Pick 7?
Has there ever been a half back flanker to have played the game that is worth a pick 7?
Has there ever been a half back flanker to have played the game that is worth a pick 7?
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Adam Saad
- Thread starter tigertough
- Start date
I think a 2nd rounder. For me that’s what he’s still worth
Tony Braxton-Hicks
There are no stupid ideas, just stupid people
I hope they get a first rounder for him and Daniher, then use their three first-rounders for Dodo to select juniors who are good enough to get them to lose more finals.
I went through the exercise of rating the League's best half back flankers. It's not as easy as it seems.
They're not valued as highly as those who play other positions and yet they are central to the connection between the back and forward lines.
It's not an easy role to play as they have to get the mix of defence and offence just right.
Anyway, here's where I got to. First, the long list of contenders.
Williams (GWS)
Houli (Rich)
Wilson (Freo)
Saad (Ess)
McDonald (North)
Duggan (WC)
Hurn (WC)
Coffield (StK)
Long (StK)
Whitfield (GWS)
Smith (Adel)
Rich (Bris)
Docherty (Carl)
Short (Rich)
Daniel (Foot)
Day (Haw)
Bowes (Gold)
Burton (Port)
Lloyd (Syd)
Stewart (Geel)
Maynard (Coll)
Crisp (Coll)
Byrne-Jones (Port)
I narrowed the list down based on ball use, defensive effectiveness and the ability to break lines. Some of that is objective and some is subjective. Numbers quoted are career averages.
1. Whitfield (GWS) -- DE 76%, SI 3.7, CP 7, MG 328
2. Saad (Ess) -- DE 82%, SI 3.2, CP 5, MG 341
3. Houli (Rich) -- DE 78%, SI 4.2, CP 5, MG 409
4. Rich (Bris) -- DE 74%, SI 4.2, CP 6, MG 428
5. Maynard (Coll) -- DE 76%, SI 3.1, CP 5, MG 332
6. Williams (GWS) -- DE 76%, SI 4.5, CP 6, MG 321
7. Stewart (Geel) -- DE 80%, SI 2.7, CP 5, MG 381
8. Daniel (Foot) -- DE 78%, SI 4.7, CP 6, MG 292
9. Burton (Port) -- DE 76%, SI 3.3, CP 5, MG 312
10. Duggan (WC) -- DE 73%, SI 3, CP 5, MG 287
As long as the Blues don't sell the farm for Williams and Saad, they've done well.
They're not valued as highly as those who play other positions and yet they are central to the connection between the back and forward lines.
It's not an easy role to play as they have to get the mix of defence and offence just right.
Anyway, here's where I got to. First, the long list of contenders.
Williams (GWS)
Houli (Rich)
Wilson (Freo)
Saad (Ess)
McDonald (North)
Duggan (WC)
Hurn (WC)
Coffield (StK)
Long (StK)
Whitfield (GWS)
Smith (Adel)
Rich (Bris)
Docherty (Carl)
Short (Rich)
Daniel (Foot)
Day (Haw)
Bowes (Gold)
Burton (Port)
Lloyd (Syd)
Stewart (Geel)
Maynard (Coll)
Crisp (Coll)
Byrne-Jones (Port)
I narrowed the list down based on ball use, defensive effectiveness and the ability to break lines. Some of that is objective and some is subjective. Numbers quoted are career averages.
1. Whitfield (GWS) -- DE 76%, SI 3.7, CP 7, MG 328
2. Saad (Ess) -- DE 82%, SI 3.2, CP 5, MG 341
3. Houli (Rich) -- DE 78%, SI 4.2, CP 5, MG 409
4. Rich (Bris) -- DE 74%, SI 4.2, CP 6, MG 428
5. Maynard (Coll) -- DE 76%, SI 3.1, CP 5, MG 332
6. Williams (GWS) -- DE 76%, SI 4.5, CP 6, MG 321
7. Stewart (Geel) -- DE 80%, SI 2.7, CP 5, MG 381
8. Daniel (Foot) -- DE 78%, SI 4.7, CP 6, MG 292
9. Burton (Port) -- DE 76%, SI 3.3, CP 5, MG 312
10. Duggan (WC) -- DE 73%, SI 3, CP 5, MG 287
As long as the Blues don't sell the farm for Williams and Saad, they've done well.
Hmm, I reckon you might have considered that a pretty fair trade for a McLeod or Hodge in their pomp...
Andrew Mcleod, Ben Hart, Corey Enright and Guy McKenna were all pretty handy.
The role of Richmond's "smalls" is hard to define. Some would argue Grimes, Vlastuin and Baker all play a version of the half back flanker role. In my long list I tried to group all the players who play the role in a "traditional" way; that is, predominantly used as a link man driving the ball forward.
That's not say Baker isn't a HBF but in my mind he's more of a back pocket, whose role is principally to stop, intercept and defend. So I'd group him with, say, Hughes, Plowman, Brown (Adel), Answerth, Budarick, Geary and Williams (North).
It's definitely become a fine line, though. Players are more versatile than ever and need to have more than one string to their bow. E.g. Baker's running goal last week was fantastic and not what you'd normally expect from a back pocket.
Baker is a ripper; one of my absolute favourite players and I hope he plays his entire career with us.
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McLeod and Hodge also played midfield in their prime. The point being you don’t give up top 10 picks for flankers.
Saad is not worth it, he cracks it if he can't do his own thing (running around with the ball), footy is a team sport not individual. go luck carlton
