn't look like he will be a 'flop'. His aggression and will to get to the contest is second to none and players who have that desire seem to make a pretty good fist at the AFL. You add his athleticism to that, ability to play anywhere makes him an enticing prospect for mine and to hard to pass on for the Eagles.

 

[GoOsH]

Natanui - gamebreaker, could turn out to be the best player in the competition one day, we'll kick ourselves if we don't take the chance on him

 

[Top_4_Tiger]

I just couldn't pass up Naitanui.

He's the most exciting kid I've ever seen come through the draft - not that I'm an expert or anything - but it's like WOW he should just quite simply be an awesome player.

Could be an unstoppable CHF, then you could throw him to CHB to stop Buddy, then you could throw him int he ruck to run all over the ground tackling midfielders and winning hitouts at will...

I'd want him on my team!

You watch a bit of Rich though and his footy smarts are so good usually you'd be crazy to pass a bloke like him.

 

[aaronm46]

id take big nick, at first i thought he couldnt mark then i saw some highlights and he is a decent pack grab

 

[JuddyisGod]

I started Rich earlier in the year but now am Natanui through and through. Coasting sums it up very well - he could be a game-changing player.

I don't understand people's reasoning behind taking Rich because he's ready to go whereas Nick will take a few years. The Eagles are nowhere near a premiership at the moment so having a player that's ready to go doesn't really benefit us too much, whereas Nick would be ready by the time our premiership window opens again.

 

[budge11]

Natanui. I can't explain why, but it'd just be more exciting having this bloke on the list. He could be anything... would he have to be a pure ruckman? Or could he play on the wing or something as his athletic abilities show?

 

[Cruiser23]

Wow, this pole has kind of turned. An hour or two ago Rich was ahead 13-8 IIRC, now it's 31-19 in favor of Naitanui.

 

[Burzum]

Daniel Rich.

Potentially an elite midfielder. He has amazing kicking skills and kicks goals from 50 routinely. Can play inside or out and excel at both. Not much he really can't do.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

I think it comes down to the interveiw.

 

[pinkus maximus]

Naitanui is the better prospect but I would rather have Rich at Freo

 

[schumi26]

i still go for Rich. he could be the new star in the midfield which we need.

 

[AxelFoley]

Let either one fall thru to pick 5.........pretty please????

FWIW take Nat, he could be anything

 

[big schnitzel]

This season Nick Nat has grown from his listed 197cm, and is now a massive 201cm ... with his leap, no one will go close to him at ruck contests. Nick Nat for me.

 

[JuddyisGod]

Naitanui is the better prospect but I would rather have Rich at Freo

a Palmer - Rich duo would be great to watch in a few years

 

[DockerNJL]

Nik Nat for you guys would be great,

Could develop him along with your young midfield along with another 1 or 2 mids at picks 18 + 20.
Could be very scary in 2-4 years time.

 

[LemmingMaster]

This decision has been changing in my head for ages, my most recent mock draft had NickNat going to West Coast.

You have the "potential" of NickNat and the "known" skill of Rich.

Rich will make more of an impact in the short term, but NickNat in the long term could be anything. There would almost be no better tutor than Cox, he would be able to mentor NickNat on where to run and how to create space.

I just think it is a risk worth taking. As someone else pointed out, the Eagles can load up with two mids with their next two picks.

 

[Ferris_rules]

go for natanui will be a cult player in any team !~

 

[beatlesmith]

naita
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9LtZnkNN80
2:30 to 2:48 blew my mind!

 

[naita]

rich is a born eagle and naita is as docker as anyone.
after so many shocking drafting decisions, surely our next risk is gonna pay off.

the way i see it, rich is very likely to become a very good footballer - maybe not of the judd/ablett ilk but more a bartel or kerr. any other year a team would pick a guarranteed kerr with their first pick.

however, as people say, naita could be anything.

i hope the weagles pick rich but i think theyll go naita. there will be quality mids in the early second round and i cant see them crawling high enough up the ladder next year to not have a shot at one of the best 2 or 3 mids.

this is the same reason i want freo to get him - good mids will be there next year but naitanui sure as hell wont be.

stick with rich, wc.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Nat. Every year in the draft there are a few Rich-types - Cooney, Lids, Gibbs, Murphy, Selwood, Morton, etc.

Natanui is a once in a lifetime sort. It's not like the Eagles aren't going to be able to have a crack at some of the best young midfielders next year.