In an article on The Roar last week about Buddy Franklin and his move to Swan, I commented that it was good move for both him and the Hawks.
For Buddy he got to go to Sydney and start fresh at a new club. For the Hawks they got extra room in their salary cap.
But was he that important to the Hawks and would the loss of Jarryd Roughead have been worse? For me and other Hawthorn supporters the thinking was that, yes, he will be missed, but the loss of Roughead would have been a whole lot worse.
So why is that? Well, here are some of my reasons and others that I have heard.
1. Versatile
Buddy is able to go up the field into the midfield more as a wingman than an in-and-under player and he has the ability to get the ball and bolt of toward goal and kick some monster goals.
With Roughead he is one of the few tall players that has the ability to get in and under in the contest and get the ball out as a ruck rover, and has done so on may occasions. Other positions he can cover are ruck, wingman, halfback and forward.
2. Accuracy
Since 2012 Roughead has been the more accurate of the two in front of goal. He has an average of around 57 per cent while Franklin sits at about 52 per cent. Yes, Buddy has had more shot on goals but accuracy is important.
3. Ruck ability
Roughead’s basketball background has seen him develop very clever use of the ‘tap’ over his career when playing the ruck position. It has given the Hawks the advantage of being able to give the primary ruckman in the last few year extra rest. This ability has also helped him in and around the goal area with the ability to read the ruck and tap the ball to his advantage or to teammate to score goals.
Since Lance Franklin has left for the Swans, Roughead has come out from the shadow of Buddy and became the star that the Hawks have needed. Barring injuries he will break the 500-goal mark this year if he kicks another 45. That will make him only the sixth player to kick 500-plus goals for Hawthorn since 1965.
Wilson
Roar Guru
no did not take it that way. agree if you look at Just Key Forward that Buddy wins hands down. I still think the Swans have gone the way of the Hawks of of 2008 - 2012 being to reliant on Buddy Swan look to have done the same last year and this year as well
Katfish
Roar Guru
my apologies, I wasn't having a crack at the article, simply having a rant about Roughie. I understand why you've made the article, Roughead is potentially the most versatile player to ever play the game and is extremely valuable to the Hawks. This versatility puts him just about on par with Buddy in terms of value to the Hawks so its hard to pick between the two. As a key forward though, Buddy is more valuable. Nice article.
Wilson
Roar Guru
I'm not saying that Buddy can't kick a bag full week in week out but Hawks don't need Roughead you look at the top 10 goal Hawks had Roughead 75 Gunston 58 Breust 57 and you still have Rioli, Puopolo, there as well And what I'm saying is that Roughead is more Versatile you would not see Buddy as a ruckman or Ruck Rover Looking at the Swans they where we were with being to focused on getting the ball to Franklin
Wilson
Roar Guru
very true for the hawks Structure Roughead is more important and we don't have any one that could replace what he does. Franklin has be replace by Gunston to a point, and then we have the small forward and not just one target in the forward line. Franklin did what he believed was right for him and I can't fault him for that. in the end it was the best for the Hawks as well
Katfish
Roar Guru
Of the two, Buddy has been the one that has been able to rise to the occasion and win the game off his own boot whereas Roughy's goals come from being somewhat of a flat track bully Against top 8 sides in 2014: Buddy kicked 41 goals in 12 games. Roughy kicked 29 in 12 games. Against bottom 10 sides: Buddy kicked 38 goals in 10 games. Roughy kicked 46 goals in 11 games. Bags of 4 or more goals: Buddy: Crows(4), Fremantle (4), Essendon (5), Geelong (4), Port (5), Rich (4), GWS (5), Carlton (6), St Kilda (9), Western Bulldogs (6), North Melbourne (5), Hawthorn (4). Of these, 7 were against finalists Roughy: Brisbane (5), Gold Coast (4), St Kilda (4), West Coast (8), Sydney (4), Western Bulldogs (4), Melbourne (5), Collingwood (4), Port (6), Sydney (5). Only 3 were against top 8 sides, with his 5 in the Grand final helped by a dominant Hawthorn midfield. Only against Port (in the Prelim final) and Sydney (Round 18) did Roughead stand up and attempt to win the game off his own boot. He failed to do so in close games against Essendon, GWS and Adelaide and in losses to Geelong, Sydney and North Melbourne. Some people declare him a top 10 player! Overrated
WhereIsGene
Guest
Roughead was and is more important to Hawthorn's structure than Franklin was. Buddy is essentially a tall forward flanker whereas Roughead is a true 'gorilla' KPP, something Hawthorn is otherwise short on. Had Franklin continued his 2008 form things might've been different but he was never able to recapture it whereas Roughead actually improved on that year winning one Coleman and finishing second to Franklin in another. Of course the real thing that separates the two players is loyalty, something money can't buy.