Skills The modern game requires shorter players.

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Covertackle

Premiership Player
Jan 26, 2012
3,963
2,217
Ipswich
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Melbourne Dees
At a pre season clinic earlier this season, we were told that kicking accuracy (both feet preferably) is the most important attribute a player can have. Next comes speed and endurance.

What we see now also is players need to be brave enough and skilled enough to tackle effectively and OFTEN. Tackling has become a stat, which wasn't the case just last season! That means agility and courage have become more important also than height!

Naturally, if a players height is the main motive, and now more skills required of players, the smaller the talent pool becomes. That's why AFL admin have looked overseas for tall talent. Because there just aren't enough tall players in oz with all the modern attributes available. Smaller players are now just as valuable as tall ones. The AFL will fail in their efforts overseas, (for so many reasons) so smaller Aussie players will benefit.

There are now less contested marks. So there is less need for talls. Players now pass, instead of kick to contests. Height is less of an advantage than it has ever been.

There is no doubt that clubs 'behind the game' will still pick talls. Clubs 'ahead of the game' will begin to select players based on skill merit, instead of height.

The game still, and probably always will require talls. But a small blokes with great skills are becoming increasingly more important all over the park, now more than any other time in the history of AFL. That was not the case just a few short years ago,..

The game has changed. Peoples opinions haven't. Clubs, coaches, etc that want to be ahead of the game beginning to select players based on purely on skills, instead of height.
 
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At a pre season clinic earlier this season, we were told that kicking accuracy (both feet preferably) is the most important attribute a player can have. Next comes speed and endurance.

What we see now also is players need to be brave enough and skilled enough to tackle effectively and OFTEN. Tackling has become a stat, which wasn't the case just last season! That means agility and courage have become more important also than height!

Naturally, if a players height is the main motive, and now more skills required of players, the smaller the talent pool becomes. That's why AFL admin have looked overseas for tall talent. Because there just aren't enough tall players in oz with all the modern attributes available. Smaller players are now just as valuable as tall ones. The AFL will fail in their efforts overseas, (for so many reasons) so smaller Aussie players will benefit.

There are now less contested marks. So there is less need for talls. Players now pass, instead of kick to contests. Height is less of an advantage than it has ever been.

There is no doubt that clubs 'behind the game' will still pick talls. Clubs 'ahead of the game' will begin to select players based on skill merit, instead of height.

The game still, and probably always will require talls. But a small blokes with great skills are becoming increasingly more important all over the park, now more than any other time in the history of AFL. That was not the case just a few short years ago,..

The game has changed. Peoples opinions haven't. Clubs, coaches, etc that want to be ahead of the game beginning to select players based on purely on skills, instead of height.
Pretty sure tackling has been a stat for a lot longer than that. It's always been important to coaches and players, although with the increase in defense oriented gameplans (i.e. Roos and Lyon) and the speed with which attacking teams can move the ball it has become more important than ever.
As for the height thing I agree clubs will need to look at shorter players. Heard a story about a guy playing footy in my local comp who used to play TAC cup and was very handy apparently (still is a cut above most blokes in his grade) and probably had the talent to be drafted but was only 175cm so was overlooked. However the old saying of 'tall blokes are still as tall in the last as they were in the first quarter' is also just as true. Height is important in footy. Contested marking may be down, but in those 1v1s having an extra inch or two on your opponent can make a massive difference. Also skills can generally be improved a lot over time with the right coaching and work from the player; height can't be.
 
I think the "need" for height among midfielders is overemphasised in this era of footy. It terms of physical attributes, I'd think actual body size and strength (particularly through the hips and core) combined with running ability would be more of a "need" for a mid than being 6'2" would be. I mean, aside from Nat Fyfe and his marking, which tall mids are really known for using or really gain an advantage with their height around the ground?
 

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