Who's our fourth best player?

[Whoyagot]

I feel like Bont, Macrae and Dunks are unarguably the best three players on our list based on last years brownlow, coaches votes, bnf and AA voting. But who do you think is our fourth best / most important player?

 

[Virgin Dog]

Fourth best for me has to be Hunter. I remember back at the 2018 Charles Sutton Medal where Bevo was talking about how himself and Bont considered Hunter to be the most irreplaceable player in the team.

My top 10, as of right now, would be:

1. Bontempelli
2. Macrae
3. Dunkley
4. Hunter
5. Naughton
6. Crozier
7. JJ
8. Daniel
9. Libba
10. Suckling

 

[zucvv]

Naughton

 

[Mofra]

Fans will say Naughton, coaches and players will say Hunter. He is basically the 'on field coach' that keeps our structure.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I’d say Hunter is the next best player. Yeah his kicking lets him down a bit (like a lot of guys on our list) but he’s exceptional at the things he does well and I think with his spread and his defensive and offensive running he allows for the other guys to do what they do.

For next most important I’d have said between Hunter, Naughton and Johannisen. Maybe with the Bruce and Keath additions their isn’t as much reliance on Naughton as clearly the best big we had (in defense in 2018 and attack in 2019) but we’ll wait and see on that. I don’t think anyone else who is a regular in the 22 has the leg speed and line breaking ability that Johannisen has and we’re a much worse side when he gets shut down. I’m always surprised when teams don’t tag him, its a sure fire way to stifle our transition from defensive 50

 

[Whoyagot]

I think Crozier gives Hunter and Naughton a fair challenge. We might have more half back types that can replace him but to me his game has the perfect blend of defense and attack and he is super reliable. He's like a mix of Easton Wood and Matty Boyd. I thought he was stiff to miss the AA squad of 40.

 

[Dazb86]

The only other player that opposition put time into stopping. JJ.

 

[maddog37]

Dunkley is after Bont Macrae Astro

 

[weltschmerz]

Hunter. We don't have anyone else like him and he's really vital to our structure. Naughton will get up there at some point.

 

[bobs head soup]

Coming at it from a slightly different perspective, if all of our players were thrown into a hiypothetical draft, what order would they go in?

Probably the only given is Bont at 1, reckon Naughton and English could be right in the mix for a top 3 berth.

 

[weltschmerz]

Coming at it from a slightly different perspective, if all of our players were thrown into a hiypathetical draft, what order would they go in?

Probably the only given is Bont at 1, reckon Naughton and English could be right in the mix for a top 3 berth.

I like this perspective too because it looks at future and not just present. Right now, for example, Lloyd is our leading goal kicker and a valuable team member, but he's not going to last more than a couple more years. West has only played three games, but he shows huge potential. Lloyd is a better player right now, but West would be more desirable to take on because he's got a decade or more of great footy in him.

 

[X_box_X]

I posted this in the Bubble of Excellence thread last week.

1. Bontempelli
2. Macrae
3. Dunkley
4. Naughton
5. Johannisen
6. Hunter
7. Daniel
8. Crozier
9. Liberatore
10. Bruce
11. McLean
12. Keath
13. Wood
14. Lipinski
15. Lloyd
16. Dale
17. English
18. B Smith
19. Schache
20. Cordy
21. Suckling
22. Richards
23. Lewis Young
24. Dureya
25. Wallis
26. Dickson
27. Trengove
28. Williams
29. West
30. Jong
31. Hayes
32. Gowers

 

[Yojimbo]

Brownlow says: Aaron Naughton
Ching says: Caleb Daniel
Sutton says: Jason Johannisen

Yojimbo says: Lachie Hunter

 

[Virgin Dog]

Brownlow says: Aaron Naughton
Ching says: Caleb Daniel
Sutton says: Jason Johannisen

Yojimbo says: Lachie Hunter

And all are completely valid responses. Past the top 2, there's plenty of argument on the order of the next 5 or 6 players

 

[Yojimbo]

And all are completely valid responses. Past the top 2, there's plenty of argument on the order of the next 5 or 6 players

Lachie Hunter's marking gets him over the line for me, even though it was not his best year.

Rank 1- Lachie Hunter: (150)
Rank 6- Jackson Macrae: (101)
Rank 8- Joshua Dunkley: (95)
Rank 9- Marcus Bontempelli: (94)

 

[Virgin Dog]

Lachie Hunter's marking gets him over the line for me, even though it was not his best year.

Rank 1- Lachie Hunter: (150)
Rank 6- Jackson Macrae: (101)
Rank 8- Joshua Dunkley: (95)
Rank 9- Marcus Bontempelli: (94)

Hunter was my answer too based on being so irreplaceable in our side. But I can definitely understand argument for Naughton (our best KPP), Crozier (borderline AA in 2019), Daniel (best disposal in the competition, or at least up there with Daniel Rich) or JJ (Norm Smith medallist, one of the first guys tagged)

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Has everyone gone completely insane?

Whether you categorise by ‘best’ or ‘most important’, Hunter would be struggling to crack our top 10.

I don’t think there’s too many opposition teams worrying about how they stop Lachy Hunter.

 

[weltschmerz]

Has everyone gone completely insane?

Whether you categorise by ‘best’ or ‘most important’, Hunter would be struggling to crack our top 10.

I don’t think there’s too many opposition teams worrying about how they stop Lachy Hunter.

I think losing him would have the biggest impact on the team outside of the big three midfielders.

 

[Dry Rot]

Has everyone gone completely insane?

Whether you categorise by ‘best’ or ‘most important’, Hunter would be struggling to crack our top 10.

I don’t think there’s too many opposition teams worrying about how they stop Lachy Hunter.

Agreed.

I have heard that at least the two Sydney based coaches are spending the summer on how to combat a fully fit Jong.

 

[Virgin Dog]

Has everyone gone completely insane?

Whether you categorise by ‘best’ or ‘most important’, Hunter would be struggling to crack our top 10.

I don’t think there’s too many opposition teams worrying about how they stop Lachy Hunter.

Legit question, but are you joking? His regular high finishes in the Charles Sutton medal, and high level of praise from the players and coaching staff, shows he's objectively within our top 10 at the very least

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Legit question, but are you joking? His regular high finishes in the Charles Sutton medal, and high level of praise from the players and coaching staff, shows he's objectively within our top 10 at the very least

No I’m not. He’s clearly a very well liked person at the club. He racks up possessions and gets the right stats but he causes absolutely no damage. In fact he’s usually the person stalling and killing our forward movement.

I sound like I’m having a massive go at the guy here which wasn’t really my intention. It just surprises me that people who watch him (rather than the stat sheet) rate him so highly.

 

[AFDogs]

A fully fit and firing Liberatore is our 4th best player.

 

[Virgin Dog]

A fully fit and firing Liberatore is our 4th best player.

Agree, but we don't see a fully fit Libba very often these days. At his best, I firmly believe he's capable of winning a Brownlow. I just don't think we'll see him fit and firing often enough

 

[Fossie 32]

I'll go Naughton just ahead of Hunter and JJ. B Smith and English should be challenging this year. Bit harsh to say Lachie does no damage!

 

[maddog37]

No I’m not. He’s clearly a very well liked person at the club. He racks up possessions and gets the right stats but he causes absolutely no damage. In fact he’s usually the person stalling and killing our forward movement.

I sound like I’m having a massive go at the guy here which wasn’t really my intention. It just surprises me that people who watch him (rather than the stat sheet) rate him so highly.

I think you are underestimating his worth as he is the one that constantly provides the option that gets us out of trouble via gut running. Not just cheapies.

I also reckon hunter is asked to play purely outside and if allowed to impact the contest more would be a much better player. His game against Geelong I think it was is a good example.