Well said, our Abominable friend.

Although stats aren't everything:-

Sandi
K = 10
H = 12
D = 22
M = 7
H = 36
FF = 4
FA = 2
T = 1
G = 0
B = 0

Notacluey
K = 6
H = 7
D = 13
M = 1
H = 17
FF = 2
FA = 1
T = 5
G = 1
B = 2

The best 22 of the week should be the best 22. Any compromise to "spread it around" like junior footy where everyone eventually gets a prize is to make a mockery of the professional game that is AFL.

Naitanui? - not on your nelly!

I've come in late. Didn't see Slime v Bombers. By all accounts something I should be grateful for. But I did see the ooftits round 3 game on TV and couldn't believe the disconnect between what NicNat was actually doing on the field and the ridiculously over-the-top praise he was getting from the commentators for doing it.

At one stage, the ooftits scored from a hitout in the forward line and the commentator said something like "Ohhh, that was just genius from Natanui". The replay showed NicNat hadn't even touched the ball and the tap had come from the opposition ruckman. But the comment wasn't retracted.

He looks a good player. He stands out amongst the rabble they have over there. But the hype is just silly.

WTF ?.I can't believe that any self respecting Freo fan could possibly put Sh@#locks ahead of 211 in any team in any week and try to back it up with ridiculous arguments based on racism or stats.Most overhyped footballer since Sumich...

I couldn't care less who makes the team of the week each week. However, having watched both games on the weekend, there's not the slightest doubt in my mind who was the better, more influential, effective, reliable ruckman on the weekend. Put it this way, based on the weekend, who would you rather have in your team? I know my choice. Sandilands hands down.

Ok I have to weigh in here. The problem is one of subjectivity vs objectivity.

ARUSBN (who we should all know as an ooftits supporter bandwagonning his little heart out) is taking the subjective view of best ruckman in the round. His argument is based on the influence of the particular player as though the game he played in was played in a vacuum (i.e no other games were played that round). So therefore, following the subjective reasoning, natanuieyyy was better because his game as ruckman was more influential to that side's success than Sandilands game was on Freo's success (of course that reasoning fails to take account of the fact that without Sandilands Freo would have had its ass handed to it on a platter - see Bizkit's comments re influence). So that's ARUSBN's side which even using his subjective reasoning fails to convince.

The view taken by most sensible people (including the good people of Dockerland) is that best ruckman of the round should be based on objective criteria such as how many times did he have the ball, how many taps, was he consistent for four quarters, did he take critical marks (both defensive and offensive) etc. By any of the objective criteria Sandi wins hands down.

But ARSBN is not objective, how many ooftits supporters do you know that are. I recall suggesting in an earlier thread that ARSBN may be a ooftits supporter and this thread has just confirmed it. Not only his bleating for a position that is contrary to the bleedingly obvious but his use of the term Nic Nat. How many freo suppoerters do you know that use that term?

I'm sorry ARSBN but your argument is as flawed as your guise as a freo supporter is transparent.

Didn't watch or even listen to the game, but Cox is listed higher than Naitanui in the Ooftits best players list, and Hille is listed as 2nd best for Essendon. Hille & Ryder also kicked 2 goals each during the game.

Having seen the repeated highlight clips from the game, my theory is that Naitanui does some freakish looking things that it becomes the one saving grace in a nights entertainment in a game where the general skills of the two teams would otherwise be too poor for anyone to want to even admit that they've witnessed it.

One minor quibble about the umpiring- when Naitanui takes the ball out of the ruck, handballs to himself and then gets to the edge of the centre square before disposing of the football without bouncing it, surely he's run too far and should be penalised.

sideshow did get a rising star nomination
sandi didnt
so tictactoey must be better

Well 2rox, that just slam-dunked my argument in a big way.

That must be it! Surely he wouldn't get RS and Team of the Week just through empty hype? Would he?????

What I can't believe is that I've just read a VI page thread about ruckmen (entertaining as it was) and no mention of Kepler, go figure??

This apple is much better than that orange.