View Full Version : 1 - Des Headland
cjwalkley
6 Nov 2002, 10:07
Des' 2002 was a huge step up on his previous form. Gone for the most part was his penchant for fumbling and inaccurate disposal and decision making, in it's place was a forward running link player that was extremely damaging. He was a huge contributor in the Lions making their second consecutive GF. Possibly the standout appearance was in the Preliminary Final against port where he was clearly the best player on the ground. When he was finally tagged in the Grand Final he was very quiet, however all quality young players take awhile to learn how to cope with a tag.
OUTLOOK - has placed a lot of pressure on himself with a huge rise in salary and much publicised home sickness. Will have to out perform McPhee, and whoever the Lions pick with #5 and 21 in the draft. The jury is out on whether he will do this or not. He has the ability and potential to be one of the most damaging players in the AFL, he has had the attitude and mindset to be another wasted talent.
BrisGirl
6 Nov 2002, 15:03
From what I can gather from Fremantle supporters, they want and expect Des Headland to be of Voss's standard.
They will expect the world from him and I doubt he has the experience and team dedication that is required to fill that expectation. Des has stuck me as a player that has no regard for his team other than what they can do for him. No doubt he is good, but there are others on the ground that can make you look good without trying. Jury is still out on his ability to be a team player.
Headland is being paid as a top-tier player, so in 2003, I will show a little more interest in Fremantle than I have ever done before and follow Headland's progress with interest. He might succeed, but you are right CJ, he does have that aura about him, that if things don't go his way, he could fall away.
My interest also lies with.....who will take the 'star' position at Fremantle, there is Pavlich, Croad and now Headland. They will all want to be the star of that team. All three have been given the impression that they are the most important player at the Club, but which one is?.....and you mustn't forget about their Captain....what is his name?
roostersgal4eva
6 Nov 2002, 15:06
Originally posted by BrisGirl
From what I can gather from Fremantle supporters, they want and expect Des Headland to be of Voss's standard.
They will expect the world from him and I doubt he has the experience and team dedication that is required to fill that expectation. Des has stuck me as a player that has no regard for his team other than what they can do for him. No doubt he is good, but there are others on the ground that can make you look good without trying. Jury is still out on his ability to be a team player.
Headland is being paid as a top-tier player, so in 2003, I will show a little more interest in Fremantle than I have ever done before and follow Headland's progress with interest. He might succeed, but you are right CJ, he does have that aura about him, that if things don't go his way, he could fall away.
i agree with you BrisGirl - if they expect him to be another michael voss they are putting too much pressure on des & that will hinder him
Originally posted by BrisGirl
From what I can gather from Fremantle supporters, they want and expect Des Headland to be of Voss's standard.
They will expect the world from him and I doubt he has the experience and team dedication that is required to fill that expectation. Des has stuck me as a player that has no regard for his team other than what they can do for him. No doubt he is good, but there are others on the ground that can make you look good without trying. Jury is still out on his ability to be a team player.
I agree that there will be enormous pressure on him due to the weight of expectation that Freo supporters have.
However, I disagree with your views on him NOT being a team player.
He frequently laid the ball off to team-mates in better positions all throughout 2002 and one of the main beneficiaries of his pinpoint accurate footpasses was one A.Lynch.
Many a time(at the Gabba at least) he passed the ball off despite the urgings of the crowd for him to "have a go" at the sticks from wide out. In fact, many of us believed that on some occasions he was being more conscious of doing the "team" thing when he really should have had a ping.
In a general sense, I don't believe that he could have possibly held his place in our side for so long in 2002, if there had been any hint of selfishness in his play. That's not the Matthews ethic....and Matthews is not easily fooled.
I think we have to be careful about not confusing his motives for leaving us(arguably selfish) with his actual style of play.
If we start retrospectively deciding that one of our erstwhile heroes was actually a selfish spoilt brat, well......it starts to sound a bit like sour grapes.
BrisGirl
6 Nov 2002, 18:22
Originally posted by luthor
If we start retrospectively deciding that one of our erstwhile heroes was actually a selfish spoilt brat, well......it starts to sound a bit like sour grapes.
Hence my statement: Jury is still out on his ability to be a team player.
I do agree that he had to play a team game, or Leigh would have been right onto him. We will see soon enough, and as for sour grapes, that is how you choose to hear it, not how it is.
sabre_ac
6 Nov 2002, 20:27
Des Headland as I see it will be given free rain, told to run forward and all opportunities and play your classic reciever role.
And I mean what exactly did Voss at the age of Headland posses that headland doesnt have.
As I see it there both powerful impact players of a similar ilk.
And as to you who is the bigger star out of Pavlich,Croad and Headland.
Well the fact that the signing of Pavlich came first would suggest he is our number one player.
I woudl also suggest that Bell,Haselby and McpHarlin are currently ahead of headland too
FattyLumpkin
6 Nov 2002, 20:55
Fatty is predicting Freo to be the biggest improvers in 2003. A top 4 possy not out of the question with their list.
As for Dessy - not a bad player, but not a patch on the last Lions player to go west - "Piggy" Fletcher.
Fatty
Des was certainly the turnover king there for awhile. Seemed like he'd panic or try too hard but I suspect his success was a combination of maturity, fitness and both finding and thriving on a team role - being 'the other guy'. As in 'oh yeah, that other guy we've got to match up'. All those posters and behinds and OOTFs from previous seasons became goals.
Once confidence levels were up, he became a game breaker and was given some licence to run forward. He also provided great coverage for the loss of Lappin and Voss. All in all, a great shame that he is lost to the squad.
I think he'll go well with Freo but they have a huge challange still on the road - once the Lions got over it, they snagged a flag.
I remember Des kicking a crunch goal v Pies at the MCG in 2001 from the 50 and thinking - he's finally stepped up .. and his game v Port in the PF was astounding.
I still think that Luke 'Scoota' Power had a better season !
Haggis McHaggis
7 Nov 2002, 01:03
Dessy grew up a bit last year and this year came into his maturity as a thinking player.. he's learnt he has to believe in his own ability to play well at the same time as trusting the coaches role selection.
Des was a talented as hell kid.. everyone adored the boy and when he ran into Field General Matthews and had to serve a hard apprenticeship he buckled under the pressure to do well at times.
Leigh's work with him was smart as with any young player.. I think we were all just frustrated with the way Des rushed himself in his thought for disposal and Leigh treated the way he played accordingly..
He goes home now and he's going to have star status.. expectations will be there but he's got that lesson under the belt I think..
He'll be a decent player for some time if he keeps himself in good nick physically and is prepared to do the work to keep himself there.. whether he gets the strength to do that from club or family or city he has to find it for 10 years..
He's not Vossy though freo fans. there is no Voss standard.. there is Voss..
Anyone that comes along that good is a freak anomoly that should be remembered in it's singularity..
wickedwitch
7 Nov 2002, 06:43
[QUOTE]Originally posted by BrisGirl
[B]From what I can gather from Fremantle supporters, they want and expect Des Headland to be of Voss's standard.
in their dreams!!! Yes, Des had a greatly improved season, but how much of that improvement can be linked to the calibre of the coaching team - and the class of the players around him? I guess next season will tell.
Originally posted by Haggis McHaggis
.......
He's not Vossy though freo fans. there is no Voss standard.. there is Voss..
Anyone that comes along that good is a freak anomoly that should be remembered in it's singularity..
HMcH, you're right - there is Voss
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and then there is everyone else.
I don't think Des is there just yet - but if he keeps his fitness (i.e. keeps his weight down), and plays the way he did in 2002, he could be an asset to Freo - as long as he remembers he is part of a team, NOT the STAR of a team.:o
Mr Ripper
7 Nov 2002, 11:37
Originally posted by sabre_ac
And I mean what exactly did Voss at the age of Headland posses that headland doesnt have.
As I see it there both powerful impact players of a similar ilk. A Brownlow and club captaincy. :cool:
BrainOfMorbius
7 Nov 2002, 11:39
Originally posted by sabre_ac
Des Headland as I see it will be given free rain, Wish we had some of that up this way.
Originally posted by BrisGirl
From what I can gather from Fremantle supporters, they want and expect Des Headland to be of Voss's standard.
And from what I can gather from this thread, and your post especially, you are bitter.
Please, Freo needs a 'receover' midfielder, and we got the best one available, no more no less.
Originally posted by kuepper
And from what I can gather from this thread, and your post especially, you are bitter.
Please, Freo needs a 'receover' midfielder, and we got the best one available, no more no less.
I'd be more inclined to say it's disappointment - we gave this player our love and undivided loyalty - something he couldn't reciprocate - it's almost like a slap in the face - we loved that guy, gave him everything we had, and he dumped us - disappointment, disillusion and a lot of sadness ensues!!
But we will go on - we still have the greatest team of Back2Back Premiers - something we will always remember .. GO THE LIONS!!:(
Des Headland will be at home in Freo, just one more big fish in a small pond. All of the interstate clubs that have achieved the ultimate success did so with homegrown stars and teams that never gained true recognition 'til after the event. Port Adelaide looks the most likely to continue the tradition. Freo is adopting a "popstars" like, recruiting mentality that was briefly tried by us, and has been Sydney's recruiting policy from day one. Sydney were the first interstate team in the VFL/AFL and still no have no Premiership, not to mention being an early favorite for next years wooden spoon. Too many big heads at Freo and Clive Waterhouse is back. Frontline; Clive, Farmer, Croad, Longmuir. All have had the mantle of "star" on their back. Lot of Ego to fit in a 50 metre Arc. Then their are the two Princes Regent. Pavolich was Freo No1 resign and Desi the No1 recruit, both must be viewed as future captains as was Clive once. On paper Pav, to Desi, to that forward line sounds very good. Whether it is photogaph quality paper or the perferrated kind remains to be seen.
There's very little doubt in my mind that Headland will be a very good player (at least), with Fremantle, even if not straight away.
Regardless of whether he was tagged or not, Headland still displayed some awesome talents in the last season (as well as sporadically in previous years). From this fact alone, along as he is able to develop his game further in a stable environment, there is no reason why he couldn't/shouldn't replicate and even better upon these appearances.
Likewise, I don't particularly believe it is entirely accurate to say that Headland was only tagged for the first time in the GF. He had an opponent every time he walked out on to the field this season, and more often than not, he beat them hands-down (whether they were close checking him). Similarly, good/great players are able to over-come taggers, and I have very little doubt that Headland will develop this ability if he does end up enduring a series of hard-tags over time.
At any rate, IMO, the reason that Headland played below his best at the GF, was because of the slippery conditions, rather than having a hard-tag. He still ran hard all day, and attempted to make the play, but his disposal was down in regards to quality.
BrisGirl
10 Nov 2002, 00:48
Originally posted by Stocka
There's very little doubt in my mind that Headland will be a very good player (at least), with Fremantle, even if not straight away.
Regardless of whether he was tagged or not, Headland still displayed some awesome talents in the last season
...with this, I agree.
I think that is what burns the most, he was ours (at his best) for a short period of time, he is an exciting player with huge potential and it will hurt to see him not play for us.
He is gone and I now turn to Shattock, my next future hero ....in line.
Kenny_01
10 Nov 2002, 01:00
Just for the record, we don't expect Headland to be anywhere near as good as Voss, and he won't be our #1 player. Pavlich will be our number #1, Hasleby our #2 and then Headland would join a host of players after them such as Bell, McPharlin, Longmuir, Croad, Farmer, Parker, etc.
Originally posted by Kenny_01
Just for the record, we don't expect Headland to be anywhere near as good as Voss, and he won't be our #1 player. Pavlich will be our number #1, Hasleby our #2 and then Headland would join a host of players after them such as Bell, McPharlin, Longmuir, Croad, Farmer, Parker, etc.
Man, don't group Headland with your other prized recruits such as Croad and Farmer ... we know what will happen then.
BrisGirl
10 Nov 2002, 13:52
Originally posted by ozzult
Man, don't group Headland with your other prized recruits such as Croad and Farmer ... we know what will happen then.
No....what?
sabre_ac
10 Nov 2002, 13:54
Originally posted by ozzult
Man, don't group Headland with your other prized recruits such as Croad and Farmer ... we know what will happen then.
What they have adequate seasons?
Haggis McHaggis
10 Nov 2002, 15:01
Originally posted by sabre_ac
What they have adequate seasons?
adequate?? that's a pretty poor word IMO..
They're gonna want more than adequate if they're thinking of playing finals footy this coming season..
adequate's the way St Kilda and Freo and the early Brissy teams looked at the way they played.. it's a perenial losers word as it shows the preparedness to settle for whatever happens..
adequate ... what a fitting description.