Analysis The Blue Collar Player

[ghostdog]

With training resuming this week, I started thinking about Truck's blue collar mantra and what might be the criteria that define a blue collar player. It's probably seen in numerous contexts - at training, on field, at the club and away from the club.

I'd be interested to know what people think those criteria might be and what a 'blue collar' club looks like, and maybe some examples of other players who would have slotted in to that fabric well.

I reckon Mick Hibberd would have thrived under Truck, and Jobe as well.
Jake Stringer

25

Jake Stringer

Age

30

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.9

3star

K

8.5

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.5

4star

G

1.8

5star

D

8.5

2star

K

7.0

3star

HB

1.5

1star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.8

4star

G

2.5

5star

D

7.2

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.4

4star

G

1.4

5star

seems to have bought in; plenty of independent training apparently being done. Durham and Snello as well.

 

[EnolaGay]

Damian Peverill, Sean Denham, Daisy Williams, Paul Barnard

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

 

[fairbump_playon]

I reckon there are a few non negotiables in blue collar

- Consistent effort week to week
- No crazy egos (is Devon Smith

5

Devon Smith

Age

31

Ht

176cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.8

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

7.8

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

5.3

5star

G

0.9

4star

D

16.3

4star

K

9.1

4star

HB

7.1

4star

M

2.3

2star

T

5.0

5star

G

0.6

4star

D

15.6

4star

K

9.2

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

4.0

5star

G

0.2

3star

a blue collar player? I don’t reckon)
- Does the work outside game days to get the best out of themselves
- Wants to look after his mates

Or as my old coach used to say:
I can cop cnnts wot make mistakes BUT I CAN’T COP CNNTS WOT GET COCKY!!

Heath Hocking would be a good example of a block who never got cocky

 

[Duckworth]

Heath Hocking would be a good example of a block who never got cocky

Not sure if that was a typo, but seems appropriate to also add as a criterion for 'blue collar'.

 

[ghostdog]

I reckon there are a few non negotiables in blue collar

- Consistent effort week to week
- No crazy egos (is Devon Smith a blue collar player? I don’t reckon)
- Does the work outside game days to get the best out of themselves
- Wants to look after his mates

Or as my old coach used to say:
I can cop cnnts wot make mistakes BUT I CAN’T COP CNNTS WOT GET COCKY!!

Heath Hocking would be a good example of a block who never got cocky

I agree with these. I don't think Joe would have been a good fit in retrospect. Too self-interested.

There's an interesting side to this with respect to getting the best out of fringe players who'll battle to get in the 22, and those who are comfortably best 22. The former I'd expect to be doing their best at training, the latter to be doing that and then some, leading by example. So, sticking around at training to practise set shots or coming in early to get an extra weights session in - those kinds of things. Jones asking to sit in with Dodoro during the draft period is something extra as well, though slightly different and still culture building.

I think Laverde is definitely a blue collar player. Sadly, Irving was not.

 

[Beerfish]

Is blue collar interchangeable with 'a bit of mongrel'?

 

[ILikeCheese]

Unwavering Effort and Grit for mine

 

[84859300]

Not a player with "X-factor" ever

 

[windyhill]

Mark Baguely take a bow.

 

[SydneyBomber]

Mark Baguely take a bow.

Yep, Bags, Pev and Buddha best recent examples that came to mind. Perhaps Pig Hibberd too.

 

[Darealrath]

The obvious ones have been listed but I also think of players like David Grenvold (solid every week, do the team things, and go under the radar - like someone who clocks in every shift at the warehouse/factory and just gets on with it) as blue collar. Don't necessarily need to have mongrel.

 

[faible]

With training resuming this week, I started thinking about Truck's blue collar mantra and what might be the criteria that define a blue collar player. It's probably seen in numerous contexts - at training, on field, at the club and away from the club.

I'd be interested to know what people think those criteria might be and what a 'blue collar' club looks like, and maybe some examples of other players who would have slotted in to that fabric well.

I reckon Mick Hibberd would have thrived under Truck, and Jobe as well.
Jake Stringer seems to have bought in; plenty of independent training apparently being done. Durham and Snello as well.

I'm not sure I'd describe Jake Stringer as a blue-collar type, but he certainly appears to be picking up some of that attitude.

I'd say of the current list; Snelling is the first one that comes to mind.

Works hard doing the ugly team-oriented stuff first and foremost, trains hard, gets everything out of themselves.

If you've got your most talented players (e.g. Stringer) picking up the mindset of your hardest working players (e.g. Snelling) then you'll produce a pretty good side.

 

[Milanista28]

One of my faves Benny Howlett would've done well under Truck.

 

[IHurley]

Blue collar can be a euphemism for "massive liability with ball in hand" and/or "shirks responsibility when under pressure".

Hopefully our players can find the happy medium between playing the team game but still trusting in their own abilities. Smith gets criticism but he actually tries to find the right balance. If it wasn't for the 50 metre penalties he'd be one of our most complete players.

 

[Lore]

With training resuming this week, I started thinking about Truck's blue collar mantra and what might be the criteria that define a blue collar player. It's probably seen in numerous contexts - at training, on field, at the club and away from the club.

I'd be interested to know what people think those criteria might be and what a 'blue collar' club looks like, and maybe some examples of other players who would have slotted in to that fabric well.

I reckon Mick Hibberd would have thrived under Truck, and Jobe as well.
Jake Stringer seems to have bought in; plenty of independent training apparently being done. Durham and Snello as well.

Not sure if it's the same or different from the Essendon DNA. The "blue collar" stuff is what they tell the media?

This was a month or two ago, you can see the values on the wall behind Dodoro:

Care. Commit. Compete. Celebrate.

Reckon that might be the Essendon DNA on the wall there?
View attachment 1289577
View attachment 1289580
From the video;

 

[faible]

Blue collar can be a euphemism for "massive liability with ball in hand" and/or "shirks responsibility when under pressure".

Hopefully our players can find the happy medium between playing the team game but still trusting in their own abilities. Smith gets criticism but he actually tries to find the right balance. If it wasn't for the 50 metre penalties he'd be one of our most complete players.

The same Smith that's physically struggling to play the role he's trying to play?

 

[faible]

Not sure if it's the same or different from the Essendon DNA. The "blue collar" stuff is what they tell the media?

This was a month or two ago, you can see the values on the wall behind Dodoro:

I'd say the Commit & Compete values are congruous with blue collar football.

 

[Milanista28]

I think "Blue Collar" is attitude and not really attribute.

 

[faible]

I think "Blue Collar" is attitude and not really attribute.

Unless you're Carlton. In which case the collars are literally blue.

 

[Milanista28]

Unless you're Carlton. In which case the collars are literally blue.

An ugly blue

 

[wichidi]

Jason Johnson

Jason Johnson

Age

46

Ht

180cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.6

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

7.5

5star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.8

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

1.2

2star

T

1.0

3star

. Guy drove a ute, if that ain't blue collar, I don't know what is.

 

[windyhill]

Jason Johnson. Guy drove a ute, if that ain't blue collar, I don't know what is.

He’s a high quality chef now.

 

[eth-dog]

I feel like Kurt Aylett

Kurt Aylett

Age

32

Ht

189cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.5

2star

No current season stats available

D

8.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.5

3star

would have done well under Truck if he stayed fit as well.

 

[wichidi]

He’s a high quality chef now.

Get out of town, wouldn't have picked that. High quality chef changes everything. If you told me he was a chef at the local RSL, I would keep the blue collar tag, but high quality chef, no way.

 

[Pweter]

From our premiership sides since I've been supporting the Dons, I'd have some of our blue collar players in those sides as guys like:

Shane Heard
Nobby Clarke
Tony Elshaug
David Grenvold
Sean Denham
Paul Barnard
Damian Hardwick

Not the most flamboyant, not the most skilled, not the best player, but you knew that every time they represented the club they'd play the team game and leave everything on the field. I think that attitude of putting the team first and leaving nothing in the tank every time, at least for me, is what the blue collar attitude is.