Who is the best young key forward in the league (25 or younger at the end of this year)?

[Tasmanian saint]

I'm making the straightforward point that some people said Hogan's trade value was on par with the most valuable players in the game but his output since moving doesn't support that.

And the reality is Freo got him for pick 6 and pick 23, which is a long way off the game's most valuable players.

Please let me know which part of that you dispute.

No one can predict the future champ it’s all well and good to sit back a few years later and say the hype wasn’t worth it but all can do at the time is assess a players value from what they have produced up to that point which for him was elite for a young key forward you seem to be having trouble grasping this maybe some sour grapes he picked freo and not west coast hey

 

[Sweet Jesus]

No one can predict the future champ it’s all well and good to sit back a few years later and say the hype wasn’t worth it but all can do at the time is assess a players value from what they have produced up to that point which for him was elite for a young key forward you seem to be having trouble grasping this maybe some sour grapes he picked freo and not west coast hey

Melbourne traded Hogan for picks 6 and 23 at the end of 2018, while he was contracted, so even they didn't consider him among the most valuable players in the game at the time of trading him.

How's that for an assessment?

Thanks for your dazzling insight that "no one can predict the future" but the reality is people get paid to make informed projections. How do you do your football tips each week? Do you sit there scratching your head before concluding that it's impossible to predict the future?

 

[Scotland]

Ben King was pretty outrageous for Gold Coast at the end tonight vs Essendon. No 20 year old that size should have moves like that.

Once upon a time if you had an Oscar Allen and a Ben/Max King it would be a pretty easy call that Allen would be the better key forward. Guys like Paul Salmon who were ruckman sized and genuine key forwards were rare as hens' teeth. Now we have 200cm athletes that move like midfielders.

 

[Boristown]

Naughton > the rest.

 

[conrad_437]

Naughton > the rest.

Showed a lot of people they have short memories

 

[Bald]

Yeah Naughton was pretty good today. Hard to judge against the Crows.

 

[juss]

Naughton > the rest.

That was my call earlier in the thread, certainly right now on output.
Worth noting hes ahead in his development though compared to the Kings who have a bit more filling out to do and are a couple of preseasons behind.

They probably aren't far away from some huge games either in their second and third years.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Max is going to do unspeakable things to teams if he has a generally good run at it throughout his career from an injury etc pov.

Could have so easily had 4 or even 5 goals to quarter time on the weekend (kicked 2, threw another one away, after marking in the goalsquare, playing on unnecessarily and getting caught, missed a set shot from 40m out, right in front, and could have been paid another 50/50 mark in the goalsquare that would often get paid) and it's pretty clear that he needs another preseason or two from not just a strength, but also fitness pov, as he almost always does his best work in first quarters.

It wouldn't surprise me if he gets as many ranking points in first quarters as he does for the final 3 put together on average, so he's likely to be insanely hard to stop once he's not only stronger and more confident, but also able to actually play out 4 quarters.

Need to remember that not only is this his first season at AFL level, but that he only played about six games in total in the two previous seasons, due to the ACL and ankle syndesmosis injuries. He will be much "better for the run" this year, as they say.

What's also insane is that as of a week or so ago, he was ranked no.1 at St Kilda for ground ball gets inside the forward 50 for the season!

It's ridiculous the stuff he does at ground level for someone that height, and was no surprise to hear that he played midfield in the juniors, until a big late growth spurt saw him move forward.

At times he looks like a 203cm mid, with the way he crumbs packs, does blind turns, feeds off handballs in congestion, etc.

Then there's how easy and effortless he makes kicking for goal from 50m out. Can kick them through at 3/4 post height from 50, off just a few steps, and looking like he's barely putting any effort into the kick.

Shortening his runup seems to have done wonders for him, as his set shot kicking had been a bit iffy prior to this year. It's now super- smooth and reliable.

He looks about as complete a package as you'd ever want to get and seems to have the temperament and so-on to match.

 

[Boristown]

That was my call earlier in the thread, certainly right now on output.
Worth noting hes ahead in his development though compared to the Kings who have a bit more filling out to do and are a couple of preseasons behind.

They probably aren't far away from some huge games either in their second and third years.

What’s crazy is that Naughton is only 7 months older than the King bros.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Throw a blanket over the King brothers, Naughton and Allen.

Nick Larkey has also impressed me considering he is a bit more under the radar due to when he was drafted

 

[puppy_dog7]

Haven't seen enough of Allen, but I'd like to see how he goes without Kennedy. All of Ben/Max and Naughton already take the best Key Defender from oppo sides. Max gets tag teamed most games as well, which is a big endorsement on a 19 year old in his 1st season.

 

[Dogsman16]

The Kings and Naughton are imo the best 3, all 3 have different attributes. Naughton probably has the best mixture of speed and strength to take his contested marks whereas the kings have the gigantic reach and leading patterns.

Naughton probably suits our style the most due to his outstanding workrate once the ball hits the deck and his physicality which is outstanding for a 20 year old. Any of Stk, GC or WB would be rapt with who they have. Nice to be in the discussion for once with a good long term KPF.

Allen is interesting and more difficult to evaluate. He's drawing the 3rd best defender often but also it probably diminishes the number of opportunities he gets considering how much Kennedy and Darling would draw the football.

Also rate Larkey. Think he has it in spades and could get himself close to that top 3 grouping. Knows how to hit the scoreboard.

Probably throw one of the Carlton McKay/Curnow in their as the top 6 young KPF's.

 

[richoatthedisco]

Take Eric Flankwood out of the poll and replace with Mitch 'Young Dermie' Georgiades.

 

[Scotland]

Haven't seen enough of Allen, but I'd like to see how he goes without Kennedy. All of Ben/Max and Naughton already take the best Key Defender from oppo sides. Max gets tag teamed most games as well, which is a big endorsement on a 19 year old in his 1st season.

Allen is 192cm so not a modern monster key forward. Looks a natural footballer rather than a guy who bullies his way to the ball because he's the strongest/tallest/fastest.

I'm rapt with a goal a game from him currently as we're playing him as a second ruck. We still have Darling so he's not going to be catapulted into the #1 role like both Kings have been. I reckon he's shown enough to prove he'll be a capable 40-50 goal a year forward at AFL level. Hopefully he can elevate to that next rung up of star key forwards. After having a jet midfield and struggling to find a forward target we've been pretty spoiled for key forwards (and backs, and rucks) for a while.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

What’s crazy is that Naughton is only 7 months older than the King bros.

And that the first year was as a backman.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

Haven't seen enough of Allen, but I'd like to see how he goes without Kennedy. All of Ben/Max and Naughton already take the best Key Defender from oppo sides. Max gets tag teamed most games as well, which is a big endorsement on a 19 year old in his 1st season.

Tag teamed? His a forward 50 player. You think every other forward is allowed on their own all the time.

 

[juss]

What’s crazy is that Naughton is only 7 months older than the King bros.

Its the critical preseasons that count though. Dont underestimate that 4-5 month period and how much development goes into young players.

It makes sense that Naughton's output is ahead at this stage.

 

[Slysh]

Flip a coin on who will be the best it could be any of a hand full of players but i love the tricks the Kings have, especially Ben King. Seems to have more strings to his bow as a forward.

Long term once they fill out they are going to be unstoppable.

 

[puppy_dog7]

Tag teamed? His a forward 50 player. You think every other forward is allowed on their own all the time.

sorry i don't quite understand what you're on about mate. So in other words if they're not tag teamed by multiple defenders then they play loose on their own?

 

[saintsrfreak]

Tag teamed? His a forward 50 player. You think every other forward is allowed on their own all the time.

There was footage against Essendon where they had 3 defenders sitting on him at once, speaks volumes as to how much of a threat he already is in his first real season.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

There was footage against Essendon where they had 3 defenders sitting on him at once, speaks volumes as to how much of a threat he already is in his first real season.

As I mentioned. Every main forward has that happen to him despite how many games they have played.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

sorry i don't quite understand what you're on about mate. So in other words if they're not tag teamed by multiple defenders then they play loose on their own?

Every teams main tall forward is always drawing a couple of defenders with him. To say that king is the only one is nieve.

 

[puppy_dog7]

Every teams main tall forward is always drawing a couple of defenders with him. To say that king is the only one is nieve.

Naive..
And, yeah there are only a handful that do. Which is why it’s a big endorsement, as I said, that he receives extra attention only 11 games into his career

 

[conrad_437]

Naive..
And, yeah there are only a handful that do. Which is why it’s a big endorsement, as I said, that he receives extra attention only 11 games into his career

You could say the same about Josh Bruce this year. And I’d argue King is a more dangerous forward than Bruce. Happens to literally every i50 key forward, they get smothered by stringent team defences.

 

[saintsrfreak]

You could say the same about Josh Bruce this year. And I’d argue King is a more dangerous forward than Bruce. Happens to literally every i50 key forward, they get smothered by stringent team defences.

It wasn't inside 50 though, he was being followed around the ground