A sportswriter - I think it was Bill Simmons - once talked about The Table Test; put simply, what does a player bring to the table, and what do they take off? Tabs is a player who brings a lot to the table, and takes a lot off, which is why his value can be hard to evaluate.
His contested marking is elite, and has been for a few years. He seems to be getting to the right spot more (or we're getting it to him more). He still turns like a ship, and is a liability when the ball is on the deck or in opposition hands. I still think he lacks game awareness, and his set shots are hands-over-your-eyes stuff.
But the game has turned in his favour, and contested marking is probably the most valuable skill in the game right now, so you can look past the other stuff. He really needs to get those 15m misses out of his game though, because when you're talking about taking stuff off the table, missing a certain goal at one end that leads to a goal at the other is crushing for a team.
I always thought the most interesting Table Test was Dawson. He was so good at one thing, and so bad at everything else, that most people didn't rate him. Tabs is very similar if you ask me, but his one skill is a lot more valuable.
