Toast The Renaissance of Travis Boak
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I consider Leigh Matthews to be the greatest living AFL football person who has had the most impact on the most game and at the highest levels. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and he is considered one of the greatest coaches of all time. I listen to what this man has to say and usually agree with him. I really don't care for 66 facebook squibs.
When I read the comment in this forum I immediately thought that Matthews that calling Boak solid was an underhanded insult. He doubled down by saying he wasn't a match winner.
Boak is not a great player. Boak is certainly not a legend of the game. I think Matthews is a bit harsh calling Boak solid. I would call Boak a very good player over the journey. I wish his professionalism, which is admired by all, was based not only on longevity but the creation of superior skills that would help us in crucial moments of big games.
And while it would be awesome to see him play 400 games and he is in pretty good form at the moment, I would much prefer a young player start to play so well that he demands to be put in the team at Boak's cost.
When I read the comment in this forum I immediately thought that Matthews that calling Boak solid was an underhanded insult. He doubled down by saying he wasn't a match winner.
Boak is not a great player. Boak is certainly not a legend of the game. I think Matthews is a bit harsh calling Boak solid. I would call Boak a very good player over the journey. I wish his professionalism, which is admired by all, was based not only on longevity but the creation of superior skills that would help us in crucial moments of big games.
And while it would be awesome to see him play 400 games and he is in pretty good form at the moment, I would much prefer a young player start to play so well that he demands to be put in the team at Boak's cost.
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Schulzenfest
TheBrownDog
Nah. A 'solid player' is, like, Tom Logan or Paul Stewart. Boak is a three time All-Australian who finished second in the Brownlow. There's plenty of middle ground between solid player and superstar.
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Take the '04 team as an example. You might categorise some players like this:
Superstar players - Tredrea, Wanganeen
Great players - C.Cornes, P.Burgoyne
Good players - Wakelin, Montgomery
Solid players - Thurstans, Mahoney
Boak comfortably sits in the category of great player. He's not a superstar but he's better than just a good player and certainly better than solid.
The reason I personally hesitate to call Boak a great player and prefer to call him a very good player is because his impact to win finals and important games was lacking. You never really thought that Boak would help us to get over the line. He has done some good things, no doubt, but I can't think of iconic moments or a clutch goal or clutch defensive play that had an impact for winning big games and finals and ultimately, the premiership.
I just don't remember him doing great things that great players do. If he had a sprinkling of them, I would have no problem moving him into the great player category.
And then to the detriment of that, there are some times in big games when he could've nailed a goal late in a game but didn't.
If people have great moments in Boak's career to change my mind, I am willing to listen.
I just don't remember him doing great things that great players do. If he had a sprinkling of them, I would have no problem moving him into the great player category.
And then to the detriment of that, there are some times in big games when he could've nailed a goal late in a game but didn't.
If people have great moments in Boak's career to change my mind, I am willing to listen.
Great to Superstar are the highly skilled match winners not stat racking workhorses.
I'm unsure why people find it so offensive? if we look in our own backyard in recent times you wouldn't rate him anywhere near Robbie Gray if you are sane.
I'm unsure why people find it so offensive? if we look in our own backyard in recent times you wouldn't rate him anywhere near Robbie Gray if you are sane.
If = 19th in most 3 vote brownlow games = solid
Then something is seriously wrong
He isn't a superstar but a great player easily
Matthews has gone off the deep end
He wants to reduce interchanges to bring back 90s footy ffs
Then something is seriously wrong
He isn't a superstar but a great player easily
Matthews has gone off the deep end
He wants to reduce interchanges to bring back 90s footy ffs
Lethal has his pets and pet hates and IMO Port are one of them. Probably because we robbed him of a 4th consecutive premiership. He ignores us when he can and neggs us when he can't. I've heard him be overly critical of Boak and Gray in the past.
Remember when he stated that if anyone could go straight from player to senior coach it was teacher's pet Vossy? I listen to and respect many of his ideas on football. However he has his biases and is far from infallible.
2014 prelim. 33 poss, 17 cont., 6 clearances, 7 tackles, 11 SI and a goal from 1 set shot. He couldn't have done more to drag us over the line even if he had dragged out and shot Hawthorn players the night before.
There are many other examples which I have quoted before and won't bother doing again because this bias that 'Boak don't win us games' (in what is after all a team sport compromising 21/22/23 players) is a joke.
If you need a recent example then watch last night's game again when a 35 yo Boak playing mostly from a wing did more than most to help get us over the line in what I considered to be an important game.
Remember when he stated that if anyone could go straight from player to senior coach it was teacher's pet Vossy? I listen to and respect many of his ideas on football. However he has his biases and is far from infallible.
2014 prelim. 33 poss, 17 cont., 6 clearances, 7 tackles, 11 SI and a goal from 1 set shot. He couldn't have done more to drag us over the line even if he had dragged out and shot Hawthorn players the night before.
There are many other examples which I have quoted before and won't bother doing again because this bias that 'Boak don't win us games' (in what is after all a team sport compromising 21/22/23 players) is a joke.
If you need a recent example then watch last night's game again when a 35 yo Boak playing mostly from a wing did more than most to help get us over the line in what I considered to be an important game.
