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A Question of Speed


bandicoot

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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.

He is a local lad... that's how I know of him. I had heard of his name for years... and then I got to know him a bit last year. He is a really good kid and works his arse off and I'd love to see a club (hopefully MFC) take a punt on him. When I found his video on YouTube (a link was on BigFooty) I just thought I would share it on here.

He is exactly what we need, and a bit of a diamond in the rough I think. Most phantom drafts don't have him at all... so the likelihood of him being around with our later picks is very high in my opinion. He is a natural footballer as the video shows, and if not for his height I'd say he would be a lot higher in peoples calculations.

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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.

I thought I remember hearing from the club that Watts was the 2nd quickest in the 20m sprint last year...

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Speed and acceleration are both needed when playing against the modern press. Acceleration to step away from congestion, and then speed to break through the lines 20 - 30 metres off the ball. We have Blease, Rodan, Viney, Jetta, Sylvia and Nicho who have that immediate acceleration. As for outside runners we have Blease, Bail, Watts, Barry and McDonald. We need two more outside runners who have pace as their major skill but who can also kick on the run.

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

Yeah, and Sam Blease did(!)

Neither of those guys kicked 45 goals because:

1} they're not our main forwards, and

2} we didn't get the ball into space often enough.

FWIW, Mitch Clark could've easily kicked 45 this year even in a [censored] team. Why? Because he's actually the guy we're trying to get the thing to.

EDIT: Realised you're were probably referring to Lewis Jetta, but my point still remains. Blease is just as fast as Jetta, but he lacks some other important skills and is in a shocking team. The result: not many goals.

Which just proves my point that speed is not that big a factor.

Edited by Chook
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Remember it was Bleases first proper year and preseason after injury and he kicked 5 in one game and 2 and 3 in other games, will only get better after another preseason

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I think speed is important in terms of spread away from the contest and in general play. You have to have at least 1 but hopefully more forwards who can use pace to trap the ball in. Blease should be there and hopefully we have guys like Byrnes, Nev Jetta (agilitiy not speed), a resting Viney who can help trap the ball around the big men. In the midfield again we need that ability to cover off opponents both from stoppages and in general play. That was a big problem last year. Knowing the game plan might help. Down back I hope we can get guys like Stauss, Watts, Nicholson even Dunn the ball as outlets from contests because they can run and carry and deliver the ball. None of them are even regulars in that position yet so I hope a few of them can come on quickly to help Frawley, McDonald and co. Of course Frawley and McDonald are very quick for big men and like to run the ball but they should be doing that when its suits not by requirement.

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If you're after an allround athlete with a good body shape who can really run- Matthew Haynes is your man. AIS graduate who figured prominently in several draft combine events . Good bloke too.

Has fallen down the pecking order because he is very much an outside player - who is not a great kick. Could easily be available at pick 53. Goes to school with Jack Viney so we will know what he can do

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I said first five metres, which are the most important.

Eh I re-read your post. I thought you meant from 0-5m but you meant 5m>

Yeah I agree with everything you said. In terms of acceleration v. endurance I hate footy.

It's so contradicting. You've got to be able to accelerate like a sprinter, but have the endurance like a marathon runner.

Unfortunately I cant help but feel like Davey is a good example of these two areas: great at sprinting, not alot of endurance anymore. Have a look at him off the play and you'll see what I mean - but hopefully this preseason will help to fix it.

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Yeah, and Sam Blease did(!)

Neither of those guys kicked 45 goals because:

1} they're not our main forwards, and

2} we didn't get the ball into space often enough.

FWIW, Mitch Clark could've easily kicked 45 this year even in a [censored] team. Why? Because he's actually the guy we're trying to get the thing to.

EDIT: Realised you're were probably referring to Lewis Jetta, but my point still remains. Blease is just as fast as Jetta, but he lacks some other important skills and is in a shocking team. The result: not many goals.

Which just proves my point that speed is not that big a factor.

Couldn't disagree with you any more. Jetta runs weaves bounces and kicks goals. He does it because he is blessed with super speed. Kicking the ball into space has nothing to do with it.

Wow. Just wow.

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Couldn't disagree with you any more. Jetta runs weaves bounces and kicks goals. He does it because he is blessed with super speed. Kicking the ball into space has nothing to do with it.

Wow. Just wow.

You can "wow" me all you like, but I guarantee you he wouldn't be anywhere near a star if he didn't get delivered the ball out in space so often by players much slower than he is. As I said, I'd back Sam Blease to hang with Lewis Jetta in any kind of sprint you want; but Blease is clearly nowhere near as good as Jetta, which means that speed is not the determining factor in that comparison.
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Yeah right, Jetta kicked 45 goals this year. Pace had nothing to do with it [Face Palm]

Jetta actually doesn't have elite pace, or he didn't when he was drafted 3 years ago. Anyone remember when Frawley caught him at the G ? And it stands to reason, Jetta had to bounce the ball and Frawley is of similar pace. Frawley ran a 20 metre sprint time of 2.98 seconds and Jetta 2.95 seconds, which, as has already been pointed out, is the same time as Viney's.

I had one learned poster on this site say to me that "Viney's lack of pace will find him out at AFL level". It annoys me when people make declarations, but have no clue as to what they're talking about. Because he plays inside and is short this learned poster just assumed he'd be a plodder. It was pure guesswork. Viney is faster than O'Rourke and Josh Simpson, who are written up as having "explosive pace", or as being "speedsters". Viney's break away pace will surprise many. Including the dolt that thought him slow.

20-metre sprint (seconds)

1. Ayden Kennedy 2.88

2. Dustin Martin 2.89

3. Andrew Hooper 2.90

4. Sam Reid 2.92

=5. Sam Shaw 2.93

=5. Kane Lucas

=5. Gary Rohan

=8. Lewis Jetta 2.95

=8. Dylan Grimes

=10. Robbie Hicks 2.96

=10. Jack Fitzpatrick

=10. Bradley Sheppard

=10. Travis Colyer

I like leg speed and every side needs some line breakers. Players who are prepared to back their speed and take the game on. Jetta has that confidence and so does Blease. But equally, teams such as Geelong have shown that you don't need the quickest side to be the side that moves the ball the quickest. A combination of both is optimum.

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Jetta actually doesn't have elite pace, or he didn't when he was drafted 3 years ago. Anyone remember when Frawley caught him at the G ? And it stands to reason, Jetta had to bounce the ball and Frawley is of similar pace. Frawley ran a 20 metre sprint time of 2.98 seconds and Jetta 2.95 seconds, which, as has already been pointed out, is the same time as Viney's.

I had one learned poster on this site say to me that "Viney's lack of pace will find him out at AFL level". It annoys me when people make declarations, but have no clue as to what they're talking about. Because he plays inside and is short this learned poster just assumed he'd be a plodder. It was pure guesswork. Viney is faster than O'Rourke and Josh Simpson, who are written up as having "explosive pace", or as being "speedsters". Viney's break away pace will surprise many. Including the dolt that thought him slow.

20-metre sprint (seconds)

1. Ayden Kennedy 2.88

2. Dustin Martin 2.89

3. Andrew Hooper 2.90

4. Sam Reid 2.92

=5. Sam Shaw 2.93

=5. Kane Lucas

=5. Gary Rohan

=8. Lewis Jetta 2.95

=8. Dylan Grimes

=10. Robbie Hicks 2.96

=10. Jack Fitzpatrick

=10. Bradley Sheppard

=10. Travis Colyer

I like leg speed and every side needs some line breakers. Players who are prepared to back their speed and take the game on. Jetta has that confidence and so does Blease. But equally, teams such as Geelong have shown that you don't need the quickest side to be the side that moves the ball the quickest. A combination of both is optimum.

Jack Fitzpatrick 2.96

Maybe play Jack on the wing

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Who said it was ?

Blease was a top 20 draft pick not just because of his pace. Joel Wilkinson is the fasted player ever tested, but was never considered an early draft pick.

I think Jnr Mac said it was. He even "just wowed" me over it. My apologies for assuming you were fool enough to think similarly.
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