Positions from other sports that would dominate AFL

[Phil McCreviss]

Interested to get peoples thoughts on this but heres a list of sports positions that I believe are the perfect prototype for modern day AFL football (and I am surprised the recruiting gurus havent looked in to this further).

NFL Wide Receiver - Leg and upper body strength. Speed, evasiveness and ability to keep their feet. Example - OJ Simpson

NBA Shooting Guard - Usually 6 foot 6 or taller, great vertical leapers and would have solid endurance. Example - LeBron James

NHL Shooter - Powerful legs. Brilliant lateral vision and eye to hand coordination. Example - Wayne Gretzky

Boxing - Endurance freaks. Mentally and physically tough. Dedicated. Ability to keep feet. Ability to withstand injuries. Example - Ali

Any others?

 

[walkers a legend]

Most NBA shooting guards would be ruckmen.


Lebron is a SF BTW Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter are good examples of a shooting guard.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Locks in rugby union would make awesome ruckmen. Imagine John Eales (200cm, 115kg) carving up the opposition.

 

[Eagle87]

Interested to get peoples thoughts on this but heres a list of sports positions that I believe are the perfect prototype for modern day AFL football (and I am surprised the recruiting gurus havent looked in to this further).

NFL Wide Receiver - Leg and upper body strength. Speed, evasiveness and ability to keep their feet. Example - OJ Simpson

NBA Shooting Guard - Usually 6 foot 6 or taller, great vertical leapers and would have solid endurance. Example - LeBron James

NHL Shooter - Powerful legs. Brilliant lateral vision and eye to hand coordination. Example - Wayne Gretzky

Boxing - Endurance freaks. Mentally and physically tough. Dedicated. Ability to keep feet. Ability to withstand injuries. Example - Ali

Any others?

OJ was a running back.

LeBron a small forward.

Apart from that.....

 

[Nater]

The John Eales suggestion is fantastic, i love the way Rugby blokes go about playing Aussie Rules, they are genuinely built like the proverbial brick outhouse, when they tackle u stay tackled and they are usually sublimely quick for their height and weight, very hard to stop. The biggest thing that i've seen with Rugby blokes is that they seem to have problems adapting to the way we hold and kick our football. If you got one that could master this aswell as do the other things above, they would be close to unstoppable.

 

[frantelle]

The John Eales suggestion is fantastic, i love the way Rugby blokes go about playing Aussie Rules, they are genuinely built like the proverbial brick outhouse, when they tackle u stay tackled and they are usually sublimely quick for their height and weight, very hard to stop. The biggest thing that i've seen with Rugby blokes is that they seem to have problems adapting to the way we hold and kick our football. If you got one that could master this aswell as do the other things above, they would be close to unstoppable.

they would be too slow for todays game
ruckmen used to be built insanely big but not many are anymore as they have sacrificed strength for mobility

 

[EFL Boy]

yer you know a shaq or yao ming might be useful here or there......
maybe down in the forward pocket pocket somewhere

 

[markfarmer]

Interested to get peoples thoughts on this but heres a list of sports positions that I believe are the perfect prototype for modern day AFL football (and I am surprised the recruiting gurus havent looked in to this further).

NFL Wide Receiver - Leg and upper body strength. Speed, evasiveness and ability to keep their feet. Example - OJ Simpson

NBA Shooting Guard - Usually 6 foot 6 or taller, great vertical leapers and would have solid endurance. Example - LeBron James

NHL Shooter - Powerful legs. Brilliant lateral vision and eye to hand coordination. Example - Wayne Gretzky

Boxing - Endurance freaks. Mentally and physically tough. Dedicated. Ability to keep feet. Ability to withstand injuries. Example - Ali

Any others?

You are probably right there and it has been thought of.....But the main problem is they make sooooooooo much more money over there... in all the sports codes.....

There wouldn't be many Wide recievers(the no. 3, 4 string ) that make LESS THAN a couple of million dollars a year....the top ones are on like 10 mil. yr. Sav Rocca is a 2nd year rookie punter(one of the least important roles) and is in the bottom 10 in pay and he's on $420-460k yr.

I am actually surprised that some of the Top sport player managers aren't trying to get some of the AFL players to cross over to NFL in America where the big Bucks are..

 

[AGC]

Fly half in Rugby Unions would be a perfect fit. Good, long kicking skills, solid upper core strength, and usually good hand eye co-ord to catch the high ball.

Wouldn't mind the Roos recruiting Dan Carter.

 

[Phil McCreviss]

You are probably right there and it has been thought of.....But the main problem is they make sooooooooo much more money over there... in all the sports codes.....

There wouldn't be many Wide recievers(the no. 3, 4 string ) that make LESS THAN a couple of million dollars a year....the top ones are on like 10 mil. yr. Sav Rocca is a 2nd year rookie punter(one of the least important roles) and is in the bottom 10 in pay and he's on $420-460k yr.

I am actually surprised that some of the Top sport player managers aren't trying to get some of the AFL players to cross over to NFL in America where the big Bucks are..

Surely even the NFL rejects would get a gig in the AFL. And are probably as talented as anyone going around in the AFL from an athletic perspective.

 

[tigers_seven]

i think it would be a great idea if instead of searching for talent in Ireland, the AFL look for talent in America for athletes like basketballers and gridiron players that are unlucky not to make proffesional level.
I dont see why not?

 

[frantelle]

Surely even the NFL rejects would get a gig in the AFL. And are probably as talented as anyone going around in the AFL from an athletic perspective.

u cant just pick up AFL if u havent played it as a teenager
NFL u no where to run and the line
AFL ur out there and thats it..u have to no where to go
yes some of them would be brilliant physically...but not many would be nearly fit enough to play AFL...not to mention 50% of what makes a footballer is his brain
if he doesnt have a footy brain which would be impossible for a nfl player then they have no chance...at most dominate amateurs where there are just heaps of contests

 

[MC_9]

Imagine if Lebron played AFL, 6.8, huge and athletic. He would dominate.

 

[magilla]

An olympic sprinter or someone just off the pace could be good. Quick players are what you need thesedays and the majority have a decent build already. Skills training is all thats required and if they're Aussie there is a good chance they have some experience kicking an aussie rules ball.

Boxers have huge endurance but it is'nt natural, It comes through training. The time spent learning the skills required and keeping up his usual boxing training would be very difficult. He would end up losing alot of built up endurance over time and be of similar fitness to the others.

 

[peebs]

Man Ice Hockey players would have no troubles with the toughness of the AFL, they'd put us to shame these days.

 

[Ragnarok14]

I reckon the main problem you'd have with any of those types of players would be endurance, aside from maybe rugby. All the american sports are way to short on endurance to be any use in AFL IMO, except maybe basketballers as ruckmen, they could do alright I reckon.

 

[voodooguru]

There's only room for one boxer in the AFL and his name is Barry "Festival" Hall.

Man Ice Hockey players would have no troubles with the toughness of the AFL, they'd put us to shame these days.

I'd like to see ice hockey players take on ultimate martial "artists" at Scrabble. In a cage in the middle of the Sahara.

Imagine if Lebron played AFL, 6.8, huge and athletic. He would dominate

Thanks, in part, to an unmentionable process of unnatural natural selection; the USA has a container ship-load of body types that would excell at AFL. If, along with the Rest Of Us, those African-American guys, through some quirk in history - had been sent here in penal servitude or had come here seeking A Better Life? LeBron would be a high-marking, long goal-kicking GIANT of a CHF. Godzilla Wayne Carey.

Theres a massive surplus of very athletic AFL sized bodies over there, especially in the Goodes-Judd range. POWER forwards, way too many utilities, elusive and extremely quick smaller types - all not quite good enough at basketball to make it as a pro ballers.

Neal "The Mad Professor" Craig would have to find a way to transplant Ricciuto's brain, if the Roo and his family were willing to do that for the Crowbots.

EDIT: The Mad Professor would build endurance at his top secret facility underneath the Swiss Alps.

 

[magiceightball]

imagine yao ming in the goal square, 7foot six and by no means thin, although he cant jump that high, his pure height and strength would dominate, also can hold onto balls quite a good rebounder where he uses his body very effectively, would have to teach him to kick though, lol

 

[magiceightball]

I reckon the main problem you'd have with any of those types of players would be endurance, aside from maybe rugby. All the american sports are way to short on endurance to be any use in AFL IMO, except maybe basketballers as ruckmen, they could do alright I reckon.

if you have ever played competitive basketball in your life you would understand how fit you have to be. although yes its not the same as running a hundred metres for a possesion it is very similiar to the beep test, up and back, and when you look at the size of the players, its phenomanal nba players are the most cooridinated tall people in sport

 

[Upgrayedd]

imagine yao ming in the goal square, 7foot six and by no means thin, although he cant jump that high, his pure height and strength would dominate, also can hold onto balls quite a good rebounder where he uses his body very effectively, would have to teach him to kick though, lol

Aaron Sandilands board.

 

[Mr Belial]

Ok, if we take the padding and helmets away from NHL and NFL players they wouldn't have the balls to play at AFL level. I'm not saying they're not tough but they would always be taking a peek when it came time to pick up the ball or back into a pack. They'd be the sort of players who would love to start fights but go missing when the hard ball is to be won. Nor would they have the endurance to last more than a half in a sport that is essentially continuous suicides with physical pressure coming from any direction and having to take continual impact blows throughout (again no padding).
NBA players would be even more useless having not played such a physical game. You would only have to drive a hip and shoulder into Yao Ming once and that would be it. He would forever have his eyes off the ball. Imagine if LeBron copped a front on Baue Waters shoulder at full pace. I'm sorry but I don't see him coming back for more.
All the athletic ability in the world cannot prepare you for the physical pressure or give you the awareness required to be composed when this pressure is coming from random angles at any time.
The only sports where players could adapt would Gaelic Football, Lacrosse, Hurling or Rugby Union which have a random physical nature to the play requiring a special type of courage and only a select few would be able to make the transition on a skills level.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Ok, if we take the padding and helmets away from NHL and NFL players they wouldn't have the balls to play at AFL level. I'm not saying they're not tough but they would always be taking a peek when it came time to pick up the ball or back into a pack. They'd be the sort of players who would love to start fights but go missing when the hard ball is to be won. Nor would they have the endurance to last more than a half in a sport that is essentially continuous suicides with physical pressure coming from any direction and having to take continual impact blows throughout (again no padding).
NBA players would be even more useless having not played such a physical game. You would only have to drive a hip and shoulder into Yao Ming once and that would be it. He would forever have his eyes off the ball. Imagine if LeBron copped a front on Baue Waters shoulder at full pace. I'm sorry but I don't see him coming back for more.
All the athletic ability in the world cannot prepare you for the physical pressure or give you the awareness required to be composed when this pressure is coming from random angles at any time.
The only sports where players could adapt would Gaelic Football, Lacrosse, Hurling or Rugby Union which have a random physical nature to the play requiring a special type of courage and only a select few would be able to make the transition on a skills level.

And you've based this post on what, exactly?

And, let's be honest here, if Beau Waters, 188cm and 87kg, ran into LeBron James, 203cm and 110kg, I highly doubt it would be LeBron who wouldn't be coming back for more.

 

[darcytiger]

I could see a few League players making it and that is all. League is alot faster and the players are alot leaner than their Union counterparts who are big slow lugs. Ingliss or Falou would be pretty good AFL players I rekon, along with that bloke from Queensland who does the kicking, he's got a pretty good shoe.

But the main thing is the skills, you can go ahead and learn the bio-mechanics and change your kicking style to get "ultimate penetration" but the fact of the matter is that when you are under pressure you are gonna revert to the things that you learned when you were 10-14 years old. The players from other codes and other sports just won't have this stuff ingrained into them.

 

[MC_9]

Ok, if we take the padding and helmets away from NHL and NFL players they wouldn't have the balls to play at AFL level. I'm not saying they're not tough but they would always be taking a peek when it came time to pick up the ball or back into a pack. They'd be the sort of players who would love to start fights but go missing when the hard ball is to be won. Nor would they have the endurance to last more than a half in a sport that is essentially continuous suicides with physical pressure coming from any direction and having to take continual impact blows throughout (again no padding).
NBA players would be even more useless having not played such a physical game. You would only have to drive a hip and shoulder into Yao Ming once and that would be it. He would forever have his eyes off the ball. Imagine if LeBron copped a front on Baue Waters shoulder at full pace. I'm sorry but I don't see him coming back for more.
All the athletic ability in the world cannot prepare you for the physical pressure or give you the awareness required to be composed when this pressure is coming from random angles at any time.
The only sports where players could adapt would Gaelic Football, Lacrosse, Hurling or Rugby Union which have a random physical nature to the play requiring a special type of courage and only a select few would be able to make the transition on a skills level.

This is one of the more uneducated posts on bigfooty, quite an achievement really.

Do you watch NFL, even with the pads they hit and get hit f*cking hard.

And if Beau Waters hit Lebron James, trust me Beau would not be getting up.

 

[OniAu]

An olympic sprinter or someone just off the pace could be good. Quick players are what you need thesedays and the majority have a decent build already. Skills training is all thats required and if they're Aussie there is a good chance they have some experience kicking an aussie rules ball.

Boxers have huge endurance but it is'nt natural, It comes through training. The time spent learning the skills required and keeping up his usual boxing training would be very difficult. He would end up losing alot of built up endurance over time and be of similar fitness to the others.

remember david clarke from geelogn then played at carlton , use to be a good runner and pretty quick. thats all he had though , use to laugh when he tried to kick the ball lol