Hard tough contesting footballers!

[Swampfox 190]

Why is it that coaches overlook this, If you look over the past premiers, especially Brisbane and Geelong are prime examples that you need to be able to win the contested football and be tough. Why do they focus on game plans which in a way are crap because the team that usually can win the tough contested footy become the superior football team. Why doesn't Bailey look at tougheniing up our side seens we are one of the slowest going around, why not look at winning the footy by bute strength instead of by flashy talent

i feel your pain but recruiting and developing the kind of players you describe is easier said than done

Bailey needs to be given some time to see who can do what he requires to suit his gameday style

I agree that players should be recruited for their ability to handle pressure but it is not always evident to do so in a lower grade of football

We all hear about the backyard star or the kid that shines at kick to kick which simply indicates some skill with basically no pressure

lower grade football is light years away from AFL level

look what Malcolm Blight did when he took the Adelaide Job

He sacked some notable stars which to most was a shock but we all know he made the correct decision and 2 preimerships later proved it

Now i am not saying thats what Bailery should have done but i am willing to bet before the start of the 2009 season some players will get their marching orders and some on this forum will be in shock

Look at a simple example of how hard recruitment is these days

We would all agree that Robert Flower was a champion player yet by todays recruiting standards i doubt he would have even been draughted

Even Norm Smith said to a skinny kid wanting a game your too small yet this same kid persisted and became one of the best players to put the red and blue jumper on

His name was Stan Alves and ironically should have won the first norm smith medal playing for North many years later

I remember Jim Cardwell recruiting one of south australia,s most explosive players yet he became a dud at VFL standard

His name was *Diamond* Jim Tilbrook

To those who dont know Tilbrook had the explosive style of Ablett in SANFL and in fairness to Tilbrook Melbourne were not travelling too good at the time

Swampfox