Hall,J.Bolton,Kirk

[Snowy]

the three most important cogs according to Robbie Walls in today's Age. He thinks that they would be the 3 most missed if they went down.

http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/AFL/In-terms-of-damage-who-are-your-three-radicals/2005/03/15/1110649197998.html

[midaro]

IMO he's very close.
Hall is our most vital cog - if we lost him now we would not make the finals.
Leo Barry would also be in our most vital 3, but probably below Kirk, who I think is far more important to us than JBolton.

The obvious talking-point though, is Goodes - but I think Walls has this right - if he's talking about the player who's loss would most effect our balance/structure, or for whom we couldn't compensate.

Goodes is our second best player - but no one on Earth (not even Roos) knows what position he will play for the rest of his career.

[RogueSwan]

Hall - Irreplacable
Barry/Schuable - we need at least one on the ground.
J.Bolton - the team shouldn't fall apart in his absence.
I think over the last 2-3 years Balls absence through injury has proved a huge hurdle. Hopefully this year we have him covered.

[Plugger46]

IMO our most important 3 are Hall, Micky and Kirk. When O'Loughlin's not playing well, we generally go poorly. He takes pressure off Baz, when he's going well.

[NMWBloods]

I think it's Hall, Barry and Kirk.

I agree on Ball being key a couple of years ago.

[midaro]

Originally posted by RogueSwan
I think over the last 2-3 years Balls absence through injury has proved a huge hurdle. Hopefully this year we have him covered.

Good call.
...and you're right that Jolly and a fit Doyle should hopefully cover him.

[penga]

i agree with hall, barry and kirk

[liz]

Barry's best postion is as a HBF. It is hard to envisage any HBF being one of the most irreplaceable players on a team because you don't have to be particularly tall or good at ground level to play it well.

The reason Leo has been so critical to the team, especially last year, is his ability to fight well outside his weight division and take on the number one key defensive role. But the team would be much better off with a fit Schauble - or Campbell, Grundy, James if one can develop sufficiently - playing that role and Leo reverting to the flank where he is so damaging.

So there is an argument that he was one of the three most important last year but it would be better for the team if he weren't, if that makes any sense.

Hall is obviously a no-brainer.

Magic is pretty critical because of the way he and Hall play off each other - ie Hall is far more damaging when O'Loughlin is in the team than when he is missing.

Goodes, on song, is one of the creative forces and players with his combination of size, athletcism and creativity don't grow on trees. One could argue that the Swans weren't able to replace that last year while he was curtailed by his knee problems, with the result that we watched a fairly dour and defensive unit for most of the season.

Kirk would be up there too, due to his ability to shut down key play makers, but for me the three most important if we are to be a premiership threat are Hall, Goodes and O'Loughlin.

[Reggi]

Just pointing out the incredibly bloody obvious. All the other players - many are good - we can cover with other players if they are absent.

If J Bolton is not present - who is our other consistent winner of conested possessions??

[thommoone]

kirk

[Mark]

Originally posted by Reggi
Just pointing out the incredibly bloody obvious. All the other players - many are good - we can cover with other players if they are absent.

If J Bolton is not present - who is our other consistent winner of conested possessions??

Your wasting your time Reggi, reason about Jude will not be entertained on here !

[penga]

Originally posted by Reggi
If J Bolton is not present - who is our other consistent winner of conested possessions??

buccy

you could actually argue that the absence of bolton would be just what we need to uncover the next match-winning midfielder, as bolton will not fit that mould. nothing against him, but one could be uncovered in his absence...

[liz]

Originally posted by penga
buccy

you could actually argue that the absence of bolton would be just what we need to uncover the next match-winning midfielder, as bolton will not fit that mould. nothing against him, but one could be uncovered in his absence...

The best clubs have several. If one or more of our up-and-comers is good enough they will prove their worth with or without Bolton (or any other individual midfielder) in the team.

If we had a core of top notch midfielders (ala Kelly, Schwass, Cressa) then you could argue that other potential stars would be starved of on-ball opportunities but that's not really the case with the Swans at the moment.

And in any case, Luke Power has managed to elevate himself to amongst the best midfielders in the competition despite fighting for on-ball time with four of the rest of the best.

[Nico]

How could anyone in their right mind have Bolton ahead of Williams as a MVP. Bolton is just not in the same league. When Williams went off in the semi final so too did the rest of the team go off. He was absolutely starring in the short time he was on. When his leadership went to the sidelines no one else rose to the occasion.

Jude ran around getting a few kicks but Del Santo slaughtered him out of the centre.

[penga]

Originally posted by liz
And in any case, Luke Power has managed to elevate himself to amongst the best midfielders in the competition despite fighting for on-ball time with four of the rest of the best.

i agree with you as far as the individual is concerned, however, brisbane spread their quality. lappin plays in the back half, aker on the hff, while black runs all day in the middle and voss hobbles i would like to know, if at all, when brisbane have their fab-four all running in the midfield (i'm including the wing). due to this spread quality, there are opportunities in the middle and it lifts the overall standard of the team.