Our Best Tagger?

[bulldogtragic]

Not a sexy thread. Owing to the speciality, not one we have a lot of nominations.

I think it’s Libba Snr (Wallace), Picken (Eade), Wallis (under BMac) and a few games from Lower. Plus the odd standout shutdown games (Gryphone early on vs Ablett Jnr, the ‘didn’t respect me’ comments after the game Gryphone’s now career highlight).

Despite, arguably, Wallis best years as a tagger for BMac, it must be a two horse race between Libba & Picken. Interestingly enough one was turned into a tagger after a Brownlow, while the other was a tagger turned Finals MVP in a Premiership campaign. So both had clear parts of their game beyond negating. But they did it well.

I go with Picko. I think the opposition players and the extra athleticism needed in a decade later means I call it for Picko.

[Rocket Science]

Don't tell this bloke tagging's not sexy.

https://i.ibb.co/z5BYYwg/Crossy.png (https://ibb.co/kywffFT)

At least in the early days.

Stephen Powell had brief but memorable stint as a minder too.

But in furious agreement; Libba senior not just by dint of extending a seemingly deceased career, but his willing appetite for baiting the best and being such an awful prick to play against for the good of the team.

[GVGjr]

Jose Romero, great run with player who could curb the influence of other players while getting a heap of possessions himself

Darren Baxter was good at thew task as well

[Mofra]

Libba Snr. No disrespect to Picken (who absolutely destroyed Delideo for a stretch of games running a few years) but Libba Snr was next level. Kelly vs Libba was the midfield equivalent of Carey v Jackovich for a few years.

Shout out to Dale Morris. He was the ultra-lockdown defender who actually has forwards groan when he ran to them at the start of a game (Murph talks about it) and in his debut, Turtle's 300th, he tagged Andrew McLeod into oblivion. In the modern era I suspect Moz could have been the game's best tagger, I really believe that.

[Avoid the rush]

Do we have one now? Is there someone who may be capable in the current side?

[Mofra]

Do we have one now? Is there someone who may be capable in the current side?
Libba Jnr, although we often don't play a dedicated tagger. Wallis had a few stints (one memorable game where he destroyed Heppell until Wally copped an injury).

[Rocket Science]

Call me nuts but if we're gonna blood one of the current list Hayes seems to have all the attributes; hard-working, eminently coachable, tireless engine, and someone you want nowhere near the pill.

If he can acquire an annoying streak, and that might mean the difference between playing thirty games or playing a hundred, then that's not a bad weapon to have up your sleeve.

[Mofra]

Call me nuts but if we're gonna blood one of the current list Hayes seems to have all the attributes; hard-working, eminently coachable, tireless engine, and someone you want nowhere near the pill.

If he can acquire an annoying streak, and that might mean the difference between playing thirty games or playing a hundred, then that's not a bad weapon to have up your sleeve.
That size difference is a tough one to overcome. A 181cm 77kg tagger goes to who in the modern era? Cripps is 195cm and 93kgs for example. 190cm+ midfielders are the norm - see our starting trio of Bont, McCrae and Dunkley. Even Libba Jnr is bigger than that and he only gets by because he's a psycho.

TBH I want Hayes nowhere near the centre bounce contest.

[Rocket Science]

That size difference is a tough one to overcome. A 181cm 77kg tagger goes to who in the modern era? Cripps is 195cm and 93kgs for example. 190cm+ midfielders are the norm - see our starting trio of Bont, McCrae and Dunkley. Even Libba Jnr is bigger than that and he only gets by because he's a psycho.

TBH I want Hayes nowhere near the centre bounce contest.

Indeed, particularly with the knack the best modern mids have for going forward, not uncommonly to break a tag.

You know who else might be a better bet if he could stop walking under ladders; Lin Jong.