14 May 2005 Herald Sun
AARON Sandilands is a giant of a man; a monster among his peers whose potential is plain to see.
But he has a problem.
Troy Simmonds is smaller than Sandilands (aren't we all), but he has a problem, too. The same problem as Sandilands.
They're shufflers.
Back when he was coaching Fitzroy, Robert Walls noticed Matt Rendell had the same problem and coined a phrase for it.
Walls would send out the runner to his biggest player to quit the "monster shuffle" and get on his bike to the next contest.
It was probably a kind way of saying stop bludging and start jogging.
Jogging – that simple, but at times onerous task – is all that's holding back at least two of the tallest players in the game from maximising their output and, by extension, development.
With just 44 games under his belt, Sandilands' walking between contests is preventing him from establishing himself in the competition.
For Simmonds (111 games) it may well be what is standing between him being a good player and an outstanding one.
When Simmonds left the Demons for Fremantle at the end of 2001, he was a lighter version of the monster he is today – a running ruckman with a big leap who was capable of covering many kilometres in the ruck.
His role at Fremantle was more a tall forward and his training in the next three years was aimed at building a bigger frame in the weight room, coupled with a focus on repetitive short-distance powerful efforts that produced strong leads of 30-40m.
Somewhere along the way his endurance suffered or wasn't developed and, while the power remains, the repeat efforts don't. It's holding him back, particularly when he moves into ruck.
Too often after a sustained burst he walks to recover; the monster shuffle in all its glory.
Until his fitness allows him to influence play once again, the Tigers are effectively down one of their best players.
Simply put, the more Simmonds jogs, the more contests he is able to get to and the bigger part he plays in the rebirth of the Tigers.
Simmonds is said to have only an average motor (to use the modern vernacular), which is reflected in his Tan track time of close to 17 minutes. But it's a motor that can be better tuned.
If he trained to take a couple of minutes off that, his ability to push to the next contest would increase exponentially.
Finding the mental strength to make your legs jog instead of walk is fundamental to building endurance at this time of the season. Long morning runs on top of normal training is as good a way to find the discipline because that's what it takes to get out of bed when the monster in your head says sleep.
The transformation of Russell Greene from an erratic talent at St Kilda to Hawthorn champion in the 1980s is legendary in football circles. The means was simple in theory, but hard in practice: extra, gut-busting running.
When he transferred from St Kilda Greene decided to start jogging – every morning from 6am. Six kilometres, 8km, 10km, 10km, 8km and 6km was his weekly cycle every day other than match day.
Easier said than done but he was rewarded with a 300-game career, three premierships and an enviable reputation as a self-made Hawthorn hero.
Simmonds has a similar capacity for improvement, possibly a greater one. Given his powerful body and capacity to kick long goals, he could jog his way to the All-Australian team, a best-and-fairest or even a Brownlow Medal, if the cards fell his way.
Sandilands is a similar player, although more inexperienced. With his natural height advantage he could dominate the ruck position but he has to address his movement.
For someone so tall he is too easily knocked out of position in the ruck, which suggests he doesn't use his legs well enough to build an immovable base.
He was impressive last week against
Collingwood in the ruck hitouts, but his lack of agility and running between stoppages kept him to four possessions.
Too often he was passive in between the ruck contests and, like Simmonds, every time he finds himself out of position and walking, he should find the switch in his head that reminds him of Walls' exhortation: "Stop the monster shuffle and get running. If you are too tired, then shuffle to the bench."
Sandilands, like Simmonds, is said to be a powerful 200m and 400m runner, but it's not evident on the ground.
Jogging to throw-ins and ball-ups is only part of the job; jogging to position or running forward to create a target is the real challenge.
Jeff White rarely stops moving and often runs most of the game without rest. Peter Everitt is a similar beast with a razor-sharp football brain that makes him the dominant player he is.
It can't be easy being big and being expected to move so far. However, our diminished expectations have for too long allowed tall footballers to neglect exploring the boundaries of their endurance and agility.
In the NBA, anybody taller than 190cm could be a point guard, and someone of Sandilands' stature a mobile centre charging up and down the court.
Start jogging, boys, and you'll be rapt with what you find at the end of the run.
