Best complimentary sport?

[bluepride]

Been a long time since posting a thread let along being on this site but thought, why not .

Seems more and more these days that youngsters growing up are playing more then one sport and in many cases being supremely talented in more then one.
Stephen coniglio and Jack Watts are the first that spring to mind.

Which sport is the best that compliments our great game?

The most common duo sport combinations that youngsters are doing look like, basketball and cricket.... however could rugby be the best one?

Personally I believe its basketball, and playing a great deal of it myself at many levels, it just helped my football out so much. It seemed like football was in slowmo the more i played bball...it gave me time and space that i just didnt have.

You can see this in Scott Pendlebury who was a terrific basketball player, who it looks like...he could have a dinner and watch a movie before he finds the correct target to dispose to.

What do bigfooty think

 

[Wallaby]

These days - distance running. Seriously.

If you recruit a kid without the right-sized tank, you have to wait 3-4 pre-seasons before he is at elite endurance level. You could get 95% of that from a teen distance athletics regime.

Probably a 1500-3000 background would be best.

 

[Gybe]

I've always thought that compliments related to synchronized swimming were a bit over the top.

 

[wce4premiership]

I think basketball or soccer.

All three sports employ similar tactics.

400m runners would be the best suited to afl imo.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Seems more and more these days that youngsters growing up are playing more then one sport and in many cases being supremely talented in more then one.

You're kidding aren't you? I suggest to take a look into history to discover the plethora of multi-talented sports people have played at the elite level in more than one sport.

 

[WN123]

Pretty widely accepted principal of long term athlete development is that children benefit far more from playing multiple sports rather than specializing too early. Plenty of skills in footy such as lateral movement, positioning, peripheral awareness etc that are far better developed in other sports.

 

[IanW]

You're kidding aren't you? I suggest to take a look into history to discover the plethora of multi-talented sports people have played at the elite level in more than one sport.

Karmichael Hunt, for example.

And I agree on basketball - Australian Rules is a cross between basketball and ice hockey, played with a rugby ball on a very big field.

 

[Flukey!]

You're kidding aren't you? I suggest to take a look into history to discover the plethora of multi-talented sports people have played at the elite level in more than one sport.

Isn't that what bluepride said?

 

[Running Dog]

I'm sure you mean complementary? A complimentary sport would be one that says nice things about AFL.

Funny, Australian rules football was originally conceived as a 'complement' to cricket, to allow cricketers to remain fit during the winter months!

But going on the mechanics of the two sports the bat and ball games (cricket, baseball etc) are a different category of hand-to-eye skill sets altogether.

Obviously Gaelic football has complementarities with AFL, but otherwise AFL is quite a unique sport, with elements of rugby, soccer, basketball, ice hockey, darts, chess, fishing, alligator wrestling, and hackeysack.

(And before I'm advised that the sport is not called 'AFL'- yes, I know. AFL is a convenient shorthand for 'Australian rules football', and it seems to me that's how most people use the term).

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Probably basketball. Teaches good movement and awareness, eye-hand co-ordination and endurance.

Would have thought that through the ages, the kids that were good at one sport were pretty good at all of them. Certainly was the case when I went to school, so hardly "more and more these days" for mine.

 

[Big Blood]

I'm sure you mean complementary? A complimentary sport would be one that says nice things about AFL.

Any sport commentated by Bruce is highly complimentary.

 

[QS]

Middle distance running and/or Football (the world version). Good tank and good agility.
Although I would suggest a weights regime would be required, but thats no different to most rookies.

 

[Rack Watts]

Basketball and 400-800m running I'd say are the best things to have under your belt.

 

[TheRedPill]

The boys always get around me in indoor soccer games - very flattering, so I'd say that.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Yeah soccer or basketball for me

Soccer for the awareness and basketball for the movement - basketball doesn't have the endurance or distance factor due the size of the court though

Rugby is a tough one, as even though it's good for the physical side of things, your awareness is shot as a lot of the time it's two drones of players running at each other

 

[Easty]

You're kidding aren't you? I suggest to take a look into history to discover the plethora of multi-talented sports people have played at the elite level in more than one sport.

People are frequently very talented at other sports, just most eventually pick one sport and stick to it.

Btw though, Dean Brogan is another example (or is it another PA ruckman I'm thinking of?)

Basketball is the most complementary. Scott West is another great example. Just seems to give you amazing vision that sport.

 

[QS]

Without googling I think you're on the money with the Bogan.

 

[Fumbles]

I'd put European Handball over Basketball

It's the same fast paced style with a lot of running, finding gaps, movement and ball handling skills but at the same time it's got a hell of a lot more contact and defensive skills akin to footy

 

[scottwade]

Haven't read the OP, but surely Trugo.

Everyone is extremely polite and absolutely complimentary.

 

[Easty]

Without googling I think you're on the money with the Bogan.

Yeah it was him. Played for the Adelaide 36er's before coming into the AFL.

Also you have an awesome avatar.

 

[iluvparis]

Won a title in the NBL as well.

Fair sportsman (but a seems a tool of a bloke)

 

[Tiff]

I played football, basketball and cricket at high levels as a young'un.

Played football and basketball in tandem during winter and cricket during summer, obviously.

Was probably most talented at basketball, followed by football, but just lacked the confidence in basketball to take the game on as my coaches insisted I could.

Eventually dropped everything for cricket, which I focused all my time and engergy on until I lost interest when I became a "man" and found the bottle and pussy.

Cricket is something that needs to be drilled into your brain from a very age and natural talent is rare, and highly sort-after like gold nuggets. Which pissed me off and I hated the attention and just wanted to be a normal 16 old.

One thing I lacked in football was literally the endurance. I was one of the quickest 100 - 200 m sprinters consistently through school and carnivals. Yet anything over that and I was dropping back to the pack with the fatties and stoners. Coaches wanted me to keep playing football, but I couldn't handle the running, I was quick and dangerous, but only in short bursts. Which I saw, as basically a waste of my time. At this point my Dad decided I was going to play cricket instead.

Kept playing basketball and dominated, until I got into a higher level where the training just got out of hand. I'd be ran into the ground until I felt like I'd coughed blood and vomited and passed out etc etc etc. I remember the coach even made us drag this one poor fella along the court at training because he'd passed out on his last sprint lap around the court and coach reckoned he HAD to finish that lap. I gave up on that shit.

Cricket was made for me, but I don't really think the other sports really helped me at all with cricket. Cricket is a beast of its own.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I'd put European Handball over Basketball

It's the same fast paced style with a lot of running, finding gaps, movement and ball handling skills but at the same time it's got a hell of a lot more contact and defensive skills akin to footy

Absolutely, great game, used to play it at primary school and in the Navy.

There was a reason before the 2000 Olympics the Australian Handball honchos were trying to entice high profile AR players to the sport. I think Richard Osborne was pretty keen to have a crack. Carey was mentioned as a dream signing at the time.

 

[Hand]

Basketball, requires composure in contested situations, something that makes Scott Pendlebury such a good player, considering his Basketball background. Also the running from end to end simulates the role of being a midfielder.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Has to be horse racing with both changing their start times to accommodate the other on Saturday.