Foot speed is an issue

[the pearl 29]

One thing that was clearly evident from the Big V / DT clash was the stunning pace exhibited by the best players in the country. Recruiting needs to be based on the player's ability to run fast - great coaches should be able to teach them the rest. Look at the speed shown by goodes, stokes, foley, harvey. burgoynes, etc, etc .... Our best on-ballers get tackled when they're trying to break away from centre or packs or contests. We lack genuine foot speed!

[grazman 6,661]

One thing that was clearly evident from the Big V / DT clash was the stunning pace exhibited by the best players in the country. Recruiting needs to be based on the player's ability to run fast - great coaches should be able to teach them the rest. Look at the speed shown by goodes, stokes, foley, harvey. burgoynes, etc, etc .... Our best on-ballers get tackled when they're trying to break away from centre or packs or contests. We lack genuine foot speed!

We do to a certain extent - mainly in the midfield, but the danger in looking at any weakness in the list is to target specifically that area. Those players aren't just good players because they're fast - they've also got good skills by foot and by hand, read the game exceptionally well and know where to position themselves.

[brey9186 102]

its a confidence thing really

look at our 2nd half last week, brock and beamer were flying away from the opposition, as was davey and aussie

[Jerry Lundergard 392]

I don't think any of Mitchell, Cornes, Kirk, Bartel or Corey would be classed as genuine speedsters.

A good mixture of players would do equally as well. We do lack a bit of pace, but with Brock and Jones we have the potential to have real ball winners, to feed players with leg speed.

Both Hawtorn and Geelong have players on their sides who would appear to lack leg speed on a bad side, but it is actaully the speed of their hands in close and their foot skills to move the ball quickly which gives them the appearance of much faster sides, IMO.

[Gorgoroth 12,365]

Move the ball quick enough and everyone looks quick.

[Mousey 47]

2 words-

Simon Buckley

another 2 words

Develop Him

[Yencks 8]

2 more words...jack grimes

[Mousey 47]

really? Does Grimesy have a bit of speed? See i have never watched him so i had no idea?

If so thats great news

[Swampfox 190]

Our game requires players with more attributes than any other football code IMO

One misconception is players needing to be FASTER

Being QUICK is and has always been a far greater advantage than being FASTEST

Those first 5 - 10 metres are crucial

The FAST players have mainly played on the WINGS where the open space once they have beaten their opponet can be advantageous to the team

The guys who wins the football are ROVER or CENTREMAN (often referred to as midfielders)

Aerobic capacity , football brains , good disposal (hand and foot) and being QUICK are what these guys need to posses

[Rogue 585]

We lack genuine foot speed!

We do indeed, but this isn't something new.

I think Giafagna(sic?) and Buckley were probably rookie-listed because they are quite pacey. Same goes for Bode.

Davey's been played up the ground in an effort to inject some pace, and Ward played more games than he perhaps should have because we needed his run.

[Doggo 32]

I think Giafagna(sic?) and Buckley were probably rookie-listed because they are quite pacey. Same goes for Bode.

Buckley wasn't rookie-listed, he was picked up late in the National Draft, pick 50 or so.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

I beleive that the word is Acceleration. Sprinting tires players faster and you get less out of the over the four quarters. Look at Ablett, he is not fast over long distances but in short bursts, especially with the way he twists his hips, he is untackleable.

[Nasher 33,166]

Move the ball quick enough and everyone looks quick.

Nailed it. Speed of foot is far less important than speed of ball.

[Left Field 313]

Nailed it. Speed of foot is far less important than speed of ball.

PLUS the keys to sustaining fast ball movement are (i) skill level (to avoid turnovers) and (ii) players being able to read the play and getting to the right spots. Failing either of these, the ball turns over or slows down, making the ball carrier look dumb and slow.

[Axis of Bob 10,389]

A team of slow players can move the ball quickly if they have quality skills.

But a team of slow players cannot defend. That is where the biggest issue with leg speed is.

[rpfc 27,646]

Good point.

Not sure about Grimes being quick, Buckley is quick but can be very stupid with the footy.

Davey has got to stay on a wing, but that still leaves Jones, McLean, Moloney, and McDonald as the nucleus of a slow midfield. They get a lot of contested footy but when we don't have it, they can look like they're drowning.

[drdrake 3,057]

Its more than just foot speed Judd/Kerr/Cousins and now the Geelong midfield are made to look quicker by their team mates of the ball blocking for them. All it takes is for the chasing team to be blocked and a player can burst away from a pack. We don't do this yet so we look slow. We also have struggled to control the football and you always look slow chasing.

[45HG 1,539]

Anyone see Judd blocking Moloney for Stevens in the Carlton game? Judd just ran behind Stevens basically zig zagging up the whole wing, Moloney chased hard but never had a chance, not only because of Judd's speed but because of his smarts.

You definitely need foot speed, but through smart movement of the ball, and good blocking, a team looks a lot quicker.

[Eastie Boyz 0]

I'll take the thread started back to the first 5 rounds of 2007 (up until Geelong played Richmond)

Geelong had come off a poor 2006 and started slowly in 2007.

Everyone was saying they were too slow and that at least 2 of Bartel, Ling, Kelly, Corey, Enright had to go.

Fast forward a year and they move the ball end to end faster and cleaner than any other team in the competition.

Geelong really only have 3 players with genuine after burners: Gazza jnr, David Wojcinski and Kane Tenace.

Gazza is a star as we all know, Wojcinski is a handy midfield back up (and I'd be willing to bet he's the quickest in the comp over 100) and Tenace can't get a gig for the 1s.

The first set of guys I mentioned would probably be slower runners than Melbourne's core midfielders - they're just by far better footballers.

Gone are the days of drafting pure athletes with no football ability; their lack of skills just crucify the team.