Kingsley officially staying for 2004

[blackdiamond]

courtesy of www.portadelaidefc.com.au

Kingsley officially staying for 2004

Adam Kingsley has signed a new contract with the Power, two months after being told he wouldn’t be offered one.

The 1998 best and fairest winner earned a one-year deal for the fitness work he put in over the last eight weeks and believes he has had the wake-up call he needed to become a better player.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Kingsley said when he was told that he was no longer required less than a week after the end of the Power’s season he was devastated but the bad news was “absolutely warranted”.

“It served a purpose,” he said, “I’ve come back in better shape than I ever have and I’m running okay and feeling great so I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing some games.”

Kingsley said it was a couple of weeks after he had the initial bad news that the club came to him and said he could earn himself a new contract if he got himself fitter.

“They told me if I pulled my finger out and came back in reasonable shape then they would offer me a contract and as soon as I heard that I was more than willing to do everything I could to stay here,” he said.

“I was really watching what I was eating. I was running and riding every day with a couple of other guys. I had a lot of teammates here who did a lot of the work with me and helped me get to the levels that impressed the coaching staff so I certainly have to thank those guys. I went over to a KI (Kangaroo Island) health retreat for a week and that really helped me out as well.”

Kingsley, 28, played just 12 games in 2003 due to being hampered by persistent injuries that he admits were in part caused by carrying extra weight.

Now, the inaugural squad member who has played 125 games for the club, says he is as fit as he has ever been.

“My skinfolds are the lowest they’ve ever been at this time of year and my weight is down below playing weight which is a really good sign so I’d have to say I am the fittest I’ve been,” he said.

With the well-publicised loss of 598 games of AFL experience from the club (mostly through Stephen Paxman, Nick Stevens and Che Cockatoo-Collins) Kingsley’s retention on the list gives the Power some extra experience and Kingsley expects to use all of it in 2004 and hopefully beyond.

“I think I’m going to have to (give more on the field). Mark (Williams) has certainly given me that warning that I wasn’t secure at the club and hopefully I can really develop on the experience I’ve had and really help the other guys develop into a premiership winning team,” he said.

“I still reckon I have a good three or four years left in me. I’m 28 at the moment, to play through to 32 I’d be extremely happy with that and I guess if I perform as well as I’m hoping next year then hopefully another contract will come round.”

Kingsley believes the wake-up call that has ended with a one-year deal, reduced salary and fitter body was exactly what he needed.

“It was a huge turning point and one that I think has pushed me in the right direction,” he said.

“There’s nothing like being told you’re not wanted any more to really make you recognise that it can end so quickly and that certainly happened to me but now I’m back raring to go.”

 

[blackdiamond]

“I still reckon I have a good three or four years left in me. I’m 28 at the moment, to play through to 32 I’d be extremely happy with that and I guess if I perform as well as I’m hoping next year then hopefully another contract will come round.”[/B]

4 years, you have got to be kidding me!

Adam your bomb is ticking, I give you twelve months then. . . . .

B O O M !

 

[Powergirl81]

LOL

 

[Eddie Woloschek]

The legend continues

 

[blackdiamond]

Obviously Kingers wasn't happy with the choice of photo for the article on www.portadelaidefc.com.au

It has now been chaged to this............

Anyone else have some nice cheesy pictures of Adam that he might like to use in the future?

 

[Vindaloo Mat]

Probably a sensible decision. I don't mind him....he serves a purpose....he just needs to be the 28th player picked rather than the 18th....ie a useful guy to have in the SANFL who you call call up and get an instant replacement for a Poulton etc rather than the other way around.

 

[PJ Power]

Originally posted by Vindaloo Mat
Probably a sensible decision. I don't mind him....he serves a purpose....he just needs to be the 28th player picked rather than the 18th....ie a useful guy to have in the SANFL who you call call up and get an instant replacement for a Poulton etc rather than the other way around.

Spot on.

He would have to be in pretty rare form to convince me that he wins a place in front of Poults.

 

[sog35]

The young midfield guns are not always going to be able to play every minute that Stevens played. If Kinger can play some role in the midfield with his new found fitness then it may be ok.

 

[Beffery]

Originally posted by Scott
“I still reckon I have a good three or four years left in me. I’m 28 at the moment, to play through to 32 I’d be extremely happy with that and I guess if I perform as well as I’m hoping next year then hopefully another contract will come round.”

sigh

With everything aside, as long as that gold pass isn't whipped out by him this year I couldn't care less what he does.

 

[sog35]

I heard him speak on 5AA yesterday arvo and to paraphrase he said pretty much he got into a routine of getting picked and being too comfortable with his place in the team. Reading between the lines he is almost acknowledging the problem down at the club re gold cards.

 

[mic59]

Originally posted by PJ Power
Spot on.

He would have to be in pretty rare form to convince me that he wins a place in front of Poults.

Come on. Poults is one of my favourite players and I'm still sure he should be in the team, but Kingsley is well ahead of him on skill. Poults has had 4 games in his career where he has had more than 20 possessions, with a top of 23. Kingsley has played 43 20+ games, with his best 35. He is a former club champion and recent Michael Tuck medallist. He can be thrown into the midfield. He is the one player who seems to suffer more from being unpopular than any other, though. I remember when Damien Hardwick started with us he gave away the first goal in each of his first three matches with totally undisciplined free kicks. Did people get on his back?

Kingsley has made a concerted effort to get back in the side and I for one will be right behind him all the way. But I know what I will hear at AAMI, what I have been hearing for years. Endless criticism of how he plays the game and that he is not moving the ball on fast enough whether it is warranted or not.

 

[blackdiamond]

Originally posted by mic59
Come on. Poults is one of my favourite players and I'm still sure he should be in the team, but Kingsley is well ahead of him on skill. Poults has had 4 games in his career where he has had more than 20 possessions, with a top of 23. Kingsley has played 43 20+ games, with his best 35. He is a former club champion and recent Michael Tuck medallist. He can be thrown into the midfield. He is the one player who seems to suffer more from being unpopular than any other, though. I remember when Damien Hardwick started with us he gave away the first goal in each of his first three matches with totally undisciplined free kicks. Did people get on his back?

Kingsley has made a concerted effort to get back in the side and I for one will be right behind him all the way. But I know what I will hear at AAMI, what I have been hearing for years. Endless criticism of how he plays the game and that he is not moving the ball on fast enough whether it is warranted or not.

Hardwick is not one of my favourite players either but I have more time for him than Kingsley who turns defence into defence rather than attack.

I don't think the criticism of Kingsley will get any quieter this year.

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by mic59
Come on. Poults is one of my favourite players and I'm still sure he should be in the team, but Kingsley is well ahead of him on skill. Poults has had 4 games in his career where he has had more than 20 possessions, with a top of 23. Kingsley has played 43 20+ games, with his best 35.

Remember...Poults is a back pocket who spends half the match on the bench. Kingsley was one of our key midfielders for 4 years.

As a midfielder Kingsley goes alright. He puts his body in, he gets the ball and he knows how to kick to a leading forward.

However, he has played maybe 2 games in the midfield in the past 3 maybe 4 seasons.

In defence he is a completely different player and im not talking about how he can be easily beaten on the last line of defence. I would seriously question his skill when playing in defence is better than Poults. It would be on a par. When Kingsley has more options to kick to (instead of as a midfielder simply kicking to Cummings/Tredrea) his skill goes down the gurgler. He never makes up his mind on who to kick it to until he is under extreme pressure and then the kick more often than not goes to an opponent. This happens most times during a game.

He is a former club champion and recent Michael Tuck medallist.

MT Medal was 3 seasons ago and it figures that he would play his best game in a match that doesnt matter. Had he played every game since then close to that standard - a good link man, sure of his disposal and options - then noone would criticise him, but that game stands out like a diamond ring in a pile of s**t since he turned into a defender.

He can be thrown into the midfield.

He can....but will he? We all know he can play there, but whether or not he will play there is another thing. If Kingsley is gonna have the half back flank all his yet again then id much rather Poults in defence than Kinger.

He is the one player who seems to suffer more from being unpopular than any other, though.

Dunno about that one. I lot of people seem to like him. He is criticised fairly enough over what hes done since 2000 which is become our no.1 turnover merchant.

Endless criticism of how he plays the game and that he is not moving the ball on fast enough whether it is warranted or not.

If he actually chooses the first or second option instead of waiting for 17 options to pass thru his mind and then rushing a disposal when its too late then the criticism wouldnt be warranted. He is too predictable in defence. If he plays in the midfield ill be right behind him....if hes consigned to another year on the half back flank then he would have bloody well wanted to have worked on his kicking and decision making skills as well as his fitness.

 

[mic59]

Sounds like we agree pretty strongly on one thing, that Kingsley has not been used properly. I saw him play a good number of games as a loose defender coming off the half-back line in 2001, and he was still serviceable in 2003. But Mark Williams has put him in a set defensive position too often. He often has no-one to kick to, it is true. But that is mainly because teams are getting better at closing down leads and you have less ways out in defence than midfield, so he who hesitates is lost. Waiting for the best lead is often the way to go in midfield; Francou is often not a swift mover of the ball, preferring to wait for a lead.

 

[Eago77]

Love the first photo, wow that's a shocker.

On Kingers, like most i agree he could be handy in the midfield but really shouldn't be used as a first choice defender.