The Roar
The Roar

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What makes a champion?

Brett Burdeu new author
Roar Rookie
12th August, 2015
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Brett Burdeu new author
Roar Rookie
12th August, 2015
21

The debate over who is the best player in the game is one that rages like a bush fire in the height of a dry Australian summer.

Various awards exist to attempt to annually settle this argument; umpires, coaches, players and the media cast their votes, sometimes with wildly differing results.

Rather than pouring through the myriad of statistics in an effort to support my stance, I have decided to try and put a different slant on the conversation.

Team selection is always a difficult process, as part of the leadership group in my local team I am involved this weekly. In the lead up to our finals series this task takes on greater importance; the first step is determining the players that you absolutely must have in your side.

The criteria for admittance to such a category, particularly at a local level, is predominantly based on intangibles, the ‘gut feeling’ about what the cream of the crop bring to the table – the ‘vibe’, if you will (who doesn’t like a good The Castle reference?)

It is these qualities that I will use as the basis for my contention.

For the sake of this argument, let’s agree to agree that the players I discuss here have elite kicking, handballing, marking and tackling skills and their impact on a match in relation to these criteria is similar – a controversial assumption in its own right, but stick with me here.

There are three attributes which I believe true champions display, the key requirements that make them stand out from their peers: ease, courage and intimidation.

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My selections for the best of the best in each of these areas are as follows.

Ease – Scott Pendlebury
Is there a better sight in football than watching a player take possession of the ball and operate like those around them nailed to the ground?

Plenty of players appear to make the game look easy in different ways, but Pendlebury’s ability to find time and space when there is none – and use this advantage to make the right decision and execute skills accordingly – is without peer.

Some attribute his silky moves to his basketball background, but perhaps it is simply that Pendles sees and assesses the world around him faster than everyone else. I am constantly in awe (and more than a little jealous) of the seemingly easy way he goes about his trade.

Courage – Jimmy Bartel
Before I get howled down here, any player who takes to the football field displays courage. Ours is a brutal game where the risk of injury is ever present.

Watch Bartel closely when he competes for the footy; his steps never shorten, his eyes never waiver from the ball. His commitment to winning the ball is unconditional, regardless of the outcome.

When his teammates look up and see Bartel ahead of them they know that they can send the ball in his direction with confidence. Even when conceding size, strength and speed he competes without fear, which in itself breeds courage in those around him.

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Whether it is backing back with the flight of the ball or crashing into an opponent when the ball is on the ground, this is the guy you want fighting the battle for you.

Intimidation – Luke Hodge
Everyone has a different interpretation of intimidation, and there are those who believe that attempting to intimidate your opponent is juvenile and counterproductive.

Having stood across from players that I found overwhelmingly intimidating, I will vehemently argue the opposite!

Truly intimidating players walk a fine line, occasionally straying outside of the rules in their pursuit of an edge on the opposition.

Hodge asserts his presence on a game of footy through manic attack on the ball and the man. This combined with precise skill and boundless courage makes him the ultimate intimidation weapon.

At times he has been accused of being a thug and but make no mistake, when the whips are cracking late in a final, having a player like Hodge who can make the opposition think twice about putting their head over the football is a potentially premiership-winning advantage.

Picking three champions is hard enough, but the time has come to put the first magnet down in my imaginary selection committee. Who is the most valuable of them all? Well in this footballing fairy godmother’s humble opinion it’s Scott Pendlebury.

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In the heat of battle in September, knowing there is a guy next to you who can remain calm, poised and have an extra split second up his sleeve is the ultimate x-factor. Combined with skill and athleticism (and a healthy dose of the other two categories I’ve discussed) Pendlebury would be the first picked in my side every week.

I’ve cast my votes. Who would be your first magnet?

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