James Craig - forgotten player?

[WALL-e]

I'd actually back Tippett there.

 

[Vader]

Vader.

Branding any player as "mentally soft" is a little tough. and a cop out.
The idea that we throw all recruits to the SANFL draft and see if they can sink or swim is no way to run a professional modern day club.

Smack is sinking at Souths under their expectation that he lead their rucks from day one.
I doubt that this would have been the case at any other club for a rookie fresh from the u18s.
He would have been up against mature aged men taller and stronger and from the early reports he did pretty well but that "freak" broken arm put paid to his first season.
I don't think any "soft" players make it into the draft pool and if they do then the club is at fault and if the Crows are worth their salt they will force the SANFL to change their bloody Mini draft so the bottom teams can't suck the life out of our young recruits.

McKernan is sinking at Souths because he's not good enough. Good players find a way of succeeding at their SANFL clubs and earn a place in the AFL team as a result. They don't necessarily have to be outstanding at SANFL level (Davis wasn't), but they need to be performing a lot better than McKernan did in early 2010, when he was a heartbeat away from being dropped to the magoos.

The most common description I've read of McKernan is that he's a confidence player. To me, this equates to a downhill skier - or someone who is mentally soft. They perform well when everything is going their way, but when it's not going their way they retreat into their shell. McKernan got off to a bad start in 2010, having an absolute shocker of a MMC campaign. He retreated into his shell and took almost 2/3 of a season before he re-emerged from his shell.

The AFC can't afford to have players who are mentally soft. These are the players who are most likely to fold completely, letting their teammates and fans down, when the blowtorch is applied in the highest pressure games of all - finals.

Disagree, I would think had he not got injured in training he would have deserved another game the next week.

He would have - and I would have agreed with the decision. I believe all players should be given at least 2-3 games on debut, so that they have a good idea of the AFL standard and therefore a better understanding of the level they need to reach themselves.

These Tall types certainly need greater time to develop, look at Leunberger his breakout year wasn't until 4th Season. I had look back at 08 draft and very similar types Vickery Pick 08, Cordy pick 14, Post pick 26, Brown pick 15 and Stanley pick 49. Sure the fact is when draft a tall there is this hope because it is patience game which could fail so you could be proved correct but I'm reserving judgement same way that haven't ruled out any other draft picks mentioned above having success careers.

It's certainly true that taller players usually take longer to develop. I am by no means writing him off completely. He could very well go on to prove me wrong - and I would be ecstatic if he were to do so, because the team I love would benefit greatly if he were to reach his full potential. He's only been in the system for 2 years, which is by no means long enough to make a final judgement. He still has plenty of time left in which to improve.

However, the signs I saw in 2010 were not good. He went a long way backwards from where he was at before breaking his arm in 2009. The reasons for this retreat were those which I associate with a major character flaw - mental weakness.

I gather your are pointing out the difference between a say Mark Bickley and a Luke Jericho.

Niether players are "soft" in the true sense of the work, but Bickley is perceived to have been harder at the ball (rightly so) where as Jericho sweated off it a bit more.

This sounds massively harsh but in our current squad it is the difference between Tex & Tippet and Sloane and Danger.

None of the 4 players are "soft" but I know which two I'd be putting money on to get the real hard ball.

I'm not talking about players who are physically soft - a category in which Jericho is our leading candidate. I'm talking about players who are mentally soft. These are the players who are susceptible to sledging because they lack confidence in their own ability. When pressure is applied, they retreat into their shell and fail to perform anywhere close to their true ability.

I'm talking about the mental weakness which the Australian cricketers used to attack the likes of Jonty Rhodes, Herschell Gibbs and Carl Hooper. These were all fine players, but players who wilted under the pressure applied by the Australians.

Jericho is/was physically soft. I believe that McKernan is mentally soft. There is a big difference.

 

[Vader]

McKernan isn't physically soft, which was half of Jericho's problem (in a comparative AFL context). He hits the pack as hard as anyone in our list. He doesn't roam around packs like Moran, he uses his size and weight very well. The problem is his mental application, which can be brought down very quickly. He is prone to dropping his head and brain fades. Having said that, when things are going his way, he is unstoppable and will crash & weave through packs and run coast to coast.

I'm not accusing him of being physically soft - as in lacking physical courage. I'm accusing him of being mentally soft. Refer to my previous post.

 

[Cap]

Are we talking about being soft or being timid?

 

[Vader]

Are we talking about being soft or being timid?

We're talking about someone who lacks confidence in their own ability and who retreats into their shell when things don't go their way or when pressure is applied. Note that this pressure doesn't have to be physical in nature - it's actually more likely to result from sledging or the player applying the pressure to themselves (eg building up to a big game).

In no way do I wish to malign his physical courage.

 

[Cap]

I see what you are saying Vader.

Do we have evidence that he has shirked a contest from sledging or applied pressure?

It sounds more like a bloke who is timid on field rather than mentally weak or soft. being timid on the field can come from a variety of reasons.

I'll look forward to seeing him play against Norwood - I might get a better understanding then!

 

[KUNG FU]

I'm not accusing him of being physically soft - as in lacking physical courage. I'm accusing him of being mentally soft. Refer to my previous post.

Wasn't directed at your post, just redirecting the conversation which went down the Jericho-route.

 

[Vader]

It's not about shirking a contest (that's more related to physical pressure). It's about how he had a poor MMC last year and appeared to lose all confidence in himself. This resulted in him having a very poor first half of the year in the SANFL, before finally rediscovering his mojo in the second half of the year.

He strikes me as being a player with a fragile ego. He let one or two bad games early in the year get to him, ruining his whole season as a result. He's invariably described as being a "confidence player". This means that he performs well when he thinks that he's in good form. Conversely, a single bad game can shake his confidence, resulting in an almost complete loss of form.

Can you imagine someone like Walker, Tippett, Goodwin, Rutten or McLeod reacting in this way? All of these players have had their bad games from time to time, but all of them have shown the ability to bounce back without letting it affect them in the longer term by shaking their confidence in themselves. This is the difference between a player who is mentally strong and mentally weak.

Take Walker as an example. In R16 last year he had an outstanding game, kicking 4 goals on Matthew Scarlett. His form over the next 3 weeks declined to the point where he was dropped for R20. Walker didn't drop his head, retreat into himself and allow it to ruin the rest of his season. He bounced back, kicking 5 goals against the teams which would go on to play in the Grand Final - the 2 most miserly defences in the league. Walker is a classic example of someone who is mentally strong - and this is why I think he will benefit in the longer term from the "tough love" which Craig has dealt him in his formative years.

Compare this with how McKernan reacted to a poor MMC campaign last year and the differences couldn't be more stark.

 

[KUNG FU]

McKernan is sinking at Souths because he's not good enough. Good players find a way of succeeding at their SANFL clubs and earn a place in the AFL team as a result. They don't necessarily have to be outstanding at SANFL level (Davis wasn't), but they need to be performing a lot better than McKernan did in early 2010, when he was a heartbeat away from being dropped to the magoos.

The most common description I've read of McKernan is that he's a confidence player. To me, this equates to a downhill skier - or someone who is mentally soft. They perform well when everything is going their way, but when it's not going their way they retreat into their shell. McKernan got off to a bad start in 2010, having an absolute shocker of a MMC campaign. He retreated into his shell and took almost 2/3 of a season before he re-emerged from his shell.

I totally disagree that McKernan is sinking at Souths. He has racked up more than his fair share bests and that does not equate to downhill skier to me. His 4 goals against Centrals stands out as a game where he showed his ceiling and required little support from those around him. His problem at Souths is inconsistency. McKernan needs the players around him to be competent, not superstars. He has that X-factor himself to break a game open and does so on a regular basis when he has his game face on. However, Souths play the most erratic & reactionary brand of professional football I've ever seen. On top of that they have the worst off-field culture in the league. The extent of Souths' problems have made it harder for McKernan to find consistent form. Having said that, I don't want to him to be moved from Souths, because I think he has definitely benefited from the situation and he shouldn't be molly-coddled. Sure, it might take him a bit longer to prove himself to BF and the match selection committee, but I have absolutely no reservations about his future. He just needs a bit of maturity, which isn't unusual for a 20 yo.

 

[Vader]

Anyway, enough on McKernan. Back to James Craig...

While I remembered his prodigious leap, I had forgotten that he was also immensely strong physically. I'm still not convinced that this will allow him to overcome his height deficit against the genuine ruckmen in the competition.

 

[Mad Fan of AFL]

Rendell thought he (Craig)was the best Ruck left in the draft . He also did well at the carnival. I really didn't think we needed another ruck and certainly not one at his height when we had Sellar and Mckernan already. There was a reason why other clubs didn't pick him up despite been one of the best rucks at the carnival. It was just like Sellar dominating at Junior level because he was physically stronger and bigger than most. Different story at AFL level. Yet we got Craig at #61 (i think), wonder if he would have been available at our first rookie pick that year? These types of players are perfect for our rookie list. Thought that is what the rookie list was mainly used for on project players. We had Griffin on the rookie list and havent had one on there ever since. Like to see us take a genuine ruck on the rookie list and develop him on there..after all we did take a chance on a certain irish player player called Donnelly

 

[Tex200]

Interesting OP...James is certainly right off the radar of most I suspect. If memory serves me correctly he was not just the best ruck left, Rendell said that he was simply the best player left and too good to ignore at 61.

As another interstater I have not seen him live either, but all reports have him capable of dominating SANFL at least. He has has a tough start with injury and of course will need time to develop as he is only young. It seems not so long ago that Jim Sellar was playing reserves but now seems to be coming on well. Easy to forget big guys need time and patience. On the flip side, as Jim did, they need to show persistence, heart and a willingness to improve.

I think provided he is injury free and has a sound season in the SANFL he will have earnt more time on the list. And who knows what may happen....a few BOG's in a row coupled with a bad injury run is all it would take for him to get a sniff. Or in the longer term, maybe one of the others dont come on as expected or wish to be traded elsewhere

Good luck to him...there seems no reason at this stage to make an early call on a premature exit.

 

[cmndstab]

Rendell thought he (Craig)was the best Ruck left in the draft . He also did well at the carnival. I really didn't think we needed another ruck and certainly not one at his height when we had Sellar and Mckernan already. There was a reason why other clubs didn't pick him up despite been one of the best rucks at the carnival. It was just like Sellar dominating at Junior level because he was physically stronger and bigger than most. Different story at AFL level. Yet we got Craig at #61 (i think), wonder if he would have been available at our first rookie pick that year? These types of players are perfect for our rookie list. Thought that is what the rookie list was mainly used for on project players. We had Griffin on the rookie list and havent had one on there ever since. Like to see us take a genuine ruck on the rookie list and develop him on there..after all we did take a chance on a certain irish player player called Donnelly

Rendell actually thought Craig was the best ruck in the draft period - in fact, he went as far as to call Craig the "only standout ruck" in the draft.

 

[crows4always]

Interesting OP...James is certainly right off the radar of most I suspect. If memory serves me correctly he was not just the best ruck left, Rendell said that he was simply the best player left and too good to ignore at 61.

As another interstater I have not seen him live either, but all reports have him capable of dominating SANFL at least. He has has a tough start with injury and of course will need time to develop as he is only young. It seems not so long ago that Jim Sellar was playing reserves but now seems to be coming on well. Easy to forget big guys need time and patience. On the flip side, as Jim did, they need to show persistence, heart and a willingness to improve.

I think provided he is injury free and has a sound season in the SANFL he will have earnt more time on the list. And who knows what may happen....a few BOG's in a row coupled with a bad injury run is all it would take for him to get a sniff. Or in the longer term, maybe one of the others dont come on as expected or wish to be traded elsewhere

Good luck to him...there seems no reason at this stage to make an early call on a premature exit.

I agree,to many on this forum like to criticise.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Sack him - his time is up.

Oh hang on, that's the other one that has to perform this year. Force of habit i guess.

James, lets see how he goes at North Adelaide. Hopefully he can perform up to standard and if needed, step into the side or test himself in the foxtel cup.