Player Watch #21 Errol Gulden - born to play: 2024 All Australian

[Kennedy Parker]

Errol Gulden

Errol Gulden | AFL

Follow Errol Gulden's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

Not a leader

Don’t want captain

At least not for a decent while. Has a lot to learn.

Mills got it too soon. Can’t make the same mistake again.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

Footy fans seem silly when they pick on Daicos. I don't know if he's the best player in the comp but it's pointless dumping on anyone good enough to be in that conversation. We just look jealous and obsessed.

Re Gulden, I think any talk of his leadership, or perceived lack thereof, is a bit unfair at this still-very-early stage. What I will say is that there's a slightly-concerning trend unfolding of leaders at our club that are 'lads.'

Sir Dane's always been a quirky cat. Mills is one of the larrikins of the club. Papley was stand-in captain this year a few times. And Gulden, with his speed-dealers and smart-arsey speeches and treating events like the All Australian presentation and the grand final parade like he couldn't give a shite, seems to be cut from the same cloth.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being this type of individual, but how well it translates to being taken seriously as a leader and a captain... I don't know.

Recent premiership captains like Lachie Neale, Joel Selwood, Max Gawn, Trent Cotchin... all husbands and fathers. Not that one can't be a great leader and role model without being married or having children, but having those things generally suggests a certain level of maturity and sensibility one has in life, and it's a maturity and sensibility that I don't think some of our leaders have shown yet.

I’d go as far to say that our clubs biggest weakness is leadership.

I have been surprised by how much rope Gulden has been given this year to be a bit of a smart arse a bit too often. Bloods teams would have called him up on it long ago.

Maybe it is a generational thing. People seem to like Hawthorn and what I would call their arrogance. But to my mind the leader should be setting incredibly tough standards for themself on what it takes to win, and then holding their team mates to the same standards.

I think Gulden and Papley both have a tendency to hold their team mates to higher standards than they regularly meet themselves. I think Rampe generally is the opposite, he doesn’t hold team mates regularly enough to the standards he sets for himself.

Mills is probably the most consistent across both sides (probably why he is captain!) but he still has really immature moments that good captains just don’t have (e.g. running off the line early to celebrate Florents non-goal after the siren, mad Monday, rushing back from injury, etc).

I think this is what happens when for a long while you have a young list with a big age gap to the leaders - it is hard to bridge. Trade ban played a role with this, but the club could have managed better now as well.

I think getting the leaders and players together to refresh what values they want to espose, could be a very good exercise. They could then measure last year against those standards and set a course for where they can improve.

 

[Nuggetz]

I’d go as far to say that our clubs biggest weakness is leadership.

I have been surprised by how much rope Gulden has been given this year to be a bit of a smart arse a bit too often. Bloods teams would have called him up on it long ago.

Maybe it is a generational thing. People seem to like Hawthorn and what I would call their arrogance. But to my mind the leader should be setting incredibly tough standards for themself on what it takes to win, and then holding their team mates to the same standards.

I think Gulden and Papley both have a tendency to hold their team mates to higher standards than they regularly meet themselves. I think Rampe generally is the opposite, he doesn’t hold team mates regularly enough to the standards he sets for himself.

Mills is probably the most consistent across both sides (probably why he is captain!) but he still has really immature moments that good captains just don’t have (e.g. running off the line early to celebrate Florents non-goal after the siren, mad Monday, rushing back from injury, etc).

I think this is what happens when for a long while you have a young list with a big age gap to the leaders - it is hard to bridge. Trade ban played a role with this, but the club could have managed better now as well.

I think getting the leaders and players together to refresh what values they want to espose, could be a very good exercise. They could then measure last year against those standards and set a course for where they can improve.

I wouldn't mind seeing Grundy take a larger leadership role. Mills captain & a leadership group of Mills, Heeney, Grundy & Blakey. From outside looking in, Mills is locked. I think players look up to Heeney as the 'alpha' now, Grundy has experience from other clubs so provides a difference perspective & Blakey is probably a good link between the playing group & leaders.

 

[The Mares Leg]

Footy fans seem silly when they pick on Daicos. I don't know if he's the best player in the comp but it's pointless dumping on anyone good enough to be in that conversation. We just look jealous and obsessed.

Re Gulden, I think any talk of his leadership, or perceived lack thereof, is a bit unfair at this still-very-early stage. What I will say is that there's a slightly-concerning trend unfolding of leaders at our club that are 'lads.'

Sir Dane's always been a quirky cat. Mills is one of the larrikins of the club. Papley was stand-in captain this year a few times. And Gulden, with his speed-dealers and smart-arsey speeches and treating events like the All Australian presentation and the grand final parade like he couldn't give a shite, seems to be cut from the same cloth.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being this type of individual, but how well it translates to being taken seriously as a leader and a captain... I don't know.

Recent premiership captains like Lachie Neale, Joel Selwood, Max Gawn, Trent Cotchin... all husbands and fathers. Not that one can't be a great leader and role model without being married or having children, but having those things generally suggests a certain level of maturity and sensibility one has in life, and it's a maturity and sensibility that I don't think some of our leaders have shown yet.

St. Daicos has significant defensive deficiencies which are neither recognised or considered important by some ‘experts’.

I dislike the fact that this aspect of his game (which I posted but was deleted) slips under the radar.

The fact he ranks 92nd in 1%ers re-enforces what I think of him as a team player.

Regardless of Gulden’s smart-assedness, I’d take him all day every day over the ‘Untouchable one’

 

[caesar88]

St. Daicos has significant defensive deficiencies which are neither recognised or considered important by some ‘experts’.

I dislike the fact that this aspect of his game (which I posted but was deleted) slips under the radar.

The fact he ranks 92nd in 1%ers re-enforces what I think of him as a team player.

Regardless of Gulden’s smart-assedness, I’d take him all day every day over the ‘Untouchable one’

Believe me, if it was up to me, the only players that would get any worship in the media would be those that are damaging working both ways, defensively and offensively.

But I also think that would spell trouble for a lot of our own "stars."

 

[The Mares Leg]

Believe me, if it was up to me, the only players that would get any worship in the media would be those that are damaging working both ways, defensively and offensively.

But I also think that would spell trouble for a lot of our own "stars."

Warner comes to mind, but even he ranks miles ahead of ‘the chosen one’ in 1%ers.