Expectation can weigh too heavily, too early
Nathan Brown | July 5, 2009
TOM Scully has been all the rage at the under-18 national championships and from looking at a highlights package of the kid, he has been blessed with great balance, natural flair, a good work ethic and silky skills. You can see why he has been named in the under-18 All-Australian team for the second time and why he is being touted as a future superstar.
The mantle of No. 1 national draft pick brings with it much media exposure (we've already seen Tom interviewed on The Footy Show) and reward, but above all else, it comes with expectation — high expectation. This is in the form of hope, a light on the horizon for the bottom-of-the-ladder club that selected him. It's not only the No. 1 pick who is under pressure; the first five picks will be scrutinised at every step of their development as they are seen as a building block for those clubs to surge up the ladder.
Do these kids have too much pressure heaped on them too soon? Can you expect an 18-year-old to handle himself the way a Joel Selwood or Chris Judd has when they came into the competition? Definitely not — Judd and Selwood are freaks; they are an anomaly, which when reviewing data is often cast aside as it disorientates your averages or the point you are trying to make. All these kids are going to be different: with different backgrounds, ethnicity, maturity, home life, body size, character. And they will develop at different stages.
Last year's No. 1 pick, Jack Watts, hasn't set the world on fire yet, but the media wants him to. The media wants him kicking six goals and winning games off his own boot. Give the kid a break. I'm sure Melbourne is very happy with his development; he's a young kid who hasn't grown into his body yet and he's playing against men for the first time.
There are many instances of players taking longer to develop than is deemed appropriate in this day and age. I was still worried in year 10 why I hadn't hit puberty yet and some guys in my year level had beards.
It wasn't too long ago that the media was all over Hawthorn for taking Luke Hodge ahead of Judd. I still remember reading these articles and feeling for Luke as he was being compared with a once-in-a-generation player, but with time and some quality recruiting to support him, Hodge won a best and fairest and a Norm Smith Medal.
Brendon Goddard is another No. 1 pick (2002) who was criticised early only to blossom when given time to build his body and develop his skills playing against men. Time and time again, so-called experts were quick to call Brendon a failure, trade bait. He was only 19 or 20.
At Richmond, no other player in recent time has been criticised more than Richard Tambling. Yes, he was taken before Lance Franklin in the draft, but again, Lance is a freak, another once-in-a-generation player. Richard is now starting to play good, consistent football and is regularly influencing games. He holds himself with pride and grace, but I know the criticism has affected him. Yet he has not complained once. Aboriginal kids take longer to settle into AFL life as they have such strong allegiances to family and community.
Football clubs are getting better at doing background work on prospective players who might be coming into the system. They will gather information from their schooling, what type of student they are and what sort of person or character they are. They will talk extensively with coaches and team managers about the same issues but adding a degree of football to the equation. What discipline do they show, work ethic, leadership qualities and do they integrate easily?
Young players need to be given time to adjust to new-found fame and the disciplines required. We don't want kids walking away from the game, potential unfulfilled, as a result of too much expectation and pressure.
So back to Scully, the kid I was banging on about when I started this column. I've just Googled him and watched some highlights on YouTube. He is an impressive individual. He's a quick inside midfielder with brilliant hands and skills on both sides of his body. He's a natural left-footer, which has him ahead of the pack already: we're just better to watch, left-footers. No pressure, though, Tom. Good luck.
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