AFL footy fans survey: Carlton star Patrick Cripps rated the best player in the league
The Footy Show is gone and fans have had their say on their favourite AFL TV shows, which commentators they like most and their opinion on the most annoying footy TV personality. FULL RESULTS
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The Front Bar has been overwhelmingly backed as the fans’ favourite footy TV show.
The lighthearted Channel 7 program hosted by Andy Maher, Mick Molloy and Sam Pang claimed 41 per cent of votes in the Herald Sun’s Footy Fans Survey — more than twice as many as second-placed AFL 360 on Fox Footy.
In the personality stakes, Brian Taylor was voted our most annoying personality followed by Eddie McGuire.
Bruce McAvaney scored top votes for best play-by-play TV commentator followed by Anthony Hudson.
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In a year when the revamped AFL Footy Show got the axe after plummeting ratings, The Front Bar has enjoyed a boost in popularity.
That was reflected in the fans’ survey, with 41.1 per cent of fans naming it their favourite, ahead of AFL 360, hosted by Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson and SEN broadcaster Gerard Whateley, with 18.66 per cent.
On the Couch was third with 7.22 per cent followed by the Sunday Footy Show with 7.21 per cent.
The shifting landscape of footy programming was underlined by the dumping of Channel 9’s AFL Footy Show after 25 years.
New hosts Anthony “Lehmo” Lehmann, Brendan Fevola, Neroli Meadows, Dylan Alcott, and Shane Crawford had a short-lived run after the show’s slide in ratings resulted in the network cancelling it last month (MAY).
But the old format will be back on screens for a one-off Grand Final Footy Show, headed up by Eddie McGuire and his original sidekicks Sam Newman and Trevor Marmalade on Thursday September 26.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE FULL FANS SURVEY RESULTS
The Front Bar debuted in 2015 and had been up against The Footy Show in the same timeslot.
It has enjoyed strong ratings nationally, with an added boost since its main competitor was pulled off air.
Channel 7 bills The Front Bar as a show “sharing a laugh about the AFL world and catching up with stars of yesteryear and today”.
Of the 15 shows listed for selection in the Herald Sun’s Footy Fans Survey, five received less than 1 per cent of votes: Up the Guts with 0.58 per cent The Beep Test with 0.43 per cent, AFL Tonight with 0.37 per cent On the Mark with 0.18 per cent and The Oval Office with 0.12 per cent.
WHO IS CLOSER TO A FLAG?
Dual premiership winner Denis Pagan says whether Carlton or North Melbourne is closer to a premiership will be determined by which club appoints the best development coach.
Both clubs are searching for a new senior coach after parting ways with Brad Scott and Brendon Bolton.
Herald Sun readers expect the Blues to contend before North Melbourne, St Kilda and the Bulldogs, with 18 per cent of respondents saying the Blues were closer to a flag than their three rivals and Essendon.
While the Bombers (42 per cent) were an overwhelming choice, bottom side Carlton ranked ahead of North Melbourne (16 per cent), St Kilda (12 per cent) and Western Bulldogs (12 per cent).
“I think it’s still open for debate and we won’t know the answer until we are three years down the track and we see how these boys grow and mature and how they are coached,” Pagan said.
Pagan, who coached the Blues from 2003-07, said he could understand why fans rated Carlton a chance to rise quickly.
“You look at some of the young boys they have got,” he said.
“Cripps is an elite player, Charlie Curnow could develop into a very, very good player. “(Harry) McKay has shown that he can catch the ball under some sort of pressure and in pack situations. There’s some positives there.
“(Jacob) Weitering is starting to come good now.
“I think the icing on the cake is going to be whoever gets it, really develops these players and shows them the way.”
Pagan said the fortunes of Carlton and North Melbourne would be shaped by how they transitioned the experienced talent such as Kade Simpson, Marc Murphy, Todd Goldstein and Scott Thompson from their lists.
“These are critical questions that no one is going to know until someone gets in the driver’s seat,” he said.
“Who are the best development coaches around and who is going to put the best methods in place to develop these kids?”
CRIPPS SIMPLY THE BEST
Carlton great Anthony Koutoufides says Patrick Cripps is quite simply an “absolute gun”.
And footy fans agree after voting the Blues’ midfielder the best player in the AFL.
Cripps was rated the standout player ahead of Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield in the Herald Sun’s 2019 Footy Fans Survey, attracting almost 36 per cent of the vote.
The 24-year-old ranked well ahead of the Cats’ Brownlow Medal winner (16 per cent), Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy (12 per cent) and Fremantle star Nat Fyfe (8 per cent), while Richmond’s Dustin Martin (6 per cent) was relegated to fifth after winning last year.
Cripps has been a shining light in a dismal season for the Blues and is an equal $4.50 favourite with Geelong’s Tim Kelly with TAB for this year’s Brownlow Medal.
Koutoufides said Cripps deserved the title of best player.
“It doesn’t surprise me. He’s an absolute gun” Koutoufides said.
“He makes such a difference to the team. He’s a game-winner, but he’s a leader, too, at the same time.
“He is a very rare commodity and just a great kid, too. I think as a supporter, we all adore him.
“He has just dominated this season, apart from maybe a couple of games, but the rest have been outstanding. He is hard to stop and just a unique individual.”
Cripps has averaged 27.5 disposals this season, a whopping 16.5 contested possessions and more than eight clearances a match.
“He has taken his game to another level in the last couple of years and who knows how far he can go,” Koutoufides said.
“If the guys were winning and on top of the ladder, how we would be looking at him?
“We are talking about a team that’s on the bottom of the ladder and he’s just an absolute standout of the entire competition.
“There wouldn’t be too many that could accomplish what he’s been able to accomplish in a team that hasn’t won too many games.”
Meanwhile, fans have again crowned Joel Selwood as the AFL’s toughest player.
The Geelong captain (23 per cent) won for the third year running.
BEST LEADER
Collingwood premiership captain Tony Shaw says Scott Pendlebury will be remembered as one of the greatest leaders in the club’s history.
Pendlebury, who succeeded Nathan Buckley as captain in 2014, led the Pies to last year’s Grand Final in his fifth season as skipper.
That achievement has been recognised in this year’s Herald Sun Footy Fans Survey, with Pendlebury voted the AFL’s best leader ahead of Joel Selwood and Shannon Hurn.
“He’s been up there as one of the greatest players Collingwood has had and probably one of the greatest players I reckon the AFL has had,” Shaw said of the 31-year-old. “He’s done it all. He deserves every accolade that comes his way.
“Great example setter; no one has had the durability of this bloke for a long period of time at an excellent level.”
AFLW STILL STRUGGLING TO ATTRACT FANS
AFLW is still fighting to attract the support of some football fans as it prepares to expand again next year.
In the Herald Sun’s 2019 Footy Fans Survey, almost 42 per cent of respondents said they did not watch AFLW at all when asked how closely they followed the women’s game.
Almost 35 per cent said they watched a few games, while just 13 per cent said they watched every week.
About 10 per cent said they would watch when their AFL team joined the competition. Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast set to enter the league next year.
AFL head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said she was surprised by the results, pointing to the growth of the competition across its first three seasons.
“It surprises me given the positive sentiment that we get,” Livingstone said.
“It probably does show that AFLW does have it’s own audience and whilst we are attracting AFL audiences who love watching footy and love barracking for their team, we also have a very separate demographic that don’t follow AFL, have never supported the AFL, but they support AFLW.
“So, I am thinking that perhaps those are not the ones that have answered the survey.”
Livingstone said a record crowd of more than 53,000 for this year’s AFLW Grand Final between the Adelaide Crows and Carlton at Adelaide Oval highlighted the competition’s rise.
But Livingstone admitted AFLW still had a way to go to attract the eyeballs of some fans.
“There will be some sections that we will never get, I’m not going to spend too much time worrying about those sections,” she said.
“I’m going to try and get the ones that are making up their mind and are new to AFLW and those that love their club and don’t see male or female, they see footy players on the field playing.”
GENIUS CLARKO BACK ON TOP
Alastair Clarkson has reclaimed his mantle of the AFL’s premier coach.
The four-time premiership coach ranked second in the Herald Sun’s Footy Fans survey behind Damien Hardwick last year, but has finished well clear of Geelong’s Chris Scott and Collingwood’s Nathan Buckley with more than 30 per cent of this season’s votes.
“I think (there are) two things that strike me,” former Sydney and Melbourne coach Paul Roos said.
“He’s super competitive but he’s also got a great balance of thinking of the game, not just the Hawthorn footy club.”
Roos, who enjoyed an 8-6 win-loss record against master coach Clarkson, said the Hawthorn mentor deserved to be revered for the club’s sustained success during his tenure.
“The hardest thing about Clarko’s teams, they were so predictable but they were so freaking hard to beat,” he said.
“They got into their offensive structure so quick and they got into their defensive structure so quick.
“You couldn’t move the ball against them and you couldn’t stop them from moving the ball. “That was probably the hardest thing to coach against. Obviously it was a little bit different when I was Sydney to Melbourne.
“The best win I had at Melbourne was when we beat Hawthorn at the MCG because they were so dominant. To get a win over then gave the club so much confidence.”
Scott only received three per cent of the fan vote last year, however Geelong’s surge to premiership favouritism was recognised with 21 per cent of votes.
Buckley (15.6 per cent) and Brisbane’s Chris Fagan (nine per cent) were highly-regarded, although reigning premiership coach Adam Simpson was given just 4.3 per cent of votes.
FULL 2019 FOOTY FANS SURVEY RESULTS
Who is the best player in the AFL?
Patrick Dangerfield 1698 16.52%
Lance Franklin 379 3.69%
Nat Fyfe 833 8.11%
Dustin Martin 645 6.28%
Patrick Cripps 3685 35.86%
Josh Kelly 280 2.72%
Max Gawn 436 4.24%
Lachie Neale 220 2.14%
Marcus Bontempelli 191 1.86%
Brodie Grundy 1257 12.23%
Shannon Hurn 84 0.82%
Rory Sloane 3243.15%
Travis Boak 2442.37%
Who is the best current AFL coach?
Don Pyke 265 2.58%
Chris Fagan 962 9.36%
Brendon Bolton 83 0.81%
Nathan Buckley 1612 15.69%
John Worsfold 109 1.06%
Ross Lyon 125 1.22%
Chris Scott 2184 21.25%
Stewart Dew 119 1.16%
Leon Cameron 145 1.41%
Alastair Clarkson 3128 30.44%
Simon Goodwin 35 0.34%
Rhyce Shaw 103 1.00%
Ken Hinkley 99 0.96%
Damien Hardwick 572 5.57%
Alan Richardson 23 0.22%
John Longmire 197 1.92%
Adam Simpson 443 4.31%
Luke Beveridge 72 0.70%
Who is the AFL’s toughest player?
Luke Hodge 1288 12.53%
Joel Selwood 2354 22.91%
Nat Fyfe 526 5.12%
Jack Ziebell 1009 9.82%
Jack Viney 501 4.88%
Callan Ward 718 6.99%
Luke Parker 343 3.34%
Ollie Wines 257 2.50%
Sydney Stack 495 4.82%
Hugh Greenwood 281 2.73%
Patrick Cripps 1458 14.19%
Brayden Maynard 393 3.82%
James Worpel 136 1.32%
Jarryn Geary 517 5.03%
What time should the Grand Final be played?
Day 7789 75.80%
Twilight 1935 18.83%
Night 552 5.37%
Do you understand the holding the ball rule?
Yes 5925 57.66%
No 4351 42.34%
How confident are you in predicting outcomes from the AFL’s judicial system?
Very confident 333 3.24%
Somewhat confident 3111 30.27%
Not confident at all 6832 66.49%
How closely do you follow AFLW?
Watch every week 1328 12.92%
Watch a few games 3600 35.03%
Will watch when my AFL team joins 1059 10.31%
Not at all 4289 41.74%
Do you support a red-card send-off system for violent acts?
Yes 5029 48.94%
No 5247 51.06%
Who is the best value recruit of 2019?
Tom Lynch 698 6.79%
Lachie Neale 4266 41.51%
Luke Dahlhaus 542 5.27%
Scott Lycett 415 4.04%
Jared Polec 175 1.70%
Gary Rohan 1823 17.74%
Sam Lloyd 159 1.55%
Tom Scully 408 3.97%
Jordan Roughead 1528 14.87%
Jesse Hogan 129 1.26%
Nic Newman 133 1.29%
Which current club captain do you think is the best leader in the AFL?
Taylor Walker/Rory Sloane 653 6.35%
Dayne Zorko 145 1.41%
Patrick Cripps/Sam Docherty 1107 10.77%
Scott Pendlebury 2605 25.35%
Dyson Heppell 477 4.64%
Nat Fyfe 512 4.98%
Joel Selwood 1598 15.55%
Jarrod Witts/David Swallow 29 0.28%
Callan Ward/Phil Davis 298 2.90%
Ben Stratton 86 0.84%
Jack Ziebell 212 2.06%
Nathan Jones/Jack Viney 91 0.89%
Ollie Wines/Tom Jonas 91 0.89%
Trent Cotchin 849 8.26%
Jarryn Geary 156 1.52%
Josh P Kennedy/Dane Rampe 113 1.10%
Shannon Hurn 1170 11.39%
Easton Wood 84 0.82%
Who is the most universally loved player in the AFL?
Eddie Betts 5721 55.67%
Mason Cox 383 3.73%
Max Gawn 1181 11.49%
Shaun Burgoyne 544 5.29%
Patrick Dangerfield 353 3.44%
Lance Franklin 386 3.76%
Luke Hodge 286 2.78%
Dustin Martin 414 4.03%
Jarryd Roughead 630 6.13%
Kade Simpson 165 1.61%
Sydney Stack 213 2.07%
Who is the best play-by-play TV commentator?
Bruce McAvaney (Channel 7) 2660 25.89%
Jason Bennett (Channel 7) 178 1.73%
James Brayshaw (Channel 7) 987 9.60%
Hamish McLachlan (Channel 7) 443 4.31%
Basil Zempalis (Channel 7) 276 2.69%
Brian Taylor (Channel 7) 1738 16.91%
Luke Darcy (Channel 7) 358 3.48%
Eddie McGuire (Fox Footy) 520 5.06%
Anthony Hudson (Fox Footy) 2116 20.59%
Dwayne Russell (Fox Footy) 623 6.06%
Adam Papalia (Fox Footy) 199 1.94%
Brenton Speed (Fox Footy) 178 1.73%
Who is the best tactical analyst on TV?
Dermott Brereton (Fox Footy) 1184 11.52%
Jonathan Brown (Fox Footy) 763 7.43%
Jason Dunstall (Fox Footy) 511 4.97%
Gerard Healy (Fox Footy) 566 5.51%
Mark Ricciuto (Fox Footy) 232 2.26%
Brad Johnson (Fox Footy) 144 1.40%
David King (Fox Footy) 1574 15.32%
Alastair Lynch (Fox Footy) 91 0.89%
Nick Dal Santo (Fox Footy) 265 2.58%
Garry Lyon (Fox Footy) 520 5.06%
Nick Riewoldt (Fox Footy) 800 7.79%
Leigh Matthews (Channel 7) 1166 11.35%
Cameron Ling (Channel 7) 480 4.67%
Matthew Richardson (Channel 7) 564 5.49%
Wayne Carey (Channel 7) 984 9.58%
Tim Watson (Channel 7) 432 4.20%
Who is the most annoying AFL media personality?
Bruce McAvaney 1426 13.88%
Hamish McLachlan 466 4.53%
Brian Taylor 2468 24.02%
Dwayne Russell 675 6.57%
Craig Hutchison 1233 12.00%
Basil Zempilas 1482 14.42%
Dermott Brereton 798 7.77%
Eddie McGuire 1728 16.82%
What is your favourite footy television program?
AFL 360 1918 18.66%
On the Couch 742 7.22%
Open Mike 207 2.01%
Talking Footy 479 4.66%
Footy Classified 504 4.90%
Sunday Footy Show 741 7.21%
AFL Gameday 311 3.03%
Bounce 554 5.39%
Marngrook Footy Show 422 4.11%
The Front Bar 4226 41.12%
On the Mark 18 0.18%
Up the Guts 60 0.58%
The Beep Test 44 0.43%
AFL Tonight 38 0.37%
The Oval Office 12 0.12%
Is crowd violence a problem at AFL matches?
Yes 3195 31.09%
No 7081 68.91%
Have you ever felt unsafe at the football?
Yes1490 14.50%
No 8786 85.50%
What is the best venue to watch an AFL game?
MCG 5981 58.20%
Marvel Stadium 1421 13.83%
Adelaide Oval 1795 17.47%
SCG 131 1.27%
Perth Stadium 338 3.29%
Metricon Stadium 82 0.80%
Gabba 104 1.01%
GMHBA Stadium 226 2.20%
Spotless Stadium 54 0.53%
Blundstone Arena (Hobart) 42 0.41%
Uni of Tasmania Stadium (Launceston) 50 0.49%
UNSW Canberra Oval 21 0.20%
Jiangwan Stadium (Shanghai) 31 0.30%
How would you rate your enjoyment of watching AFL matches in 2019?
Increased 10551 0.27%
Same as ever 5269 51.27%
Diminished 3952 38.46%
How do you rate this year’s nine rule changes, including 6-6-6 starting positions?
Huge success 711 6.92%
Moderate success 4793 46.64%
Haven’t noticed them 1708 16.62%
They’ve made the game worse 3064 29.82%
How concerned are you by low-scoring games this year?
Very concerned 1828 17.79%
Slightly concerned 3227 31.40%
Not concerned at all 3757 36.56%
All I care about is my team winning 1464 14.25%
Should the mid-season draft be expanded to allow trades?
Yes 5235 50.94%
No 5041 49.06%
Do you support a wildcard round for spots in the finals (playoff for teams placed 7-10 on the ladder)?
Yes 2331 22.68%
No 7945 77.32%
Which club is closer to a premiership?
Carlton 1868 18.18%
Essendon 4304 41.88%
St Kilda 1216 11.83%
Western Bulldogs 1193 11.61%
North Melbourne 1695 16.49%
What is your level of faith in the AFL administration?
Strong 652 6.36%
Average 4065 39.67%
Poor 5531 53.97%
Originally published as AFL footy fans survey: Carlton star Patrick Cripps rated the best player in the league
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