dannyboy - Its never black and white around here - only shades of blue
I've always thought that our list wasnt that bad in 02 (call me an optimist if you will) and that we are capable of doing a lot better than we have been in the pagan years. The counter arguement for that has always been that we have a list full of duds in prender, wiggins, livingston, sporn, davies and that is why we are on the bottom. Perhaps though they arent complete duds, but just young players that havent been developed properly.
My view though is that the youth we had wasnt actually that bad - each of the players listed above have shown signs of having 'it' at some point in their careers - its just a matter of confidence - with which will come consistency. Just like wiggins has started to show - Just as prendergast showed a couple years back when french was injured - Just as ALL the above duds show on numberous ocassions in the bullants.
From the HUN today on chris hydes development under wallace...
Quote:
Wallace takes up the story: "In my first two weeks at the club I told the players we were going to play a free-flowing, running, carrying (the ball) style of game.
"It was similar to the style we had in place at the Doggies. It was the style I liked . . . 16 goals a game . . . blokes who can play for the baulk and run and carry.
"In the first couple of training sessions preparing for that style, Chris approached me for a private conversation and said, `I can't do this. I'm a tagger. I can run with a bloke and take him out of the game, but I'm not an offensive player'."
Wallace's response was short and to the point. "I think you are. You're selling yourself short, and if you're not going to adapt to what I want, you mightn't be here long," he said.
Hyde took the advice on board and set about transforming himself.
"After about a month he was running around, baulking blokes and doing things no one had ever seen before," Wallace said. "My reaction was, `I've created a monster' and the boys nicknamed him that and it's stuck."
Hyde, recruited from Barooga in New South Wales, just across the border from Cobram, this week sheepishly recalled the conversation with his coach.
"I think when he first came down everyone was a little apprehensive and wasn't really sure what to expect – if he liked you, and if he didn't like you, and how he wanted you to play," Hyde said.
"I was probably in that boat. I was a little unsure at the start, but he encouraged me to play an attacking style of footy and that's what I tried to do.
"The year before Terry came, I played all year as a run-with tagger, and that was probably my first year of playing consistent senior footy.
"So when he came I thought I'd be doing a similar role, and was a bit unsure if I could do anything else."
Compare that to the bench and 'nothing' roles that pagan gives our younger players - Positive encouragement or splinters - I know which one I would prefer.
Giving periphery players minimal game sends a message that the coach/club doesnt think the players are good enough.
Filling the list with retreads sends a message that the coach/club doesnt think the players are good enough
Constant flooding sends a message that the coach/club doesnt think the players are good enough
Sending one of your most influential forwards to the backline sends a message that the coach/club doesnt think the players are good enough
Bemoaning the lack of skills and superstars at the club sends a message that the coach/club doesnt think the players are good enough
Recruiting an over the hill, injury plagued, TWICE delisted full back to the club sends a message that the coach/club doesnt think the players are good enough
You know, I could almost deal with Pagan as the coach if he showed some bloody faith in our players - and by faith I mean REAL faith rather than the lipservice we are occassionally given.
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