7 Swans in Sheahan's Top 50

[Mike_B]

Always going to be controversial, but the one that stands out as far as a player finally getting media recognition goes is Craig Bolton.

Swans players in Sheahan's top 50
2 - Barry Hall
10 - Leo Barry
12 - Brett Kirk
21 - Craig Bolton
44 - Jared Crouch
46 - Tadhg Kennelly
48 - Jude Bolton

Ben Cousins was rated 1 and Chris Judd 3.

Full story

[Big Al]

Re: 7 Swans in Sheahan's Top 50

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mike_B
[B]Always going to be controversial, but the one that stands out as far as a player finally getting media recognition goes is Craig Bolton.

Swans players in Sheahan's top 50
2 - Barry Hall
10 - Leo Barry
12 - Brett Kirk
21 - Craig Bolton
44 - Jared Crouch
46 - Tadhg Kennelly
48 - Jude Bolton

Ben Cousins was rated 1 and Chris Judd 3.


Not bad for a side that is supposed to be without stars. Add in Goodsey,MOL and Davo and this is not bad side

[swan_17]

A little odd that Kirk came 12, and yet didn't even make the All Australian team.

[Charlie]

Hall - about right.
Barry - about right.
Kirk - a few spots higher than expected.
C.Bolton - a little high, but deserves to be top 50.
Crouch - what is Mike smoking?
Kennelly - about right.
J.Bolton - about right.

Where's Mick?

On the rest of the list, Hodge, Goodwin, Hayes, Wirrpunda, Baker, Black, Bassett and Wakelin are far too high.

Everitt, Tredrea, Riccuito, Akermanis, Clement, Scarlett, Johnson, Power, McLeod and Gehrig are too low. Where are Simon Black, James Hird, Gary Ablett and Justin Koschitze?

edit: Forgot Hayes.

[Reggi]

Lenny Hayes in the top 50???????????????????????????????? and then at 11

Melb media talks themselves into things sometimes.

Crouch is a better stopper than Baker - only have to go back 14 days to prove it

[liz]

Originally posted by swan_17
I little odd that Kirk came 12, and yet didn't even make the All Australian team.

He's the club champion of the champion team.

AA selectors have rocks in their heads.

Apparently most of them don't even watch every game of the season but still deem themselves worthy of AA team selection.

[liz]

Originally posted by Charlie
Hall - about right.
Barry - about right.
Kirk - a few spots higher than expected.
C.Bolton - a little high, but deserves to be top 50.
Crouch - what is Mike smoking?
Kennelly - about right.
J.Bolton - about right.

Where's Mick?

On the rest of the list, Hodge, Goodwin, Hayes, Wirrpunda, Baker, Black, Bassett and Wakelin are far too high.

Everitt, Tredrea, Riccuito, Akermanis, Clement, Scarlett, Johnson, Power, McLeod and Gehrig are too low. Where are Simon Black, James Hird, Gary Ablett and Justin Koschitze?

edit: Forgot Hayes.

My take on the list (even though it's not explicitly stated) is that it reflects performance in the 2005 season alone.

On this basis, the AA team (even though some were very lucky to make it), the near misses, and anyone who finished, say, top 3 or 4 in a finals team should be in it.

Can live with Hird and Simon Black missing on this basis - their best was great but they didn't produce it often enough. Koschitske probably didn't play enough games to qualify. Ablett should be there.

Wakelin's name on the list seems incongruous. Agree that many of the others you've listed are too low.

[Snowy]

Kirk was unlucky not to be AA and I agree with Reggi about Hayes, he's one midfielder who doesn't hurt the opposition. Ask Saints supporters and they will tell you that the opposition doesn't worry about him but if they tag him he's reduced to nothing. He's one very overrated footballer. I also wonder how Sheahan can never rate West in his top 50 then suddenly after a similar season coming after a backlash regarding him overlooking him in the past he all of a sudden rocks up in the top 5. Sheahan is someone who simply goes which way the wind is blowing.

[swan_17]

As long as we are in Sydney and the football media are in Melbourne we are always going to be underestimated.

[dimelb]

Originally posted by Charlie

Crouch - what is Mike smoking?

Agree with just about everything else, Charlie, but not this one. I reckon Crouch was always a good player and in this finals series has shown himself an outstanding player. My son, a keen West Coast fan, was very disappointed Matera didn't play because Crouch would have got him and Judd would have had that much more room - not a prospect I fancied at all.
And checking the list again I don't see Adam Cooney - I'd have him in front of many of those midfielders.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by dimelb
Agree with just about everything else, Charlie, but not this one. I reckon Crouch was always a good player and in this finals series has shown himself an outstanding player. My son, a keen West Coast fan, was very disappointed Matera didn't play because Crouch would have got him and Judd would have had that much more room - not a prospect I fancied at all.

I realise that I go against the grain with regards to how I rate Crouch.

I think he's a good footballer, and does his job quite well. But that is all. There is absolutely no way that he is top five at the club - this year (he was in the worst form I can remember from him in the first half of the season) or any other year.

I'd rate Hall, Davis, O'Keefe, C Bolton, Williams, Jolly, Kennelly, O'Loughlin, Barry, J Bolton, Kirk and Goodes clearly ahead of him overall. This year, I would put all of the above plus Ball, Ablett and Buchanan in front of Crouch.

He'd be an outside chance of being in my top 150 players. That's not a criticism - it would still put him in the top 10 of most lists in the AFL on average, which is nothing to sneeze at. But he is not an elite player. Putting him at 44 indicates that he'd be in the mix for selection if the AFL had an All-Star game (forgive the American cultural imperialism seeping in). I find that suggestion rather bizarre, to be honest.

[liz]

Originally posted by Charlie

He'd be an outside chance of being in my top 150 players. That's not a criticism - it would still put him in the top 10 of most lists in the AFL on average, which is nothing to sneeze at. But he is not an elite player. Putting him at 44 indicates that he'd be in the mix for selection if the AFL had an All-Star game (forgive the American cultural imperialism seeping in). I find that suggestion rather bizarre, to be honest.

Your comments about the first half of the season are fair but he had a sensational second half of the year.

One of his assets is his versatility - one week you'll not spot him much but then realise that Steven Milne barely touched the ball all game. And in another week he will almost single-handedly keep the team in the game for three quarters before making way to let Nick Davis take the glory.

He was deemed - by the club - to be the best finals player in a premiership year.

His top 10 B&F - despite an ordinary first half of the year - is not a fluke. It's the 5th consecutive year he's done it.

And for the past two years he's been selected as a top up player for the team to take on Ireland, suggesting he's not far off being an All-Star type player.

I don't think he's one of the top 50 players in the competition but I do think that his selection as one of the top 50 performed players in 2005 is reasonable.

[bandwagon]

I know what you are saying Charlie, though I see Liz's point as well . I think this rating may have been unduely influenced by Crouch's excellent finals series. If he could sustain that level of performance throughout a H&A season I would have no grounds for complaint; but too often he has limited impact.

Obviously he is often minding the best small forward, but he clearly has the skills to be more than a negator, and the value to the team of his attacking play should be emphasised. Hopefully next year Fixter/Bevan/? can be the first choice small defender, allowing Crouch more time in the midfield.

[Newbie]

Whhile Crouch is a top 50 player might be debatable, Baker is better than Crouch is definitely NOT.

I guess Crouch is probably the best small tagger in the game while Baker is a fair way off. And Crouch can use the ball a lot better than Baker too.

[punter257]

i dont know why he bothers with this list to be honest, way too many people to please and there's always outrage at some of his decisions