Why are people so unkind

[Agent 86]

He's strong, can take a mark & can kick it a mile.

I think there are worse offenders as far as effectiveness of disposals - it's just that sometimes he takes too long to do it. Recent rule interpretations have worked against him on this, too. e.g. you can sit on someone's back and win a HTB free - it's often ludicrous.

Overall, I think there's a lot of improvement to be had & I rate him a "hold".

Mind you, if we'd lost the GF i might not be so kind.

[Legs Akimbo]

I think he would be in the starting 18 for most teams. I like the lad. Like a fine wine...

[RogueSwan]

Re: Why are people so unkind

Originally posted by Lucky Knickers
to Nog?

I don't get it. I think he's one of our most consistent performers...

Consistently mediocre. Seriously what does NOG add to the team that Dempster doesn't?
I would love NOG to take the next step but he has had a lot of chances. Maybe, as floppinab was possibly alluding too, Roos choice of position for NOG is the reason for his performances. Roos seems to think all players should do time as a defender of some description. NOG may never be a defensive option and maybe should be an out and out attacker.

[hammo]

I think he's a good player and valuable to the team.

I am surprised by the negativity of this thread.

There's a reason why NOG is in the 22 at the moment and others are not. Last year he was one of our best and I don't think much has changed this year.

[bloodboy]

I think everyone who is knocking Noggy has gotta wake up. I think you, and for that matter, the majority of the football public just expects too much from the game these days. All this crap that is going on at the moment about how boring the game is and how real footy is dying is utter nonsense. I think these people are just expecting way too much from the game. I think a lot of these people expect every single player to be as good as somebody like Chris Judd - and if they are not, then they are not up to AFL football. Imagine we had a league just full of Chris Judd's...even though he is an out and out gun, how boring would that get watching the same thing week in and week out? Football has always been about a good contest and parts of those contests are players of a wide range of abilities and talents (all champions in their own right, however). To get back to the point that I was originally making - albeit in a roundabout way - Noggy has his place in the team and I think he does his job quite effectively. I think some people out there are just too quick to jump on the bagging bandwagon when things go the slightest bit wrong. Noggy has had a slow start to the season, but please, give him some time people...it isn't as if anyone in our team has been setting the world on fire so far this year...

[cowcar]

well said blodboy! I cant believe the negativity towards nog shown here. He was one of our best players last year, but like most players has started of a bit slower this year. I dont see the same people calling for Jolly to be dropped, or Fosdike, or even Kirk for that matter (all players who have added less than ablett this season so far).
He has a good long kick (which can be very accurate at times) but he his still learning. Plus he goes in very very hard for the ball..

[Ruda Wakening]

Originally posted by cowcar
I dont see the same people calling for Jolly to be dropped, or Fosdike

That's because those people are wise.

[CureTheSane]

Or those brilliant minds who were calling for O'Loughlin and Goodes to be traded a few years back.

[Go Swannies]

Do I get bonus points for starting the thread last year about how we needed to trade Baz?

And, so far this year, Jolly has been a lot more of a liability that NOG. I presume he'll come good because it'd be hard to maintain that rate of stupid frees against for a whole season.

[mocaholic]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
He's slow to react and think.

He often misses the target.

His disposal is ordinary.

Agree.

Originally posted by NMWBloods
He doesn't get enough possessions.

Then isn't that a good thing, given the above?

[RogueSwan]

Originally posted by cowcar
well said blodboy! I cant believe the negativity towards nog shown here. He was one of our best players last year,

Depends how you classify "one of our best", top 5, top 10, top 22? I could easily rate ten Swans as having a better year than Ablett last year.

• Hall
• Davis
• Ball
• Kirk
• B2
• B1
• Pebbles
• Irish
• Goodes
• Crouch
• even the Hyphen

but like most players has started of a bit slower this year. I dont see the same people calling for Jolly to be dropped, or Fosdike, or even Kirk for that matter (all players who have added less than ablett this season so far).

True, but Jolly has no replacement, Kirk has way too many credits (probably enough to keep him in all season even if he continues with mediocre performances. Fossie has probably has more of Roos' credits after a great Grand Final.

He has a good long kick (which can be very accurate at times) but he his still learning. Plus he goes in very very hard for the ball..

All the Swans go in hard for the ball, except maybe Teddy, it is how they win games.
Maybe NoG could give Kirk a lesson on how to do "a good long kick"? He really gets up and under them sometimes doesn't he?

[cowcar]

Rogue- would agree with most of your top ten from last year, but i would put nog above both the hyphen (for sure), and maybe even Crouch.
I am not saying any of those players i listed should be dropped, i was just pointing out that based on this years performances, they have contributed less (in my opinion). Obviously other factors come into it such as replacements.
I would say Ablett is probably the best kick in the swans team over distance, but it seems to be forgotten that last year really was his break through year, where he was getting regular games and was pretty much an automatic starter for the squad. This year, he hasnt started so well (whihc , as i pointed out, he is not alone), and people on this site are jumping all over him. I was just arguing for some perspective!

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by cowcar
Rogue- would agree with most of your top ten from last year, but i would put nog above both the hyphen (for sure), and maybe even Crouch.

Surely you jest?!? He doesn't even come remotely close to Crouch in value to the team.

On top of those 10 I'd include Buchanan, O'Loughlin, and possibly Jolly.

Even Williams had a better year and was more value to the team than Ablett and it was injury interrupted.

I would say Ablett is probably the best kick in the swans team over distance

Davis...?

[RogueSwan]

I wasn't saying that was definitive top ten just ten players better than NoG.
The Hyphen is actually the 11th on the list, .

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by RogueSwan
I wasn't saying that was definitive top ten just ten players better than NoG.
The Hyphen is actually the 11th on the list, .

A top ten with eleven in it! Are you an accountant?