Strategy Two-feet Better than One-foot

theGav56

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Oct 11, 2004
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I am thinking the club has been sneaking in a cunning little drafting strategy, and I like it.

This years draft haul includes four players who all have decent disposal of both feet, and Valente from last year was the same. With some of those players it is actually difficult to tell which is the preferred foot.

Skills have been identified as an area we need to improve, and a lot of discussion has been about doing that at training. I am more inclined to think you draft for skills, and training is more the arena where they are honed and strategised.

YOUNG; Duel sidedness is a major part of what is going to make Young a fantastic player for us. Added to his decision making and disposal efficiency being able to kick off either foot has a multiplier effect off the hbf. The dangerous areas of the ground that he can get the ball into and the number of player options he will have as targets are going to be a dramatic advantage to us. One of the draft profiles talks about how dangerous he is with the 45 degree kicks, and when you have that left or right it is a big deal.

SERONG and VALENTE; As clearance mids these guys are always under pressure with their disposals, and being able to get a kick off with either foot gives them a one-step advantage in the phone-box that they operate in. As with Young, it also opens up the ground forward of the ball, and forwards will love that, and defenders will hate it. From the highlights Frederick looks useful off both feet as well.

HENRY; He has been one of our most anticipated recruits for a reason, and that reason is skill. He has dancing feet and brain that works just as quickly. His left and right boots are going to become things of legend at our club.

As a little side thought, I wonder how the left-handedness of Darcy may play into it. I do think it gives him some small advantage in the ruck work, and if the players he is tapping down to have less predictability about where they will position themselves to receive the taps, perhaps something can be developed to create an edge.

Is this a mere co-incidence, or is it a similar strategy to when the club developed our super-sized midfield of Mundy, Fyfe, Barlow and Crowley, but this time a strategy with an edge in duel sided kicking?
 
As a little side thought, I wonder how the left-handedness of Darcy may play into it. I do think it gives him some small advantage in the ruck work, and if the players he is tapping down to have less predictability about where they will position themselves to receive the taps, perhaps something can be developed to create an edge.

Being left-handed makes it harder to prepare for him, and would throw opposition rucks used to their opposite number going about it a certain way. Darcy would be used to rucking against right handers, but right handers won't be used to rucking against lefties. So I believe it's an advantage, and it would shift how we set up subtly enough to throw the opposition mids too (once we gain confidence that Darcy will win the tap more often than not - we'll change how we set up to be more aggressive and the angles will shift)
 
Feb 11, 2011
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Is it a strategy to get dual foot players?

I don’t think so.

In saying that it’s nice to have.

Young was a no brained pick, Henry was a must get and Serong was best available.

B Hill and Langdon didn’t have much of an opposition foot. Both did better than Tucker is dual sided.

Quickness through the air is an advantage than being dual sided.
 

Gameova_

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If I was a pro AFL footballer/just drafted and I couldn't use both feet at a decent - high level I'd retire.
Its a blight on the league that so many players are comfortable only using one side.
 

theGav56

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If I was a pro AFL footballer/just drafted and I couldn't use both feet at a decent - high level I'd retire.
Its a blight on the league that so many players are comfortable only using one side.
From a coaching perspective I see it as something Longmuir can look at utilising. I may be over-stating the potential, but at this level points of difference should be exploited to become an advantage.
 

wayToGo_

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From a coaching perspective I see it as something Longmuir can look at utilising. I may be over-stating the potential, but at this level points of difference should be exploited to become an advantage.
It's probably not so much they are dual sided, it's that they are good kicks (first) and then that they can kick off both feet (bonus). If Langdon could kick similarly with his left as with his right I don't think that would've make a lot of difference to us :) "Look I can burn it going inside using my right... but wait, next time I'll burn it using my left."
 

theGav56

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Oct 11, 2004
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It's probably not so much they are dual sided, it's that they are good kicks (first) and then that they can kick off both feet (bonus). If Langdon could kick similarly with his left as with his right I don't think that would've make a lot of difference to us :) "Look I can burn it going inside using my right... but wait, next time I'll burn it using my left."
Maybe. I think if Stephens was less one-sided he becomes a significantly better prospect.
 
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