sorry to intrude, I was looking about for news on a possible sholl call up when I saw this post...
seems eerily familiar with a guy we plucked off the scrap heap that used to be at your club, Shaun Mckernan - feels like we constantly have to massage his feelings to get him playing OK, if left to his own devices he will end up sulking in his own misery.
Do you see a likeness with JJ and Smack when he was there?
Yes and no. Josh is more the extravert, who probably needs the ego to be massaged a little, but generally I think struggles with complacency and the gut running that seperates talented, but inconsistent KPF’s from the superstars. I also think we spent too much time focusing on trying to make him Jono Brown/Tom Hawkins, by bulking him up and trying to teach him to crash packs, when we should have kept him sub 100kgs and focused on his gut running.
The issues you describe with Shaun sound like the exact same we experienced with Shaun. An introvert who lacks the confidence in his undoubted abilities and easily gets down on himself. Probably wasn’t helped by Neil Craig’s “make em or break em” kind of approach to development in his formative years. Shaun was looking really good in his first season, playing some really good, consistent footy at SANFL level, genuinely earned his debut, only to break his arm and subsequently rebreak it upon his return and never seemed the same player afterwards.