southerncross
15-05-2007, 05:43 AM
Time for Aka to pick up the pace (http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/time-for-aka-to-pick-up-the-pace/2007/05/14/1178995076215.html)
RODNEY Eade's Western Bulldogs got one hell of a fright on Sunday. They got home by a goal at Telstra Dome, to put them on the positive side of the ledger at 4-3. A real concern for Eade is the poor form of his star recruit Jason Akermanis. The triple premiership player, Brownlow medallist, best-and-fairest winner and four-time All-Australian is not worth his place in the team at the moment and has a long way to go to earn the respect of his new teammates.
It is a rare privilege to be able to go to the football and watch just the one player. But that's what I did on Sunday, and Aka was the man in my sights. We go back a long way to the early '90s, when he was a talented Brisbane schoolboy who thought he would give football a try, even though he excelled in athletics.
The then-Brisbane Bears invited the 16-year-old to training camps and the odd skills session. It was in 1995 that Aka made his debut as a back-pocket. He was incredibly quick, but didn't know much about the game. Now, he knows plenty about the game but, on Sunday's performance, is no longer incredibly quick.
I had doubts about Aka watching his warm-up. Everything was subdued. He took careful little steps, didn't once stretch out and his longest kick was less than 40 metres. There was not much interaction with his teammates, either. He started the game on the half-forward flank. In the first quarter, he walked in off the line at centre bounces. It was all too easy for his opponent, Demon veteran Nathan Brown, to cover him.
The Bulldogs run in waves from one end of the ground to the other, but Aka was the exception. He just wouldn't or couldn't put the foot down. Time and again, he was the last to leave the contested area, once the ball was gone. He simply wasn't working hard and was not the slightest bit dangerous to the opposition. Perhaps the Bulldogs need to film him individually to let him know how substandard the work-rate is.
Sixteen minutes into the game, Eade benched his recruit, who had touched the leather only once. Two female trainers immediately got to work, one leg each, and loosened up the hamstring muscles.
In the second quarter, two uncontested marks out wide in space were the contribution. At the 20-minute mark, Aka was benched. It was disappointing to see a champion of the game have minimal impact. There were no tackles, smothers or spoils. For the next 10 minutes until half-time, Aka lay on his stomach looking forlorn as the women worked each leg.
Melbourne's Brad Green stood alongside the former Lion to start the second half. Within a minute, Green goaled. A message was sent out to set up in the goal square alongside Brad Johnson. Minutes later, Johnson and Ben Holland tried to strangle each other. They were locked together for a good 20 seconds. It was a perfect opportunity for Aka to jump in and fly the flag for his new team. He chose not to. Violence isn't in his nature, but a $1000 fine for putting a headlock on Holland would have been money well spent.
Soon afterwards, it was back to the pine again. This time, no trainers appeared to work on the legs. Were they under instructions? By the 18-minute mark, Aka was back on. He ran to the back pocket to mark a kick in. At this stage, he had had four disposals and had not worked hard for any of them.
At three-quarter-time, the game was in the balance. Eade put together a small forward line of Akermanis, Johnson, Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Giansiracusa and Adam Cooney. Aka was set up inside 50 and eventually gave something to his team. He had nine disposals, kicked a goal and accelerated for the first time in the game. The last 30 minutes will give Bulldogs supporters hope. But they, like me, just don't know if his problems are in his head or his hamstrings.
Aka has to realise that past performances and honours mean nothing when you start anew. He is now a Bulldog — a highly paid one — and his teammates will judge him only on what he does in the red, white and blue.
On Sunday, he played one decent quarter and finished with plenty left in the tank. He has to spend the lot, like 200-gamer Nathan Eagleton, skipper Johnson and veteran Scott West always do, to earn his keep in the kennel.
RODNEY Eade's Western Bulldogs got one hell of a fright on Sunday. They got home by a goal at Telstra Dome, to put them on the positive side of the ledger at 4-3. A real concern for Eade is the poor form of his star recruit Jason Akermanis. The triple premiership player, Brownlow medallist, best-and-fairest winner and four-time All-Australian is not worth his place in the team at the moment and has a long way to go to earn the respect of his new teammates.
It is a rare privilege to be able to go to the football and watch just the one player. But that's what I did on Sunday, and Aka was the man in my sights. We go back a long way to the early '90s, when he was a talented Brisbane schoolboy who thought he would give football a try, even though he excelled in athletics.
The then-Brisbane Bears invited the 16-year-old to training camps and the odd skills session. It was in 1995 that Aka made his debut as a back-pocket. He was incredibly quick, but didn't know much about the game. Now, he knows plenty about the game but, on Sunday's performance, is no longer incredibly quick.
I had doubts about Aka watching his warm-up. Everything was subdued. He took careful little steps, didn't once stretch out and his longest kick was less than 40 metres. There was not much interaction with his teammates, either. He started the game on the half-forward flank. In the first quarter, he walked in off the line at centre bounces. It was all too easy for his opponent, Demon veteran Nathan Brown, to cover him.
The Bulldogs run in waves from one end of the ground to the other, but Aka was the exception. He just wouldn't or couldn't put the foot down. Time and again, he was the last to leave the contested area, once the ball was gone. He simply wasn't working hard and was not the slightest bit dangerous to the opposition. Perhaps the Bulldogs need to film him individually to let him know how substandard the work-rate is.
Sixteen minutes into the game, Eade benched his recruit, who had touched the leather only once. Two female trainers immediately got to work, one leg each, and loosened up the hamstring muscles.
In the second quarter, two uncontested marks out wide in space were the contribution. At the 20-minute mark, Aka was benched. It was disappointing to see a champion of the game have minimal impact. There were no tackles, smothers or spoils. For the next 10 minutes until half-time, Aka lay on his stomach looking forlorn as the women worked each leg.
Melbourne's Brad Green stood alongside the former Lion to start the second half. Within a minute, Green goaled. A message was sent out to set up in the goal square alongside Brad Johnson. Minutes later, Johnson and Ben Holland tried to strangle each other. They were locked together for a good 20 seconds. It was a perfect opportunity for Aka to jump in and fly the flag for his new team. He chose not to. Violence isn't in his nature, but a $1000 fine for putting a headlock on Holland would have been money well spent.
Soon afterwards, it was back to the pine again. This time, no trainers appeared to work on the legs. Were they under instructions? By the 18-minute mark, Aka was back on. He ran to the back pocket to mark a kick in. At this stage, he had had four disposals and had not worked hard for any of them.
At three-quarter-time, the game was in the balance. Eade put together a small forward line of Akermanis, Johnson, Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Giansiracusa and Adam Cooney. Aka was set up inside 50 and eventually gave something to his team. He had nine disposals, kicked a goal and accelerated for the first time in the game. The last 30 minutes will give Bulldogs supporters hope. But they, like me, just don't know if his problems are in his head or his hamstrings.
Aka has to realise that past performances and honours mean nothing when you start anew. He is now a Bulldog — a highly paid one — and his teammates will judge him only on what he does in the red, white and blue.
On Sunday, he played one decent quarter and finished with plenty left in the tank. He has to spend the lot, like 200-gamer Nathan Eagleton, skipper Johnson and veteran Scott West always do, to earn his keep in the kennel.