Pace-Can you actually train to get it?

[Hellgood]

I read in Inside Football in 2013 that Goodes was in the top three with Rohan and Jetta for sprinters at Sydney. Think Cunningham was right up there too. But point is there is no disgrace for Adam Goodes, as old as he is to make you look silly for pace. Just as it was no disgrace for Kane Cornes to run the pants off his direct opponent up until his retirement. Or for Dustin Fletcher to beat you in a one on one.

 

[Long live PAFC]

The key with speed is the way in which it is used. It is a skill that needs to be developed just like any other. Knowing when and where to sprint is critical. It's why players like Cornes, despite being relatively slow compared with others in the AFL can still lock down some quick units. Watch Nat Fyfe, doesn't run hard all the time but waits for the right moment to utilise that speed.

I thought Moore was rated as a good runner, although I agree he does look one paced at times.

I also agree we have really missed Polec's and White's speed and agility, it's what enables the hard work run of Ebert and Broadbent to be capitalised on. I think we are still one fast midfielder short.

 

[tnk64]

We really are one paced at the moment and PJ Power has identified the three players we miss most. It's a bit sad that a young kid would be so important to adding a bit of pace to the side. Amon would have to replace Moore next week. Neade if he stay involved in a game for more than 20 minutes would be worth bringing back too.

Sorry Dalphonso you can make a bloke a bit quicker with better technique but you'll never turn Andrew Moore into Usain Bolt.

Interestingly, Moore is supposed to be a really good runner. Wikipedia lists his draft 20m sprint at 2.97 seconds and and beep test at 14.1. He even ran at the Grand Final sprint last year if I recall correctly.

 

[Jim Dixon]

Kicking-can you actually train to get it?

Pace is the least of our issues right now.

 

[Robbie4PM]

So you can train to improve your pace but everyone genetically has a make up of slow and fast twitch muscle fibers. So your Ethiopians, Kenyans etc naturally have a large percentage of the slow twitch fibers whereas someone like a Bolt has a very high percentage of fast twitch fibers. You can strengthen these fibers but not really change your genetic make up. So yes you can improve but I doubt these players haven't reached their genetic potential under Burgess. So we need to either recruit faster players or stronger players cause having weak slow players is rather average.

My very basic knowledge on the subject. After this year at uni I shall be able to explain better

 

[Dalfino]

Being professional athletes as the majority of AFL players are, most of them would already be near their peak pace. Just because someone is taller doesn't mean they are slower, and just because someone is shorter doesn't mean they are faster; the fastest man in the world is 195cm, Adam Goodes is 194cm and Ollie Wines is 187cm. Ollie's game style isn't about chasing prime condition forwards down and getting them holding the ball - his style is based on using his muscle, weight and grunt to get the ball effectively out of a stoppage contest. Ollie probably used up all his breath from the last contest anyways. You can't make a fair criticism when comparing a brute inside mid with a running outside mid/forward pocket rover.

We've lost Amon, Polec and White through injury this year and they provide our main source of run - you don't win games by running faster that the opposition, you win games by kicking more goals than the opposition.