Off Season Trade Rumours

[jvalles69]

From my point of view I had a basketball in my hands from the age of 5 and excelled in that sport as I played in the backyard with my dad almost every day, got into competitive/social from the age of 12, was never coached a day in my life, by 15 I could just dunk a full height ring and made state under 16 and under 18 teams.  I only grew to 5'8" so people were picked in front of me so I just started playing socially only, I play with all those guys that got picked over me now in a social team and I'm the go to guy on most occassions.  I worked hard every day and played at a very high level, but my genetics didn't let me go further, and I was never coashed prior to those state teams.

On the other hand I picked up a footy for the first time at age 25, very quickly picked up the skills required and rarely miss a target with the ball, but still to this day frustrated as I don't/can't think like a footballer, it just doesn't come natural to me, but I can see the field like a PG hence I can hit the perfect targets 90% of the time.

My point is starting something young especially if you love it like I did with basketball and you're going to do fairly well.  I'm short and stocky so ppl underestimate me at basketball which is a great thing.

[quinny88]

If people think natural talent and genetics are more important than hard work then you're dreaming.
Tony Liberatore won a Brownlow..

That was back then. Its different these days.
For every one that gets through on purely hard work there's 50 that worked just as hard and didnt make it

Don't get me wrong, you cannot get through on ability to play/genetics/athleticism/talent alone, but its the more important than a high work ethic alone.

Hard work still beats natural talent and genetics IF the genetically gifted don't work hard.

Look at Gary Ablett Jnr for example. Naturally talented footballer but plodded along for the first part of his career and got by on just talent without being a star. Had he continued like that he would probably be gone by now. Decided to put in some hard work and from all reports trains and does more extras than anyone in the game and that's why he's arguably the greatest player of all time.
It's the hardest workers that seperate the super elite from the bunch

I played junior footy with Nathan Jones. He was always shorter than most, not quick or athletic but he worked 10 times harder than everyone else, went for 10k runs every night, had nights at training where he would only use his left foot to get better at that. They are the things that got him drafted and turned into a very good AFL footballer, not natural talent or genetics

[Ricochet]

If people think natural talent and genetics are more important than hard work then you're dreaming.
Tony Liberatore won a Brownlow..

That was back then. Its different these days.
For every one that gets through on purely hard work there's 50 that worked just as hard and didnt make it

Don't get me wrong, you cannot get through on ability to play/genetics/athleticism/talent alone, but its the more important than a high work ethic alone.

Hard work still beats natural talent and genetics IF the genetically gifted don't work hard.

Look at Gary Ablett Jnr for example. Naturally talented footballer but plodded along for the first part of his career and got by on just talent without being a star. Had he continued like that he would probably be gone by now. Decided to put in some hard work and from all reports trains and does more extras than anyone in the game and that's why he's arguably the greatest player of all time.
It's the hardest workers that seperate the super elite from the bunch

I played junior footy with Nathan Jones. He was always shorter than most, not quick or athletic but he worked 10 times harder than everyone else, went for 10k runs every night, had nights at training where he would only use his left foot to get better at that. They are the things that got him drafted and turned into a very good AFL footballer, not natural talent or genetics

Yeh but to get there, Gary wasn't drafted because he worked hard, he was drafted on his talent.

Work ethic can be drilled/taught at AFL level, talent/genetics cannot.

But I don't think we're arguing on the same thing man. I completely agree that work ethic is huge

But the original comment was if we all worked hard we could make it. It doesn't work like that, you still have to be able to move/play/understand the game and that is generally most important in a recruiters eyes

[kilbluff1985]

it's all about the hours isn't the saying goes if you put something like 10k hours in to something you master it

[powersuperkents]

If people think natural talent and genetics are more important than hard work then you're dreaming.
Tony Liberatore won a Brownlow..

That was back then. Its different these days.
For every one that gets through on purely hard work there's 50 that worked just as hard and didnt make it

Don't get me wrong, you cannot get through on ability to play/genetics/athleticism/talent alone, but its the more important than a high work ethic alone.

Hard work still beats natural talent and genetics IF the genetically gifted don't work hard.

Not doubting that, the naturally talented and technically advanced falls all the time in every sport due to poor work ethic (Sam Blease (arguably, was never AFL quality but a talented junior nonetheless) and Colin Sylvia (his personality would have played a big part as well  :P)

Some have an advantage through genetics and natural talent over those that are hard-working, but at the end of the day there are no free-rides. Finally, to reiterate Rico's original point before the discussion went off an a tangent, a lot of people (based on the general population - not the junior football demographic) will not have the potential to play AFL football to begin with. Yes, the AFL has better odds than most other sports (i.e. around 100 draftees a year) but it only get more competitive from there, mathematically;

lets say 35 players per team (starting 22 + 3 emergencies + I'll be generous and say 10 fringe players because it does not really make too big a difference), times that by 18 and that leaves 630 players out of 23 million Australians. That is a tiny demographic (and the fact that 8% of the AFL population is comprised of Indigenous-Australians - .022% of the Australian population is even more incredible), the point of competitive sports is that only the best of the best can make it (otherwise who would pay to watch it). I think a lot of people want to say that it is possible for anyone to be an footballer, but I cannot help but think they are reflecting their own 'pipe-dreams' when they say it.

At the end of the day you can attribute hard-work or natural talent but I think you have to possess the fundamental technical skills or understand the game to begin with at a level superior to other youngsters and then develop from there. You can tell with a kid, teenager, or adult (recruiters can naturally tell as well), they either have the potential to develop into one of the best athletes in the particular sport or won't.

[PowerBug]

Did someone say Sam Blease? :'(

[Ricochet]

and even he got drafted ;)

[Mat0369]

Just a couple of things I heard on the Rush Hour on the way home. They were asking Jay Clark about the potential crop of delisted FA's and he said the following

*Carlton are at the front of the queue for Matt Wright and that he would slot straight into our 22
*All interest for Jed Adcock has cooled off and it looks like no one is interested
*Spindleshanks is almost signed, sealed and delivered to be playing under Rocket again at the Suns.

[Grufflez]

For quitting the best job in the world because he doesnt want to put in the hard work

We could've all been professional athletes if we put in the hard work required.

No, we couldn't have. There's thousands that don't make it that have a higher level or work ethic or put more work in than those that do mate it, but simply don't have the talent.

Some need to work harder than others to get there but it is possible.

Sorry man still disagree. Plenty work harder than those that get drafted, and still aren't good enough

+1

Have to agree with Rico, there's plenty who are eligible and just need to put in the hard work (but fail to do so), however a vast majority of people never have the potential to begin with. You first need the genetics, the mindset, the build, the athleticism, and the effort (it's a lot to tick off and there is probably more) and then there are those you are naturally talented and built for the game (who really have to flower up to be overlooked for hard-workers). If you walked down a busy street, it would be incredibly rare to find somebody who could potentially be an athlete of any sorts (it's the reason players like Josh Thomas & Lachlan Keefe resorted to taking banned substances, they obviously needed them or risked being delisted as they just could not keep up with the rest of the competition or their teammates (no matter how hard they tried) - this applies to 99% of athletes who take performance enhancing drugs - I honestly cannot see any other reason why a professional athlete would take them but it really demonstrates the demanding nature of professional sports. Of course there is that minority who are already in the top tier but do it to constantly improve, conversely one may argue that they are doing it to remain in the top tier) 

I would say 95% of people don't have what it takes to begin with (the competitiveness makes it even more difficult among those who do have the attributes)

@Holz, could not agree more, honorable thing to do by Boston. Hopefully he finds something he enjoys

Why do people cheat at cards ? Why do people steal, lie and deceive ? To get ahead.....some have more morals than others but make no mistake all have their price.
The thing i find most interesting about your statement is in regards to those ''99 % of drug takers'' just trying to catch up is, what does that say about the guys who can't be caught even by blokes loaded up on performance enhancing drugs?

[powersuperkents]

For quitting the best job in the world because he doesnt want to put in the hard work

We could've all been professional athletes if we put in the hard work required.

No, we couldn't have. There's thousands that don't make it that have a higher level or work ethic or put more work in than those that do mate it, but simply don't have the talent.

Some need to work harder than others to get there but it is possible.

Sorry man still disagree. Plenty work harder than those that get drafted, and still aren't good enough

+1

Have to agree with Rico, there's plenty who are eligible and just need to put in the hard work (but fail to do so), however a vast majority of people never have the potential to begin with. You first need the genetics, the mindset, the build, the athleticism, and the effort (it's a lot to tick off and there is probably more) and then there are those you are naturally talented and built for the game (who really have to flower up to be overlooked for hard-workers). If you walked down a busy street, it would be incredibly rare to find somebody who could potentially be an athlete of any sorts (it's the reason players like Josh Thomas & Lachlan Keefe resorted to taking banned substances, they obviously needed them or risked being delisted as they just could not keep up with the rest of the competition or their teammates (no matter how hard they tried) - this applies to 99% of athletes who take performance enhancing drugs - I honestly cannot see any other reason why a professional athlete would take them but it really demonstrates the demanding nature of professional sports. Of course there is that minority who are already in the top tier but do it to constantly improve, conversely one may argue that they are doing it to remain in the top tier) 

I would say 95% of people don't have what it takes to begin with (the competitiveness makes it even more difficult among those who do have the attributes)

@Holz, could not agree more, honorable thing to do by Boston. Hopefully he finds something he enjoys

Why do people cheat at cards ? Why do people steal, lie and deceive ? To get ahead.....some have more morals than others but make no mistake all have their price.
The thing i find most interesting about your statement is in regards to those ''99 % of drug takers'' just trying to catch up is, what does that say about the guys who can't be caught even by blokes loaded up on performance enhancing drugs?

Either they are super-talents (the prototypical players of the various positions - the Franklins, Fyfes, Pendles, Abletts, Rances, Wingards etc. - just about one in every team but Carlton & Melbourne (a few others but they don't come to mind as quickly as these to teams - although Hogan, and possibly Cripps, will likely fit into these elite categories one day) or they are as sneaky as Lance Armstrong hahaha  :P

[RaisyDaisy]

Essendon have just delisted Nick O'Brien and Will Hams

O'Brien a bit stiff I reckon

[Kellogscrunchynut]

O'Brien could have been something if it weren't for missing several years with injuries really rated him in 2012.

[Pkbaldy]

ZOB and NOB should both find clubs.

[Ricochet]

ZOB and NOB should both find clubs.

what about The AdCock?

[Pkbaldy]

ZOB and NOB should both find clubs.

what about The AdCock?

Just a little too short to get much interest.... 8)