You know, I usually hate making comparisons between players, because each of them have nuances to their game that separate them from each other. Look at some of the great full forwards, for example. Put Plugger alongside Jason Dunstall, and for all their success in front of the big sticks, they’re vastly different players. Ditto for a centre-half-forward – throw Wayne Carey in alongside Royce Hart, and you could name a great number of differences.
And yet, we do it.
Every year, some kid finds his way to being a high pick in the draft, and one of the more intriguing parts of the analysis is the section where they say “he plays like…” and then they name one of the great players in the league, past or present.
In recent seasons, we’ve had a few come in and be compared to Dustin Martin. Cam Rayner was one who drew the comparison immediately, due to his strength in the contest, and his ability to burst from stoppages. Bailey Humphrey is another, anointed just last season as a player who plays like Dusty.
It’s kind of unfair to label these players as anything close to being one of the champs of the game – it happened before they’d played three games – Dusty had more Norm Smith Medals than they’d had runs in the seniors!
But here I am, being a massive hypocrite, about to do just what I claim to hate.
There is a bloke running around in the number one guernsey for the Swans who has caught everyone’s eye over the past 12 months, and the more I watch him play, the more I start to think Sydney may have something very, very special on their hands.
That man is Chad Warner, and his bag of tricks is so different that he is a fair way in front of other players in the role he plays. And he is playing so well, he is following in the footsteps of one of the all-time greats.
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