Opinion So What Is Player Development?

[BlueTongue]

I'm sorry, therubbernub, you lost me when you said Juddy wasn't a good captain. His ability to drag the team over the line again and again cannot be minimised, nor can his natural leadership abilities. He's an AA captain, a duel Brownlow medallist, and I'm pretty sure he's won the B&F 6 time over his career. He pulled us up from the bottom of the ladder pretty much singlehandedly.

He was a damned good captain.

He was a good Captain in terms of leading by example. But this is not enough, for some players need to be told what to do, not simply shown how it's done, and a spray or kick in the pants to be motivated is what Juddy never delivered. Nor will Murph. They are too quiet and would rather have a go at carrying the team themselves rather than get stuck into a teammate. I think we need someone with more mongrel, whom is a fierce competitor, and has a bit more 'ego'. I could see Cachia growing into this role but at present, I'm not sure who would do any better than Murph at motivating the troops.

 

[Blue since 72]

Ok. How do people think things have changed for an 18 year old kid coming into the system from 10/20 years ago? Easier or harder? Why?

I think the basics are the same in that you still need to earn the respect and find your spot in the "community" as it were however it's much harder to just be nowadays, especially if you're earmarked by the media for having either talent, a colourful personality or god forbid both.

Once you're in the scrutiny is in some cases just ridiculous and will certainly test the average player's strength of character.

Where once a player acting up was much more generally accepted by the wider community as boys being boys or a bit of fun now the whole planet sits in moral judgement while the offending player's sorry arse is dragged before the world to apologise for what is quite often a minor indiscretion.

Personally I believe it's not too hard to not be a dickhead but I'd sure as hell be an angry man if I had to put up with some of the invasive behaviour players get from the media and general public these days.

 

[mediumsizered]

I think the basics are the same in that you still need to earn the respect and find your spot in the "community" as it were however it's much harder to just be nowadays, especially if you're earmarked by the media for having either talent, a colourful personality or god forbid both.

Once you're in the scrutiny is in some cases just ridiculous and will certainly test the average player's strength of character.

Where once a player acting up was much more generally accepted by the wider community as boys being boys or a bit of fun now the whole planet sits in moral judgement while the offending player's sorry arse is dragged before the world to apologise for what is quite often a minor indiscretion.

Personally I believe it's not too hard to not be a dickhead but I'd sure as hell be an angry man if I had to put up with some of the invasive behaviour players get from the media and general public these days.

It's a good point you make. The football media is insatiable in its pursuit of a 'story'. So many trying to out-headline the next journo, preferably with a bad news story.

I remember a time when the likes of Alf Brown & Percy Beames weren't interested in bringing down a young player (or even a coach), they were more inclined to analyse the game of football. Of course it was a time when journos knew where the line was drawn & weren't interested in crossing it.

 

[thylacine60]

You didn't see Alf Brown on TV. In fact you never saw him anywhere. He was a fair dinkum print sports journo. Brilliant.

 

[mediumsizered]

You didn't see Alf Brown on TV. In fact you never saw him anywhere. He was a fair dinkum print sports journo. Brilliant.

I used to love reading his feature articles. Nothing but quality.

 

[Blue since 72]

It's a good point you make. The football media is insatiable in its pursuit of a 'story'. So many trying to out-headline the next journo, preferably with a bad news story.

I remember a time when the likes of Alf Brown & Percy Beames weren't interested in bringing down a young player (or even a coach), they were more inclined to analyse the game of football. Of course it was a time when journos knew where the line was drawn & weren't interested in crossing it.

Yes I'd much prefer to read a decent article about the footy instead of some pulp about player x shagging his team mate's missus.

 

[Jock]

I'm not sure we've been great in this area but also far from the worst. The problem is we have kept players on our list for too long waiting for them to come good. You can polish a turd all you like but it aint ever gunna shine. I believe our player development looks worse than what it actually is simply because we've carried players on our list for too long that were never going to be consistently good AFL players. Our list improved over the trade period and hopefully in the next draft again, no doubt over the next two years there will be commentary on our improved player development. I'd argue whilst possibly quite true its mainly driven by an improved list.

 

[thylacine60]

Too much sense, Jock.

 

[BluStreak]

Forgive me if I am stating the obvious but I take it that each player is given an appraisal after each game and then a list of things to work on with the coaches.
I would also believe that they would also be given their next week's assignment to study.

If this is the case then player development is equally delivered by the coaching / support staff and the player themselves.

What role does the Leadership group have in this process? Are they included in the appraisal and development of our players?

(Please understand that I have never played competitive AFL outside of school so I really don't know the inner workings of a professional team other than what I read.)

 

[JamisonRun40]

Agree Blustreak and it would also come down to the players end of season's appraisal and what each player has to work on.

Also agreed about Judd being an ok captain he certainly isn't a Simpson who we all agree should of been captain. Simpson worked on his deficiencies over his career and is now a great example of player development as with Cachia.

 

[BluStreak]

Love Judd. What he has brought to our team is beyond measure.
Imo Murph appears to have a similar style of captaincy to Juddy, on the field - pick the team up and carry them. I would like to see Murph develop into a 'tear them a new Askhole' type captain and not take it all upon himself. Happy to see how he goes next season.

Sure he should lead from the front but he should also be getting the other guys to lift themselves. He can not do it all by himself and that is what Judd has had to do. I am not recommending the on field antics of T-bird but more the word in the ear type.

Simmo is a perfect foil for Murph.
I would love that each zone had a captain and vice captain who took upon themselves to relay the team messages, instill confidence in the playing group, lift up a player who is having a shocker etc. These guys would be our leadership group supporting Murph.
I personally had Carrots as my choice, but Simmo grew on me after about round 5.

 

[Deep Blue]

Obviously our friends over at Essendon* took player development into a very murky new frontier to say the least! We never want to adopt the mantra of "Whatever It Takes", but we need to ensure we keep pace with new (and old) trends, preferably proven results-based methodologies that enable us to develop players with their ball skills, physical attributes (strength, stamina, power, agility), mental attributes (psychological resilience, visual/aural awareness, game awareness and leadership). There is no quick fix - it takes good (and sufficient numbers of) support staff, the best facilities, equipment and resources; importantly an integrated, concerted, disciplined approach is required.

Where do you think we sit with fast-tracking player development? Where can we improve? Which teams do you think are leading the way at the moment with the use of new technology and methods (Port Adelaide with hypnosis?)? Does anyone have inside knowledge on the latest trends/developments in the AFL or other sports? As far as "above the shoulders" development goes is it still just Leading Teams who are "leading the way"?

[Just out of interest, I started using a recently released iPad app called Ultimeyes - it was developed by a neuroscientist at the University of California and it relies on the well-established concept of neuroplasticity. Apparently the app was used over a number of sessions with a US baseball team in a study and reportedly it resulted in many of the players improving their visual acuity by two lines on an eye chart. The program uses what are called Gabor stimulii to improve the visual processing of the brain. I'm working up to developing X-ray vision! Maybe this could have helped Shaun Hampson!]

 

[ODNBlue]

Paid plug?

 

[Deep Blue]

Paid plug?

Nah, although I did correspond with the developer (Professor Sietz) a bit via email on the first day it came out. I reckon it has made my vision a bit sharper already, but I'll wait until the end of the program and won't jump to conclusions. I'm sure, more and more, video simulations/virtual reality games will be used to improve mental processing of visual and aural signals - if spatial awareness can be improved (sped up) then it leaves more time for the brain to make decisions; I'm sure clubs already dabble to some extent in these technologies - the days of purely "pumping iron" in the gym are gone!

 

[ODNBlue]

Nah, although I did correspond with the developer (Professor Sietz) a bit via email on the first day it came out. I reckon it has made my vision a bit sharper already, but I'll wait until the end of the program and won't jump to conclusions. I'm sure, more and more, video simulations/virtual reality games will be used to improve mental processing of visual and aural signals - if spatial awareness can be improved (sped up) then it leaves more time for the brain to make decisions; I'm sure clubs already dabble to some extent in these technologies - the days of purely "pumping iron" in the gym are gone!

Quite fascinating actually!

 

[thebluelagoon]

gee mate, don't put this shiz on the board for people to see, take it straight to sticks!
the australian cricket team have a vision consultant who does some of this ipad mumbo jumbo with the players... I have no doubt that its might work but if the blues jump on this as quickly as they jumped on the draft an avenue for recruiting players we should be in big by 2021

 

[blueboy25]

Hire Stephan Dank

 

[Deep Blue]

Hire Stephan Dank

Reckon we'd have more chance of hiring Toby Mitchell!

 

[zeeCFC]

Wiley, Osbourne etc new additions to the development team look great. New recruiting structure with great results in the last two years...I have no issue with where we're headed there, especially love the strong direction from Rogers.

In terms of training and teaching Robinson to kick short or Levi to kick straight I don't have any inside info on what sort of work goes into that to make an opinion whether it's a development issue or mental with the individuals. No team is perfect though...

 

[zeeCFC]

Players who have noticeably improved in the last two years who will be pushing for best 22:

Buckley, Graham, Menzel, Watson, Bell. Cripps, Holman already look like wins too.

That's 7 new faces along with Thomas, Everitt, Docherty, Boyd*, Shiel*

*pray to Judd

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

Players who have noticeably improved in the last two years who will be pushing for best 22:

Buckley, Graham, Menzel, Watson, Bell. Cripps, Holman already look like wins too.

That's 7 new faces along with Thomas, Everitt, Docherty, Boyd*, Shiel*

*pray to Judd

Add Cachia, Rowe, Touhy and arguably the Irish boys (who were always going to get better as they picked up the game) to that list to.

We are often criticized for our development and that is obviously wrong looking at that list. IMO it comes down to list management, not necessarily drafting but assembling an even list capable of moving with the game. I don't think Ratts had great communication with the recruiters and MM is/will be paying for it.

 

[Deep Blue]

Wiley, Osbourne etc new additions to the development team look great. New recruiting structure with great results in the last two years...I have no issue with where we're headed there, especially love the strong direction from Rogers.

In terms of training and teaching Robinson to kick short or Levi to kick straight I don't have any inside info on what sort of work goes into that to make an opinion whether it's a development issue or mental with the individuals. No team is perfect though...

You look back at the black and white film from the 30s with Bradman hitting the golf ball against the wall to improve his reaction time and wish that there was something that could be done with Robbo and especially Levi - perhaps with advances in biomechanics, virtual reality and "brain training" we might see some improvement in the near future with players able to more effectively and quickly address their achilees heel?

 

[BM123]

Wiley, Osbourne etc new additions to the development team look great. New recruiting structure with great results in the last two years...I have no issue with where we're headed there, especially love the strong direction from Rogers.

In terms of training and teaching Robinson to kick short or Levi to kick straight I don't have any inside info on what sort of work goes into that to make an opinion whether it's a development issue or mental with the individuals. No team is perfect though...

Just look at Butcher for Port. Worse kick then Cas.

Tappa !!

 

[BM123]

Players who have noticeably improved in the last two years who will be pushing for best 22:

Buckley, Graham, Menzel, Watson, Bell. Cripps, Holman already look like wins too.

That's 7 new faces along with Thomas, Everitt, Docherty, Boyd*, Shiel*

*pray to Judd

You forgot Boots, Lucas and Mcinnes. We need some of these guys to become A graders as well though.

Tappa !!

 

[BluStreak]

question. Last pre-season (2013) Levi cannoned into a BL player and seriously hurt them. What effect did that have on Levi?
The season before that incident he was getting games and we were excited about his prospects.
After that incident it appears his intensity etc dropped away.

Am I just imagining this?