Scott Pendlebury/Dane Swan-elite?

[shawthing09]

Pendles is playing to an elite standard this year.

For mine a good measure of the "eliteness" of a player is when you think "If (insert player name here)" is best on ground we will be hard to beat. Pendles is at that standard for mine. He got 30 on the weekend with a tag a high number of them clearances and contested possesions.

Over the course of the first 5 rounds he'd be high up in the league for clearnces, disposal efficency, contested possies, overall possies. He'd also have one of the better inside 50's to goal assit ratios.

The fact that he is getting the ball so often and every time he gets it we are better for it combined with how many times he actually gives us first use has him playing at an elite standard for mine.

 

[PieLebo87]

Dane Swan will never be considered an elite midfielder until he dramatically improves his disposal. He has everything else to be an elite midfielder in the game. Thats why he is in the 2nd tier of great midfielders in today's game. He is a very strong mark for a midfielder, and knows how to sneak forward which further justifies his qualities as an outstanding midfielder, but his disposal is what lets him down from ever becoming amongst the elite group.

Scott Pendlebury is not quite an elite midfielder, but has been in that form so far this year. There is no doubt that by years end, if he has maintained that form, he'll be considered an elite AFL midfielder by Collingwood supporters and if he can maintain that form again in 2010, he'll have proven us to be correct, and be classified as an elite AFL midfielder by opposition supporters and teams too. Its all about how he can maintain this form over the next 18 months.

Finally, in reply to the Carlton fan arguing that Murphy is the better midfielder. I also have to disagree, although both are outstanding young talents who will dominate the league in years to come, Pendlebury is ahead at the moment because the quality of his work is more effective to his team than Murphy's has been thus far. The stats in this thread prove so. Regarding your claim if Murphy copping a hard tag, as MDC stated, thats false, teams these days hardly have more than 1 quality tagger in their sides, but would have a couple of other 'run-with' players. Judd is your only hard-tagged midfielder. In reply to that, Scott Pendlebury is Collingwood's #1 midfielder along side Dane Swan, thus if we're copping a tag, it'll be Pendles who cops it because of his outstanding clearance work.

 

[pendles]

I saw some of the Carlton game yesterday. Gibbs is probably not ahead of Pendlebury but I reckon he will be his equal pretty soon.

Murphy is just a star and is ahead of Pendles at the moment. He was brilliant yesterday and has gone up a level with the opportunity to play with Judd. Both of them have actually.

This is the reason why the pendles / Selwood / Murphy / Gibbs comparisons are meaningless.

pendles has gone from strength to strength in what has been, on the whole, a very ordinary midfield. Selwood has been a star (as a third / fourth midfielder) in one of the best midfields the game has seen. To compare them accurately you'd have to assess performance with roles reversed. I suspect, however, that pendles would be an even bigger star in either of the Geelong or Carlscum midfields.

pendles has answered pretty much every critisism thrown at him over the first 3 years of his career. He was criticised for not getting enough of the ball, for not getting enough contested ball and for not getting enough clarances... he's now in the top few in the game for each of those, and in a team that is 2/3. He's improving with every game, but would still be leading the B&F by a margin at this stage.

 

[PieLebo87]

This is the reason why the pendles / Selwood / Murphy / Gibbs comparisons are meaningless.

pendles has gone from strength to strength in what has been, on the whole, a very ordinary midfield. Selwood has been a star (as a third / fourth midfielder) in one of the best midfields the game has seen. To compare them accurately you'd have to assess performance with roles reversed. I suspect, however, that pendles would be an even bigger star in either of the Geelong or Carlscum midfields.

I have to disagree with you regarding Selwood. He is the best of the lot for a simple reason. With such an outstanding Geelong, he has made himself the second best midfielder in that group, as well as, at times, becoming the #1 focused midfielder by opponents because coaches just can't stop GAblett as well as the supremecy of Selwoods hard, in and under work.

EDIT: I know that both times we've played Geelong this year, I was more worried about Selwood than Ablett, and both times I was proven to be correct because he tore us a new one.

 

[pendles]

I have to disagree with you regarding Selwood.

I said he's a star in the competition's best midfield. Which bit do you disagree with?

 

[PieLebo87]

I said he's a star in the competition's best midfield. Which bit do you disagree with?

This bit here....

pendles has gone from strength to strength in what has been, on the whole, a very ordinary midfield. Selwood has been a star (as a third / fourth midfielder) in one of the best midfields the game has seen. To compare them accurately you'd have to assess performance with roles reversed. I suspect, however, that pendles would be an even bigger star in either of the Geelong or Carlscum midfields.

He is almost on par with Ablett as Geelong's best midfielder. We can't keep using the excuse that he has star midfielders around him making him look better, because nowadays hes the one that makes the Coreys, Enrights and Lings look better.

 

[DoubleO7]

He is almost on par with Ablett as Geelong's best midfielder. We can't keep using the excuse that he has star midfielders around him making him look better, because nowadays hes the one that makes the Coreys, Enrights and Lings look better.

Stop the press! What? You cannot be serious?

Garry Ablett Jr > Daylight > James Bartel > Joel Selwood

Corey plays more half back than midfield these days to cover for unavailable players.

 

[PieLebo87]

Stop the press! What? You cannot be serious?

Garry Ablett Jr > Daylight > James Bartel > Joel Selwood

Corey plays more half back than midfield these days to cover for unavailable players.

Other than Bartel's 13 tackles on the weekend, they've been close to on par with each other this year, taking into consideration that Selwood is the younger player with the more penetrating disposal. So I'd reconsider that BF style analysis of yours lol

 

[DoubleO7]

Other than Bartel's 13 tackles on the weekend, they've been close to on par with each other this year, taking into consideration that Selwood is the younger player with the more penetrating disposal.

How has the players age have any bearing on their current status?

Removing Bartel's 13 tackles out of the calculations, he still lays more tackles.

You would take Selwood's short kick over Bartel's long kick (majority of his disposal are kicks as well)? Selwood's a better hand baller though.

Bartel also provides far more drive out of defence than Selwood can muster.

So I'd reconsider that BF style analysis of yours lol

I wouldn't.

 

[PieLebo87]

Mehh, each to their own. On current form, I'd take Selwood, well ahead of Bartel, because hes more of a matchwinner. Most people know that. Don't let a Brownlow Medal fool you, hes great, but he ain't that great. You recon Woewodin was a superstar?

 

[the_fresh]

simply no.
They might get the ball, but rarely hurt teams.

 

[hellfire]

simply no.
They might get the ball, but rarely hurt teams.

Pendlebury does. His handballs in traffic and his kicks inside 50 as extremely damaging. Certainly more damaging that some of Ablett's dinky 1-2-1-2 handballs that pad his stats.

Note: I'm not saying Pendlebury is more damaging than Ablett, but simply that even the best midfielder has loads of touches that aren't damaging.

 

[DoubleO7]

Mehh, each to their own. On current form, I'd take Selwood, well ahead of Bartel, because hes more of a matchwinner. Most people know that. Don't let a Brownlow Medal fool you, hes great, but he ain't that great. You recon Woewodin was a superstar?

Woewodin a superstar? Not a chance in hell.

Oh, by the way, according to the Geelong Board,

Bartel > Selwood