What hurts Lids' chances in these awards is he is moreso a highly consistent performer rather than someone who stands out as a clear matchwinner. Even within the Tiges' list we can think of games where Jack won games off his own boot kicking a bag and taking speckies, Dusty destroying North (round 5) and Melbourne as a goalkicking midfielder who can go forward, and of course Cotch's class in the midfield winning stacks of clearances. Lids on the other hand will cop criticism because he's a HBFer. Lids has had many top games such as beating Goddard head-to-head in the draw but probably because we need to use him as HBF, commentators and judges in these awards who go by a 'wow-factor' overlook him. That's why I think Robert Murphy, who can kick a freakish goal and have a day out now and then, got in the AA side ahead of better and more consistent years from Lids and Scotland.
Same goes with Petrie - his speckies stand out in a mediocre and evenly mundane side.
