WOOF Player Awards

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: WOOF Player Awards

Coons is just a natural footballer IMO and that is his biggest strength. People talk about his pace and while its a strength I think you will find he doesn't test through the roof for pace. Probably has good pace but not great with his first 5 metres or so being pretty explosive.

Just leads to clever positions and gets himself in the right spots. He is certainly not an elite runner in terms of endurance which is where alot of his scope for improvement comes from. Despite the fact that he is not a big gut runner he still manages to get to the right spots often enough . Reads the ball very well off the pack and always gets his arms free early when he gets possesion which is a natural trait of someone with good inside skills.

Even his kicking skills sometimes have a bit of genius about them. He tends to float alot of kicks but gets alot of right to left swing on them and actually uses this when shooting for goal at times. Darren Jarman was good like that and Nathan Brown was a bit the same.

I think he is pretty good in the air but again I think it is his natural sort of footy awareness that helps him here. Wouldn't say he has a vice like grip when he marks and can get pushed out of contests but he reads the ball earlier than his opponent and angles his body cleverly which gets him alot of marks inside 50.

Just with regards to the tackle stats I think you will find that champion data (hun) records completed tackles or tackles that stop the opposition getting a possesion while prowess (age) record attempted tackles and then add a percentage next to it for completed tackles. In todays age you will see some tackle stats with Cross having 10 tackles at 60% completeion rate.

What does natural footballer mean to you Dog Town?

Is it what appears to be just an ability to get his hands on the ball, reading the play? getting to the right spots?

how would you describe it?

[Luckystrike]

Re: WOOF Player Awards

1. Johnson
2. Gilbee
3. Cross
4. McMahon

Pups
1. Wight
2. Cooooooooooon

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: WOOF Player Awards

What does natural footballer mean to you Dog Town?

Is it what appears to be just an ability to get his hands on the ball, reading the play? getting to the right spots?

how would you describe it?

"Natural footballer" is an instinct. Although the term is somewhat misleading because it's usually not a "natural" thing at all. It usually comes from being a footy nut when you are 4 years old. You follow the game all your life and you understand the nuances.

You instinctively know what is going to happen slightly before the others. You know from the way the ball is spinning in the air how it will bounce before it hits the ground. You know what the other guy is going to do before he's done it. You know the exact instant when and where to lead.

Scott West will never be considered quick yet he continually gets to the ball first, he simply starts running to the right spots before everyone else does.

[dog town]

Re: WOOF Player Awards

What does natural footballer mean to you Dog Town?

Is it what appears to be just an ability to get his hands on the ball, reading the play? getting to the right spots?
how would you describe it?

I meant to say that the term is pretty much open to each individuals own interpretation of what a natural footballer is.

My version of a natural footballer is pretty similar to Sockeye. As he said it is basically an instinct or an innate ability to know what to do in any situation quicker than most. Whether it be by reading the pattern of play better than others , the drop of the ball off a pack , being able to create good angles with positioning either in a marking situation or at ground level some guys just have that ability and it is hard to teach.

Even some of the dogged defenders that the game has seen have their own version of it in that they just know how to get an arm or put an opponent off balance regardless of size disadvantage etc. Some guys just find a way.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: WOOF Player Awards

When to lead, when to use body, etc. Granty has it, Johnno has it, Cooney has it, Griff has a bit of it, Higgins I think has it...we have a few players on the list at the moment who are very talented footballers.

Good discussion in here by everyone.

[Bornadog]

Re: WOOF Player Awards

When to lead, when to use body, etc. Granty has it, Johnno has it, Cooney has it, Griff has a bit of it, Higgins I think has it...we have a few players on the list at the moment who are very talented footballers.

Good discussion in here by everyone.

To me natural is when you don't need much coaching to bring the best out of you, natural skills is really what its all about. Some players need lots of coaching to teach them what to do.