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A league youth quality, technically good but physically remedial

grazorblade said:
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Thanks, G.

One positive about Nick Stoll, was he talked up football. I'm assuming here we have another bad news story - which you also contended on the Pod - all the doom and gloom about football in Aus compared to the eggball codes.

BD comes across as a positive ( and very intelligent) character in his TV performances too.
 
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Decentric said:
Thanks, G.

One positive Nick Stoll, was he talked up football. I'm assuming here we have another bad news story - which you also contended on the Pod - all the doom and gloom about football in Aus compared to the eggball codes.

BD comes across as a positive ( and very intelligent) character in his TV perfrmances too.
Click to expand...
I disagreed with a lot of bjs opinions on how to fix the a league, but found his history interesting, especially hearing how much physicality was emphasized in his generation
 
Someone once said to me that sometimes you just have to watch football...


Not dissect it. Not turn it into a tactical seminar. Not pause every passage of play to question structure, spacing, or substitutions.

Just watch.

There’s a kind of quiet relief in letting the game wash over you. The green of the pitch. The rhythm of boots on grass. The swell of the crowd rising and falling like breath. It becomes less about outcomes and more about moments, a perfectly weighted pass, a defender leaning just enough to shepherd the ball out, a striker taking that half-second glance before striking cleanly through it.

We live in this world obsessed with analysis. Expected goals. Heat maps. Press resistance. Endless debates about systems and philosophies. It’s fascinating, sure. But sometimes it pulls you away from the simple joy that made you fall in love with the game in the first place.

Football, at its heart, is movement and emotion. It’s anticipation as the ball arcs into the box. It’s the collective intake of breath before a penalty. It’s the eruption or the groan, that follows. You don’t need to intellectualise that. You feel it.

There’s something grounding about surrendering to ninety minutes where your only responsibility is to be present. No overthinking. No micro-judging. Just letting the match unfold as it will. The mistakes are part of it. The messy goals. The scrappy clearances. The unpredictable bounces.

You don’t have to sweat the small stuff. Just sit back. Let the patterns form naturally. Let the narrative write itself.

Sometimes, football isn’t a puzzle to solve.

It’s simply something to experience.
 
here here Ful ! here here.
The smell of dencorub - why isn't that analyised how much X players gets rubbed on ? good lord where haha
Analysis Paralysis - $'s and this has scarred/holding back the game of free football and outliers !
Look at the game tactics approach of today.
Damage limitation first and foremost - reset reset, camp 11 in your box, oh so many pass's they are a good possession side, yer in their own half !
 
It's an very interesting article, I always wanted to get a perspective from overseas when it comes to our players, coaches and the level of play here too often people can judge in a local lens without the global context.

Its better to have technical report like this over puff pieces we would often see from ex-players/ex-coaches etc so this is a refreshing read.

Its good to see the technical level is now on par with the leagues overseas, this was often a weakness in the past as we had to make up with the physical and mental attributes which is why the FFA had to create the curriculum to improve the technical part.

Now It seems we cant compete physically like we used to, interestingly no information regarding the tactical part of the players from what I can see but still its a good read.

I think the physical component is probably attributed to the fact that we play little games per season plus we play during the warmer summer months of the year which is the opposite to the European leagues where its winter and the speed of the play is more faster whilst its hear its on the slower side.

I also a-league clubs along with the NPL clubs have to up their game when its comes to the academies especially more time spent on strength and conditioning.

And especially with the physical training component related to developing footballers too often we apply it from other sports but football's physical component is different to the egg ball codes.

Which is why people think we need the best athletes to play our sport when it not necessarily the case because you cant train a kid who has excellent physical attributes if he/she doesn't have the correct fundamentals and apply it under pressure in a game situation depending on the level.
I think someone said it on a podcast maybe in the Suited and Booted podcast? But someone made a comment that Australian footballers are too top heavy whilst the European/South American players are more leaner but have stronger cores?

Anyway which is why its very important the pathways and the correct coaching are in place to as many kids as possible that play the sport from the earliest ages possible, football's biggest strength is the participation numbers which is important when it comes to football finding its best talent out there.
 
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Put this way I haven't seen a AFL athlete transfer to football and play a decent level here let alone overseas, rugby league/union the same I think cricket too although apparently the Waugh brother were quite good footballers when they were growing up.
 
Football us life said:
Someone once said to me that sometimes you just have to watch football...


Not dissect it. Not turn it into a tactical seminar. Not pause every passage of play to question structure, spacing, or substitutions.

Just watch.

There’s a kind of quiet relief in letting the game wash over you. The green of the pitch. The rhythm of boots on grass. The swell of the crowd rising and falling like breath. It becomes less about outcomes and more about moments, a perfectly weighted pass, a defender leaning just enough to shepherd the ball out, a striker taking that half-second glance before striking cleanly through it.

We live in this world obsessed with analysis. Expected goals. Heat maps. Press resistance. Endless debates about systems and philosophies. It’s fascinating, sure. But sometimes it pulls you away from the simple joy that made you fall in love with the game in the first place.

Football, at its heart, is movement and emotion. It’s anticipation as the ball arcs into the box. It’s the collective intake of breath before a penalty. It’s the eruption or the groan, that follows. You don’t need to intellectualise that. You feel it.

There’s something grounding about surrendering to ninety minutes where your only responsibility is to be present. No overthinking. No micro-judging. Just letting the match unfold as it will. The mistakes are part of it. The messy goals. The scrappy clearances. The unpredictable bounces.

You don’t have to sweat the small stuff. Just sit back. Let the patterns form naturally. Let the narrative write itself.

Sometimes, football isn’t a puzzle to solve.

It’s simply something to experience.
Click to expand...
beautiful... I know you wont be surprised in me saying I agree with it all :cool:
 
Monoethnic Social Club said:
beautiful... I know you wont be surprised in me saying I agree with it all :cool:
Click to expand...


There’s too much emphasis on being the best at football. Rankings, trophies, comparisons - it never stops. Somewhere along the way, joy gets replaced by pressure. Not every game has to define a legacy. Sometimes it’s enough to play, to compete, to enjoy the rhythm without chasing greatness.

Easy to say when you're not involved at the coalface if course.

When you’re inside it, striving isn’t optional - it’s survival, identity, and the standard you’re judged by daily.


But for fans like you and me, it’s about the bigger picture. It’s history, community, and the feeling that stretches beyond ninety minutes.

Wins and losses matter, but they’re threads in a much larger tapestry, the shared memories, long seasons, generational loyalty.

You’re not chasing contracts or selection; you’re holding onto belonging, perspective, and the story unfolding.

It's all about the story!
 
Football us life said:
Someone once said to me that sometimes you just have to watch football...


Not dissect it. Not turn it into a tactical seminar. Not pause every passage of play to question structure, spacing, or substitutions.

Just watch.

There’s a kind of quiet relief in letting the game wash over you. The green of the pitch. The rhythm of boots on grass. The swell of the crowd rising and falling like breath. It becomes less about outcomes and more about moments, a perfectly weighted pass, a defender leaning just enough to shepherd the ball out, a striker taking that half-second glance before striking cleanly through it.

We live in this world obsessed with analysis. Expected goals. Heat maps. Press resistance. Endless debates about systems and philosophies. It’s fascinating, sure. But sometimes it pulls you away from the simple joy that made you fall in love with the game in the first place.

Football, at its heart, is movement and emotion. It’s anticipation as the ball arcs into the box. It’s the collective intake of breath before a penalty. It’s the eruption or the groan, that follows. You don’t need to intellectualise that. You feel it.

There’s something grounding about surrendering to ninety minutes where your only responsibility is to be present. No overthinking. No micro-judging. Just letting the match unfold as it will. The mistakes are part of it. The messy goals. The scrappy clearances. The unpredictable bounces.

You don’t have to sweat the small stuff. Just sit back. Let the patterns form naturally. Let the narrative write itself.

Sometimes, football isn’t a puzzle to solve.

It’s simply something to experience.
Click to expand...
Different people get different things out of the game

Happy for you to enjoy different parts of it :)
 
Football us life said:
There’s too much emphasis on being the best at football. Rankings, trophies, comparisons - it never stops. Somewhere along the way, joy gets replaced by pressure. Not every game has to define a legacy. Sometimes it’s enough to play, to compete, to enjoy the rhythm without chasing greatness.

Easy to say when you're not involved at the coalface if course.

When you’re inside it, striving isn’t optional - it’s survival, identity, and the standard you’re judged by daily.


But for fans like you and me, it’s about the bigger picture. It’s history, community, and the feeling that stretches beyond ninety minutes.

Wins and losses matter, but they’re threads in a much larger tapestry, the shared memories, long seasons, generational loyalty.

You’re not chasing contracts or selection; you’re holding onto belonging, perspective, and the story unfolding.

It's all about the story!
Click to expand...
Its elegance lies in simplicity. The story, you're right, its the story. The one my dad tells of players and moments of his youth and the one I will tell my son and later grandson about the players and moments in mine.
 
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grazorblade said:
Different people get different things out of the game

Happy for you to enjoy different parts of it :)
Click to expand...


I totally agree.

It's a boring world when everyone is looking at Xg spreadsheets, predictive analytics charts, performance metrics tables and data dash boards...

Some of us just want to watch a game of heart-over-head football, the songs echoing under the lights, moments you can’t quantify and a decent pie or souvlaki at half time...

It would be boring if everyone just wanted that too! 😀
 
  • Like
Reactions: LFC
Football us life said:
I totally agree.

It's a boring world when everyone is looking at Xg spreadsheets, predictive analytics charts, performance metrics tables and data dash boards...

Some of us just want to watch a game of heart-over-head football, the songs echoing under the lights, moments you can’t quantify and a decent pie or souvlaki at half time...

It would be boring if everyone just wanted that too! 😀
Click to expand...
yeah I would never want to push the analytic side of the game on people who didn't enjoy it

for me spreedsheets, math and analytics is a bit like making a nice meal, but I have an odd job (physicist). I'm glad other people enjoy that part of the game too and never bothered if people like something else out of it. I try and enjoy all parts of it, there is room in this world for all different types of people ;)
 
Barca4life said:
It's an very interesting article, I always wanted to get a perspective from overseas when it comes to our players, coaches and the level of play here too often people can judge in a local lens without the global context.

Its better to have technical report like this over puff pieces we would often see from ex-players/ex-coaches etc so this is a refreshing read.

Its good to see the technical level is now on par with the leagues overseas, this was often a weakness in the past as we had to make up with the physical and mental attributes which is why the FFA had to create the curriculum to improve the technical part.

Now It seems we cant compete physically like we used to, interestingly no information regarding the tactical part of the players from what I can see but still its a good read.

I think the physical component is probably attributed to the fact that we play little games per season plus we play during the warmer summer months of the year which is the opposite to the European leagues where its winter and the speed of the play is more faster whilst its hear its on the slower side.

I also a-league clubs along with the NPL clubs have to up their game when its comes to the academies especially more time spent on strength and conditioning.

And especially with the physical training component related to developing footballers too often we apply it from other sports but football's physical component is different to the egg ball codes.

Which is why people think we need the best athletes to play our sport when it not necessarily the case because you cant train a kid who has excellent physical attributes if he/she doesn't have the correct fundamentals and apply it under pressure in a game situation depending on the level.
I think someone said it on a podcast maybe in the Suited and Booted podcast? But someone made a comment that Australian footballers are too top heavy whilst the European/South American players are more leaner but have stronger cores?

Anyway which is why its very important the pathways and the correct coaching are in place to as many kids as possible that play the sport from the earliest ages possible, football's biggest strength is the participation numbers which is important when it comes to football finding its best talent out there.
Click to expand...
The top heavy comment was interesting

To be honest all our aussies apart from yengi look a gazillion kgs lighter than their team mates when they go to europe lol

Core strength apparently can be improved from the age of 12

I think we have mostly caught up technically, but it can be hard to separate technical and physical. If you play with more physical players you can have people close down space quicker and text your technique under pressure

There are also a few technical areas that are remedial

Long pass accuracy - in the u20 asian cup and world cup our long passes were half as qccurate as other elite countries
Controlling long passes with the first touch
Heading technique
Wide players effective cutting both ways (only the occasional is)
 
To answer my own question before about the importance of decelleration, i guess it makes sense if you want to close space down as quick as u can without crashing into a player and fouling

This is a physical quality that wouldnt be sorted after in other codes. I suspect the degree other codes matter is exaggerated
 
Most kids In the ALM have decent conditioning by the time they hit the ALM. They enjoy the game and play in the winter and are able to be very fit, though not as physical as their NPL counterparts. They then get to the ALM and struggle big time in the heat and humidity of summer, they are not conditioned for it.

In fact the whole of the ALM struggle with it. They start in October after a long break and don't have full match fitness, then they go into a long hot and humid summer and it is not until mid-March until the quality of the league shows.

So basically we don't play long enough and we don't play in the period when our players are best able to compete.

No solutions - just observations.
 
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Football us life said:
Easy to say when you're not involved at the coalface if course.

When you’re inside it, striving isn’t optional - it’s survival, identity, and the standard you’re judged by daily.
Click to expand...
True, FUL.

If one is coaching at a serious level, a coach is always looking for an edge.

Without all the analyses and updates in tactics/methodology/data usage, a pro team/club/country would inevitably stagnate and lose competitiveness.
 
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