A New Form Of Cowardice

ace · Post: # 937480Post **ace** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:25pm

Cowardice in football is usually associaed with a lack of physical courage.
Jason Blake has proven on many times that he comes pack full of physical courage.

But their is another form of cowardice.

Players are trained not to kick to a contest.
Instead they are trained to kick the ball back or sideways to a free player.
However failing to kick the ball quickly and forward allows opponents to flood ahead of the ball.
The result is that later it is almost impossible to find an opponent free ahead of the ball.

Kicking the ball sideways only works if a chain of kicks ends up with a teammate on the wing on the opposite side of the ground running goalward.
But all too often the ball movement is too slow resulting in the ball being passed back whence it came or in a turn over.
This is not cowardice as it is what the players are trained to do.

But the cowardice is lacking the guts to accept responsibility for your kicking.
In the case of Jason Blake after a mark, he kicks the ball sideways or back without having even bothered to look forward to see if there is a free player ahead of him.
He is scared that if he sees a free player ahead of him and kicks to him, he may miss his target and be responsible for a turnover.
He has brought this form of cowardice to a new art form.

This week he had players free ahead of him but never saw them, a few sideways kicks later a fellow defender misses his target and the crowd groans as the turnover results in a goal.
That fellow defender then takes the crowd's rap for Blake's cowardice.

Am I the only one who noticed that St Kilda's goals of recent weeks have almost all resulted from the quick forward movement of the ball before opponents could flood ahead of the ball.

dcstkfc · Post: # 937484Post **dcstkfc** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:29pm

ace wrote: Am I the only one who noticted that St Kilda's goals of recent weeks have almost all resulted from the quick forward movement of the ball before opponents could flood ahead of the ball.

Good call on this, however as emphasised by the Mark Stevens article, Blakey along with Zac and Bakes have clearly been instructed to get the ball to Gilbo, Grammy, Chips and BJ rather than try and spot-up long-range targets ahead, so I feel you've been harsh on him.

3rd generation saint · Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:29pm

No, I wouldn't call it cowardice, just trained into them.
But I understand your frustration, thought last night there we're quite a few time we could have gone forward and didn't.
I would have backed our players to beat their Richmond opponent in a contest.

borderbarry · Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:30pm

I also would not call it cowardice. Just poor judgement.

The Linton Street Flash · Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:37pm

I can't believe I'm going to be the first person to call you a d**khead for what you're saying - d**khead!

FFS who are you to call someone like Jason Blake a coward? - some spineless gnat sitting in the comfort of his lounge room calling one of the gutsiest players in the team a coward for doing exactly what he's been drilled to do.

You're type make my skin crawl!

Piss weak squib!

thejiggingsaint · Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:38pm

I'm one of those who likes to see the ball going forward, but I realise that the sideways kicking is simply a PART of the gemeplan. If this tactic helps win a flag will it be seen as "cowardice"? Just a thought.

SainterK · Post: # 937492Post **SainterK** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:39pm

thejiggingsaint · Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:49pm

Blakey is one of the gutsiest and bravest players in the game, and to use the word "cowardice" in the same sentence as him is not appropriate (in my opinion)

dcstkfc · Post: # 937501Post **dcstkfc** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:52pm

thejiggingsaint wrote:Blakey is one of the gutsiest and bravest players in the game, and to use the word "cowardice" in the same sentence as him is not appropriate (in my opinion)

+1

bigred · Post: # 937502Post **bigred** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 1:54pm

But the cowardice is lacking the guts to accept responsibility for your kicking.
In the case of Jason Blake after a mark, he kicks the ball sideways or back without having even bothered to look forward to see if there is a free player ahead of him.
He is scared that if he sees a free player ahead of him and kicks to him, he may miss his target and be responsible for a turnover.
He has brought this form of cowardice to a new art form

Absolute twaddle and I am not surprised that you are going to be abused about your OP.

I think you need to understand the meaning of the word "coward" a little bit better.

Then, I think you need to get familiar with the term "game plan".

Then, go to training, and call Jason Blake a coward and see how far it gets you.

terry smith rules · Sat 05 Jun 2010 2:09pm

+1 on every post except the op

mate you just don't get it ... do you?

saint1974 · Post: # 937529Post **saint1974** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 2:22pm

[quote="thejiggingsaint"]Blakey is one of the gutsiest and bravest players in the game, and to use the word "cowardice" in the same sentence as him is not appropriate (in my opinion)[/quote
+3
I just cannot believe what I just read in the OP players follow the team plan that is directed by the coaching panel.
We have no cowards in our team!

ace · Post: # 937531Post **ace** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 2:23pm

borderbarry wrote:I also would not call it cowardice. Just poor judgement.

It is not judgement when they don't even look forward.
Just wait while looking sideways until someone has run far enough away from his opponent towards the oppostion goal.
Not even looking forward is the cowardice.
Gee I might see a target if I look, therefore I better not look forward.

ace · Post: # 937533Post **ace** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 2:25pm

thejiggingsaint wrote:Blakey is one of the gutsiest and bravest players in the game, and to use the word "cowardice" in the same sentence as him is not appropriate (in my opinion)

No question regarding Blake's physical courage, just read my second line.

ace · Post: # 937535Post **ace** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 2:30pm

saint1974 wrote:
thejiggingsaint wrote:Blakey is one of the gutsiest and bravest players in the game, and to use the word "cowardice" in the same sentence as him is not appropriate (in my opinion)[/quote
+3
I just cannot believe what I just read in the OP players follow the team plan that is directed by the coaching panel.
We have no cowards in our team!

I said that the sideways kicking was trained but I can assure you they are not trained to avoid looking forward.
It is the refusing to look forward that I call cowardice.

markinUSA · Post: # 937537Post **markinUSA** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 2:33pm

I don't agree it's cowardice either... and maybe not even poor judgement. It could just be a team rule. Blake and Baker seem to do this a lot... maybe they are doing exactly what they have been told, and trained, to do.

mbogo · Post: # 937582Post **mbogo** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 3:50pm

Hey Ace - is that you in the Saints members who keeps on yelling out "kick it up the guts" - the 1950s are long gone, dead and buried.
Get with the program!

backit · Post: # 937583Post **backit** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 3:51pm

cowÂ·ardÂ·ice (kour-ds)
n.
Ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
conÂ·fiÂ·dence (knf-dns)
n.
1. Trust or faith in a person or thing.
2. A trusting relationship: I took them into my confidence.
3.
a. That which is confided; a secret: A friend does not betray confidences.
b. A feeling of assurance that a confidant will keep a secret: I am telling you this in strict confidence.
4. A feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance.
5. The state or quality of being certain: I have every confidence in your ability to succeed.

teamwork [ˈtiːmˌwɜːk]
n
1. the cooperative work done by a team
2. the ability to work efficiently as a team

game plan
n.
1. Sports The strategy devised before or used during an event.
2. A strategy for reaching an objective: "Harvey decided the best game plan was to stay loose" (Cyra McFadden).

Perhaps you should understand the definition of a word before you us it Ace, The first definition does not relate to what you posted and the other three show why players follow what they are instructed to do by their Coach.

joffaboy · Post: # 937593Post **joffaboy** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 4:02pm

s.hit thread.

Fancy some anonomous nobody calling an AFL footballer a coward.

Pissweak and low.

Mods lock this pathetic thread.

backit · Post: # 937595Post **backit** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 4:04pm

Well Said Joffaboy, sums up what I was pointing out to Ace, he has no idea.

St DAC · Post: # 937618Post **St DAC** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 5:00pm

joffaboy wrote:s.hit thread.

Fancy some anonomous nobody calling an AFL footballer a coward.

Pissweak and low.

Mods lock this pathetic thread.

+1.

shmic_s · Post: # 937624Post **shmic_s** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 5:20pm

What??

I'm sure it is what he's been instructed to do. If Ross wants him to kick it long, i'm sure Blake would carry out any instruction given to him on the field.

Point out where you think we could improve, but to call one of our players, one of the best clubmans, a coward. Not cool.

westy · Post: # 937638Post **westy** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 5:37pm

shmic_s wrote:What??

I'm sure it is what he's been instructed to do. If Ross wants him to kick it long, i'm sure Blake would carry out any instruction given to him on the field.

Point out where you think we could improve, but to call one of our players, one of the best clubmans, a coward. Not cool.

Not only is it uncool, it is completely uncalled for. Can Ace be excluded from further discuddions?

westy · Post: # 937640Post **westy** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 5:38pm

Holy crap. In all my fury I pounded the wrong keys -discussions-

Dan Warna · Post: # 937641Post **Dan Warna** » Sat 05 Jun 2010 5:39pm

pretty sure thats the same blake who had his back cracked for him by that sniper from Sydney/RIchmond who dropped his knees into his back (I forgot his name) lost a yard of pace and spent a year coming back from injury and I understand from an article several years ago, he plays every game with injections and 'manages his pain', never seen him squib, back out from a fight, back out from charging the ball, defending his team mates and his space.

I'd be surprised if he was in the top 15 players at st kilda for wage.

Since then he's been called weak, soft, incompetent, round 3 trade bait, delist material, crap, pathetic, etc.

Well done blake, I have been a fan of you for almost your entire career, and look forward to another few years of sterling courageous service for the saints.

And to be honest despite all the criticism of the blake, its first time I've heard him being called a coward...

I'd say he is in he top echelon of st kilda players who would stand in front of a steam train at full tilt to win a premiership, which is more than you can say for some over the past 30 odd years i've been watching football.

ALso I think he's in the top 3 or 4 for effective disposal off the ball, so even if its short passes, he's doing it effectively.

DO you want him on the wing? how about putting blake in as a ruck rover? the man goes where ever every coach has asked him to go and done it manfully.

He's a champion of a player even if he isn't a champion player.

A New Form Of Cowardice

A New Form Of Cowardice

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