Time to take blinkers off to 30-somethings
Matthew Lloyd | May 31, 2009
IN THE early hours of Sunday morning, the adrenalin was still flowing following our win over Richmond in the Dreamtime at the 'G game. As is often the case after night games, I couldn't sleep so I got up and flicked on the TV.
It was near the end of the game and the commentators were discussing Richmond. Luke Darcy was asked for his view on Richmond's 30-somethings and suggested they should be cleaned out at the end of the season so the club could start afresh.
Luke has done a great job making the transition from football to media commentator. He is articulate, measured and honest and I think the wider football community appreciates the way he goes about it. As is the case with any media commentator, people will disagree with your opinion from time to time. This was one such occasion for me.
It's frustrating that once players turn the other side of 30, their card is very quickly marked when it comes to assessing their performance. We — and yes, I am over 30 — seem to get pigeon-holed as a group. Your birth certificate seems to dictate worth more than the job you're doing on-field.
Putting together a list is a very difficult task. Broadly, players fall into three categories. You have the young kids (22 and under), the middle tier (23-29) and the experience (30-plus). Finding the balance is critical to the success of your team.
Youth is seen as the future, the middle tier is the present and, too often, the experienced group the past — but I think they have a very important role to play in the here and now and that role can be missed or significantly under-estimated.
When Alastair Clarkson took over the Hawks' coaching job, he made the hard calls on Nick Holland, Peter Everitt, Nathan Thompson, Jonathan Hay and Mark Graham as, in his opinion, they would not be part of their next premiership. I have no doubt that at the time, Shane Crawford would have been asking himself, 'Where does that leave me?'
Four years on, Clarkson recruited Brent Guerra and Stuart Dew to top up what was a young side that lacked some hard bodies and experience. Both also have great foot skills, particularly Dew. It doesn't mean that the initial decision was wrong, but I do believe it was recognition that 30-somethings have an important role to play.
In my opinion, list management over the past five years at the Hawthorn Football Club won it a premiership. There are no hard and fast rules on player ages or limitations, Clarkson and Chris Pelchen made decisions on what was best for the club at the time and the direction in which it was heading.
Getting back to the Tigers, they have some very important decisions to make in the coming months. Younger players need a mix of people around them and that includes the 30-somethings. There is no doubt some of the players Luke spoke about would, in their own mind, feel their time is up, while others — in particular Matthew Richardson who was runner-up in the Brownlow Medal last year — still have something to offer. "Richo" deserves to be treated with the utmost respect as he is the heartbeat of the Richmond Football Club.
Careers can be jeopardised by putting players in too early, so I think the all-or-nothing approach is fraught with danger. You can damage a player's confidence so much that the critical self-belief required goes out the window. Zac Dawson may be a case in point. I don't know the Saints' Zac, but I imagine he would have had some very difficult times in the early part of his career at Hawthorn. It is great to see him come through it — but some don't.
The other danger is to their bodies. You can break young players down if you push them too hard, too early. You have to make hard decisions on players, but you still need to make sensible ones.
Leadership is another important issue in my mind that I think on and off-field can go hand-in-hand in many ways. As we know, football and footballers are being increasingly put under the microscope. It creates significant pressure, particularly for a young player coming into the game. You need a sound leadership group to nurture players during this difficult period. Thirty-somethings have plenty to add in this respect and, ultimately if you get this right, you have a far better chance of achieving premiership success.
I sat back last Friday night and watched in admiration the performances of Jason Akermanis and Brad Johnson. They willed the Bulldogs back into the game with four goals apiece; they are both into their 30s but are still game-breakers. It baffles me to see a player in Akermanis' form questioning whether he can go on. If he were 25, there would be no doubt whatsoever.
Geelong, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn have built lists that have them as the teams favoured to win this year's premiership. They have the perfect blend of youth and experience. This is what it takes to win a flag, but it does take time, a commitment to development, the right decisions at the draft table and the right decision on your older players.
I have been told by a number of people that "the game doesn't know how old you are". The great game might not, but some coaches, journalists and supporters seem to remind you every day.
EXPERIENCE COUNTSADELAIDE 4 — Brett Burton, Tyson Edwards, Simon Goodwin, Andrew McLeod
BRISBANE LIONS 3 — Simon Black, Daniel Bradshaw, Tim Notting
CARLTON — None
COLLINGWOOD 3 — Shane O'Bree, Simon Prestigiacomo, Anthony Rocca
ESSENDON 3 — Dustin Fletcher, Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas
FREMANTLE — None
GEELONG 2 — Tom Harley, Darren Milburn
HAWTHORN — None
MELBOURNE 2 — James McDonald, Russell Robertson
NORTH MELBOURNE 2 — Brent Harvey, Adam Simpson
PORT ADELAIDE 4 — Dean Brogan, Peter Burgoyne, Brendon Lade, Warren Tredrea
RICHMOND 6 — Joel Bowden, Nathan Brown, Ben Cousins, Kane Johnson, Matthew Richardson, Troy Simmonds
ST KILDA 2 — Max Hudghton, Steven King
SYDNEY 5 — Leo Barry, Jared Crouch, Barry Hall, Brett Kirk, Michael O'Loughlin
WEST COAST — None
WESTERN BULLDOGS 5 — Jason Akermanis, Nathan Eagleton, Ben Hudson, Brad Johnson, Scott Welsh
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/the-30somethings/2009/05/30/1243456785929.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
