This thread is about those players with obvious talent that you view as currently at the wrong club (or have been over their entire career) to display the obvious talent they have. With such an emotional emphasis placed on club loyalty and tribalism in our game often players careers are judged not by their own talent but by who they have been playing for. If they shifted clubs it would likely be great for their careers but many would cheaply tag them as money grubbing turncoats or rats jumping ship.
The old adage of being hard to soar like an eagle whilst playing with turkeys has always been just as relevant in footy... individual talent is usually obvious but is acknowledged far less frequently or dimished in some manner. Being played out of position to fill gaps in that team...performing roles given by their coaches that dont match their skills...coaches trying to change their natural game to reflect their own needs or perceptions. If a team is cruising and performing well usually individual talent is not wasted...it suddenly becomes utilised.
Generally speaking the same player at a winning club will be seen as a better player than if he was at a club that is languishing. No more obvious example than how some fans view being a "premiership player" as some sort of credibility gift or proof of talent.
Forget about draftees, youngsters and petty trolling...i'm asking about the obviously talented footballers that you see wasted where they are currently or have been most of their career.
Couple of examples of wasted talent i'll start with that are obvious to me...
Cameron Bruce is a guy i'd consider to be almost the complete footballer. I have seen this bloke's supreme talent being wasted in favour of his team needs for too long and going virtually without acknowledgement. He has the gift of knowing where the ball is going, makes good decisions, can mark, can kick, can attack, can defend...what a bloody waste of talent. I can only imagine the sort of career he would have had at a successful club during his time. He has had to play every role in the book to make up for deficiencies around him.
Nick Dal Santo is another i see being totally wasted and will continue to be hamstrung under his current coach. Been in awe of this guy since seeing him as a youngster calmy do a 360 degree move on the boundary that dodged a rampaging Riciutto who had him lined up for the first row in the crowd...then pinpointed the pass. Absolute first class decision making..first class disposal...yet for some reason everyone wants to get his head in a pack or to hone his defensive game. The bloke is an attacking weapon and the last damn thing i'd want him to do is play an unnatural game and waste him...his coach (and now the fans) dont want him to play just off the ball where he is damaging...for some reason they want his head over it, or winning the ball, or chasing down whippetts...anything whereby his actual skills are totally shut out of the game. Ben Cousins for instance has always been a midfielder/flanker that had abysmal chase/tackle numbers but a terrific talent WITH the ball in hand...played correctly as a ball user rather than trying to turn him into a ball winner. In my opinion at an attacking gameplan or played to his strengths rather than weaknesses then Dal Santo would be a weapon of the highest order.
Who are some of the wasted talents u see who would likely be viewed and rated much higher if at another club or played differently over their time ?
The old adage of being hard to soar like an eagle whilst playing with turkeys has always been just as relevant in footy... individual talent is usually obvious but is acknowledged far less frequently or dimished in some manner. Being played out of position to fill gaps in that team...performing roles given by their coaches that dont match their skills...coaches trying to change their natural game to reflect their own needs or perceptions. If a team is cruising and performing well usually individual talent is not wasted...it suddenly becomes utilised.
Generally speaking the same player at a winning club will be seen as a better player than if he was at a club that is languishing. No more obvious example than how some fans view being a "premiership player" as some sort of credibility gift or proof of talent.
Forget about draftees, youngsters and petty trolling...i'm asking about the obviously talented footballers that you see wasted where they are currently or have been most of their career.
Couple of examples of wasted talent i'll start with that are obvious to me...
Cameron Bruce is a guy i'd consider to be almost the complete footballer. I have seen this bloke's supreme talent being wasted in favour of his team needs for too long and going virtually without acknowledgement. He has the gift of knowing where the ball is going, makes good decisions, can mark, can kick, can attack, can defend...what a bloody waste of talent. I can only imagine the sort of career he would have had at a successful club during his time. He has had to play every role in the book to make up for deficiencies around him.
Nick Dal Santo is another i see being totally wasted and will continue to be hamstrung under his current coach. Been in awe of this guy since seeing him as a youngster calmy do a 360 degree move on the boundary that dodged a rampaging Riciutto who had him lined up for the first row in the crowd...then pinpointed the pass. Absolute first class decision making..first class disposal...yet for some reason everyone wants to get his head in a pack or to hone his defensive game. The bloke is an attacking weapon and the last damn thing i'd want him to do is play an unnatural game and waste him...his coach (and now the fans) dont want him to play just off the ball where he is damaging...for some reason they want his head over it, or winning the ball, or chasing down whippetts...anything whereby his actual skills are totally shut out of the game. Ben Cousins for instance has always been a midfielder/flanker that had abysmal chase/tackle numbers but a terrific talent WITH the ball in hand...played correctly as a ball user rather than trying to turn him into a ball winner. In my opinion at an attacking gameplan or played to his strengths rather than weaknesses then Dal Santo would be a weapon of the highest order.
Who are some of the wasted talents u see who would likely be viewed and rated much higher if at another club or played differently over their time ?
