Every year the expectation around footy clubs revolves around the new players. Be they mature players or young prospects, the likelihood of them making difference to the A-grade is of great significance to everyone.
It doesn’t really matter whether it’s a suburban or country club, a major city interstate, or a small town.
Footy clubs are special places.
The shared experience of coaches, players and supporters who sacrifice time and blood creates a bond in communities. The local hero who is a legend because he kicked goals when they counted, stopped a visiting champ or went well when the biffs were handed out.
A cold beer and a barbecued sausage have a tendency to animate feats on the field while earning a respect where no further interest is due. Memories of the public bar argument with old mates over footy and over whose round it was have never left me.
Is there a greater role in sport than the critical performance of athletes? Experts in residence, the clueless trying to fit in, a cable broadcast provocateur, or the water cooler mandarin working out weekly highest and lowest league scores.
Everybody has an opinion.
But what do they look for in a footballer?
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
My answer might be taken as cryptic, but I expect some would see something in it. I’ll explain it as best I can: it’s how they move.
Balance when running and kicking. Poise under pressure.
The toughness on a football field that the off-field toughs often can’t replicate.
Some are great marks, some great kicks, some can run all day, some blokes never give in.
Some just look like a likely fullback.
The difference is when they move to do all these things well. Sometimes they are naturals from an early early age and dominate the other kids and then fade from the game as they mature.
Or perhaps a big-boned kid who just makes it all look a fait accompli when they walk comfortably among men.
Football today has a structure (a word I am beginning to hate) that young men (boys) can identify. Every facet of footy seems to be covered.
Whether it be diet, injuries or mental health, they get feedback and instructions verbal and written; so much for turning up with your boots and asking for a game.
But is all this analysis producing footballers who tick all the boxes for the administration of football development, to the detriment of footballers?
No amount of assessment could avoid seeing a young Jonathon Brown as a presence on the football field.
How many footballers are out there who didn’t fit between the parameters?
I claim no expertise. I thought Jason Dunstall was too fat when he played in Brisbane prior to joining Hawthorn. What a dill – I’ll never live it down.
You know what I mean.
There are obvious players whose temperament and hubris failed them in the big-time, regardless of their super abilities. They probably exist at all levels of sport.
What do you look for in a footballer?
sven
Roar Rookie
& some of em have tatts & funky haircuts, & wear lairy boots
Tiger171920
Guest
Glad Richmond didn't listen to you.............7 players under 6 foot in 2020 Premiership side.
sven
Roar Rookie
jeez wokester, suspect youre taking the p*iss but with your criteria a lot of gun footballers shouldnt be playing #1 nick riewoldt, wayne carey, paul kelly, the daniher brothers are a few that spring to mind immediately #5 no dusty, let alone prob a good 50% at least of current players #6 dusty, degoie, marlion picket, sydney stack, flyin ryan (hmmm a few of my beloved tiges there) #7 that may have been true back in the 70's when sam newman got around in a pair of white boots but really? #10 dane swan hand that brownlow back in fact weagles hand that '06 flag back #12 caleb daniel, liam baker hand those premiership medals back
Wokester
Guest
I will be blunt here. 1. Must have grown up in a football state, not from NSW, QLD or elsewhere on the planet. They are always lacking in areas of their game that should be just natural. In other words they bugger things up. 2. Can kick both sides of their body. 3. Same with handball. 4. Marks above their head, none of that chest mark nonsense. It is too easy to spoil a chestmarker. 5. No tattoos or idiotic hair cuts. 6. No behavioural issues in their past. They always blow up sooner or later. 7. If you wear coloured boots other than black you need to be a superstar. 8. Self motivating. A long history of working as a boy and personal fitness training. 9. The ability to run to where the ball goes, not where the ball has been. 10. No drinking or drugging past. Football clubs are not refuge centres. 11. Obviously can run. Four laps of the Tan under in under an hour as an example. 12. No-one under six foot. 13. Mentally strong and able to cop criticism. 14. Knows how to handle himself in a fight. If this is not for you, then hit the bricks kiddie.
Slanr
Guest
'Heart' is just about the most important trait for me. If every player gives everything the can they are going to be in with a chance to win.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
These are traits that players can work on. The ability to handle mass and pressure. That is the physical contact ability to match your environment. Direct body contact but also the more subtle energy of other players. Being light and fast does not mean you cannot handle the knocks. Spacial awareness. When you walk in a room locate it's area size and dimensions and look to the corners to start to own that space. Learn to feel a room and the energy in the room. Outside on the field the concept is the same but the space is not so defined. Still you can improve your degree of space. Energy or Emotional. The Vibe. Joy of the skills you are showing off is what will give you some of that x factor. Aggro will keep you in the game when the joy is gone. Too much aggro will lead to Campbell Brown syndrome which is a kind of crazy fever where the hurting of an opponent takes over as a priority. You are probably better off the field when you lose sight of the game itself. Blunder Theory. When your team makes a big blunder it's an opportunity. The other team may expect a drop in energy but if you can keep the team vibe stable at these moments you can turn the surprise back on them. Try to look at mistakes as good things anyway just not intention ed that way. The Tigers chaos theory is more effective because players emotions are not in chaos. They thrive on miss adventure. The control theory of the Cats will only beat the Tigers chaos when they can match the Tigers uber energy. which is never dependent on fine skills. It's the enthusiasm of being able to impact the game in any way you see fit. Speed. How can you improve your speed. Frantic tempo's in music and dance. Footwork is a great place to start. Tap Dance, Aerobics.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Good comments but I wouldn’t want to be standing in the hole Lockett was running into.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
No, every player doesn't need a tank. Most of them do, though, with today's game plans. Yes, you always lose something when you train for a specific performance. Gary Ablett Snr & Buddy Franklin don't win Premierships. They can be involved in them, but they are not critical in today's landscape. Tony Lockett would not survive in the modern game. That's not to say he wouldn't be able to play?... he just would have needed to shed about 15 kg off his frame and then some. Secondly, coaches like Clarkson would fill the hole he runs into, have a sweeper providing cover defence or double team him on the fly. Clarko has said numerous times about how ludicrous it was for him watching footy as a kid leaving these guys one-on-one. The modern game is about structure. Any current AFL team would thrash the best Hawk's team of the 80s. They would not cover the ground defensively like today's teams, nor provide the running power offensively, instigating 10+ scoring options. This is why recruiters look for attributes that suit there needs in whatever positions they are light on.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Does every player in a team need to have a tank? Will explosiveness be sacrificed to gain endurance? Sometimes I wonder if we try to turn players into robots. Just occasionally at least, should we allow a player to develop to their utmost at what they are good at rather than sacrifice themselves for the team? Perhaps we will get more Gary Ablett seniors and Buddy Franklins using less robotics. Did Tony Lockett have endurance?
Greg
Roar Rookie
I like the comments above. Let me put it another way. If I were to precis what I wanted to say, I kid or perhaps a recruit to the game from Ireland, about how I thought he/she should go about the game. I would say this (I claim a caveat in that I have only been a paddock footballer, so be kind.) 1. Run straight and hard at the ball. 2. Get the ball. 3. Give it to a teammate. 4. Punch the ball away when behind. 5. Inside 50 go for the goal or put it in the paddock. But, that doesn't answer what I look for in a player, what I see with my eye and brain in assessment, rather than eye to hand in execution. When I watch a game, say at the lower level, to begin with, I see all the players going about their individual efforts. Not all players attract further attention for a number of reasons. Occasionally, there is one player who moves through the others, which has an effect on the game. In other words, he stands out when my brain analyses how he is performing, relative to my experience of playing and watching the game. The visual experience of watching this player tells me he is different. I don't have the experience and intimate knowledge from within a club of the highest level to collect, collate and analyze to a microscopic depth. Like art, I know what I like, and that disqualifies me from being an expert. When I look at a player like Dangerfield, I see kids playing in a park on a Saturday morning. He is the big kid mature for his age dominating the others of his same year. He stands out. I think that is what I mean when I say I judge players from how they move. It's the closest I can come to objective selection. Tony Locket is the greatest full forward, (And Nuts Coventry the full forward of the Century), because he kicked more goals than anyone else. How he moved on the ground to achieve that is something that perhaps was obvious to all from an early age. My subjective view would be to pick my favourite full forward, Peter Hudson. Who may not have been an obvious choice back in the day to everybody. Still, I raise this as discourse.
Lukey Miller
Guest
Pretty comprehensive. I would add pace, speed off the mark. Evasive skills are handy too.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
In a word.... improvement. It matters not from whence you come only whither thou goest. This is a trait available to anyone at any time. If your heart is open and you love the game. From the 'born to play' Jimmy Bartel who continued to learn new roles and perfect skills ... to Mark Blicavs who while gifted athletically burned the candle of repetition discipline to grow into an exotic bird. Always a student and when a teacher your student's teach you still. Everyone all the time.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
It would be best if you broke the needs of the club up first. What does the game plan require? Today's AFL landscape is vastly different from 20 years ago; hence, recruiters will be looking for different traits, dependant on their needs. You also have to look at what is quantifiable because specific attributes and traits are difficult to determine, thus value, at an early age of someone's career. Endurance Mental strength through endurance can be tested. Many players find the transition to the AFL challenging due to the extreme cardio requirements. They are not defensively minded, nor have the nous to appreciate two-way gut running. Secondly, some players will never have the tank required to play at the elite level. There are many tests sports scientist can employ to quantify one's ability and use general biomechanics as a guide. This will constitute a vast majority of teams starting 22. Skill Foot & hand skills will be critical in certain game styles, not so in others. However, all game plans will require x-number players to have elite hand & kicking skills in some capacity. Greg Williams is the best handballer I've seen. Darren Jarman, the best kick. Poise A player's skill under pressure. Difficult to quantify, but through close observation at the junior level, you can draw some conclusion. The question is: can they deliver with ten times the heat? Scott Pendlebury is the very best I've seen. Discipline The is the backbone to success. Hard to quantify early, though. However, you'll find out within a player's first few years, which is why you see 'certain' players traded for 'unknown' reasons. Nous A rare commodity indeed. Sam Mitchell is by far the smartest footballer I've ever witnessed. He'll make a great coach. You heard it first here. X-Factor Good recruits scan sense something special. It doesn't happen often, but when you get one...oh what a feeling. Gary Ablett Senior is the finest example we've ever seen. Buddy Franklin, a distant second. Leadership It speaks for itself. You won't win premierships without it. There are no such things as bad teams, just bad leaders. Luke Hodge is simply the best. Toughness This often goes hand-in-hand with leadership. During your darkest hours, it's these guys you turn to. Michael Voss. Nothing else to say. Power When you witness it, it's truly awe-inspiring. There's nothing a coach can do to stop it. Wayne Carey — the ultimate apex predator.
User
Roar Rookie
Respectfully disagree, an innately selfish player can't learn to be selfless imo. Seen so many talented players downfall in this area over the years.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Marking skills would be fourth. Sacrificing for the team can be taught.
User
Roar Rookie
Sacrifice for the betterment of the team would be a sure fourth.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
3 things: - ability to win the footy - footy smarts - decision making with the ball, ability to read the game and get into the right spot - kicking skills Everything else is secondary.