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I know this topic has been done to death over previous years but after seeing a glimpse of what Ryan Griffen could be capable of on friday night I thought it warranted some revisiting. For the first time in a long time I can see it being a possibility that we made the right choice in choosing Griffen before Franklin.
I realise this may sound quite laughable to suggest given we have just lost a preliminary final that most attribute to our lack of a key forward. I do not think he is even close to becoming more valuable than Franklin at this stage but for the first time since probably his first year I found myself imagining him becoming the games best player. He is already a considerably good player but its the room for improvement that has me wondering just how good he could be.
I think it is important to note that I have been one of Griffen's biggest critics. I have never thought he works hard enough when he does not have the ball and I consider him to be an overrated user of the ball. He has the potential to kick the ball with amazing depth and touch which is a rare combination but his kicking can be so inconsistent. He kicks around corners, drops the ball lazily and with bad positioning. Fortunately for him all of those problems can be coached out of him IMO. Even if he improves these areas slightly then he has the potential to be one of the most influential players in the comp. Chris Judd is not a great kick but he can extract the ball from tight quarters and explode away into space and that is exactly what Griffen can do. It may not even need to be coached out of him. He simply just needs to realise that his job is not done simply by getting out of traffic with the ball. He works really hard when the ball is in his area and is close to the best ball carryer in the game. He has enormous room for improvement and thats why it is to early to say Franklin was categorically the best choice.
On friday night (are we allowed to discuss it yet?) Griffen had 13 contested possessions and got into space from some unbelievable positions. He had 5 saints players hanging off him at one stage and still got it out. He was easily our most influential player and this is despite wasting 4 or 5 chances that could have got us crucial goals. If he uses these touches the way we know he can we are playing in a grand final thanks largely to him. As far as pure talent goes I doubt there are many who can match him in the league. With a more consistent work rate and a bit of a polish up of some of his footy attributes I can honestly see him becoming one of the most valuable players in the league. It doesn't mean he will get to that level I am just encouraged by the fact I can actually see him starting to use some of his immense talent.
If Griffen does kick on from fridays unbelievable game it makes us a pretty frightening proposition going forward. Who do you tag if Cooney is playing like he did in the last few weeks of the season? I also allows us to make Boyd into more of a Cameron Ling type.
Gary Ablett was probably at a similar level to Griffen before the 2007 season. The cats players asked him to push himself harder and become one of the best players in the competition. He was a good player but he didn't have the work rate or confidence to take the next step. I really hope Griffen does something similar next season.
I realise this may sound quite laughable to suggest given we have just lost a preliminary final that most attribute to our lack of a key forward. I do not think he is even close to becoming more valuable than Franklin at this stage but for the first time since probably his first year I found myself imagining him becoming the games best player. He is already a considerably good player but its the room for improvement that has me wondering just how good he could be.
I think it is important to note that I have been one of Griffen's biggest critics. I have never thought he works hard enough when he does not have the ball and I consider him to be an overrated user of the ball. He has the potential to kick the ball with amazing depth and touch which is a rare combination but his kicking can be so inconsistent. He kicks around corners, drops the ball lazily and with bad positioning. Fortunately for him all of those problems can be coached out of him IMO. Even if he improves these areas slightly then he has the potential to be one of the most influential players in the comp. Chris Judd is not a great kick but he can extract the ball from tight quarters and explode away into space and that is exactly what Griffen can do. It may not even need to be coached out of him. He simply just needs to realise that his job is not done simply by getting out of traffic with the ball. He works really hard when the ball is in his area and is close to the best ball carryer in the game. He has enormous room for improvement and thats why it is to early to say Franklin was categorically the best choice.
On friday night (are we allowed to discuss it yet?) Griffen had 13 contested possessions and got into space from some unbelievable positions. He had 5 saints players hanging off him at one stage and still got it out. He was easily our most influential player and this is despite wasting 4 or 5 chances that could have got us crucial goals. If he uses these touches the way we know he can we are playing in a grand final thanks largely to him. As far as pure talent goes I doubt there are many who can match him in the league. With a more consistent work rate and a bit of a polish up of some of his footy attributes I can honestly see him becoming one of the most valuable players in the league. It doesn't mean he will get to that level I am just encouraged by the fact I can actually see him starting to use some of his immense talent.
If Griffen does kick on from fridays unbelievable game it makes us a pretty frightening proposition going forward. Who do you tag if Cooney is playing like he did in the last few weeks of the season? I also allows us to make Boyd into more of a Cameron Ling type.
Gary Ablett was probably at a similar level to Griffen before the 2007 season. The cats players asked him to push himself harder and become one of the best players in the competition. He was a good player but he didn't have the work rate or confidence to take the next step. I really hope Griffen does something similar next season.
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