"Just Grab Him!!" - So many 'one-sided' players

[perfectionist]

I heard that cry many times on Sunday, but my guess is that most of those yelling were oblivious to the reason why it was so hard to grab Geelong players. Almost all of them can kick and handpass on both sides. So, they can turn one way, and if about to be tackled simply turn the other and dish off a handpass or kick. Compare that with our team eg Gilbert's attempt to evade a tackle by going onto his left foot!

We have less than half a dozen blokes who can kick both feet. We have half a dozen blokes who can't get 45 metres with their preferred foot! Most of our players can only handpass with one hand. Our skills are woeful.

[Saints-06-Premiers]

Let's see.....

Gram... right foot only
King.... right
X..... left
l fisher.... right
max..... handpasses on the right
gehrig... left
joey... right, (his left??)
roo... both mainly right
schneider..... left
ball.... right, okay left
raph.... right
goddard.... right, okay left
gilbert... left
armo... left
birss... right
kosi... right
dempster.... both
fisher... right
dal.... both i think
blake.... right
who's number 28, 29 and 30?
maguire... both
mcqualter.... dont know, does he get a kick?
gwilt..... left, little right
harvey.... both
jones..... left, his right foot is terrible
eddy, geary... dont know
milne.... both

gees, midfielders particularly should be able to kick both sides

thats just of the top of my head cos im bored

[bigcarl]

I heard that cry many times on Sunday, but my guess is that most of those yelling were oblivious to the reason why it was so hard to grab Geelong players.

problem is that many times we did grab them and the tackles were not rewarded.

the cats must be under instructions to try to break every tackle. maybe we should try the same.

they certainly have the umpires hoodwinked

[evertonfc]

It's absolutely disturbing how many one-sided players we have.

And I mean, legitimately, they don't have an opposite side.

It's having a huge impact on the way we play, and is a major reason why we turn the ball over under pressure.

[fingers]

The thing I find frustrating about one-sided players is that all it takes is one pre-season. Focus on it for one pre-season and these guys are talented enough to be good two-sided players.

[evertonfc]

It certainly makes you appreciate the likes of Aussie Jones, who learned to kick on his opposite side whilst injured.

If I was Sam Gilbert, I'd be kicking in the park every night for an hour on my opposite side.

[saintbrat]

interesting that the cats' other side' is always away from the umpire's vision

those handpasses- and those turns before' the ball comes loose' as they are tackled

[fonz_#15]

this is something that infuriates me.

these blokes should be at least decent on both sides.

we are possibly the most "one-sided" team in the comp.

[super dooper]

this is something that infuriates me.

these blokes should be at least decent on both sides.

we are possibly the most "one-sided" team in the comp.

As much as all this disturbes me too, in the last month coming into finals we were ranked number 1 in disposal efficiency!!!

It all comes down to pressure

[saintsRrising]

As I have posted before....JB unfortuntealy did not weight kicking skills sufficiently high enough in making his overall recommendations on who to draft.

Apart from being one-sided...it is also that many are poor kicks when you compare them on average to players of other teams..


System and science were poorly lacking in our previous recuiting approach.

Was lisyening to one of the Geelong Assistant Coaches speak on Harry Taylor at lunchtime today. They said they drafted him as they knew that Egan was very questionable for 2008.....and wanteda big back to replace him that could play in 2008...so hence they used their first pick on an older drfatee in Taylor. Now there is list propper management for you.

[derby Street]

Sam's the one - left only and even then he sprays it all over the joint.

[bobmurray]

As I have posted before....JB unfortuntealy did not weight kicking skills sufficiently high enough in making his overall recommendations on who to draft.

Apart from being one-sided...it is also that many are poor kicks when you compare them on average to players of other teams..


System and science were poorly lacking in our previous recuiting approach.

Was lisyening to one of the Geelong Assistant Coaches speak on Harry Taylor at lunchtime today. They said they drafted him as they knew that Egan was very questionable for 2008.....and wanteda big back to replace him that could play in 2008...so hence they used their first pick on an older drfatee in Taylor. Now there is list propper management for you.

So why does JB get rated so highly...

Anyway,he did his best and now it's someone else's turn....

I hope the coaches have instructed the recruiters in what to look for,it would surely make the coaches job easier if the players had better skills when they were recruited....

We need to find another Harry Taylor type......

[Bernard Shakey]

I heard that cry many times on Sunday, but my guess is that most of those yelling were oblivious to the reason why it was so hard to grab Geelong players.

problem is that many times we did grab them and the tackles were not rewarded.

the cats must be under instructions to try to break every tackle. maybe we should try the same.

they certainly have the umpires hoodwinked

Spot on bigcarl and you got it right also saintbrat, they turn away from the umpire and do what they like.

I must admit, though, that we are probably the worst team in the comp for onesided players.

[SAINT JUMP]

we are going into a final. Lets start supporting our players, instead of bagging them.

[saintsRrising]

So why does JB get rated so highly...

......

To be fair the first part of JB's career was fine by AFL standards. Competing against his then peers he did very well.


Things is though that player identification moved on from just being an art to being a science.

To be fair also to JB he was not given the resources of other teams.

However IMO JB would not have had the skill set to use modern tools and methodologies.

JB was no longer competing against his former peers....but against a new breed of more skilled recruiting competitors.


Too often we then chose "talent" that other clubs passed over for various skill or character flaws.


In recent years the Saints have made many errors....but probably the biggest error was not ramping up and entering the new age of recruiting as a science about 5 to 10 years ago.

We belatedly joined the club only one draft period ago. Way too late.


You can add to this a slap dash attitude to player development (which was not JB's role and so this is a criticism of others and not JB) to not make the most of EVERY player drafted.

[plugger66]

So why does JB get rated so highly...

......

To be fair the first part of JB's career was fine by AFL standards. Competing against his then peers he did very well.


Things is though that player identification moved on from just being an art to being a science.

To be fair also to JB he was not given the resources of other teams.

However IMO JB would not have had the skill set to use modern tools and methodologies.

JB was no longer competing against his former peers....but against a new breed of more skilled recruiting competitors.


Too often we then chose "talent" that other clubs passed over for various skill or character flaws.


In recent years the Saints have made many errors....but probably the biggest error was not ramping up and entering the new age of recruiting as a science about 5 to 10 years ago.

We belatedly joined the club only one draft period ago. Way too late.


You can add to this a slap dash attitude to player development (which was not JB's role and so this is a criticism of others and not JB) to not make the most of EVERY player drafted.

One reason for the last 2 points. Money.

[evertonfc]

So why does JB get rated so highly

To be fair the first part of JB's career was fine by AFL standards. Competing against his then peers he did very well.


Things is though that player identification moved on from just being an art to being a science.

To be fair also to JB he was not given the resources of other teams.

However IMO JB would not have had the skill set to use modern tools and methodologies.

JB was no longer competing against his former peers....but against a new breed of more skilled recruiting competitors.


Too often we then chose "talent" that other clubs passed over for various skill or character flaws.


In recent years the Saints have made many errors....but probably the biggest error was not ramping up and entering the new age of recruiting as a science about 5 to 10 years ago.

We belatedly joined the club only one draft period ago. Way too late.

You can add to this a slap dash attitude to player development (which was not JB's role and so this is a criticism of others and not JB) to not make the most of EVERY player drafted.

One of your best posts on this board, IMO.

Well said.

[saintsRrising]

To be fair the first part of JB's career was fine by AFL standards. Competing against his then peers he did very well.


In recent years the Saints have made many errors....but probably the biggest error was not ramping up and entering the new age of recruiting as a science about 5 to 10 years ago.[/b]

We belatedly joined the club only one draft period ago. Way too late.


You can add to this a slap dash attitude to player development (which was not JB's role and so this is a criticism of others and not JB) to not make the most of EVERY player drafted.

One reason for the last 2 points. Money.

No, not at all.

It was lack of vision, and lack of an understanding of what was really important. a lack of understanding about what was crucial to long term succes. Complete ignorance basically.

If you understand what is important you do your best in that area.

If you view something as important.....you find a way to fund it.

Example A: For example the then decision makers viewed overseas training camps to be very importnant. They happened.

Example B: Malcom Blight and his million dollar salary. He got paid...and then paid out!!! Both were costly...and would have funded major recriying improvements for many years.

Example C: GT and his half a million dollar salary (why not INSTEAD quarter of a million for a ROOKIE coach (which is what GT was and should have been paid)...and quarter of a million extra for an extra Recruiter, a Development Coach...and some more fitness staff?)

Our problem was that we simply did not have the right decision makers...and the ones we had did not know what was really important...compounded by other clubs that did.


We had one brief expectional trading period gaining GTrain, Hamill and co (attracted by the lure of Blight)...followed by gaining some good early draft picks through the draft by being mediocre...and all of a sudden as a result we had two people in President with his mate installed as coach, who thought they knew all...with a very talented list. A list that they then proceeded to not add further value too...and indeed they systematically kept making poor list decisions.


So Money was not the key issue....lack of ability was.

[jackal]

Gilbert has to learn to kick on the wrong side...it's not that bloody hard for petes sake. As someone else said previously, practice all off season on the wrong side. And on the run too as he always runs onto his wrong side and then is forced into a corner.

[Beej]

Interesting topic.

I'm pretty sure most sides in the comp would be in a similar predicament.

Slightly off topic, but left-footers, for some reason, tend to be extremely one-sided.

Off the top of my head, I can think of three natural two-footed players - players who aren't/weren't bothered in the slightest kicking with either foot and often chose to use their non-dominant foot when they could've used their preferred...

Aussie Jones
Leon Cameron
and Sam Mitchell

Anyone else?

[perfectionist]

Jeez, don't get me going on Aussie Jones and his 'show-off' decision to go onto his left when he could have gone onto his right only to see the ball fall two metres short....

But to your question, think Bob Skilton, Ian Stewart, Greg Williams and Tony Lockett. You will note that these players have something else in common.

[saintsRrising]

Interesting topic.

I'm pretty sure most sides in the comp would be in a similar predicament.

Yes..to some extent......but the whole point of the game is not to just be most...., but to be the one that is better than all others.

If we want to be the one, we need to be better than most.

[bobmurray]

J
But to your question, think Bob Skilton, Ian Stewart, Greg Williams and Tony Lockett. You will note that these players have something else in common.

They are all retired

[Beej]

Interesting topic.

I'm pretty sure most sides in the comp would be in a similar predicament.

Yes..to some extent......but the whole point of the game is not to just be most...., but to be the one that is better than all others.

If we want to be the one, we need to be better than most.

Agreed. Kicking with your opposite foot needs to be drilled into you as a kid though. The older you get the less natural kicking with your wrong foot becomes.

Can't teach an old dog new tricks, and all that.

I'm sure you'll find that most AFL players are pretty good with their opposite, just in-game they don't have enough confidence in it to attempt it and risk a turnover. Drill it into them at a young age and it becomes second nature.

Junior coaches and parents are the problem.

[saintsRrising]

Junior coaches and parents are the problem.

...and dare I say recruiters that do not watch junior players thoroughly enough....

Which is not to say that you don't take some one sided players.

BUT I have had my fill of the seniors team having so many one sided and/or players with poor footskills.

I want to see this trend changed to another ...