Why don't clubs tag first-gamers? Stunt their growth....

[jc12]

I mean you see someone like Rankine having his first game, kicking 3 and getting confidence. Why do clubs allow this? I know it may seem like a dick move and may go against AFL values. But If I was a coach I would put a hard tag on a first gamer/promising first gamer. Rough them up, crush their spirits, stunt their growth and let them wither in the 2nds.

As-they-say kill it before it grows.

Take Matt Rowell for example. I would have followed these steps to stunt his potential growth and confidence. Turn him into Jack watts
1) First game: chuck a Ryan Crowley tag on him for his first game. Let him collect 8 possessions
2) Second game: chuck another hard tag on him for his second game. Let him collect <10 possessions. Build some self doubt in his mind
3) Third game: chuck another hard tag on him. Put a real dent in his confidence.
4) Fourth game: coach drops him out of B22. This should put a real cut in his confidence. He will go to the seconds. If he fails to come back to the B22 he will be effectively killed
5) Fifth game: returns to the B22. Another hard tag. Once he gets dropped again we can almost put a line through him.

So every single coach needs to pledge that they will target rookies/first gamers. The only coaches that will not agree are bottom 4 teams for obvious reason. But I see no reason why the top 8 teams can't all agree to do this. Will help maintain their standings. I know there are some young players that will always rise to the top regardless of this tactic but a good % of them will not.

Not everyone is as mentally weak as watts and I'm sure clubs have more pressing concerns in the oppo team than the 1st gamer. That's why

 

[SBYM]

Rubbish OP.

The proper way to 'kill it before it grows' is to handcuff a new recruit to an all-time great and force piss down their throat on a booze cruise.

Stunts their development for years.

 

[SBYM]

Fun fact - everybody's favourite Mr Nice Guy, Eddie Betts, got arrested that night.

Scallywag.

 

[melbournemartin]

Jack Watts says hi.

 

[Linda Lovelace]

The best part about the Jack Watts game was bumping into a neutral supporter before it started who had rocked up to the 'G specifically just to 'see the gun recruit'.

He didn't realise he was coming to watch the gun recruit star in his very own snuff film.

 

[Franc de Borges]

We don’t do it to GWS youngsters because we want them to turn into solid ten year players for us.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Most of the time the talent (top drafts) are playing for sh*t clubs so shouldn't be hard to spot them. As for the WCE example well tough. Separates boys from men. Up to the club to protect their players and the player himself. In 2007 not all the listed were debuts. Gary Ablett had his breakout already. You specifically target first year players in a bid to stunt or slow their growth long term.

No different tactic then clarko costing fev his 100. I feel like clarko would be up for it.

2007 was Selwood's debut season.

 

[workhorse]

Are you sure first gamers have less or no impact? I'd love to see the statistics of how well first round draft picks perform in their first game.



Do coaches care about developing their young players? But shouldn't that be a legitimate strategy?

I think for every Rowell/Rankine type performance there would be, 8-10 - at least - where the first gamer wouldn't be in the top 15 players on the ground. Think about how many players debut every season. I get the point you're making, and with top 10/first round draft picks you can probably assume, given their high draft position, that the players are reasonably talented, however I believe the instances like Rankine and Rowell, which no doubt prompted this thread, are the absolute exceptions and not the rule.

Think about the best young talent in the league (off the top of my head):
- Sam Walsh: Are you tagging him, or Cripps?
- Bailey Smith: Are you tagging him, or Bont/McCrae/Dunkley?
- Connor Rozee: Are you tagging him, or Gray/Boak?
- Tom Green: Are you tagging him, or Coniglio/Kelly/Taranto?

Just seems like an exercise that it likely to let better, more experienced players off the hook in the hope you'll nail the 1 in 10-15-20 rookie Rowell/Rankine type. Doesn't add up.

 

[jesterwester]

There’s no expectation on a first years performance, so even if they have 5-10 touches and get tagged, they are still doing their bit for the team. You’d be really encouraging mid week and I doubt they get discouraged.

A champion player would rise above that anyway. You’d probably even aid the development as they would get better at dealing with it earlier.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Bosenvulagi is playing his second game this week, but it’s not too late Geelong. Send your best tagger to him please.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Assuming this is a serious thread....probably there's a strong element of M.A.D. in there.

If your team develops a reputation for intentionally smashing up a young kid in his first game(s), what's going to start happenning to your promising kids when they run out on the field?

 

[Power Raid]

That may explain why Jack Watts plays the way he does.

or doesn't play as he does

 

[Brad Goodman]

Better off going out of your way to be super nice to them and make their first game a really pleasant experience - especially if they play for an interstate team and are from the same state as where your team is based.

 

[Coops93]

Because you don't realistically expect a first year, or first game player, to have the impact we've seen lately.

The likes of Walsh, Rowell and Rankine having huge impacts early on in there career is an aberration, not the norm. 95% of first gamers and rookies have good moments now and then, maybe the odd good overall game, but rarely a team altering impact over the course of a season. If you tag a first gamer as a coach you're making a poor decision.

If you were playing against Carlton in rd 1 2019, do you tag Walsh or Cripps? Well, obviously it's Cripps. If you tag Walsh you're a moron.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

They’re probably more interested in winning the game.

 

[GROTTO]

Didnt the Dogs attack an Eagles player on debut, years and years ago?

 

[JT_the_Man]

So you want me to tag some random no name 37th pick in the draft instead of say, Dusty Martin?

Pass.

 

[Gameova_]

In 2007 who do you tag, Ablett, Bartel, Corey or Selwood?

Bartel. And you would hope Ablett has a shocker lol

 

[nahnah]

Most of the players in that Melbourne team could barely walk on flat surfaces without tripping over, Jack Watts was an easy target. Most first gamers are no names compared to their teammates

 

[Juddernaut08]

We all know Matt Rowell for example is going to be a star. Are we just going to allow him be a star and grow....



But long term the strategy might be effective and reap rewards

If it was a 2-team comp then sure.

Then your short term sacrifice (not tagging the star) is worth the long term gain (the kid being stunted) because you play them every week and no other clubs benefit.

As you add more teams your sacrifice benefits the other teams. Plus if they dont tag him eventually that kid could break out amyway and its all for nothing.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Bartel. And you would hope Ablett has a shocker lol

According to the OP you'd tag Selwood.

 

[Rob]

Waste of a tagger.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Step 1: put hard tag on baby player

Step 2: lose game by 7 goals

Step 3: repeat

Step 4: be sacked

 

[Yojimbo]

I think of a classic line from the gang movie "The Wanderers", "Leave the kid alone".

 

[NetworkNerd]

You will never crush a true champion. Didn’t Teddy Whitten get knocked out cold for playing to good in his first game?

Yep. As Dyer pointed out on the footy show