Playing youth out of position

[YellowandBlackBlood]

One of the things I've noted the RFC does on a constant basis is play our youngsters out of the position they do best at. This is to develop them, usually in defensive areas of their game.

I think this is actually destroying some of their natural creative flair. For example, both Lennon and Corey Ellis rarely played down back as youngsters. They made their name in the forward half and midfield respectively. Lennon plays as an intelligent forward that gets into the right places at the right time and has a beautiful kick that either kicks goals or sets them up. Corey Ellis was known as a mid who also was a fantastic kick setting up his forwards.

Yet both are played off the half back line. Why? They haven't got natural defensives strengths in their games. Ellis in particular is still very light framed and not strong enough to play back line. Yet we continue to curb their natural flair and not capitalise on the things that made them champion youngsters.
This will ultimately destroy their confidence and thus their ability to develop. 

I've lost all my faith in big Benny Griffiths too. However, how much of it is his fault and how much of it is the clubs? He was recruited as a full forward. He made his name with his size. He is then taken by the club and moved to the backline. He then is moved back to the forward line on a temporary basis and flung into the ruck, never having been a ruckman as a youth. He is then made to lose 10kg so he can have the aerobic capacity to run around the ground. So we have effectively taken away his main advantage which was being a massive 200cm forward who was still quite mobile for his size. I saw him the other day in his t shirt and he looked almost like a rake. He was bigger when he came to Richmond!

What this means is that we are constantly not recruiting to cover our needs and instead try to make players play unnatural roles to cover glaring holes in the list. This in turn is destroying them as players.

In part, it's just another small reason why we are where we are as a team.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Stalin]

 The brains trust reckon they are more intelligent than what they are

[eliminator]

The creative talents of C Ellis and Lennon need to be preserved and developed. I agree totally that playing them out of their natural positions is doing more harm than good to them. Hardwick over emphasizes the importance of a defensive skill set and is constantly framing his decisions in a defensive mindset. I agree that the decision to slim down Griffiths has done him no good.

[Stalin]

The creative talents of C Ellis and Lennon need to be preserved and developed. I agree totally that playing them out of their natural positions is doing more harm than good to them. Hardwick over emphasizes the importance of a defensive skill set and is constantly framing his decisions in a defensive mindset. I agree that the decision to slim down Griffiths has done him no good.

Roos taught melbourne to defend in about 1 / 1.5 seasons now they are moving on to offensive part of it

7 years later Damien "I don't know what I'm doing" still has no clue

[YellowandBlackBlood]

The creative talents of C Ellis and Lennon need to be preserved and developed. I agree totally that playing them out of their natural positions is doing more harm than good to them. Hardwick over emphasizes the importance of a defensive skill set and is constantly framing his decisions in a defensive mindset. I agree that the decision to slim down Griffiths has done him no good.

Roos taught melbourne to defend in about 1 / 1.5 seasons now they are moving on to offensive part of it

7 years later Damien "I don't know what I'm doing" still has no clue

There is learning how to defend and there is playing in a back pocket. Two very different things. Therein lies the problem.

[Lozza]

Hardwick's focus on defence generally is I guess due to the fact he was a defender. The modern game is more about offense and being able to build attacks from the defense.

Unfortunately having brainwashed the entire playing group they are instinctively defensive and when pressure is applied they turn the ball over. Hence we need new coaches with modern strategies otherwise the current regime will ruin many more young players.

[Yeahright]

Have to question what goes on during training if our players still can't handle pressure. Seriously, it's been one of our biggest downfalls forever. Apply pressure and we crumble. You think at training (especially match simulation/intra-clubs) they'd emphasise huge pressure on the ball to make us get better at handling that pressure.

Either it's not happening, or our players aren't good enough to put on pressure.

[WA Tiger]

Every player should be played off half back .....

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Every player should be played off half back .....

Funny thing is that might work if we played sling shot footy, but that's bad as North play it…...

[Diocletian]

Knights was ahead of his time at Essendon....

[(•))(©™]

When opposition friends/supporters are laughing at hardwick, it's time.

[cub]

The definition of insanity 

[Stalin]

According to albert

[wayne]

Everyone has been played out of position

Chaplin forward, Morris forward, Rance in the guts, Riewoldt in the guts, Hampson, Hunt, Moore, Morris, Townsend in the seniors.

[(•))(©™]

Chaplin forward. FLMAO.

What the stuff was that!
I don't know what's harder to believe- he thought Chaplin was the forward we want or he actually made a move during a match albeit Ckueless and embarassing.