Josh Kennedy vs Buddy Franklin

[Dry Rot]

For me, these two are the best two tall forwards in the last decade. I don't rate Hawkins, J Riewoldt or Cameron as highly. Obviously, Redpath is close.

Different players and skills sets. Both terrific.

Do you agree?

And the really hard question - which is better?

Someone else who isn't as lazy as me may post their stats for us all.

Over to you.

[bornadog]

The stats









Player Statistics Comparison





Lance Franklin (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pp-sydney-swans--lance-franklin)
Name
Joshua Kennedy (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pp-west-coast-eagles--joshua-kennedy)


Sydney Swans (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-sydney-swans)
Team
West Coast Eagles (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-west-coast-eagles)


Forward
Position
Forward


300
Career Games
251


Perth
Origin
East Fremantle


January 30, 1987
Date of Birth
August 25, 1987


33yr 5mth
Age
32yr 11mth


199cm
Height
196cm


105kg
Weight
102kg


2004 National Draft (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_drafts?year=2004&t=N&s=P)
Last Drafted In
2005 National Draft (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_drafts?year=2005&t=N&s=P)


Round 1, Pick #5
Last Draft Position
Round 1, Pick #4


Hawthorn Hawks (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-hawthorn-hawks)
Last Drafted By
Carlton Blues (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-carlton-blues)


Career
Stats for Season
Career


300
Games
251


3286
Kicks
2079


1359
Handballs
721


4645
Disposals
2800


1662
Marks
1429


944
Goals
629


677
Behinds
349


768
Tackles
570


36
Hitouts
55


383
Frees For
279


585
Frees Against
256

























Franklin way ahead - goals, but has played 48 more games

[Dry Rot]

Great stuff BAD, thanks for the stats.

Obviously Buddy is ahead on goals, so do you prefer him?

I have seen a fair bit of the Swans live. Buddy has kicked some fine goals in pressure games, but also a heap in games when the Swans are all over the opposition.

Interesting that the Swans got Franklin, and then never won another flag, despite being IIRC in two grannies with him.

Which player is the best standing up in the big games?

[bornadog]

Buddy is one of my favourite players outside the Dogs. His physical presence on the ground is huge and you know he is so dangerous when he gets the ball. His athleticism is what makes him a better player than Kennedy.

[MrMahatma]

Buddy for sure.

Kennedy has been great. Buddy is all time.

[comrade]

Buddy is a freak and will go down as one of the greats.

Kennedy had a tumultuous start, struggling with Carlton before being thrown in as part of the Judd deal. Once he grew into his body, his huge frame, explosive first few steps and vice like grip made him pretty impossible to deal with on his day.

You'd take Buddy of course, but you'd be pretty happy with Kennedy either way. Just goes to show that young forwards need some time to develop, because the good ones are always worth it.

[Mofra]

Buddy is one of the greatest players of all time.
Kennedy is one of the greatest players of his generation.

That's probably where they sit, with no disrespect meant towards Kennedy. He's been a very good player for a long time.

[Ozza]

Happy with both, but Franklin is one of the best players I've seen, and a big game performer.

[Remi Moses]

Franklin for me
Kennedy has been brilliant, and I love how much it hurts kernahan seeing him play

[Topdog]

Buddy all the way. I actually thought Kennedy was younger than he is too.

[Happy Days]

Buddy is the best player ever so Buddy. Kennedy is fantastic but it's not close.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Fun post DR

Franklin is ahead given his ground work - perhaps not as good a set shot as Kennedy but gets his goals in a wider variety of ways - more able to get up the ground and get involved and create for others. And has absolutely owned some big games - I dont want to watch him destroying us in an Eade era final but if Id barracked for another team I would have been able to enjoy one of the best games produced.

Kennedy is the more traditional big whose stock standard trade is mark and goal - terrific footballer - underrated because of his lack of media presence/reticence, and having played most of his career in WA.

I think youve nailed the best two of the era - the other three are good footballers - Hawkins and Riewoldt have both had excellent careers. IMO Cameron plays more like a half forward flanker and just disappears to much for someone of his talent.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Kennedy has given us (and many others) nightmares over the years. He's such a good player, WC won huge out of that trade. Miles more valuable than Judd despite what media may say.

I think Kennedy is the more reliable shot on goal and clearly the better mark, but Bud is an absolute freak capable of things most players can only dream about.

Been a real pleasure to watch Bud over the years, remarkable how many goals (and shots at goal) he's had in a time where F50 is so congested.

[GVGjr]

You would have to think we would have rucked Kennedy perhaps even more than we did with Boyd

I don't think you could lose picking either of them

[comrade]

You would have to think we would have rucked Kennedy perhaps even more than we did with Boyd

I don't think you could lose picking either of them

To be fair, if Boyd had the ability to mark like Kennedy, we wouldn't have had to find another role for him.

He just couldn't mark the ball with any consistency, which for a full time forward is kind of mandatory.

[Mofra]

You would have to think we would have rucked Kennedy perhaps even more than we did with Boyd

I don't think you could lose picking either of them
I think Kennedy would have rucked about us much as Naughton does, perhaps less.
Kennedy is a far better mark and gets separation much much better than Boyd, which is an unfair comparison really considering we've spent a decade watching a mature, developed Kennedy and Boyd never got to that age/experience.

[GVGjr]

I think Kennedy would have rucked about us much as Naughton does, perhaps less.
Kennedy is a far better mark and gets separation much much better than Boyd, which is an unfair comparison really considering we've spent a decade watching a mature, developed Kennedy and Boyd never got to that age/experience.

So just for speculation sake, who would have taken the 2nd ruck work if Kennedy was our stay at home forward?

[Axe Man]

So just for speculation sake, who would have taken the 2nd ruck work if Kennedy was our stay at home forward?

LeBron James. If Kennedy is playing for us in this alternate reality I see no reason LeBron can't as well.