Is the Footballers footballer dead?

[immortalmike]

You do realise that people know their players best, and would be able to say things as above with a good deal of knowledge, right?

Crossy has some good overhead skills and he is tenacious, but his major attribute is his ability to get to a large amount of contests on the back of his running ability. The guy's a terrible kick and an ordinary decision maker in a lot of ways.

When talking about a real footballer's footballer I took it to mean someone who eats, sleeps and breathe's football since childhood. If you can't say that about a bloke who hides footballs in cupboards and trains in his pre-season break who can you say that about?

 

[doppleganger]

Why do people assume that it is only 'explosive' athletes who are athletes??

A bloke like Sidebottom is an elite endurance athlete.

 

[bluepride]

Why do people assume that it is only 'explosive' athletes who are athletes??

A bloke like Sidebottom is an elite endurance athlete.

Does that mean Brett Kirk is a great athlete...i dont know...

 

[Blue and Silver]

Why do people assume that it is only 'explosive' athletes who are athletes??

A bloke like Sidebottom is an elite endurance athlete.

To be fair. In this sport good endurance is already a prerequisite for making it. Blokes without tanks are quickly found out. Therefore attributes which really stand out are those which not everyone has, like Yarran's speed or Natanui's leap.

A lot of really good long distance runners involved in our sport.

 

[Bring back Moloney]

Silly thread. Sure there have been a few blokes picked mainly due to athletic reasons mainly, but this thread is really exaggerating things!

Just from Geelong alone there is Bartel, Selwood, Enright, Scarlett, Chapman, Johnson, Corey, Kelly etc that aren't athletically superior, but just good old fashioned footballers.

 

[jeemak]

When talking about a real footballer's footballer I took it to mean someone who eats, sleeps and breathe's football since childhood. If you can't say that about a bloke who hides footballs in cupboards and trains in his pre-season break who can you say that about?

Don't think the OP was ambiguous, and pretty much all of the other examples raised by people in the thread are probably a bit different than what you've raised in Daniel Cross.

Cross has always been a hard and dedicated worker, and the fact he leaves footballs in cupboards and holds on to a football for most of his life probably proves that even he knows he has to work harder than others to make up for a shortfall in talent and needs to work his arse off to be competitive.

 

[Simple Jack]

Can't believe it took 51 posts for Lenny Hayes to be mentioned.
Talk about out of sight out of mind. He's pretty much the epitome of a footballers footballer, not that fast, can't kick that far, just battles and pulls it out of nowhere when his team needs him (see goal in 2010 drawn GF, Lenny just can't kick that far but he did).

Pic because none posted of him have been sufficient.

 

[jeemak]

^SJ - I can't believe it either, it's just so unfair. Lenny doesn't have enough people up his backside does he? The media never bang on about him, the coaches never talk him up and he seems to just get brushed aside by other players.

Thanks for posting that picture. It just shows how much of a footballer's footballer he is.

Lenny's a gun, of course, and he is fitting for this thread for sure. Truth is though, there's numerous players on every list that fit the bill.

 

[JoondalupJ]

Is the natural footballer dead?

Too often we are seeing, clubs picking athletics and turning them into footballers instead of picking footballers and turning them into athletes.

Dont get me wrong, I love seeing a Shaun Hampson go for a big leap or a Lewis Jetta go on a searching run, but how can a game that has evolved in so many aspects still see players not being able to use both sides of their body or even use their preffered side to perfection.

I certainly wont go as far to say you will find better kicking skills in the VFL, WAFL, but the improvement in natural footballing skills has not improved at the rate of other areas.

Sam Mitchell is one of the only players who fits the cateogry of a natural footballer in todays game.

Have we lost the natural footballer, who might not be the quickest in the team or jump the highest but can kick ethier side of the body, take a grab

This is changing , Clubs are looking a little more at footballers Aussie style a bit more than athletes. Now you have tobe a runner and a fit individual in fact a very fit individual . But you need skills that fits aussie rules.

I think that clubs are looking at more skilfull footballers rather than the super athletes that run forever. Remember you still have to be fit to play this game at the top level. But more importantly you gotta be able to kick and handball legally and read the play and bump and bustle under packs you gotta get the ball . You have to be able to kick straight the basics
is very important. Thr skill of playing Australian rules football at the top level is so much harder than any other sport that you just can,t change the game into super running you have to be able to do things with the football so as your team mate actually receives the ball from you. Too many years clubs have looked at athletes instead of footballers, Some have come to the fore and been able to gather the skills together and make it work. Thats good.
But footy loses something if its just about super sonic speed and no skilful ball handling and kicking. I don,t mind if the game slows . I want to see high marks and on the spot brilliant foot passes and perfectly timed hand passes. Our game is unlike anything in the world , its the best.

 

[brmi]

Geelong is a team full of footballer's footballers. Look at the guys in that team; Selwood, Bartel, Ling, Enright, Kelly, Chapman, Scarlett, etc etc none of them "athletes" per se but classically talented footballers. Their midfield in terms of pure athleticism would be one of the weakest in the league yet their footballing talent is the best.

100% right.

Geelong has won 3 out of the last 5 flags with footballers. Not Athletes.

Jimmy Bartel is an absolute champion but no where near an athlete.

 

[speedytiger]

More alive than ever. Being able to kick is back!