Travis Boak

[Young Gun #6]

It’s not very often we see a player come into a season (who looks done) and is turning 31 during the year have what’s tracking to be the best season of their career.

Boak was an elite mid 5 years ago and looked like he was all but done the last two years playing as a permanent half forward flanker.

Hinkley bit the bullet and decided that Ebert was to play forward and Boak back into the middle with Wingard and Polec gone.

Not only has he re-captured his form but he is now actually in career best form and arguably been a top 3 player in the league so far through 6 rounds.

Without the burden of the captaincy, getting support through mental issues and bad personal issues (a messy split with a long term partner 2 years ago) and put back into a position in which he thrives he is in career best form.

Currently he is averaging:

33 disposals (3rd in the league)
14 contested (9th in the league)
16 of those kicks
72.4% DE
478 metres gained (7th of all mids)
8 score involvements (4th of all mids)
7 clearances (6th in the league)
5.5 tackles (top 20 in the league)

And has kicked 4 goals as well.

 

[Ant Bear]

And plays his 250th next week, as well

 

[Heaps of fun]

Port board.

 

[Pedantic]

In ripping form. Makes you wonder if he's been wasted on the flank for the past couple of years.

 

[nahnah]

And plays his 250th next week, as well

rest him and let him celebrate it in front of his adoring fans in Adelaide

 

[PAFC_1870]

Port board.

Username doesn't check out

 

[Interstater]

Port board.

Yeh last night we were bored by your shitty 2018 gameplan.

Lets face it, if Boak was playing in Victoria his season would be considered Ablettesque.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Yeh last night we were bored by your shitty 2018 gameplan.

Lets face it, if Boak was playing in Victoria his season would be considered Ablettesque.

Hahahaha so true.

 

[Coaster2012]

Could win the brownlow this year imo.

But yeah Port board.

 

[HTPunter]

Boak midfield, Ebert forward seems so obvious now. A very smart player with good hands in Ebert is much more suited to a forward role than Boak. Boak has always been the better ball-winner and is quicker too.

Fantastic career rejuvenation from Boak because honestly over the past 2 years he has been very much on the decline. Even with all his extra forward time his goals etc weren't that much better than his 2014-15 peak.

Not the only one this year. Josh P Kennedy has arrested his decline. He is moving a lot more freely this year I feel, although not in career best form. Michael Hurley another one who looked down in 2018 but has been great in 2019 and considering the age of these guys (late 20s/early 30s) you'd be forgiven for thinking they were on the way down 6 months ago.

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

If port keep winning he will be a very good bet for the brownlow.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

He should had never been moved out of the midfield. It’s a shame we wasted a few years of boaks career trying to make him a forward.

Will always be my favourite player. Stayed with us when he had every reason to leave, became captain and a great player over his career.

 

[PAFC_1870]

Definitely a coincidence that supporters from the last 2 teams we've beaten want the thread elsewhere...

 

[Damon_3388]

In ripping form. Makes you wonder if he's been wasted on the flank for the past couple of years.

He should had never been moved out of the midfield. It’s a shame we wasted a few years of boaks career trying to make him a forward.

I think the idea (along with Robbie Gray playing primarily as a forward, and accomodating newcomer Rockliff as well) was to allow Wingard to have more midfield time. Probably a mistake all-round, as Boak has never really shown anything as a forward, and Wingard is probably a more effective forward (when fit and in-form, which he's not currently at Hawthorn) than midfielder.

Essentially having two #1 ruckmen in Lycett and Ryder (as opposed to part-timers like Westhoff or Dixon playing second ruck, or taking the lead with Ryder injured), and having a fit Rockliff to help with the grunt work, helps immensely, too.

 

[Port 2004]

Port board.

Why

 

[Port 2004]

Why

Could win the brownlow this year imo.

But yeah Port board.

 

[GastevsBeard]

Look a million dollars last night

 

[Del165198]

i was hoping this thread wasn't all port supporters, but **** it. he's been in career best form when i thought he was cooked and should have retired. top bloke as well. get around him

 

[Maddogmetro]

Has had a couple of ordinary years, but seems to have flourished with the pressure of captaincy off him.

Genuinely a brownlow contender at the moment and playing as good as he ever has. Happy to see him play to his potential, because he always had it in him.

 

[Mikey13G]

Has had a couple of ordinary years, but seems to have flourished with the pressure of captaincy off him.

Genuinely a brownlow contender at the moment and playing as good as he ever has. Happy to see him play to his potential, because he always had it in him.

Apart from the captaincy being put back into his natural position instead of being a makeshift half forward has helped tremendously. Boak is in AA form!

 

[ashep]

Great to see a player surge back like this. Hope he keeps it up.

 

[Coaster2012]

Why

Generally if your a supporter of a team and you post a thread saying how good one of your players are, then that's a thread for your board. That's the entire point of having your own board.

 

[Damon_3388]

Generally if your a supporter of a team and you post a thread saying how good one of your players are, then that's a thread for your board. That's the entire point of having your own board.

Perhaps they want to highlight his form and discuss it with non-Port Adelaide supporters, too?

Perfectly valid IMO.

 

[Damon_3388]

Apart from the captaincy being put back into his natural position instead of being a makeshift half forward has helped tremendously. Boak is in AA form!

To be fair, his current output is even over and above his previous best in the midfield (2013-2014), which I would assume many would have doubted would occur in 2019, even when put back into his natural position.