Receivers Morph Into Hard Body Players

[TigerGar]

The ability to finish off skillfully will mostly be secondary to the ability to fight and get the hard contested ball first.
When you force naturally receiving/goto players to be more physical, you are tempting fate to injure them. As we have experienced with Rory Hilton against Melb and last year with Fiora and Daffy.
Throughout their formative years of playing, Goto players have developed the skills to receive and deliver with efficiency. To change their natural game by putting their bodies on the line is fraught with danger. This may seem to be an act of courage and inspiration, but to those illequiped for hard body contact, sadly means injury and loss to the team of a valuable player.
In and under hard ball players, have also developed their style of play through their formative years. They can sense when ,where, and how to give and receive a bump with innane timing, manouvering their body to give the hardest Impact with a reduced exposure to injury.
Richmond need to recruit more players that naturally play this way, in the mould of a Rattan or Johnston for example. We have some in King, Sziller,Rogers,Rodan & Kellaway. Receiving Players are essential to all teams even if others perception is of them being weak and stand-offish, coaches can go a little over board in trying to mould existing players all under one umbrella of being tough and hard. This strategy is very much a short term solution that will become unworkable, sapping confidence from the injured player.
The initial seed of Fear that developed the receiving style of play in a player is so deep rooted in his make up that under extreme physical pressure (as per Essendon game), the Fear factor is exposed.
The hard body players generate confidence in the receivers, protecting their safety with shepards or hard body bumps to their opponents, allowing them to deliver or finish with efficency and polish therefore inspiring the whole team. They create a strong physical presence to allow team-mates to walk tall and function to their best abilities.
There needs to be a balance , at the moment we have a glut of receivers. This player group will win against under developed opposition teams but not The Brisbanes & Essendons the stepping stones to a PREMIERSHIP (The Purpose to our existence).

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Originally posted by TigerGar
The ability to finish off skillfully will mostly be secondary to the ability to fight and get the hard contested ball first.
When you force naturally receiving/goto players to be more physical, you are tempting fate to injure them. As we have experienced with Rory Hilton against Melb and last year with Fiora and Daffy.
Throughout their formative years of playing, Goto players have developed the skills to receive and deliver with efficiency. To change their natural game by putting their bodies on the line is fraught with danger. This may seem to be an act of courage and inspiration, but to those illequiped for hard body contact, sadly means injury and loss to the team of a valuable player.
In and under hard ball players, have also developed their style of play through their formative years. They can sense when ,where, and how to give and receive a bump with innane timing, manouvering their body to give the hardest Impact with a reduced exposure to injury.
Richmond need to recruit more players that naturally play this way, in the mould of a Rattan or Johnston for example. We have some in King, Sziller,Rogers,Rodan & Kellaway. Receiving Players are essential to all teams even if others perception is of them being weak and stand-offish, coaches can go a little over board in trying to mould existing players all under one umbrella of being tough and hard. This strategy is very much a short term solution that will become unworkable, sapping confidence from the injured player.
The initial seed of Fear that developed the receiving style of play in a player is so deep rooted in his make up that under extreme physical pressure (as per Essendon game), the Fear factor is exposed.
The hard body players generate confidence in the receivers, protecting their safety with shepards or hard body bumps to their opponents, allowing them to deliver or finish with efficency and polish therefore inspiring the whole team. They create a strong physical presence to allow team-mates to walk tall and function to their best abilities.
There needs to be a balance , at the moment we have a glut of receivers. This player group will win against under developed opposition teams but not The Brisbanes & Essendons the stepping stones to a PREMIERSHIP (The Purpose to our existence).

great post TG in fact one of the best here on BF.i totally agree with your thoughts on this matter.
you only have to look back to our great era in the late 60,s thru to the early 80,s to back up your statement.
kevin sheedy,francis bourke,neil balme,robbie mcgie,mick malthouse,jimmy jess to name a few.just on their reputations alone would make the oppisition think twice.
cheers!

 

[CJH]

I am not sure Hilton was ever a receiver. He was recruited by Brisbane originally (with pick #3 I think) as a hard player. He was subsequently traded to Richmond under the same belief.

His problem was that he was doing too much receiving and not enough of what he was being paid for. Now he's gone and done a 'Bourkey' - put himself in more danger than was healthy for him.

I am also not sure if there should be such a delineation between a 'getter' and 'receiver'. Sure players like Tivendale and Bowden are there to run with the ball and deliver beautifully but they should also be able to get in and win there own hard ball as well.

Take Nathan Buckley (or even Wayne Campbell) for example. He is a 'Receiving' player in the same mould as Bowden but also is capable of getting down and dirty inside the pack.

Of course, the best type of player is Michael Voss who is the best at getting the hard ball then has the run, balance and skill to also be a running player.

Sadly, players like him a totally rare.

 

[TigerGar]

Originally posted by CJH
.

I am also not sure if there should be such a delineation between a 'getter' and 'receiver'. Sure players like Tivendale and Bowden are there to run with the ball and deliver beautifully but they should also be able to get in and win there own hard ball as well.

Voss, Akermanis, Hird and Buckley are pretty much your complete footballers as you say players like these are totally rare.
Therfore there is a delination between a getter and receiver, and to try and change a receiver into a getter wont work because he hasnt developed and played his football as a getter, its not in his pysche and cant be taught, it has to be inherent in the players make up. They cant perform to the best of their abilities on what dosnt come naturally to them, and leave themselves open to injury.
Cheers CJ

 

[shaun]

Fantastic statement. The absolute champions of the game are getters with alot of skill. ie Voss, Stewart, Baldock, M.Rioli, Weightman, etc. These blokes come to a club once a decade. History will show that good teams have more than 1 or 2.
The closest we have at present to one of these rare types is our captain.
He is more of a receiver turned getter, and I agree, it's not something you can learn, its there or its not.
Based on the fact we have non of these types at tigerland today, we must continue to nurture the the kids in the hope we have the right ones.
We must continue to play in the middle the getters that we have, ie King,Sziller,Hilton,Kellaways, and we must continue to surround them with receivers with skill so they can deliver the ball.