Least important factor when drafting a player

[Nuggo]

Obviously it is hard to draft 5 perfect players each year - what is the one factor you are prepared to do without and hopefully training and development will cover the cracks.

 

[The Golfing Lion]

I chose endurance as it would seem to be the easiest of the options to improve with training.

The most important one for me would be team player (Collingwood this year proved how powerful many 'ok' players can be when fully committed to a cause together (as have Sydney under Roos)).

 

[blynd_freddie]

I selected competitive streak - once the kid sees the number of players all wanting a spot in the selected best 21/22, this becomes something bloody quickly self taught if not already there I would have thought.

 

[MacMum]

I voted wrong!...it pays to read a heading correctly!..stupid woman!!

...didn't see the "least"...voted footy smarts

 

[Snuka]

Where is the 'being from Qld' option?

 

[chopperduck]

Would depend on position, but probably speed or endurance. These can be over rated, as show by the likes of Rocky and Blacky. They can also be improved with training, especially if they are a competitive and driven player (like Rocky who did that extra training to get his fitness up).

Some things like genuine footy smarts can't really be taught.

 

[Trjn]

I voted wrong!...it pays to read a heading correctly!..stupid woman!!

...didn't see the "least"...voted footy smarts

I was thinking that was the only way someone could vote that

Especially when you consider that footy smarts is second only to hair colour in importance. Got to keep that supply of rangas coming.

 

[MacMum]

...I was missing my own footy smarts..

 

[PaddlePopLion]

I voted team player, my rationale being that it can be taught the easiest if the draftee shows glimpses of the other desirable skills.. but I reckon there have been champion players in the past lacking one or more other desirable skills on this list.

 

[Nuggo]

Before the rule change I was more tempted to go speed over endurance as with the masses but now I am not so sure. Speed is useless if a player can't run out four quarters of footy and/or shake a tag.

This draft we will see what our guys believe is the future of footy with the new rule change. The need for speed we were missing this year may not be as great next year. I still think we will still draft a few speed demons but not at the sacrifice of endurance.

 

[charles202]

I went with Speed being the least important factor.

Good smarts and skills will more than make up for lack of foot speed.

More than one way to avaoid being tackled other than burning off your opponent, Ive lost count of times Ive seen Black avoid a tackle by changing direction or a swerve.

I bet that Rich's pass from his left boot moves even faster over 50m than Acker did even in his heyday.

On the flip side Sherman has speed to burn!

 

[blueiris]

Obviously it is hard to draft 5 perfect players each year - what is the one factor you are prepared to do without and hopefully training and development will cover the cracks.

i would say speed you can do without as long he has endurance and is a team player i would be happy to draft him

 

[danielcan]

Since Lethal's departure, being named Joel or Daniel.

 

[Lace Out]

Red hair.

 

[POBT]

Good thread Nuggo.

I am tempted to say "hardness". I think that if you have a separate option for "hardness" and "competitive streak", then I think the latter is more important in modern footy. "Hardness" is probably a scarce quantity anyway in modern footy. Very few hard men running around. "Hard at the footy" - different story and becoming more and more vital as the Grand Final demonstrates.

 

[Mayestro]

I agree with PaddlePopLion- team player is the least important as it is the easiest to be taught. One or two JBrown stares would be enough to chastise a young recruit, as opposed to a few seasons training to improve skills or endurance.

In addition, whilst team oriented play goes a long way to winning games (laying shepherds to protect the ball carrier, decoy leads, passing to a player in a better position), the flip side of being a team player is having the self confidence to take the game on- to take a shot when there's few options, or to try and burn off or elude an opposition player.

 

[Antman78]

Picked hardness, simply because it’s based on attitude rather than being an attribute would also assume that hardness, competitive streak and being a team player would come with playing in a positive culture while other options may take a few preseason’s to obtain.

 

[dlanod]

I agree with PaddlePopLion- team player is the least important as it is the easiest to be taught. One or two JBrown stares would be enough to chastise a young recruit, as opposed to a few seasons training to improve skills or endurance.

In addition, whilst team oriented play goes a long way to winning games (laying shepherds to protect the ball carrier, decoy leads, passing to a player in a better position), the flip side of being a team player is having the self confidence to take the game on- to take a shot when there's few options, or to try and burn off or elude an opposition player.

If being a team player is so easy to teach, how come we seem to have persistant issues with players not shepherding, etc?

 

[Hollow Knight]

Red hair.

Kidding yourself.

 

[Mayestro]

If being a team player is so easy to teach, how come we seem to have persistant issues with players not shepherding, etc?

Yep, you pretty much got me there. Persistent team B.O. issues?

 

[Lace Out]

Kidding yourself.

Indeed.

 

[royboy2]

Where is the 'being from Qld' option?

Had the exact same thought

 

[Nuggo]

Good thread Nuggo.

I am tempted to say "hardness". I think that if you have a separate option for "hardness" and "competitive streak", then I think the latter is more important in modern footy. "Hardness" is probably a scarce quantity anyway in modern footy. Very few hard men running around. "Hard at the footy" - different story and becoming more and more vital as the Grand Final demonstrates.

I was sort of thinking alone the same lines as hardness but how important is it to be able to play through with a niggle (obviously playing with a niggle or injury in the first place is another debate but it frequently happens). Also what about getting up quickly after a big hit and playing on. Moments like those can lift a team not to mention what it does to a supporter.