Assuming we have a chance...

[Sanecow]

Who is our most important player for the finals? Poorly informed media people would probably say Hall since that is what they want to believe (since Capper and Lockett taught them that) but I disagree. We can still win games with Hall misfiring and in fact, the low-scoring style of game Sydney plays reduces the amount of ball he gets in any case.

I think the one player who would be most difficult to replace is Jolly. If Doyle and/or Unco are our ruckmen (with Hall / LRT / Richards having a hit around the ground) I think our stoppage loving game plan would be our undoing.

Will Carlton come out to damage Jolly? How serious are they?

[Matt79]

Good question Cow!

IMO, I think Goodes is our most valuable player in terms of the various roles he can play and has clearly been our best player all year.

Hall is important to our overall structure as well, however, I also think losing Craig Bolton would be damaging as well to our chances.

[hammo]

Jolly would be difficult to replace but I am sure our midfield can adapt if our ruckman doesn't get first hands on the ball.

Hall is important to our structure but Goodes is our only genuine matchwinner. In the form he is in he could win matches off his own boot and would really struggle for drive without him.

[Plugger46]

Hall.

He's the focal point - sides do not win flags very often without one.

He takes the pressure off Micky, Davis, O'Keefe etc.

I wouldn't want to lose anyone, but I think losing Hall would be the end of our chances.

[Industrial Fan]

Re: Assuming we have a chance...

Originally posted by Sanecow
Who is our most important player for the finals? Poorly informed media people would probably say Hall since that is what they want to believe (since Capper and Lockett taught them that) but I disagree. We can still win games with Hall misfiring and in fact, the low-scoring style of game Sydney plays reduces the amount of ball he gets in any case.

I think the one player who would be most difficult to replace is Jolly. If Doyle and/or Unco are our ruckmen (with Hall / LRT / Richards having a hit around the ground) I think our stoppage loving game plan would be our undoing.

Will Carlton come out to damage Jolly? How serious are they?

While I am obviously a massive fan of Goodesy, I dont think Baz' influence can be underestimated. We lost the Weagles game ("lost" is probably more accurate), had to rely on Davis to play to his abilities in another, and scraped across the line in the G.F. Baz didnt have a great finals series, but I thought he was probably the difference against the saints (apart from Bam Bam(ROK) - the bog in that game) and of course he sent that goal home in the G.F. which was a massive kick. I think it would be interesting to see us play without baz, and I would like to see skiddie and the loaf playing that forward role.

From that 1st preseason game against essendon, I was impressed with the loaf - he went on some long, strong leads - so I have no doubt he could play baz's more mobile duties - but we are still missing that contested mark player then....

Maybe doyle could play that role??

[ugg]

Weird, I was just having this thought last night.

I'll agree with Sanecow and say Jolly is the most important player. Hall can be replaced to some extent, although by a committee of forwards rather than by one player. The fact we don't have to kick many goals to win games lessens his importance.

If Jolly goes down, then woe be us. A combination of Doyle and LRT/Teddy is hardly going to stand up against Cox/Seaby, Biglands/Clarke, Sandilands/Longmuir or White/Jamar.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by hammo
Jolly would be difficult to replace but I am sure our midfield can adapt if our ruckman doesn't get first hands on the ball.

Hall is important to our structure but Goodes is our only genuine matchwinner. In the form he is in he could win matches off his own boot and would really struggle for drive without him.

I was going to go with this one for exactly these reasons.

However, thinking about it some more, we have won games without Goodes firing before.

Could we win without Hall or Jolly? Again, we've won when Hall has done thing, and the 'take the most important defender' can be worked around.

So I'll stick with Jolly. Without a proper ruckman we'll get smashed.

I'll will add though that if we lose any one of these three then we are stuffed.

[adnar]

In Order In my opinion:

Jolly
O'Keffe
Hall
Goodes
Ablett.

I honestly think that Hall is made 40% more effective because of ROK. His hard leading and I50s are invaluable.

[NMWBloods]

Pfft - Ablett!!

[dendol]

Hmm, Im not so sure about Jolly being the most important. We do have backup in Doyle/Chambers/Teddy/LRT who can at least nullify and restrict the effectiveness of opposition ruckmen. Teddy/LRT add a different dimension with the second efforts on the ground as well. I'll admit they are a bandaid solution at best though.

Hall is our most important, simply because he takes the best defender, and for much of the game, draws another opposition player to him. Without him, Mickey gets the top dog, and Grundy/Davis/O'Keefe will have better defenders on them as well. We may lose Goodes from the midfield as he is thrown forward, and Doyle/Vogels won't get as much respect as Hall.

[dendol]

Originally posted by adnar
In Order In my opinion:

Jolly
O'Keffe
Hall
Goodes
Ablett.

I honestly think that Hall is made 40% more effective because of ROK. His hard leading and I50s are invaluable.

Ablett? Seriously?? He's a mould of Bolton, Kirk and Buchanan, and the only thing setting him apart from them is an extra 15m on his thumping left foot.

[Sanecow]

It completely slipped my mind (!) but I guess Goodes could ruck in a finals series.

[dendol]

Originally posted by Sanecow
It completely slipped my mind (!) but I guess Goodes could ruck in a finals series.

He's done so well as a midfielder I also forgot that he won a Brownlow playing in the ruck!!

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Sanecow
It completely slipped my mind (!) but I guess Goodes could ruck in a finals series.

True, as long as we have an adequate backup.

[Industrial Fan]

Originally posted by dendol
Ablett? Seriously?? He's a mould of Bolton, Kirk and Buchanan, and the only thing setting him apart from them is an extra 15m on his thumping left foot.

I think the canon has been in the top 3 players most weeks. Certainly I would have said 2nd in B & F till he had his shoulder infection...

I think all those players are the heart and soul of the team. But I think the canon is the most important of those to us.