An AFL Socceroos 11: fantasy of a dreamer
Roar Rookie By fatboi, 14 Sep 2011 fatboi is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- AFL, Chris Judd, Darren Glass, football, Gary Ablett Jr, matthew scarlett, Socceroos
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Imagine a starting team, full of supreme athletes, mind-blowing speed and endurance and awe-inspiring array of skill and imagination.
The template for the team is a fluid 4-3-3 formation. I’ve picked two rock-solid centre-halves with two versatile fullbacks.
In the midfield, we have two absolute box-to-box powerhouses, with the ability to win the ball and create. In the no.10 role, a magician of the highest order assumes responsibility.
Up front, we are led by an old-fashioned centre forward flanked by two delightfully gifted exponents of the skillful game.
You may say I am a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the AFL Socceroo 11 Dream Team.
That’s right, this is the best possible team the AFL can dish up. And my word, what a sight to behold!
A goal-keeper is not required to be named. You could pretty much pick anyone from an AFL list and they would do the job for you.
Add to the fact, our two centre-halves would man such a closed shop that a goal-keeper would be spending most of his time picking his nose.
In Matthew Scarlett and Darren Glass, we have the perfect central defensive partnership that would cause fear and trembling in any attacker.
Glass is a defender of immense strength and competitiveness, supremely strong in the one-on-one contests and with a fierce tackle, would come away with the ball more often than not.
Scarlett is equally strong in the defensive battle but also adds an incredible ability to read the play and launch attacks from deep. He will sweep, tackle, clear the ball and bring the ball out with equal aplomb.
Fullback has evolved into being one of the most important positions in world football and the selection of Brendon Goddard
and Luke Hodge reflect this.
Goddard will defend robustly, and spread down the right flank with endless energy. His ability to impact in all areas of the park, including bombing forward and getting dangerous will cause havoc for opposition teams.
When you require leadership, commitment and sheer determination to impact a game, look no further than Hodge. A cultured left foot provides precision from wide and his versatility means he is able to drift back and centrally with devastating effect.
Under the reign of a dull and dour Pim Verbleak, central midfielders were rubbished and scorned for spending most of their time holding hands with their defenders. Not so with this team.
Gary Ablett Jr and Chris Judd offer a fanatical level of work rate, hunger to fight for and win the hard-contested ball and are also blessed with the sheer explosive power and skill to cover the field and drive the ball forward.
This duo is one of the greatest of the modern era and with the round ball at their feet, would happily boss any midfield battle.
Just in front of them sits Steve Johnson, the magician. A player of almost extra-terrestrial qualities, as any witness to his array of breathtaking skills, imagination and fantasy would attest to the idea that he operates on a higher plane than most.
Watch him receive the ball, take a step and fire a pass to a team-mate with bullet-like precision. Watch him attempt the outrageous, and execute with ridiculous assurance.
In Steve Johnson, we find a player worthy of assuming the play-making responsibilities of the team.
Our front three is blessed with all-round class. Cyril Rioli and Mark Lecras have the ability to create and score in equal measure.
Both possess the necessary incredients of a dangerous forward; the silky skills, the vision and fantasy and clinical finishing ability that is guaranteed to leave defenses all over down and dizzy with despair.
A tower of strength at the centre forward position in Jack Riewoldt is an indulgement of gluttonous proportions.
How a powerful athlete, blessed with the brute force of a truck and the deft touch of a wedding cake decorater, is able
to execute all manner of goals is beyond comprehension.
He completes the team and is the ideal focal point for this great team.
Now the dream is explained, I must acknowledge the heartbreaking decision to leave out the likes of Sam Mitchell, Daisy Thomas, Alan Didak, Rob Murphy, Jarred Brennan, Brent Harvey, Scott Pendlebury, Adam Goodes, Buddy Franklin and the mercurial talents of a Motlop out of this team.
The intention of this writer is twofold: to praise the wonderful attributes of the elite AFL football and wonder how their abilities would resonate with the world game. Could more be done by the world game at grassroots and junior level to keep these athletes in the game in their late teens? Surely, the Socceroos would benefit.
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September 14th 2011 @ 8:24am
Fake ex-AFL fan said | September 14th 2011 @ 8:24am | Report comment
People, don’t miss the entire point of the article and say that there’s no way any of these players could possibly compete at high level soccer because they haven’t spent a lifetime developing the necessary skills.
Whereas clearly what the author is doing is listing those footballers who, had they chosen a different path, could have developed into good soccer players. And a fine team this would be too – 11 players with great athletic ability, vision, spatial awareness and balance.
September 14th 2011 @ 1:07pm
Kasey said | September 14th 2011 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
All the great football nations of the world have their own’ way of playing the world game. Someone once tried to derisively label football as the McDonalds of the spotring world, ie its the same everywhere, but nothing could be further from the truth. I think of it more like pizza, you start with similar ingredients but each culture crafts a slightly different recipe to their tastes. The Brazillians with their Joga Bonito and the Dutch with Total Voetbal, the Italians concocted cattenaccio as it appealed to their sensibilities as did the way Die Fußballnationalmannschaft played in the most recent World Cup for the German people.
I still think of Australia as a developing football nation despite its relatively lofty FIFA ranking, its status as a top 3 nation in Asia and the immense strides forward taken in the last 10 years. Why? Because I feel that we are yet to find our true football voice. Having been a casual follower of Australian Rules Football for a good proportion of my adolescence I sometimes wonder if our unique football voice isn’t somehow tied up with indigenous footballers. The magic way players like Andrew McLeod, Michael McLean and Nicky Winmar seem have the sherrin on a string, the way they accomplish things on the field that other AFL players hadn’t even thought of trying, is the type of creativity one sees in a Lionel Messi or saw in Marco vanBasten. One issue that indigenous communities seem to face is a lack of facilities and this is one area where the financial largess of the AFL could end the dream of an indigenous Australian Messi. I hope that in the future as football grows and perhaps receives a bit more money into the bucket of funds it remembers to continue some of the great work undertaken by AUFC in reaching out to the Red Centre[FICA]. IIRC one player from the Alice region is sponsored via the Martyn Crook foundation to receive specialist skills training each year in Adelaide. The search for the next Charlie Perkins must continue IMO. Maybe then we could find our football voice. Football is a very inclusive sport and you would think that with the way it is sometimes derided by haterz as “a game for foreigners”, the ultimate solution to those slurs would be to engage further with the people least likely to be considered foreign in this country;) Although there is a lot of work to do to even get close to the levels of engagement that the AFL has been able to generate since the mid 1990s I feel very strongly that it would be a more than worthwhile endeavour for the FFA. That is my dream for the future.
September 14th 2011 @ 5:31pm
Nathan of Perth said | September 14th 2011 @ 5:31pm | Report comment
/fond memories of Wirrapanda at Subi…
September 14th 2011 @ 3:06pm
fatboi said | September 14th 2011 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
if anyone wants to have a bit of a giggle and see a graphical representation of the socceroos AFL 11 team click here
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6754/alfcover.jpg
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/3397/alf11.jpg
September 16th 2011 @ 5:24am
Bondy said | September 16th 2011 @ 5:24am | Report comment
There’s only one code with the big money , football is the only sport that K,Hunt cant play,game set and match
September 14th 2011 @ 8:26am
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 8:26am | Report comment
Dustin Fletcher could have been named as a goal keeper, having shown that he is more than handy at that role against the Irish.
In the players you left out, there is actually some soccer pedigree: Daisy Thomas, Alan Didak, and Adam Goodes, and Harry O’Brien is pretty handy with the round ball, unsurprisingly.
In last year’s world cup, in an Adidas sponsored dribbling test, O’Brien and Thomas managed to defeat Adrian Leijer and Leigh Broxham, both recent Olyroos.
O’Brien looks like a natural Sweeper.
But I can understand the Lecras nomination, as we see from this goal from the weekend:
September 14th 2011 @ 9:22pm
Football United said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:22pm | Report comment
lol a blindfolded cow with three legs could beat leigh broxham. haha
September 14th 2011 @ 11:00pm
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:00pm | Report comment
I don’t know, but as I said, he was an Olyroo.
September 15th 2011 @ 2:44am
fatboi said | September 15th 2011 @ 2:44am | Report comment
classic nightmare scenario: slow, athletically lacking AND no skills haha. I wonder how hard it would be to beat a rough and tumble defender more concerned with hoofing the ball out of danger than dribbling around players and a short stumpy water carrier who struggles to pass to a teamate let alone think about dribbling.
September 14th 2011 @ 8:42am
Tristan Rayner said | September 14th 2011 @ 8:42am | Report comment
Ok guys – let’s not get out of control with this thread. Keep it on topic, play the ball not the man and let’s have some fun with the potential.
Personally, I think the talls wouldn’t necessarily fit into the footballing mould and of course that’s open for healthy discussion.
My AFL picks would be the smaller, faster and skillful players in the Lionel Messi style. My first pick would be Adam Goodes from about ten years ago!
Thanks Roarers.
Tristan (Ed.)
September 14th 2011 @ 9:28am
Matt F said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:28am | Report comment
I don’t know about the talls. I reckon Buddy could have been a real handful for defenders if playing as a striker. Nothing wrong with the odd target man up front. And Centre Defenders need height as well
September 14th 2011 @ 9:38am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:38am | Report comment
Why would Franklin be a good striker? He has hopeless foot skills and, falls over constantly, which suggests he has incredibly poor balance.
Franklin misses more often than scores when he is aiming at a target that has unlimited height and no GK. He would not make it as an outfield player and his overhead catching is erratic so he would not even make it as a GK.
By contrast, Nick Riewoldt would be an excellent GK (and his erratic kicking wouldn’t be an issue).
Other AFL guys, who have terrific balance, foot skills and spatial awareness and would, most likely, be excellent outfield footballers are: Darren Jarman, Steve Silvagni, Andy McLeod, Peter Daicos, Adam Goodes, Alan Didak, Dale Thomas, Daniel Motlop, Cyril Rioli … actually most of the Indigenous players I’ve seen.
From what I’ve seen of Ablett or Judd they would be very average outfield players.
September 14th 2011 @ 10:49am
Matt F said | September 14th 2011 @ 10:49am | Report comment
I think you’ve missed the point of the article. This is assuming that he played football instead of AFL and was able to reach the same proficiency of Football skills as he has AFL skills, which are extraordinary. I’m not talking about Franklin the AFL player but wondering what if he’d played football instead i.e. if he had picked up the nescessary skills set. Physically he’s got great attributes for a striker. He’s tall, reads the play well and has a great burst of pace that could beat the offside trap.
September 14th 2011 @ 10:59am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 10:59am | Report comment
My point is that, just b/c a person is good at one sport doesn’t mean he’ll be good at another – unless the skills and techniques are similar.
Would Keiran Perkins and Ian Thorpe make good 1500m track athletes? I’ve run track and I think not.
Just b/c Usain Bolt is the fastest man on the track in 100m, it’s ridiculous to think “if he had jumped in the pool at a young age” he’d also be a fast swimmer.
For sure, some skills are transferable between some sports. I’ve done neither, but from afar it would appear that riding horses and driving F1 cars would require many similar attributes.
In AFL & Football the most obvious transferable skill is for the GK spot. Of all the Aussie Rules guys I’ve seen over 20+ years, Nick Riewoldt stands out as a guy, who would have made top (perhaps world standard) class GK. But based on my knowledge of football, I wouldn’t say the same about Brereton or Carey or Jonathan Brown.
I know Glenn Manton tried football after he retired from Carlton but was hopeless.
September 14th 2011 @ 11:10am
Tristan Rayner said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Fuss, come back from not-beaten-path you’re on and make real comparisons. Now, wouldn’t everyone like to see Usain Bolt on the football pitch? It’s something he’s expressed an interest in, but I genuinely wonder how he’d go in AFL or NRL for that matter – he’d be great on the wing!
September 14th 2011 @ 11:21am
Matt F said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Of course there’s no guarantee but there are plenty of examples of athletes being successes at completely different sports. Elise Perry being one example. I never said Buddy (even he was only an example) would definately be a great Football player. All I said was that if he had played Football from a young age instead of AFL would he have been able to reach the top level? And if so, where could he play? It’s entirely hypothetical, that’s the whole point!
September 14th 2011 @ 11:29am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:29am | Report comment
@ Tristan
Don’t you just love watching Bolt do what he does best … run 100m, 200m? Why would anyone want him to stop doing that?
Do people really want to Tiger Woods try another sport, or do they salivate at his golf-playing prowess?
I’ve seen Nadal display great foot skills with a tennis ball and I’m sure he’d be very good. But, he’s the best tennis player in the world, so why would we want him to change?
September 14th 2011 @ 11:32am
Nathan of Perth said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:32am | Report comment
@ Fuss
Or we can remember some of Michael Jordan’s more abortive takes at other sports…
September 14th 2011 @ 2:22pm
Tristan Rayner said | September 14th 2011 @ 2:22pm | Report comment
@Fuss Don’t give me that! I’m all for Bolt running the 100m in between scoring lightning goals for the Newcastle Jets and a couple of tries for the Knights in the off season.
September 14th 2011 @ 2:53pm
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
Glenn Manton was also part of the Australian bobsled team at one point.
September 14th 2011 @ 2:25pm
Kasey said | September 14th 2011 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
“falls over constantly, which suggests he has incredibly poor balance.”
although he DID have excellent foot skills.
those ‘flaws’ never hurt Klinsmann at Spurs
September 14th 2011 @ 9:38am
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:38am | Report comment
Timely warning, although I didn’t think there was too much wrong with what Titus had written.
September 14th 2011 @ 10:19am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | September 14th 2011 @ 10:19am | Report comment
Tristan – why was this article placed on the Football Tab?
- Removed the more petty swipes at AFL, QASF. Roar Mods. Question discussed below.
September 14th 2011 @ 10:28am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 10:28am | Report comment
I fully agree with QsAF
How is this a topic for Football fans? Whilst I have a 20+ year knowledge of AFL, most football fans in Australia wouldn’t be able to form any views on AFL players b/c they wouldn’t know them.
Surely, this is an AFL topic for pondering and discussion?
Football fans have far more important topics to discuss today – UCL Group matches, Olyroos game next week, u16 Asian Championship Qualifiers, Matildas failure to qualify for London 2012 and, of course … should H & Emo play for their club or country?
September 14th 2011 @ 10:50am
Stoffy18 said | September 14th 2011 @ 10:50am | Report comment
I disagree Fussball ist unser leben, I follow both AFL and football prolifically and have done for a good while now. I believe this is an article for anyone, but for those especially who understand both games. For instance anyone who follows football around the world would understand that Darren Glass would not be a suitable as a centre back, nowadays he can complete a turning circle no quicker than my mates 84′ Lite Ace. People who support AFL just assume the best defenders for instance in our game is enough get them a gig for this football team, so very wrong.
Steve Johnson couldn’t play football, he’d just try and play on from a penalty and kick it around his body!
Ablett is ideal, low centre of gravity and very strong around his hips, allowing him not to go to ground easily.
Patrick Ryder is one I’d play upfront, casting the role as a “beanpole” striker. Standing at 196 cm, he fits the criteria in not only the height department, but his speed. On the weekend, not for the first time in his career, we witnessed Ryder chase down Chris Yarren on the wing, be no mean feat for any ruckman. Peter Crouch is the footballing equivalent of Ryder, tall fast and with exceptional aerial skills (Patty may need some work with heading the ball).
September 14th 2011 @ 7:04pm
James said | September 14th 2011 @ 7:04pm | Report comment
Most football fans I know have a good roundabout familiarity with Aussie rules.
While some of the ARF fans I know are completely football ignorant more tend to like the game, even if only at international tournaments.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:04am
Rusty0256 said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:04am | Report comment
So are we pretending in this article that AFL never existed or just that this particular group of boys chose round ball over oval during their development? Or is there some underlying belief that elite footy players could (if they put their mind to it) ‘do a Karmichael’ and jump over the code barrier and not only play football, but be good enough to wear a Socceroo jersey?
Chastened by Fake’s dire warnings I won’t go down the path of how embarrassing it would be watching them, in Socceroo jerseys mind, get destroyed by pretty much any professional football team you would care to pit against them (sorry, had to mention the blatantly obvious). Rudimentary handling of an ‘International Rules’ ball does not a footballer make.
Trying to define how any group of sportsmen would somehow magically turn their specific code-oriented skill-sets into an entirely different game is a nonsense. Every aspect of almost every sportsman is tuned entirely to the game they play; elite sport is driven by the skill-set and specific nuances of the game played. The development path of elite footy players is completely different to that of footballers.
Could Harry Kewell have been an elite footy player and could Gary Ablett Jr. been a Socceroo? Quite possibly, but neither could have even the slightest hope of code-jumping into the others role once the development dye was set.
So could these named elite players have become Socceroos if they hadn’t had footy careers? Who knows; we might as well be asking if green was red what would we call grass?
September 14th 2011 @ 9:44am
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:44am | Report comment
Rusty
In the spirit of the original question, it’s fair enough to ask which Socceroos would have made gun Australian rules footballers.
You mention Harry, and I would give that a tick, if nothing else, because left footers are always guns at aussie rules – he’d have an eye for goal (knows where the goals are, so to speak), and you can imagine him running full pelt to the 50m arc, and with that raking left foot, puttiing the footy through post high.
The other who is a natural for mine is Timmy Cahill. The G&D attributes he shows on the soccer pitch translates 100% out on to the footy oval – he’d be in an under, and he’d be sniffing out opportunities to kick goals where no one else could find them. Playing front and square, roving the packs, screwing them over the shoulder with the barest of sights on goal, even going for the odd screamer himself – a classic foward pocket goal poacher if I ever did see one.
In defence, you’d have to say the Ogre would do the job, big, strong, wouldn’t take any $hit from anyone, and would be in the ear of the forward for the full two hours driving him nuts.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:49am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:49am | Report comment
@ TC
Isn’t catching the ball one of the most basic and important techniques required by EVERY player in ARF? Football is a game where the outfield players can never use their hands to control the ball.
So, I’m flabbergasted that you would suggest Timmy, H or Ognenovski would be good at ARF – have you seen any evidence of their catching skills?
September 14th 2011 @ 9:57am
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Fussball
Quite obviously I’ve looked at the attributes these players have that I feel would not go astray out on the footy oval – but it’s all conjecture isn’t it?
In the case of Timmy – he is a rare footballer – but his rare quality is not skill with the round ball, there’s nothing too special to note there, it’s his 6th sense around goal, being at the drop of the ball at just the right moment – this is an attribute that has it’s place in aussie rules.
In these situations, it pays to look beyond the superficial, what’s apparent on the surface, the concrete things, and to look at the ethereal
Although with the Ogre I go the other way – someone as big and ugly as him must be a good defender in either code!!
September 14th 2011 @ 10:04am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Well, if we’re serious about doing this exercise then we should do it with some modicum of sensibility rather than simply just putting down names of champion athletes.
Would Mike Tyson make a good Rugby player or ARF player or swimmer or shot putter?
Would Tiger Woods make a good footballer or ARF player? I haven’t seen any evidence that Woods has the requisite skills. But, you would assume his hand eye co-ordination and ability to hit a golf ball sweetly would be skills that are transferable to field hockey, tennis, badminton … maybe even batting in cricket.
In relation to Tim … he may be totally uncoordinated with if he tries to control the ball with his hands.
So, are you suggesting he’d be good at ARF only when the ball is below waist-high? If that’s the case then, yes, all footballers would be excellent at playing the ARF ball when it is below waist-high – they would know how to use the instep rather than the toe-poke.
September 14th 2011 @ 11:06am
Nathan of Perth said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Next article is a starting eighteen composed of current A-League and State League goalkeepers
September 14th 2011 @ 9:53am
stabpass said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:53am | Report comment
One Mark Viduka, would IMO made a very good ARF, great loss for Collingwood, as Peter Daicos was apparently his idol as a kd.
I like the guys who have a low center of gravity, and keep their feet.
September 14th 2011 @ 11:51am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:51am | Report comment
@ stabpass
I’m intrigued by your assessment that Mark Viduka may have been good at ARF.
Which AFL player do you think Viduka most closely resembles?
To me Viduka had NONE of the attributes that seems to be highly valued in ARF.
He wasn’t known for his stamina or his speed, nor his propensity to run far and wide chasing the action. He was good in the air but didn’t have a leap like Timmy Cahill.
Viduka was a great footballer b/c he had a fantastic football brain and was one of the most-gifted technicians we’ve ever produced.
September 14th 2011 @ 2:58pm
stabpass said | September 14th 2011 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
You answered your own question, with the last 2nd last line of your post.
Great brain for ball sports, very good peripheal vision and awareness, leg speed is not everything.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:12am
james rosewarne said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:12am | Report comment
Great article fatboi.
I reckon you could possibly replace Steve Johnson with Adam Goodes who of course started as a soccer player, having only turned to AFL in his mid teens. Playing the number ten role in this team would also see him track back (more than I’d imagine Johnson would) in order to help Judd and Ablett.
I’d also play Franklin over Riewoldt simply because he does virtually everything better than the big Tiger. Maybe even Travis Cloke as the centre forward?
You absolutely nailed the back 4, while I think your choices of Rioli and LeCras playing outside the CF are really well considered. Would have somehow loved to have squeezed the likes of Swan and Boyd in, however I guess that would result in changing the team to a 4-4-2, with those guys holding, Judd and Ablett the attacking, creative mids and perhaps Cloke and Goodes up front together.
You’d have to go either Fletcher or Dale Morris as goalkeeper.
Wow. A seemingly useless exercise that’s really actually worth some thought. Again,great job!
September 15th 2011 @ 2:52am
fatboi said | September 15th 2011 @ 2:52am | Report comment
great points champ. I did flirt with the idea of a designated ‘ball winner” in the defensive midfield role. the likes of Swan, Mitchell, Boyd, Hayes and Priddis comes to mind. But then Juddy and Gablett both win more than their fair share of hard ball gets, contested possesions and clearances!
Adam Goodes was very very unlucky to miss out. But the fact that Stevie J creates so many goal opportunties and assists for his teamates got him the no.10 role.
great to see someone who “got” the whole idea of the article haha
September 14th 2011 @ 9:13am
mahony said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:13am | Report comment
I get the intention of the article – but it is absolute folly……
September 14th 2011 @ 9:15am
The guru said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:15am | Report comment
This great fatboi, can you do one on which afl players would be the best astronauts .
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September 15th 2011 @ 2:58am
fatboi said | September 15th 2011 @ 2:58am | Report comment
@ The guru – LOL!
personally for the best AFL players as astronauts i would have to pick players who excel in tight confined spaces. Matthew Priddis is one. To be joined by a player who really knows how to plant his foot on the ground and bouce high into the atmosphere. Nic Natinui.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:29am
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:29am | Report comment
You’re wide of the mark with these comments Fussball. If you don’t have anything constructive to add to the discussion, steer clear. Thanks, Roar Mods.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:35am
stabpass said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Every sport thinks they are the best, why it would not suprise me, if you thought soccer was the best game in the world.
Has it ever occurred to you that people play a particular sport because they like it, even though it is not considered the best, biggest greatest thing by you since sliced bread.
Thanks for entering the thread with your normal generous spirit.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:40am
Antonio said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:40am | Report comment
This is why the Socceroos will never win the world cup; too many talented athletes chose other codes instead of football. Look at the example of Zac Smith who plays for the gold coast sun now instead of football.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:51am
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:51am | Report comment
Antonia
Zac Smith is truly a wonder, see:
http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/06/17/never-fear-zac-smith-is-here/
205 cm tall but extremely mobile (worth noting that Josh Kennedy is only 194 cm). He represented Queensland at futsal at the age of 15 (an underage team), but it’s hard to know how he would have gone if he had continued with soccer.
He’s so competitive, and just throws his considerable frame around, the truth is that I think he is far more suited to aussie rules than he is to soccer.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:57am
stabpass said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:57am | Report comment
I would agree with that, he is a mobile ruckman, but much of the game of Australian football is in the air which suits a player of height, much of the game of soccer is on the ground, where a 205 cm guy usually has problems with mobility.
September 14th 2011 @ 9:58am
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 9:58am | Report comment
Sorry Antonio – just noticed my spelling error – an honest mistake!!
September 14th 2011 @ 11:18am
dasilva said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:18am | Report comment
That would be a good point if the Socceroos were known as a team with poor fitness and athletic ability. However for the most part the Socceroos are known for its work ethics and fitness and are physically strong and we have been pointed out by the opposition for our athletic abilities. The likes of holman is an absolute workhorse
For the most part the socceroos does outlast the opposition (check out the Australia vs Japan in 2006 world cup as the most famous example where our fitness prevailed)
The problem is that Australia lacked technical abilities.
I don’t think players from AFL decided to choose football as a career would have changed that.
September 14th 2011 @ 11:35am
Nathan of Perth said | September 14th 2011 @ 11:35am | Report comment
So what you’re saying, really, is that Australian-rules football isn’t taking away anything from football in Australia except sponsorship dollars and maybe talented administrative staff?
September 14th 2011 @ 5:53pm
dasilva said | September 14th 2011 @ 5:53pm | Report comment
It is possible for a young player who is technically gifted with the ball and is a good prospect with soccer and australian rules and then choose to play australian rules football as a career and thererfore we lose those players.
Even if the ball control skills that football requires isn’t transferrable to AFL, that doesn’t mean a young kid growing up can’t excel in both games (after all we do have Ellyse perry who plays international cricket and soccer and the skills for those two game are even more dissimilar then AFL and Association football and similar the waugh brothers were youth players f Sydney croatia)
So I do believe that there are slight elements of competitions between the two codes in terms of players.
However I don’t believe that competition is great enough to robbed football of athletic abilities considering that athletically Australian players are considered pretty fit and strong
September 14th 2011 @ 6:00pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 6:00pm | Report comment
It is the logic of the association that I don’t understand and refute – i.e. Player A can play Sport X therefore he will also be good at Sport Y. This just doesn’t make sense.
Ellyse Perry is a good footballer b/c she has good football technique – NOT b/c she is an international cricketer.
Similarly, Ellyse Perry is a good cricketer b/c she has good cricket technique – NOT b/c she is an international footballer.
It would be absurd to think that, b/c Perry plays international cricket and football she can play International Netball! Maybe, she could.
But that would have to be assessed when we see her playing Netball – not by association due to her cricket and football prowess.
September 14th 2011 @ 6:52pm
dasilva said | September 14th 2011 @ 6:52pm | Report comment
Fussball I think you are misreading my comment
That is exactly my point
People can be skilled in both sports but when forced to choose a career they choose one over the other.
However the skills of one sport isn’t transferrable to another .
What I am saying is that it is possible for australia losing players to AFL. Not because they are good AFL players and therefore we infer from that they must be able to succeed in football. But from the chance that they just happen to be skilled in both games
If Perry decided to pursue Cricket full time. Football will have lost her to cricket despite the fact that the skillset in cricket are completely different to Football.
Similarly, who knows how many players that just so happen to be good at both AFL and Football but for whatever reason chose to pursue a career on one over the other.
September 15th 2011 @ 7:21am
gawa said | September 15th 2011 @ 7:21am | Report comment
Maybe Zac Smith just realised that it was easier to be a top level AFL player than a top level football player, the fact that he was able to switch sports at such a late age would also appear to agree with this viewpoint.
September 14th 2011 @ 10:14am
punter said | September 14th 2011 @ 10:14am | Report comment
I think Gary Abblett would have been good at any football code, great engine & great timing.
This article does bring up what I believe is where the battle of the codes is strongest, the battle for for our young sporting superstars who are playing a mulipule of sports & excelling in them.
September 14th 2011 @ 3:04pm
fatboi said | September 14th 2011 @ 3:04pm | Report comment
the real shame is that a lot of the sportiest kids once they hit 13-15 drift away from playing soccer and focus on ALF. And don’t tell me that these kids don’t have skill. A current ALF player for Hawthorn was tearing up the right wing (reminded me of a young brett emerton) as a junior for Box Hill Inter, that team won every Victorian junior championship but gave up the sport for a ALF career.
Sadly the best skilled and athlete players leave the sport, leaving the second rate athletes to continue on into youth and senior soccer leagues. The result is an inferior pool of talent on which to select players for A-League squads and National Teams.
We can look at this with simple logic and delude ourselves with the popular notion that “oh these ALF players would be crap at soccer.” Yes you would probably be right. Put a Chris Judd or a Steve Johnson on an A-League team and they might struggle.
However let’s dream now. Let us go back in time, to when these great football players were merely talented kids playing and succeeding in every sport at school and junior level. Imagine if a Jack Riewoldt continued to play soccer to this day. No doubt he would be dominating the A-League and perhaps might have been regarded as the “White Drogba.”
September 14th 2011 @ 3:18pm
BigAl said | September 14th 2011 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
It’s AFL, not ALF – once would be excusable, maybe twice but FOUR times ??? – what are you up to ?
. . . and to think you put this article up for …”discussion” – ha ha ha !
September 14th 2011 @ 3:29pm
stabpass said | September 14th 2011 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
Oh dear, i did not pick up on that ( must be colour blind) bit sad really, to go to all this trouble, just to get his real point out.
September 14th 2011 @ 3:24pm
stabpass said | September 14th 2011 @ 3:24pm | Report comment
You make some fair points, but then when you repeatedly type ALF instead of AFL, thats when you have lost sight, of the respect athletes deserve when choosing what they want to do with their life, instead of what YOU believe they should do.
September 14th 2011 @ 3:25pm
Nathan of Perth said | September 14th 2011 @ 3:25pm | Report comment
I would hope we could think of a better nickname for someone than “White Drogba”
September 14th 2011 @ 5:19pm
BigAl said | September 14th 2011 @ 5:19pm | Report comment
Ginga Drogba ?
September 14th 2011 @ 3:26pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 3:26pm | Report comment
@ fatboi
I went to a secondary school that is well-known for producing numerous VFL/AFL players including: multiple premiership players, premiership captains, Copeland Trophy winner, several Crichton medallists, Coleman medallist and pretty sure we’ve produced more 300 game VFL/ALF players than any other school.
So, I’ve actually witnessed elite AFL players on the pitch playing football (every lunchtime there would be a “friendly” with a small round ball and we’d have 20-30 blokes, including those who played ARF running around in suit pants, collar shirts and ties. Interestingly, a scratch game of ARF was never considered.) The ARF lads couldn’t play football, which is not surprising since they’d never learnt but we all had a heap of fun and reminisced about those days at a recent School reunion.
None of the 1st 18 every played football during my 6 years at secondary school so it’s a myth to think football is “losing talent to AFL”. The guys, who went on to play ARF at the elite level had been playing ARF since they were kids.
Where would they get the time to play other sports – they had to train and play for the school during the week, sometimes on w/es, as well as training and playing for their local clubs on w/es.
I would be surprised if even 1% of AFL players started life playing football and then turned their back on the Game in their early teens – this is simply a MYTH.
September 14th 2011 @ 5:25pm
The Cattery said | September 14th 2011 @ 5:25pm | Report comment
The footy season only goes for 6 to 7 months, so there’s plenty of time for playing other sports – I played a stack of sports growing up – an absolute stack of sports.
September 14th 2011 @ 5:30pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 14th 2011 @ 5:30pm | Report comment
Don’t know when you were growing up (although I have a reasonable idea it was the same time as I) competition football was only played in winter months when I was growing up.
As I said. Of all the VFL/AFL players produced at my secondary school NOT one of them played competition football as a junior. They played competition ARF – b/c they were good they may have played 2-3 games some w/es.
In summer, some played cricket others did Little Aths or, later, competition club aths for the school and/or the local clubs.