Predict the 10 Best Bulldogs Players in 2010

[LostDoggy]

1) Cooney
2) Harbrow
3) Lake
4) Boyd
5) Cross
6) Griffen
7) Gilbee
8) Aker
9) Hargrave
10) Higgins

I reckon Cooney hasn't had the year he was meant to have especially after just winning the Browlow, partly because of the injury. I think he will make amends and do well.

Little Harbrow is fascinating, he has come a long way and was 6th in the B&F. Expect many things from him. Good things come in small packages.

Lake was a major talking point this year and good on him for re-signing with the club. His marking skills are really good especially in the Hawthorn and Collingwood games.

Boyd will continue to have a good year especially if he stays injury-free like he has been for the past 100 odd games.

Griffen and Gilbee can't really be blamed this year especially after losing their pops. Look for them to step up and give a boost to the club.

Aker will continually be a nightmare for defenders because of his freakish goal kicking ability.

Hargrave an All-Australian nominee will also do a job in defense next year and is probably in his peak atm.

Higgins will also in my opinion, improve a lot next year and look out for him being one of the top ball winners and goal kickers thats if he doesn't get injured.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK?

[LostDoggy]

Boyd
Griffin
Cooney
Lake
Higgins
Harbrow
Murphy
Hargrave
Morris
Johnson
Gilbee

Look out for our players in the age bracket between 24 and 29
I think next year will be the year when Higgins blossems into the freaking player he is capable of being!
Sure hope Higgins has kids and the Father/Son rule is still in effect in 20 or so years time!
Johnson is aging, but will be running his guts out for his last season.
Our usual Midfield engine will be dynamic and powerful as usual!

[LostDoggy]

Whoops, forgot cross..
You know you have a great team when you forget to put good players in the top 10!

[chef]

1 Cooney
2 Higgins
3 Lake
4 Boyd
5 Morris
6 Cross
7 Minson
8 Harbrow
9 Ward
10 Hall

[Mantis]

How are you judging this?

B&F finish, personal opinions, how??

[chef]

How are you judging this?

B&F finish, personal opinions, how??

I assumed it would be B&F finish.

[Desipura]

I would prefer to see who has had a full pre-season before I make judgment on this.

[LostDoggy]

1 Higgins
2 Cooney
3 Lake
4 Griffen
5 Boyd
6 Harbrow
7 Cross
8 Ward
9 Morris
10 Everitt

[Big Will]

1. Cooney
2. Higgins
3. Cross
4. Boyd
5. Murphy
6. Lake
7. Griffen
8. Gilbee
9. Ward
10. Morris

It's difficult to leave out Harbrow, Hargrave and Hall and would like to see Hahn step up also. The H's have gotta lift!

[bulldog]

1.Lake
2.Griffen
3.Boyd
4.Cooney
5.Ward
6.Higgins
7.Harbrow
8.Hall
9.Murphy
10Minson

[Dogz-21]

I won't do 10 but I expect big years out of
Boyd
Cooney
Higgins
Griffen

Will be interesting to see how much we see of Hill after his dissapointing finish to the year.

[alwaysadog]

I would prefer to see who has had a full pre-season before I make judgment on this.

Spoil sport, you'll want logic and evidence next.:D

[Ozza]

I won't base it on who finishes where - but my best 10 for '10 would be:

1. Cooney
2. Lake
3. Higgins
4. Murphy
5. Boyd
6. Johnson
7. Akermanis
8. Morris
9. Griffen
10. Gilbee

Harbrow, Hall just outside that. Geeze we have a good side when you consider those two, plus Ward, Gia, Hargrave, Hudson and Cross are in the mix.

[LostDoggy]

B&F finishes are always weighted towards the ball-winners aren't they (unless your name is Nick Riewoldt or Brian Lake)?

I won't attempt to rank them, but I expect the standouts for the year to be (leaving out Coon):

- Griff (finally ready to take the next step after a bloody good finals series)
- Harbrow (the excitement machine is ready to take-off)
- Picken (has all the tools and attitude to become the best in the business at what he does -- far better than Clinton Jones)
- Boyd (2 B&Fs in a row not beyond him)
- Ward (will become the standout young midfielder of his generation)
- Higgins (can join the elite if he can stay fit)

Lake I think will slide a little bit back to the pack after earning his monster contract -- still be a gun though. Morris and Hargrave will do what they do. Hopefully Murph can stay fit all year.

And Hall could really be anything and wouldn't surprise me either way -- could flop, but equally, could end up kicking 60+ for the year.

[Ozza]

I still think Murphy is really important to our structure and such an important player. The marks he took in the first half of the Prelim showed what great hands he has. We can always kick to him and know he will mark it - in situations where a dropped mark could be a costly turnover.

A fully fit Murphy is definitely in our top handful of players.

[EasternWest]

Boyd
Griffin
Cooney
Lake
Higgins
Harbrow
Murphy
Hargrave
Morris
Johnson
Gilbee

Look out for our players in the age bracket between 24 and 29
I think next year will be the year when Higgins blossems into the freaking player he is capable of being!
Sure hope Higgins has kids and the Father/Son rule is still in effect in 20 or so years time!
Johnson is aging, but will be running his guts out for his last season.
Our usual Midfield engine will be dynamic and powerful as usual!

For shame!

Cooney
Harbrow
Higgins
Ward
Morris
Boyd
Johnson
Griffen
Hall
Addison

Ok, so number 10 is wishful thinking. But it's all hypothetical right now, right?

I want to put Cross in because he's the consummate pro. But I'm being controversial.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

1. Higgins - If fit, he'll finish Top 8 in the Brownlow. He's as prolific as they come.
2. Boyd - Improved every year since he arrived. He's an elite player.
3. Cooney - With a full pre-season, Cooney should return to his best.
4. Griffen - He'll be glad to get this year over with. 2010 a fresh start.
5. Lake - Hard to see him finishing any lower.
6. Cross - He'll probably finish higher, the ultimate professional.
7. Harbrow - His attitude ensures he'll only continue to improve.
8. Gilbee - See Griff. Pressure will be off. Bit of a fresh start again.
9. Picken - Should continue to improve.
10. Everitt - Usually a bolter into the Top 10 each year. He's my pick - I hope.

Morris/Murphy to miss out only because of delayed pre-seasons.

[EasternWest]

A fully fit Murphy is definitely in our top handful of players.

Hard to disagree. His class is a cut above. It's a shame we haven't seen his absolute best yet (due to injury of course, not application).

[lemmon]

1. Cooney
2. Murphy
3. Lake
4. Boyd
5. Higgins
6. Griffen
7. Everitt (stand up son)
8. Cross
9. Gilbee
10. Ward

[Dazza]

Cooney
Lake
Griffen
Higgins
Boyd
Harbrow
Morris
Akermanis
Hall
Ward

[LostDog]

Higgins
Cooney
Lake
Boyd
Griffen
Gilbee
Picken
Harbrow
Johnson
Hall

[comrade]

Who I hope are top ten next year:

Griffen
Cooney
Higgins
Murphy
Gilbee
Everitt
Lake
Hall
Williams
BOUMANN

[LostDoggy]

Cooney
Harbrow
Griffen
Murphy
Lake
Boyd
Cross
Ward
Everitt
Williams

[bornadog]

Cooney
Murphy
Griffen
Hargrave
Lake
Cross
Boyd
Higgins
Ward
Harbrow

In no particular order

[GVGjr]

Interesting that no one has included Giansiracusa so far. It probably either reflects that a lot of supporters don't value his contribution or they don't think he will play enough games.

[LostDoggy]

Gia's Gia. He's the best in the business at what he does, and is definitely underrated, but I don't think he has too much improvement left in him, do you?

Then again, if he had nailed that shot at the end there against the Saints he would have made Sheahan's top 50 list.

[BulldogBelle]

1. Higgins - to go close in the Brownlow
2. Cooney - to get back to his best
3. Lake - continue from 2009
4. Griffen - can raise his standards another notch
5. Boyd - the real consummate professional
6. Ward - classy and getting classier
7. Harbrow - a real champ, surprised me
8. Hargrave - is doing it right
9. Morris - ditto
10. Gilbee - to get back to his best

Good but not in my top 10
Giansiracusa
Akermanis
Picken

Would love to see these players finish in the club's top 10
Hall
Williams
Everitt
Roughhead

Cross will probably finish high in the club's B&F again because people see that he gets a lot of possessions.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Cross will probably finish high in the club's B&F again because people see that he gets a lot of hard balls.

Edited for accuracy.

[Go_Dogs]

Interesting that no one has included Giansiracusa so far. It probably either reflects that a lot of supporters don't value his contribution or they don't think he will play enough games.

Pretty interesting observation, which is probably quite suited to Gia whose a pretty interesting player. :D

For me, he'll play his best football now in the midfield, drifting forwards. His hands and vision in tight are probably among our best, I think Scott West-like the way he can create space for team mates. His other obvious strength is spotting up deft passes to leading players, so this way he could do both.

He's not getting any quicker, but if he gets through the pre-season and gets super fit, he can certainly work hard all day - which I think we can cope with in our midfield rotations. I'd like to see someone like Ward given a run in the half forward role, who can add some hardness and defensive workrate as well as polish and good overhead ability for his size.

Anyway...I've taken the thread way off track :o

[bornadog]

Pretty interesting observation, which is probably quite suited to Gia whose a pretty interesting player. :D

For me, he'll play his best football now in the midfield, drifting forwards. His hands and vision in tight are probably among our best, I think Scott West-like the way he can create space for team mates. His other obvious strength is spotting up deft passes to leading players, so this way he could do both.

He's not getting any quicker, but if he gets through the pre-season and gets super fit, he can certainly work hard all day - which I think we can cope with in our midfield rotations. I'd like to see someone like Ward given a run in the half forward role, who can add some hardness and defensive workrate as well as polish and good overhead ability for his size.

Anyway...I've taken the thread way off track :o

I considered Gia, but it was hard to put all the players in that I wanted to. I think Hall will be happy to receive some of those passes on the chest.

[1eyedog]

From James Cuming 'Cross will probably finish high in the club's B&F again because people see that he gets a lot of possessions. '



And he works his arse off to get them which is why he gets the recognition.

[EasternWest]

Gia's Gia. He's the best in the business at what he does, and is definitely underrated, but I don't think he has too much improvement left in him, do you?

Then again, if he had nailed that shot at the end there against the Saints he would have made Sheahan's top 50 list.

The goal he did kick was magic. Required skill, agility and a cool head. He's not fast or overly athletic, but he's classy and clever. Not in my prediction for top 10, but every chance to be there.

[Ozza]

Interesting that no one has included Giansiracusa so far. It probably either reflects that a lot of supporters don't value his contribution or they don't think he will play enough games.

I'm certainly a big Gia fan. I think he is a very very good player - but we have a strong top 10 or so. He would only be just outside of that. But his inside 50 kicking is extremely important, decision making is excellent and he knows how to find space which is pretty crucial in todays game with rolling zones.

[LostDoggy]

Mine is not who will poll in the B & F, but who will be most influential next season.
(Sorry if a little of topic)

1. Higgins - All class, All skill, just needs the body to hold up and will be a WB legend one day.
2. Boyd - The guy is Scott West mark 2, in and under, quick hands & makes others around him look good.
3. Lake - Will be the nucleus of the dogs for the next 3 yrs.
4. Hall - Watch what he does without the ball, will free up Hahn / Aker / Higgins to have field days!
5. Williams - Will be most improved, but again needs the the body to hold up.
6. Harbrow - Run out of the back line couple of bounces.
7. Cooney - Cooney will be Cooney probably avg a lazy 29 - 31 poss a game next year?
8. Griff / Gilbee - Will wet there pants with the FWD options, if the FWDs can finish, people will notice where the play came from.
10. Morris - The back line will come into it's own next year. (Lake, Morris, Harbrow, Williams)