Ruckwatch Round 11

[TheLeftFist8]

Is AFL level football the right place to teach a guy to play football?

After 30 games it seems to working for Kurt Tippett!

(Not saying Moran will be anywhere near as good as Kurt btw but with another 15 games under his belt like Kurt we may get a clearer picture whether he will be boom or bust).

 

[Wood_Duck]

After 30 games it seems to working for Kurt Tippett!

(Not saying Moran will be anywhere near as good as Kurt btw but with another 15 games under his belt like Kurt we may get a clearer picture whether he will be boom or bust).

I dont disgaree. I'm just a bit fed up with people contstantly using the "hes only played a handful of games" defence for players who have had poor performances.

I would have thought that if you are picked to play at the elite level (ie AFL level football) you are expected to be able to play the game. Sure inexperience is always going to be an issue and a defence for making the odd mistake, but I will not wear the whole "hes still learning the game" BS.

I think supporters have a right to assume that any player that runs onto the ground in a crows jumper is up to playing at an elite level.

The fact is that if someone critisizes a player such as Moran for his poor disposal, it has nothing to do with "give him a go, hes still learning" its about whats going on between his ears. As you know, and many of us know, Moran actually has got pretty good skills for a big bloke. He is physically capable of being a very good footballer.Therefore his only issue is to get whats going on between his ears to the same level as his physical attributes.

FWIW I think the poor bloke is just a nervous wreck. Clearly his brain lets him down at times, he has the ability.

 

[CrowHop]

IMO, rucking is a very underrated skill so he probably requires some time to try improve his skills in this area. Obviously he's off to a good start as he's accumulated 80 hit outs at an average of 20 per game over the last 4 weeks and according to 'ruck watch', I'd say that a reasonable proportion have gone to advantage for one with less than 20 games of experience.

Some of the more basic elements of the game such as non-pressured disposals, ball handling, willingness to back in to packs, hitting packs to make a spoil etc is what we'd all like to see him improve on a lot more. This is where he can really make big improvements and contribute a lot more to the team.

I'd also like to see him sometimes put the after-burners on and run forward to free space in the forward 50 or run back in to defence to clog up space. Working over the opposition ruckmen and trying to exploit them (especially a tiring Ryder last week) will add yet another dimension to his game.

Overall, he contributes to the structure allowing Tippett to play forward, and whilst he's improving and Griff is underperforming for the Dogs, he looks like he'll maintain his place in the side.

A good test against McIntosh looms this week and I'm excited to see how he goes.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

As you know, and many of us know, Moran actually has got pretty good skills for a big bloke. He is physically capable of being a very good footballer.Therefore his only issue is to get whats going on between his ears to the same level as his physical attributes.

FWIW I think the poor bloke is just a nervous wreck. Clearly his brain lets him down at times, he has the ability.

I 90% agree with this Woody...in the main i agree it's a mental, not a physical or ability issue, for Moran.

Between the usual nerves of a young bloke, learning the difficult skill of ruck, learning the relatively complex game plans of the Crows especially in regard to positioning behind the ball in zones/kick behind the play, watching what his opponent is doing, consciously making the decision to hit contests hard when it may not be natural for him, plus getting used to the pace of AFL...all adds up to a fair bit on the 'mental plate' of a bloke who, let's be fair, hasn't played a heap of footy in his life.

I'm pretty confident that Moran will continue to gradually improve with consistent footy under his belt as his mind becomes clearer and his confidence grows