Ive played footy since I was 7. Being short as **** every time I put my head over the ball or back into a pack it really hurts yet I still do it. Do I get to express people as soft? Or not because I don't play at the same level
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I'm shortish and slightly built, a Lynx in a country of Lions if you will and though I have never taken a backward step in my life I don't revile those who choose to skirt trouble, sometimes its the smart thing to do although I could never bring myself to countenance it.
Our wonderful sport takes a high enough toll in overstessed joints and ruptured ligaments as it is without encouraging reckless stupidity. Any professional sport - or semi professional as our is - wears a player out before their time and I've spoken to a few 35 year old ex footballers who look 50 and move like their 60.
Its all very well for us to sit back and say that Joe Bloggs is soft because he doesn't fit our template for a courageous footballer but I've got a news flash. Coaches all over the land have a different set of standards to supporters and realize there is a time and place for courage and no place whatsoever for reckless, foolish bravado.
Imagine if you will we are 3/4 of the way through the season and our new kicking coach has worked some miracle or other on Trav and he's got over 90 goals up already. We are sitting on 2nd on percentage and with a soft run up to the finals.
It's a wonderful position for us to be in isn't it?
Now its early in the second quarter against the team sitting on top of the ladder and the ball is in dispute on our forward line, they grab it and start to run it out in a pack. Big Trav says to himself 'Oh no you don't sunshine!' and hurls himself bodily at the ball carrier, bring him down and spilling the ball out for Beamsy to swoop on and kick a team lifting goal.
Sensational play eh? Boys own annual dream stuff.
Right.
By the time the flags have finished waving Trav still hasn't got up and the trainers race out to him.
He ruptured an achilles tendon when another opposition player trod on the back of his ankle in the scrum resulting from his tackle and his season and possibly his career is finished.
Collingwood, shattered by the loss of their premier centre half forward lose the game and tumble to 5th by the end of the home and away and are eliminated in the first round.
Bloody wonderful, all for a touch of bravado and some of you will sing his praises for his courage.
Sure its courageous and I would be emotionally inclined to do the same thing myself.
But its stupid because it doesn't take into account that Trav is first and foremost our spearhead and not a tackling machine.

