Your club’s High and Low anxiety players.

[Tall poppy Syndrome]

Nathan Buckley attributes Jai Newcombe’s finals performances in part to the fact that he’s a low anxiety player. Doesn’t overthink it, confident in his own ability, if he makes a mistake doesn’t let it negatively affect his next decision/play, and plays at the same level regardless of the pressure of the moment or significance of the game.

Many Hawks fans would see Changkuoth Jiath

14

Changkuoth Jiath

Age

26

Ht

185cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.5

4star

K

5.0

2star

HB

9.5

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.5

4star

MG

91.0

1star

No current season stats available

D

14.5

4star

K

5.0

2star

HB

9.5

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.5

4star

MG

91.0

2star

as the opposite: prone to brain fades, second guessing himself, fumbling when the pressure rises, in other words a high anxiety player.

The simple characterisation is that the low anxiety players are the match winners and club champions, the high anxiety players are the whipping boys. It’s interesting how it affects our expectations though, late in the third quarter v Adelaide in the semi, Blake Hardwick

15

Blake Hardwick

Age

28

Ht

183cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.8

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

6.1

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

264.7

4star

D

13.8

3star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.7

3star

MG

264.7

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.4

4star

(probably considered by Hawks fans to be low anxiety) fails to rush through a relatively easy behind, CJ then jumps on it and is caught holding the ball, conceding a free kick and a goal. Yet CJ seems to cops the blame from the fanbase.

So who are your club’s high and low anxiety players? And I’m particularly interested in the less obvious ones. We can probably all see that Scott Pendlebury

10

Scott Pendlebury

Age

38

Ht

191cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.5

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

13.3

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.9

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.3

3star

CL

3.6

4star

D

12.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.8

4star

M

5.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

, for example, is low anxiety. But who is one of your mid-tier or lesser known players who might surprise us either way?

 

[PhatBoy]

Nathan Buckley attributes Jai Newcombe’s finals performances in part to the fact that he’s a low anxiety player. Doesn’t overthink it, confident in his own ability, if he makes a mistake doesn’t let it negatively affect his next decision/play, and plays at the same level regardless of the pressure of the moment or significance of the game.

Many Hawks fans would see Changkuoth Jiath as the opposite: prone to brain fades, second guessing himself, fumbling when the pressure rises, in other words a high anxiety player.

The simple characterisation is that the low anxiety players are the match winners and club champions, the high anxiety players are the whipping boys. It’s interesting how it affects our expectations though, late in the third quarter v Adelaide in the semi, Blake Hardwick (probably considered by Hawks fans to be low anxiety) fails to rush through a relatively easy behind, CJ then jumps on it and is caught holding the ball, conceding a free kick and a goal. Yet CJ seems to cops the blame from the fanbase.

So who are your club’s high and low anxiety players? And I’m particularly interested in the less obvious ones. We can probably all see that Scott Pendlebury, for example, is low anxiety. But who is one of your mid-tier or lesser known players who might surprise us either way?

You could even break that into sub-categories: the players who some games are low anxiety players and other games are high. Two obvious ones at Geelong are Jezza and Danger. When Good Danger turns up he might have his obligatory shank at goal in the second term but keep busting tackles and taking pack marks and you can almost guarantee that he will bomb a big kick at goal from 50 out like he’s kicking in the backyard.

On another night you can tell an early miss has completely rattled him.

Less obvious:

Shannon Neale is a low anxiety player for us. He might not have the impact of others but he’s not easily rattled by anything. If he does miss a kick, doesn’t let it affect his routine he usually just goes back and nails his next shot.

High anxiety for me - one would be, at times at least, though he’s a very good player, Shaun Mannagh. I’ve probably been guilty of judging him too harshly at times but he has a panic play in him at least once a match or just getting caught out somehow. He more than makes up for it though. USUALLY learns from those mistakes but yeah just tends to bite off a bit more than he can chew one too many times a game and will give up a HTB or a horror turnover that costs us. Worth it for what he brings.

De Koning is another one, can make some really basic things look hard in defence when we just need to punch a ball away or get a kick into space. Lets it rattle his confidence

 

[Skipper_]

High:

• Archie Perkins
• Ben McKay
• Peter Wright
• Jade Gresham

Low:

• Sam Durham
• Jye Caldwell
• Xavier Duursma
• Archie Roberts

 

[Loose_Cannon]

High:

• Gestures wildly

Low:

• Finn O'Sullivan
• Harry Sheezel

 

[Mr Cheese]

High:

• Gestures wildly

Low:

• Finn O'Sullivan
• Harry Sheezel

Excellent work

 

[Mr Cheese]

High: Banfield, Walker, Amiss, Erasmus (though he looks to be transitioning to the latter with exposure), maybe Pearce & Freddy.

Low: Serong, Brayshaw, Ryan, Clark, Treacy, Jackson, Reid.

 

[soafraid]

High:

• Archie Perkins
• Ben McKay
• Peter Wright
• Jade Gresham

Low:

• Sam Durham
• Jye Caldwell
• Xavier Duursma
• Archie Roberts

Duursma famously shit his dacks and "dropped the flag" by missing a chest mark against Richmond in the prelim in 2020 or whenever that was

 

[Altum Volantes]

Shannon Hurn

25

Shannon Hurn

Age

38

Ht

187cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.9

5star

K

15.7

5star

HB

5.2

4star

M

7.0

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

389.5

5star

D

16.1

4star

K

12.1

5star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

1.0

2star

MG

271.6

4star

D

19.0

5star

K

11.6

4star

HB

7.4

5star

M

6.8

5star

T

1.6

4star

would be another all time 'Low Anxiety' player.

The man was born aged 35 with a receding hairline and steeley resolve. Never appeared particularly stressed and rarely made a mistake.

 

[RonnieRaven]

High
Banners, Rick and Amiss

Low
Serong, brayshaw, Ryan

 

[raskolnikov]

High

 

[Bluelegs]

Low: Langdon, Fritsch, Kozzy, Langford, Melksham
High: Trac, Rivers, Lever, Tholstrup, Salem

 

[Cyclops]

Low anxiety: Crisp.

High anxiety: Big Billy

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Low anxiety - Weitering, Williams, Cowan, Hewett, Newman
High anxiety - Curnow, McKay, Lewis Young

33

Lewis Young

Age

27

Ht

202cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.6

3star

K

7.5

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

197.9

3star

D

4.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

1.0

1star

M

3.0

3star

T

0.0

1star

MG

26.0

1star

D

14.4

4star

K

8.2

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

6.4

5star

T

2.0

4star

MG

181.6

3star

, Acres

 

[g_TRAIN]

This is such a stupid thread.

It's an interesting topic no doubt but to draw any conclusions about players anxiety level based on their performances in certain games and circumstances is madness. Truely shows footy fans here think they're psychologists.

 

[HolyWars]

I think for us on top of what the OP has said, Gunston and Breust have always been very low anxiety and confident in their abilities. I can't think of a time when I wasn't confident in them either. It's a shame Breust's career has ended the way it has

 

[The Dodger]

Its athletes v decision makers.

Players that aren't blessed with an elite physical trait like speed, strength or height have to overcome them by being quick thinkers.
Players that are blessed with an elite physical trait often have problems when
a) the people they are playing against are just as fast, strong or tall
b) the game reaches a point where decisions trump response time.

Getting athletes to think and understand that they cant keep doing what they are doing all the time can drive coaches nuts. It also can be a red herring in that a lot of basketball coaches are obsessed with athletes who can do what other people can't. But don't understand how the way they play is unpredictable to teammates and things like over committing on passes and falling for fakes lets your team down defensively.

Apologies I went basketball but I think it applies to footy just as much. Train decision making at a young age and see where they end up. You will have more low anxiety players and less deer in the headlights high anxiety players.

Needless to say, a lot of the Eagles list I would class as athletes. HReid has the decision making but not a lot of others do.

 

[SSSSSS]

Low anxiety - Calsher Dear. Just only knows to jump and fly for the ball.

Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

24

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

is another. I think his IQ is too low to comprehend anything other than just go and get the ball. He's a literal prehistoric caveman that's been defrosted and taught how to play footy.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Low Anxiety: Murphy Reid
High Anxiety: Michael Frederick, Bailey Banfield

41

Bailey Banfield

Age

27

Ht

190cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.6

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.9

3star

T

3.9

5star

MG

175.5

3star

D

9.5

2star

K

5.3

2star

HB

4.3

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

2.8

4star

MG

109.5

2star

D

14.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

3.2

5star

MG

200.4

4star

 

[Mr Cheese]

Low anxiety - Calsher Dear. Just only knows to jump and fly for the ball.

Luke Jackson is another. I think his IQ is too low to comprehend anything other than just go and get the ball. He's a literal prehistoric caveman that's been defrosted and taught how to play footy.

This is a hilarious, yet seemingly accurate (possibly deeply unfair) take. He reminds me of a Labrador. I'd love it if it turns out he's the guy reading Descartes on the bus to the game.

Dear is a gun. Got the fearlessness of youth, hopefully he keeps it.

 

[M Malice]

From my POV when sitting in the stands I have very low anxiety when Jaspa Fletcher or Hugh McCluggage

6

Hugh Mccluggage

Age

27

Ht

187cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.3

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

7.9

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.0

5star

CL

2.2

4star

D

19.0

4star

K

12.0

5star

HB

7.0

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

2.0

4star

D

13.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.8

4star

CL

0.6

3star

have the ball in their hands and high anxiety when Darcy Gardiner

27

Darcy Gardiner

Age

30

Ht

192cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.6

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

4.1

4star

T

2.1

4star

G

0.0

1star

D

10.7

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

2.9

2star

M

3.7

4star

T

2.1

3star

G

0.0

1star

D

10.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.0

1star

or one of our ruckmen attempt any sort of nuanced disposal by foot.

 

[Saints2001]

Low: Nas, Sincs, Wilkie, Sharman, Marshall, Hall
High: Byrnes, Stocker, Tauru (still young!), Hill, Owens, Clark