wildgoose wrote:Rodger, out of the fab 4 of port, 2 Cornes, and 2 Burgoynes, I believe only Peter missed about half of the year.
Look at the development of players such as Rodan, Surjan, Chaplain, Pettigrew, Westhoff, Robbie Gray, Boak. And to a lesser extent Ebert and Motlop. So coaching had nothing to do with there fast development?
Port purposely played there younger players last season, and look how quickly they have developed, plus those few in there first year. Yes they haven't had many injuries, but there development of those 9 players has been so quick.
I've never said coaching had nothing to do with development.
You'll find that I've said in this thread, and others, that Mark Williams is a very good coach.
What you'll also find, is that young guys and previously average footballers tend to look good and appear to come on quickly when a side's gun players are up and about.
The guns get all the attention, leaving the lesser lights to battle it out with the leftovers of the opposition.
Check out Milne's form when Hamill was in the forward line, compared to when he wasn't.
Check out Joey's form when Lenny is in the side. Then check it out when he gets the best tagger.
Dal ditto. When Dal was an 'up and comer' everyone was going crazy about him, because he played in a midfield with Powell, Hayes, Harves and Ball.
A year or two later when Dal started to get the best tags, suddenly he doesn't appear to be the player he was.
Geelong are the same. Stokes, Byrnes and Selwood are having good years - but two of them are genuine duds. They are playing well now as they get the opposition's worst players each week.
Take out Chapman, Ablett and Bartel and match up say Cornes, Burgoyne and Cassisi on these guys and we'd soon see the players they really are.