Wellingham in '09

[Ed D]

I've always liked the look of Wellingham. He was close to playing in 2007 and we probably could have elevated him last year if we wanted to. He's looking like he will be a handy player.

One other thing that has been good with Wellingham is that he lives with Nick Maxwell. Maxwell would have to be teaching him a lot of things off the field.

 

[Dundalis]

He will be anything he wants to be, has class poise and the hunger to succeed. He showed in the match against the dogs and cats that he can match it with the elite of the comp in Ablett and Gilbee... I dont see too much midfield work next year, he should be our classy lead up half forward.. ie the thomas role.

Wellingham is NOT Thomas, and would not be particularly effective as a half forward type, because he would drift too far out of the game. Not to mention the fact that his style is simply not that of a peripheral player, as much as his attributes might suggest otherwise. I think he'd be lost on a forward flank.

He needs as much time on the ball as possible to be effective and to keep him focused. As has been said, concentration and perhaps endurance are his biggest flaws. He needs as much time in the middle as possible to give him the best chance to iron them out of his game.

Grunt is a talent.

I'm a big fan of all 3 you've mentioned (and I think Pendlebury has plenty of grunt as it is), but we're just as likely to see Cook develop good decision-making as we are to see Cox develop physicality.

In most cases, players are what they are. They improve slightly across the board, gain experience, add size, etc...But rarely do they completely eradicate a weakness, or change their style.

As for Wellingham specifically, I think his main problems right now are fitness and understanding the game. He has terrific acceleration, but rarely uses it well. His foot-skills are good, although the decision-making needs a bit of work. He has the ability to win contested ball, but doesn't get into the right position often enough.

With enough support from the coaching staff, I'm confident he'll make it. But I definitely think it'll be as a mid - I don't see him as a flanker whatsoever.

Grunt isn't talent generally speaking. Talent is generally the god-given physical aspects of a players make up, speed, athleticism, hand-eye co-ordination etc, which translate to skills such as kicking and handballing. Toughness has an element of natural talent, but is more a mental aspect and can always be taught to a player if that player is willing to make the effort to improve it. Hypothetically a soft player can become tough if he makes the effort to bulk up physically and get over the mental hurdles through training and playing.

The other areas cannot be improved once a players potential in the area has been reached no matter how hard you might try. A slow, unathletic player could never become fast and athletic.

As has been said, with Wellingham it's nothing to do with his talent, and all to do with the mental side of the game. If he makes the effort, then he should have no issues becoming a very good AFL midfielder.

 

[mdc]

Hypothetically a soft player can become tough if he makes the effort to bulk up physically and get over the mental hurdles through training and playing.

Hypothetically, yes. In practice, it almost never happens. Certainly no more often than a player drastically improving his kicking, or something similar.

My contention is that we need to expand the definition of talent to include the mental attributes of a player.

Take someone like Gary Ablett for instance. A lot of his game based on knowing where to run, and when to run. Is that talent? I say yes. But it's certainly a mental attribute (i.e. instinct/understanding), much like toughness.

In theory, it can be taught, but just try teaching it.

 

[SUPERDAWES31]

Like him alot. Watched plenty of him in the reserves and always looked a class above, has the ability to look like time is on his side. Wambam reminds me of a smaller pendles, as for his work rate its a item which he will improve on and has the class to be a quality mid. MM needs to put game time into him, stanley and jmac. Wambam is a clever player and does not lack in confidence.

 

[Quicky]

I think Wellingham could well be the biggest positive about not going after Cousins. With Burns retired and without Cousins he should have first crack at the vacant midfield spot. And he should keep it too unless he really stuffs up. He is quality all over and will be a great player IMO - All class.

 

[FIGJAM]

Grunt is a talent.

I'm a big fan of all 3 you've mentioned (and I think Pendlebury has plenty of grunt as it is), but we're just as likely to see Cook develop good decision-making as we are to see Cox develop physicality.

In most cases, players are what they are. They improve slightly across the board, gain experience, add size, etc...But rarely do they completely eradicate a weakness, or change their style.

As for Wellingham specifically, I think his main problems right now are fitness and understanding the game. He has terrific acceleration, but rarely uses it well. His foot-skills are good, although the decision-making needs a bit of work. He has the ability to win contested ball, but doesn't get into the right position often enough.

With enough support from the coaching staff, I'm confident he'll make it. But I definitely think it'll be as a mid - I don't see him as a flanker whatsoever.

The strange thing about Wellers is that I could (if I could be arsed) show you a comment by Gotch that shows that he was being coached to not go in after the ball every time. I think Wellers is trying to work on his outside game a bit (ie. getting mixed messages from the coaches), and suffered a fraction due to him looking like he was in two-minds.

I think Coxie has suffered from being played out of postion. Forward against WCE which he did ok in. Midfield against the Dees which he was Lonie-esque (but completely out of position). His grooming was as a Clemo-style half back and then was thrown to other possies. He excelled up until the last game, but baby/bathwater, his late season showed signs of improvement and he got his knees dirty very often winning contested ball (watch the Freo game again if you dare!).

As for Cook, I don't think he has grunt, but rather has tank. He seagulls more contests than Cox by the length of the straight. Indeed, he has shirked more contests than Lonie. I think in Cook and Davies' case, we confuse hard running with grunt. I'd rather have an outside player playing outside than an outside player huffing and puffing and pretending to be a part of the contest (Iles another example). I've never seen Cook back into contests like Cox taking killer grabs!

My point was and is, that we forget Coxie is just 21 and Wellers is 20. When I was that age, I was smokin pot and too scared to go outside, let alone into AFL midfield contests! They has got the talent, and they should get the confidence.

 

[mdc]

^^^

I agree with most of that, my earlier post wasn't intended to paint either Cox or Wellingham in a negative light. Like I said, I'm a big fan of both, especially Cox - who I think is immensely talented with the ball.

I'm also not a big Cook fan, and wasn't using him as an example of grunt - more as an example of a bad decision-maker!

Grunt (or hardness, or physicality etc...), as I see it, is what Burns had, and what Maxwell and Medhurst have. I just don't believe it can be taught in 99% of cases.

 

[Godfrey Jones]

did medhurst have 'grunt' before coming to the pies?

 

[well left]

I'll be interested to see what effect the move of Scott into midfield coach will have on our midfield. As mdc has stated grunt can not really be taught but if there is grunt in a midfielder I reckon Scott will be the one to extract it.

I have stated this in other posts but Scott as our midfield coach may be the move of the season next year. I can see him having a big impact on Thomas, Wellingham, Pendlebury and MacCarthy and I am hoping our ability in close will improve with his knowledge and hardness.

 

[mdc]

did medhurst have 'grunt' before coming to the pies?

Yeah, he was just 10kg overweight, which makes said grunt hard to exhibit.

He was always a tough player - you have to be as a 6"0 full-forward.

 

[shawthing09]

I'd add Anthony to the list of players with "grunt"

 

[spartan-magpie]

The key to our midfield will be the likes of Daisy, J-Mac, Wellingham, and even Leon to an extent, being able to impose themselves on the contest for 100% of their game time.

Too often they can go missing for large chunks of the game. A good pre-season on the weights and some miles in their legs could go a fair way to achieving this.

I don't think we should underestimate the effect Scott will have on our young mid brigade either. Should hopefully instill a little 'animal' in them all.[/quote]


i agree 100%.... scott will hopefully turn them into the pit bulls we require..

 

[DoubleO7]

Yeah, he was just 10kg overweight, which makes said grunt hard to exhibit.

He was always a tough player - you have to be as a 6"0 full-forward.

He is 5'10" by the way.

 

[Skade]

He is 5'10" by the way.

Actually he is taller first thing in the morning.