What can be "developed" in a player.

[tdy]

Heres an academic excercise for the off season. 
What can be developed or improved with training in a player?
And what do we have to recruit?

Kicking
Handballs
Endurance
Strength
Leap
Speed
Reading the play
Tackling
Aerial Collision
Body on body contact
Marking
Balance
Concentration
Decision making

The classic one talked about is kicking where they used to believe they could improve it but now they recruit it mostly. Jobe Watson being an exception.
Thoughts?

[(•))(©™]

richmonditis

[Judge Roughneck]

hard to re-teach kicking @ 18

[The Big Richo]

I'd say:
Kicking: Hard to modify technique but other factors can make a players seem like a better kick ie fitness and decision making.
Handballs: As above
Endurance: Easily improved.
Strength: Easily improved.
Leap: Easily improved, perhaps not enough to be a factor though.
Speed: As above
Reading the play: Can be improved with good coaching
Tackling: As above
Aerial Collision: As above
Body on body contact: As above
Marking: As above
Balance: Easily improved
Concentration: Can be improved with good coaching and fitness
Decision making: As above

[tdy]

Im of t he opinion speed cant be improved much.
If kicking cant be improved much but handball can should we develop handball specialists of the crap kicks?

[mightytiges]

IMO, the basic fundamental skills of the game - kicking, handballing & marking - are something that you need to correctly develop at a young age. If a footballer has any major flaws in his kicking technique by the time he reaches 18 then it's very difficult to correct. Goalkicking, ironically is probably the exception in some cases as you can improve technically with practice given it's a straight line non-physical pressure action and kick. Field-kicking, on the other hand, is too hard to correct. Under pressure you need to be able to rely on natural instinct and feel and this is where those footballers with a poor technique are exposed.

[Judge Roughneck]

Reading of the game is something you are born with or develop as a kid

Don't think it can be taught or improved on, much. Imo

[JP Tiger]

I believe that everything can be improved with practice.    

I also believe that most of it is between the ears by the time players get to AFL level.  I think that confidence & attitude are as important as anything else.  Running laps, handball drills & lifting weights are all important, but so is sitting down & talking to a mentor about good decision making & working on that too. 

tdy: yes!  Hafey considered that Sheedy was an average long kick & encouraged him to handball, so he worked on his handball fanatically.  Became one of the best, elite skill either hand.  Elite decision maker too.  I'd love to say that Bartlett was an elite handballer too, its just that he never gave one!