A Question of Speed

[bandicoot 1,395]

Seems like the off-season recruiting has revolved around obtaining big, strong and mature bodies who can a create contest and not get bullied around the ball.

Melbourne sides over the past 5 years have too easily been pushed around.

Mark Neeld's philosophy of being 'hard to play against' has resulted in the recruiting of:

• Rodan
  
• Viney
  
• Dawes
  
• Gillies
  
• Pederson
  
• Seller
  
• Magner
  
• Couch
  
• Wines?
  

All of the above will definitely stand their ground but are not renowned for their speed.

There will be a heavy reliance on the players below to provide this outside run and speed.

• Bleese
  
• Barry
  
• Nicholson
  
• Evans
  

How much of a factor will a lack of speed be for the Dees in 2013 and going forward?

[Chook 15,012]

To me, speed is very overrated. Nobody can run as fast as a ball can be kicked or handpassed; so as long as we get the ball in a bit of space, we'll be able to move it forward very quickly.

[DeeZee 7,364]

I believe that our next three picks after Wines and Viney, will be speedy, outside running players.

[bandicoot 1,395]

I agree... The essendon side of a couple of years ago oozed speed and could only beat the saints.

Hird came in and began bulking up the players.

Did Geelong have quick players? (Except for Albett)

[TheoX 1,222]

Viney is actually pretty quick, ran a 2.95 in the 20m sprint

[TheoX 1,222]

I agree... The essendon side of a couple of years ago oozed speed and could only beat the saints.

Hird came in and began bulking up the players.

Did Geelong have quick players? (Except for Albett)

Wocjinski was quick as well as being a thug.

[PaulRB 6,354]

Key difference between our player's leg speed and our teams ball speed.

I think our ball speed will improve with an improved structure and understanding of the game plan, i.e. we'll be more decisive in our ball movement, players will know where to run to, etc...

Leg speed is great to break lines but as the Hawks have shown recently so are great kickers. The value of a Blease (leg speed) or a Watts (great kick) is in their ability to break a line and deliver it to the advantage of our structure. This results in rapid ball speed.

Edited November 16, 2012 by PaulRB

[monoccular 17,417]

Quickness of mind, thought and action is as important as leg speed: hello Diesel Williams vs Cale Morton.

And having good backing from and reliance on committed teammates improves that quickness .

GO DEES - bring it on.

[tappysquads 618]

That's why this kid is a must draft at pick 49!!!

[Flemo56 396]

Hopefully we won't be as slow as we seemed to be this year, another preseason and year older legs under mission's plan, maybe. IF were winning a lot more posse's and controlling the ball speed of legs will not be such a big issue I hope.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Viney is not purely an inside mid. He will work hard away from the contest as well and give a bit of zip.

[ignition. 1,463]

Viney is actually pretty quick, ran a 2.95 in the 20m sprint

Also Wines has previously run a 2.98 in the 20 m via the AIS.

[ignition. 1,463]

That's why this kid is a must draft at pick 49!!!

Nice find, lets hope he can sneak through and the recruiting department is onto it.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Top speed doesn't concern me, but acceleration does.

Watts and Trengove can both run fast, but over the first five metres they are poor.

[TheoX 1,222]

Also Wines has previously run a 2.98 in the 20 m via the AIS.

That's good to know as that seemed to be what people thought his main weakness was. Get him at pick 4!

[Little Richard 6,262]

Top speed doesn't concern me, but acceleration does.

Watts and Trengove can both run fast, but over the first five metres they are poor.

Absolutely agree - it's not often that a player will have to run more than 30 meters or so with the ball and acceleration most important there.

[Gippsland Dee 367]

That's why this kid is a must draft at pick 49!!!

Judging by that highlights video i would say he wouldn't last that long in the draft, but there have been cases where players like that have been picked up later in the draft so lets hope judging by how well howe is going atm i would have had him higher up the draft we got him in, so there is always a chance of snagging a gem at a lower price!

[Gippsland Dee 367]

To me, speed is very overrated. Nobody can run as fast as a ball can be kicked or handpassed; so as long as we get the ball in a bit of space, we'll be able to move it forward very quickly.

Agree with you there chook, and anyway there is no point in recruiting outside players if there are very few to get it to them in the first place! got to fix one problem at a time. Once the inside is solved (quite possibly solved this off-season) then we could add a bit of speed on the outside to add a bit of 'X factor' like lewis jetta.

[jnrmac 20,055]

To me, speed is very overrated. Nobody can run as fast as a ball can be kicked or handpassed; so as long as we get the ball in a bit of space, we'll be able to move it forward very quickly.

Yeah right, Jetta kicked 45 goals this year. Pace had nothing to do with it [Face Palm]

[tappysquads 618]

Judging by that highlights video i would say he wouldn't last that long in the draft, but there have been cases where players like that have been picked up later in the draft so lets hope judging by how well howe is going atm i would have had him higher up the draft we got him in, so there is always a chance of snagging a gem at a lower price!

He's only 170 something cm so not a lot of teams would look at him and until another poster put this vid up I had never heard of him.

[hoopla 418]

Seems like the off-season recruiting has revolved around obtaining big, strong and mature bodies who can a create contest and not get bullied around the ball.

Melbourne sides over the past 5 years have too easily been pushed around.

Mark Neeld's philosophy of being 'hard to play against' has resulted in the recruiting of:

• Rodan
  
• Viney
  
• Dawes
  
• Gillies
  
• Pederson
  
• Seller
  
• Magner
  
• Couch
  
• Wines?
  

All of the above will definitely stand their ground but are not renowned for their speed.

Rodan, Byrnes ( don't forget) Viney and Gillies are all quicker than the blokes they have replaced - Morton, Gysberts, Moloney, Rivers. Then there's Barry ..... and there's a few picks to go.

Seems to me that they haven't overlooked the need for speed in this year's recruiting

[dee-luded 2,959]

Seems like the off-season recruiting has revolved around obtaining big, strong and mature bodies who can a create contest and not get bullied around the ball.

Melbourne sides over the past 5 years have too easily been pushed around.

Mark Neeld's philosophy of being 'hard to play against' has resulted in the recruiting of:

• Rodan
  
• Viney
  
• Dawes
  
• Gillies
  
• Pederson
  
• Seller
  
• Magner
  
• Couch
  
• Wines?
  

All of the above will definitely stand their ground but are not renowned for their speed.

There will be a heavy reliance on the players below to provide this outside run and speed.

• Bleese
  
• Barry
  
• Nicholson
  
• Evans
  

How much of a factor will a lack of speed be for the Dees in 2013 and going forward?

The Cats of the 2000's were not what I'd call a fast or quick side.

the bombers either

The Lions weren't quick.

and I'd also suggest the Hawks weren't quick, although they had Cyril, but to me it was Dew who cracked Geelong open in 2008.

and the Pies/Saints, neither strike me as quick, but the Saints had milne. they lost

So I reckon thats about all the finalists of the past 10 years.

Speed/pace is nice, but give it to me in someone like a Rohan or Dangerfield, & no real slow coaches on the ground, & I think we're OK.

Footy talent & smarts is the key.

Edited November 17, 2012 by dee-luded

[monoccular 17,417]

Absolutely agree - it's not often that a player will have to run more than 30 meters or so with the ball and acceleration most important there.

Not unless it is a GF, your name is Jetta, and a really fast guy named Cyril is trying to run you down. :-)

[Brian Wilson 331]

Top speed doesn't concern me, but acceleration does.

Watts and Trengove can both run fast, but over the first five metres they are poor.

Watts is pretty damn quick over 20m. But I agree that he can look slightly slow to get up to speed at times. Do you think it is because of slowing over repeated sprints, poor acceleration or a little bit of indecision? I tend to think that his agility is very good and if you combine that with outstanding speed over 20m (which is essentially a test of acceleration), then there must be other factors at work.

Players who are not very quick in sprints can be very effective if they can put these three attributes together.

[Gippsland Dee 367]

He's only 170 something cm so not a lot of teams would look at him and until another poster put this vid up I had never heard of him.

i had never heard of him either. It does annoy me a little that smaller guys don't get as good an opportunity as others though. Callinen at the crows has proved you can still make it when you're small! at 170 he could just about run through some players legs he may not make it at AFL level but from the highlights vid he does seem to have a great skill base. I guess time will tell.