Bone’s Beef: Port captain Travis Boak still the man says inaugural Crows captain Chris McDermott
FORMER Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes says Power captain Travis Boak isn’t in Port’s top 15 players, inaugural Adelaide Crows captain Chris McDermott disagrees.
TRAVIS Boak not in the Power’s best 15 players?
So says one of the Port Adelaide Football Club’s all time greats, now media personality Kane Cornes.
Boak’s time as captain of this proud football club may also be at an end says Kane.
Agree with him or not, what you must admire is his willingness to speak his truth and have the courage of his convictions.
But Kane, You can’t be serious? Let’s look at his playing ability first.
Boak may not have been at his absolute best in recent years but you, more than any know the true value of this man and the sacrifices he makes for the benefit of his team.
Sound familiar?
Let’s look at his history first remembering Boak is still just 29 years of age and will play the majority of the 2018 season as a 29-year-old.
He has at least four good years left in his body.
The Power skipper has played 20 or more games in each of the past eight seasons with the exception of 2012, when he managed just 18.
He dropped below the 500 possession mark last year for the first time in five seasons. He had 495.
He averaged 22.5 disposals per game in 2018. His career average is 23.3.
His disposal efficiency was a very impressive 71 per cent.
He had 32 scoring shots, just one less than his career high 33 set back in 2013.
His clearances and inside 50s were down but he suffered from reduced opportunity.
He polled 10 Brownlow votes.
He led his club from the front when needed but took a back seat when the situation allowed.
Agreed Kane, it was an average season by his standards but a solid season by anyone elses.
A valuable contribution non the less and a strong captain’s season from where I sat but you will know better than I and you will have an undeniable inside knowledge.
I have always viewed Boak as one of the very best if not the best captain in the AFL.
For mine, that makes him one of the first picked, if not the first. I’m an admirer.
No one at his football club leads anywhere near as well.
It is too big an ask for Ollie Wines at this stage of his career. He is not yet the player your club needs him to be.
When the time is right, it will be an obvious decision. It is not time now.
The unknown beauty of Travis Boak is he has no ego. He plays first, second and third for his club. There appears no need or demand to be separate from the team.
Under Boak it is one in all in and as captain he takes the blows.
There is nothing he would ask of his team that he would not do first.
He is a premiership captain in waiting.
The contenders must wait.
Lets see who’s better
Best value? Most important?
1. Robbie Gray
2. Paddy Ryder
3. Brad Ebert
4. Chad Wingard
5. Ollie Wines
6. Charlie Dixon
7. TRAVIS BOAK
8. Tom Jonas.
9. Tom Clurey
10. Jack Hombsch
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