Our best player in 3 years time?

[Lutz 76]

Frawley already is A-grade.

[monoccular 17,422]

Something a bit fun imo, name the player and one smokey

I am going with the no surprises option, or one of them and will say,

Jack Watts - Has everything required to be not only the best player on the MFC list but one of if not the best in the AFL in 3 years time imo.

He is tall, getting strong, fast, has footy smarts, and exception skills and disposal.

He can play forward back or in the middle/wing if required, i just think he is building reasonably quietly and people everywhere will just go hang on he is actually that good.

SMOKEY - Tom Mcdonald, This kid really impressed me late last season, is another tall player, who was a forward/ruck in the TAC cup.

Is only a KPP at AFL but has shown his versatile down back and by reports Neeld also sees potential in him as a forward. was cool under pressure, and kicked and marked well.

This pre-season, his first full one, he came second in the 3KM time trial for a big bloke, being shaded by the distance specialist Bail.

How good he will be, i really dont know...

Thoughts?

How about........Claire Voyant?

[maximum bob 462]

Player Trengove...Smoky...Blease.

[McQueen 17,864]

I am amazed that Nathan Jones has not been mentioned once, in 78 posts.

Not saying that he will be our best in 3 years but I'm confident he will be right up there.

Anyway.

Trengove will earn a Bluey or two in this period.

Howe will take the comp by storm in this period.

[Jaded No More 68,901]

Laughable to suggest Frawley can't be elite because he's a defender.

Scarlett is elite. He's so elite he has helped the Cats win multiple flags.

Frawley is already one of the best defenders in the league and has as good a chance as Watts to be considered an elite player in the AFL, not to mention be our best player in 3 years times (I'd argue he is already our best player now based on consistency alone!).

[Jordie_tackles 354]

Laughable to suggest Frawley can't be elite because he's a defender.

Scarlett is elite. He's so elite he has helped the Cats win multiple flags.

Frawley is already one of the best defenders in the league and has as good a chance as Watts to be considered an elite player in the AFL, not to mention be our best player in 3 years times (I'd argue he is already our best player now based on consistency alone!).

He is our best player atm imo

Question is will others pass him?? will he improve? Frawley is 1 good year away from being A-grade

[Range Rover 1,935]

Frawley already is A-grade.

One AA season doesn't make you A-grade IMO. The bar should be set higher than that.

Frawley has shown he is capable of being a top 20 AFL player. Let's see if he can actually cement a spot in that grouping.

[rjay 24,917]

One AA season doesn't make you A-grade IMO. The bar should be set higher than that.

Frawley has shown he is capable of being a top 20 AFL player. Let's see if he can actually cement a spot in that grouping.

Seeing as the forum is an opinion biz, I'm putting my money on him. The kid can play.

[dee-tox 4,835]

Watts has the skills as does Trengove, Jurrah, Sylvia and possibly Viney.

Jamar and Frawley have already made AA so they will up there.

Blease, Gysberts, Bennell and Cook have time to develop into excellent players.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

Watts/Clark for best in 3 years.

Smoky(s) would go to Howe/Jones

[Lutz 76]

One AA season doesn't make you A-grade IMO. The bar should be set higher than that.

Frawley has shown he is capable of being a top 20 AFL player. Let's see if he can actually cement a spot in that grouping.

It's not based on the single AA plaudit.

He has been A grade for 2&1/2 seasons now, whether you realised it or not.

[olisik 4,060]

Watts = Goodes

Trengove =Bartel

Gysberts = Pendlebury

my tip is the above 3 will be playing like there respective model players

[mauriesy 7,287]

It's really easy to just limit these descriptions to a few players to suit your argument, but this argument needs some parameters otherwise we just waffle on with personal judgements. I can't believe Ablett, Goodes, Judd and Swan are the only players in the AFL judged to be 'elite'.

There are 800 or so footballers on AFL lists.

So what's the elite by definition? The top 1, 2 or 3% (97th, 98th or 99th percentile)? By numbers alone, that would be 24, 16 or at a minumum 8 players.

And what's A Grade by definition? Top 5%, 10%? Maybe it's something like Sheehan's Top 50 (I'm not arguing about his actual list).

I find it hard to believe that the top 2% of players (at least ... 16 players) are not elite, or the top 10% (80 players) are not "A Grade". In any other evaluation system in any other field, that would be the case.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,237]

Top gun between Watts and Trengove.

Roughies Tapscott and Gawn.

[FarNorthernD 5,861]

I don't care who they are but if we want to be challenging for a flag we need at least one elite midfielder and 2 - 3 A graders (by whatever definition). Trengove, Gysberts ? ?

Aside from that I would love Watts to be as dominant as Koutafides (sp?) was when he was totally unstoppable for that season before injuries stopped him. But I want Watts to be like that for about 200 games. Too much to ask? If he could also lay Mitch Robinson out cold in a one-on-one marking contest and a long sprint away from that bloke from GWS on the Members wing of the G that would be nice too.

[Thrice 216]

That's not my definition, although I agree that there's no official AFL definition; and even then it's subjective. Judd/Ablett/Goodes are super stars. I equate elite with genuine A graders. Right now we don't have one genuine A grader. Frawley and Jamar had A grade years in 2010, but one A grade year doesn't make someone an A grader. Although I have no doubt that the former will soon be rightfully called one and I'm hoping that a few others reach that status.

Actually there is a definition. Champion Data rate a player who averages in the top 10% for their position (KPF, Gen Fwd, Mid etc) as being elite. On this definition we have two, Frawley (nom, nom humble pie) and Green based off the past 2 seasons.

My take on it: In general parlance these players would mostly be considered 'A Grade' with the tag 'elite' reserved for the top 10-20 players in the comp, regardless of position (although in reality almost all will be midfielders).

To bring it back to J_T's OP - he asked for best player in 3 years. Talk of elites, A graders etc have blurred the conversation significantly. If Petterd, Howe, Bail or any other 'foot soldier' is considered our best player in 3 years then serious questions must be asked of Watts, Trengove, Gysberts and Frawley who have ceilings far greater than any of these players. I think we can already write off Sylvia, who has the tools to be top 10 in the competition now if only he could operate at 90% of his capacity or above every match.

[Kento80 83]

I am amazed that Nathan Jones has not been mentioned once, in 78 posts.

Not saying that he will be our best in 3 years but I'm confident he will be right up there.

Anyway.

Trengove will earn a Bluey or two in this period.

Howe will take the comp by storm in this period.

Agreed, although I am not surprised. I'm a massive Jones fan, but have spent much more time defending him on here than anything else. That said, I don't think that he will be our best, but have no doubt that he will be up there. Interesting to note that he is quite highly rated by all my friends who support other teams, but not so by our own supporter base, although after last year I have noticed a bit of a shift in attitude towards him.

[The Chazz 4,077]

Watts = Goodes

Trengove =Bartel

Gysberts = Pendlebury

my tip is the above 3 will be playing like there respective model players

Am I the only one that does not see the comparison of Trengove to Bartel? Perhaps I should rephrase that, am I the only one that sees a Trengove - Luke Hodge comparison closer than the JT/Bartell one?

I think it's quite freaky the way JT's career has headed in his first couple of seasons, and where its destination will be, in line with Hodge's. Made some impact in season 1, stepped up and had to cotrol his toughness in season 2, can see him slotting in the guts or playing tha tfloating half back role that Hodge seemed to do so well.

Just curious!

[Axis of Bob 11,787]

Prediction - Watts

Smokey - Gysberts.

[rpfc 28,383]

It's really easy to just limit these descriptions to a few players to suit your argument, but this argument needs some parameters otherwise we just waffle on with personal judgements. I can't believe Ablett, Goodes, Judd and Swan are the only players in the AFL judged to be 'elite'.

There are 800 or so footballers on AFL lists.

So what's the elite by definition? The top 1, 2 or 3% (97th, 98th or 99th percentile)? By numbers alone, that would be 24, 16 or at a minumum 8 players.

And what's A Grade by definition? Top 5%, 10%? Maybe it's something like Sheehan's Top 50 (I'm not arguing about his actual list).

I find it hard to believe that the top 2% of players (at least ... 16 players) are not elite, or the top 10% (80 players) are not "A Grade". In any other evaluation system in any other field, that would be the case.

You can't judge it like that, it has to be on a 'bell curve' that would have a few at the elite status, a few at the awful status, and a glut of average players. Hence a bell curve.

Therefore, you have to find a measurment and judge players accordingly. It would just be a subjective analysis anyway, and that is what we have here - people's personal opinions.

It would be great if we could find an objective measure or statistic to rate all players but it doesn't exist.

There are about 20 elite players in my book, about 3 more at most clubs would be A grade, etc.

But that is my subjective opinion.

[Dee-Bortoli 8]

I can see a little bit of Luke hodge in captain JT but their is definitely a big resemblance to Jimmy bartel. The way he goes into the contest, the way he can play mid, back or forward, a great contested mark for his size. Yep he's in the bartel mould.

[The Chazz 4,077]

I can see a little bit of Luke hodge in captain JT but their is definitely a big resemblance to Jimmy bartel. The way he goes into the contest, the way he can play mid, back or forward, a great contested mark for his size. Yep he's in the bartel mould.

So far every box you're ticking there is Hodge-mould too. Plus, like Hodge, JT has a lot more agression than Bartel. Even if there's a scrap, often you will find JT one of the first in there helping his teammates - he loves it! I'm not saying Jimy runs away, but Hodge/JT don't mind "that" side of the game!

Maybe I haven't noticed how much Bartel and Hodge are alike! They are just both stars IMO, and hopefully JT will achieve their levels.

[drdrake 3,163]

Col Sylvia he will realise that he is turning 29 and wasted his enormous talent for the past 10 years.

[Biffen 12,941]

You can't judge it like that, it has to be on a 'bell curve' that would have a few at the elite status, a few at the awful status, and a glut of average players. Hence a bell curve.

Therefore, you have to find a measurment and judge players accordingly. It would just be a subjective analysis anyway, and that is what we have here - people's personal opinions.

It would be great if we could find an objective measure or statistic to rate all players but it doesn't exist.

There are about 20 elite players in my book, about 3 more at most clubs would be A grade, etc.

But that is my subjective opinion.

There are 20-40 elite players in the comp.Each club has 1 or 2 that could be called Elite. SO about top 5% .IMHO.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

Lol elite is best of the best. Saying there is 40 elite players in the comp is diluting the term "elite."

Best of the best- it is impossible for 40 players to have this status- I'd say you chose the elite from a selection of the best players- and you'll be looking at a total of around 10 out of a selection of 80-100 players.

I think even at 10 we're pushing it.