Murphy the best ever?

[always right]

We've had some elite kicks over our history.....Gilbee, Cameron, Hawkins to name a few.....but where does our captain now sit in that list?

Personally I think he's the best.....kicks well with either foot (similar to Hawkins and Cameron) but with incredible vision under pressure (similar to Hawkins). His ability to make great decisions with a defensive forward constantly on his tail is incredible. Never panics and never afraid to hold onto the ball whilst assessing the best option.

He's a joy to watch.

[craigsahibee]

Yep. Have to agree. There was one yesterday in the second quarter I think where he had the ball on the right back pocket, swung on to his left and hit Wood with a 50 metre pass through the corridor. A dangerous kick for mere mortals but not our Bob. Wood marked on the run and spotted up Stringer who goaled. 3 kicks from end to end resulted in a goal. Great to watch.

[bulldogtragic]

We've had some elite kicks over our history.....Gilbee, Cameron, Hawkins to name a few.....but where does our captain now sit in that list?

Personally I think he's the best.....kicks well with either foot (similar to Hawkins and Cameron) but with incredible vision under pressure (similar to Hawkins). His ability to make great decisions with a defensive forward constantly on his tail is incredible. Never panics and never afraid to hold onto the ball whilst assessing the best option.

He's a joy to watch.

Close to the very top. I'd add Akermanis to the list for sure as well. Hard to split.

[Ozza]

Yep. Have to agree. There was one yesterday in the second quarter I think where he had the ball on the right back pocket, swung on to his left and hit Wood with a 50 metre pass through the corridor. A dangerous kick for mere mortals but not our Bob. Wood marked on the run and spotted up Crameri (? i think) who goaled. 3 kicks from end to end resulted in a goal. Great to watch.

That was an absolutely audacious kick. When you're hot you're hot. If we were having an off day it may well have shanked to the opposition and cost a goal! But rather, it was the best piece of play of the year.

Murphy is certainly one of the best ball users we've had. Hard to go past the Hawk or Gilbee though for precision and penetration.

[Scorlibo]

There was one yesterday in the second quarter I think where he had the ball on the right back pocket, swung on to his left and hit Wood with a 50 metre pass through the corridor. A dangerous kick for mere mortals but not our Bob. Wood marked on the run and spotted up Stringer who goaled. 3 kicks from end to end resulted in a goal. Great to watch.

That kick was remarkable. How many players can do that?

His kicking coupled with his ability to find space is the best I've seen.

[1eyedog]

When you combine Murph's ability to hit targets under pressure with his overall efficiency I have him edging Gilbs out by a whisker, which is saying a lot about Murph because Gilbs was as elite by foot as they come. Deserves to be a 300 game player.

[Twodogs]

Yep. Have to agree. There was one yesterday in the second quarter I think where he had the ball on the right back pocket, swung on to his left and hit Wood with a 50 metre pass through the corridor. A dangerous kick for mere mortals but not our Bob. Wood marked on the run and spotted up Stringer who goaled. 3 kicks from end to end resulted in a goal. Great to watch.


That kick is as close to the best pass I have seen. Only Doug Hawkins's 50 metre bullet that nearly knocked Jim Edmond over in the 1985 semi final v North was better.

[craigsahibee]

I think Bob even held influence over the audio at Etihad yesterday.

Quarter time break was Oasis "Don't look back in anger" and 3 Quarter Time was The Boss and "Born to Run".

I like to think that during each break, Bob quietly sang a couple of verses to himself whilst taking in everything Bevo had to say.

[lemmon]

Second best I've seen in a dog's jumper but Gilbee is clearly the best kick of the Sherrin I've ever seen

[bornadog]

Murph is so cool calm and collected. When he is on song with his kicking, he is brilliant and certainly one of the best.

[boydogs]

Definitely right up there

[The Bulldogs Bite]

The best for mine. Gilbee was incredible in the 05-08 period but Murphy has done it for longer.

The thing that impresses me most about Murph is his ability to absorb pressure without fumbling/turning it over/falling over. He twists and turns, runs side ways, forwards and backwards to buy himself time - and he NEVER gets caught.

[Greystache]

The best for mine. Gilbee was incredible in the 05-08 period but Murphy has done it for longer.

The thing that impresses me most about Murph is his ability to absorb pressure without fumbling/turning it over/falling over. He twists and turns, runs side ways, forwards and backwards to buy himself time - and he NEVER gets caught.

This for me too. Gilbee was great at his peak, but that was probably only half his career, his few years and his last couple were pretty average. Murphy has been doing it a decade.

[Twodogs]

I've thought about this a bit. I can't remember Murph having a bad season. He may have a bad game or a quiet patch of two or three games but he has produced consistent excellence for over a decade. Obviously apart from the year he did his knee.

[always right]

Gilbee was probably a slightly more penetrating kick but didn't have the finesse that Bob has. Bob's left foot is also more damaging.

[LostDoggy]

Gilbee was probably a slightly more penetrating kick but didn't have the finesse that Bob has. Bob's left foot is also more damaging.

The Daniel Day Lewis of the AFL ;)

[Maddog37]

Bob is the best kick when running at speed but Gilbee was the best when in space or static IMHO.

[hujsh]

I've thought about this a bit. I can't remember Murph having a bad season. He may have a bad game or a quiet patch of two or three games but he has produced consistent excellence for over a decade. Obviously apart from the year he did his knee.

Had a few rough spots between injuries if I remember right. He's been incredible since moving to defence though

[Twodogs]

Had a few rough spots between injuries if I remember right. He's been incredible since moving to defence though

That's true but on the other hand he has been pretty resilient when it comes to missing games with injury. I'd like to see a breakdown of games missed but I can't remember him missing extended periods with soft tissue injury's or the like.

[boydogs]

I'd like to see a breakdown of games missed

http://puu.sh/hsCHo/2ca4b537fc.png

[jeemak]

Gilbee has more decisive and offensive kicks under his belt, similar to the one with which Wood was hit up with from Murphy in the first half on Sunday. He was also a very much underrated user of the ball on his left.

Murphy is absolutely brilliant at getting the ball under pressure, taking that pressure on with run and carry, and then finding an option with a thirty metre kick in tight.

Gilbee played his best footy in a team that was offensive and playing with good system. During that time Murphy played a lot of footy forward, and under the cloud of significant knee issues. Interestingly, Murphy has had to be the set up player for the team in a new era of team defense at a time when it has been most difficult considering the players he's had around him.

I'd still take Gilbee in the open space over anyone I've ever seen kick the footy. In close, breaking away and needing to find relief, I'd take Murphy, no questions asked.