Horses coaching

[penga]

That said, Towers does tackle and he does go for the ball. It's not like he's running away from contested ball situations. He's just not that good at it at this early point in his senior career.

Fair enough.. With a high intensity, tackling pressure game, we need everyone on point. One weak link, and we can get done. Towers will no doubt get more opportunities, but I just don't see him having the application required at this level.

[wolftone57]

Towers is softer than Trent Dennis-Lane, if that is possible. Some of his tackling efforts, and strength in the contest, were absolutely deplorable on Sat night. I don't care if Mitchell is slower, I would much rather a bloke in a red and white guernsey showing that he is willing to put his body on the line, than a fast bloke not willing to damage his fingernails.

Towers to be dropped, and de-listed at the end of the season, for mine.

I don't know which game you looked at. You wouldn't be Bedford from Big Footy would you? It tsakes all kinds of players to make a team, some tough, rough and ready and some very skilled who can have an influence far beyond the tough guys. I like both and I think they compliment each other. No, Towers is not tough, hard tackling player, but he does try. He gives 100% effort and to suggest de-listing him is astounding. He is just starting to play well. I suppose you are ready to concede his two goals back to Port? If you don't want him playing you can't have his goals and not have him playing. Either one or the other. I also forgot to mention his two direct goal assists and three other deliveries that resulted in scores.

So give me a break, if you come from a Rugby League background settle, this is AFL not Thug Ball!

[penga]

I don't know which game you looked at. You wouldn't be Bedford from Big Footy would you? It tsakes all kinds of players to make a team, some tough, rough and ready and some very skilled who can have an influence far beyond the tough guys. I like both and I think they compliment each other. No, Towers is not tough, hard tackling player, but he does try. He gives 100% effort and to suggest de-listing him is astounding. He is just starting to play well. I suppose you are ready to concede his two goals back to Port? If you don't want him playing you can't have his goals and not have him playing. Either one or the other. I also forgot to mention his two direct goal assists and three other deliveries that resulted in scores.

So give me a break, if you come from a Rugby League background settle, this is AFL not Thug Ball!

Play the ball, not the man, mate. Oh, wait, that's exactly what I am talking about. No, I haven't been on BigFooty for about a decade. And no, not from a Rugby League background.

If that is 100% effort, well he definitely needs to be de-listed!!

[Plugger46]

The bulk of the team played like Towers in the GF.

He doesn't have to be Paul Kelly but he's got to get a hell of a lot harder.

[wolftone57]

Watching game live and it seems coaching is a bit pro active ,creative different swans ?

I think it helps having Josh Francou in the box. Josh has coached a team in a good league, SANFL, to a GF. You don't get there without having a good knowledge of the game and a very good idea on how to change it up. With Francou, Harley as Footy Manager, Dew as Mids Coach, Blakey as Defensive Coach & Henry taking the Forwards there is more balance. Horse has another very experienced and talented mind in the box as well as being able to pick Tom's brain.

[undy]

I think it helps having Josh Francou in the box. Josh has coached a team in a good league, SANFL, to a GF. You don't get there without having a good knowledge of the game and a very good idea on how to change it up. With Francou, Harley as Footy Manager, Dew as Mids Coach, Blakey as Defensive Coach & Henry taking the Forwards there is more balance. Horse has another very experienced and talented mind in the box as well as being able to pick Tom's brain.

What's Crouch up to this season ?
(Sorry if it was publicised and I forgot)

[ugg]

Crouch is co-coach of the ressies with Mattner

[Xie Shan]

I don't know which game you looked at. You wouldn't be Bedford from Big Footy would you? It tsakes all kinds of players to make a team, some tough, rough and ready and some very skilled who can have an influence far beyond the tough guys. I like both and I think they compliment each other. No, Towers is not tough, hard tackling player, but he does try. He gives 100% effort and to suggest de-listing him is astounding. He is just starting to play well. I suppose you are ready to concede his two goals back to Port? If you don't want him playing you can't have his goals and not have him playing. Either one or the other. I also forgot to mention his two direct goal assists and three other deliveries that resulted in scores.

So give me a break, if you come from a Rugby League background settle, this is AFL not Thug Ball!

The key point I take away from that is that while not everyone in the team has to be a tough, hard tackling player, but they all have to go when it's their turn and not take a backward step from the contest. My understanding of "soft" is that they shirk the contest by avoiding body contact, which is not on no matter what type of player you are. You can still be a skilful outside receiver and not be soft. Towers is improving, but Plugger46 said it best, he's still got to be harder.

[Hotpotato]

The bulk of the team played like Towers in the GF.

He doesn't have to be Paul Kelly but he's got to get a hell of a lot harder.

In the Granny they got a little ahead of themselves , believed all the hype .
It doesn't take much to switch from the 2012 mindset to the 2014 mindset .
There's got to be a PHD right there.

[penga]

Plugger46 said it best, he's still got to be harder.

Agreed.

[sharp9]

It was interesting to hear that the coaches in their meeting with the AFL when discussing raising the draft age, gave as a reason that with most young, newly drafted players it took about two years 'to reprogram' them. Why would you want to 'reprogram' them was my first thought. It is one of my pet dislikes ie why would you want to pick someone who has played say 4 of his formative footballing years as a forward and obviously well enough to get drafted and then decide to develop him as a back, for the sake of the team! Likewise you pick someone as an outside runner who has never laid a tackle in his life at junior level, because he has not needed to, and probably it is not in his nature to do so, then insist that he become an effective tackling machine. It begs the question, why not just draft an outside runner who also has a defensive side to his game - it would save a lot of anguish all round!

Reprogramming is a refence to the fact that every player drafted into the AFL is a star in his local team and, as such, have NFI about being defending/accountable/two way running/team structures etc.

[Hartijon]

I seem to remember Trent DL winning a game for us with a wonderful tackle in the goal square which gave him an easy goal. Agree about Mitchell and nothing showed this up better than the GF.We had wondeful receivers and pace off the Hafback but we had nobody who could get pssession of the ball and bring these players into the match.We desperately needed a posession player like Mitchell!

[aguy]

Hannebery had 34 possessions on the weekend. Kennedy, Jack and Parker normally rack up high possessions from midfield clearances too. Yes on grand final day they didn't fire but I'm not sure Mitchell would have won the game for us.

[rojo]

Reprogramming is a refence to the fact that every player drafted into the AFL is a star in his local team and, as such, have NFI about being defending/accountable/two way running/team structures etc.

Thanks Sharp9. My understanding was a bit wide of the mark. Your explanation fits in with Phil Walsh's comments about senior footy getting further and further away from 'grassroots footy'. Its hard to know whether raising the draft age would help bridge the gap.