Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn, Denver Grainger-Barras

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Dewwwww]

If Sicily pops his shoulder again he is prob done for the year. I’d expect he will have a 3-4 week spell before coming in for one last crack for the year

No.

We play Sicily with a slightly sore shoulder.

 

[rei154]

I'd say DGB needs to work on his aggression and how to handle that side of his game.
I'd like to see him earn his way in to the side

 

[Blackhawk42]

Sicily is still part of the plans finals aren't mathematically part of the equation anymore.

But yes, I'd say Serong is the next man in if Siss has to miss a couple or games in the mean time.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Has anyone thought to test him for ADHD? May have a genuine case of something, not uncommon

 

[Billyc]

Does he come in for Sic??

No way. DGB is miles off and this week is just about our most important game in 6 years.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

No way. DGB is miles off and this week is just about our most important game in 6 years.

His Leek Aleer moment?

 

[The Generals Helmet]

Unless we’re challenging Geelong to a pushing and shoving contest, I don’t think DGB will be anywhere near the side.

 

[H00t]

Unless we’re challenging Geelong to a pushing and shoving contest, I don’t think DGB will be anywhere near the side.

Won’t happen with Hawkins injured and DGB not in the team but I’d have loved to see DGB go at Hawkins.

A real David vs Goliath fight

 

[mustang]

Has anyone thought to test him for ADHD? May have a genuine case of something, not uncommon

Yep agree thought the same

 

[Brishawk]

Has anyone thought to test him for ADHD? May have a genuine case of something, not uncommon

Apologies if i missed something but what is the relevance to his fitness or football performance? Is there some sort of correlation between adhd and difficulty improving aerobic capacity? Genuine question here!

 

[bigmaxi]

Apologies if i missed something but what is the relevance to his fitness or football performance? Is there some sort of correlation between adhd and difficulty improving aerobic capacity? Genuine question here!

Having a stab at this, in my personal experience it is more a concentration thing, ADHD can lead to being easily distracted and poor concentration for lengths of time. Brain fades very common which can lead to frustration with yourself and a tendency to lash out. This is by no means a diagnosis or casting dispersion's at DGB, just my own personal tale.

 

[mustang]

Having a stab at this, in my personal experience it is more a concentration thing, ADHD can lead to being easily distracted and poor concentration for lengths of time. Brain fades very common which can lead to frustration with yourself and a tendency to lash out. This is by no means a diagnosis or casting dispersion's at DGB, just my own personal tale.

Interesting.

 

[Slainte]

Apologies if i missed something but what is the relevance to his fitness or football performance? Is there some sort of correlation between adhd and difficulty improving aerobic capacity? Genuine question here!

Should not impact on his aerobic capacity. Might impact on performance.

 

[rei154]

Having a stab at this, in my personal experience it is more a concentration thing, ADHD can lead to being easily distracted and poor concentration for lengths of time. Brain fades very common which can lead to frustration with yourself and a tendency to lash out. This is by no means a diagnosis or casting dispersion's at DGB, just my own personal tale.

Adding to that the sensory overload side of things could also be a factor.

I'm not sure he has been tested, but I don't think it'd hurt- I think everyone should.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Apologies if i missed something but what is the relevance to his fitness or football performance? Is there some sort of correlation between adhd and difficulty improving aerobic capacity? Genuine question here!

I think they are indicating that it could be why is he rash and acts out on field - nothing to do with his tank.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Apologies if i missed something but what is the relevance to his fitness or football performance? Is there some sort of correlation between adhd and difficulty improving aerobic capacity? Genuine question here!

Wide ranging depending on severity, honestly a pretty interesting thing to look into, huge impacts in development, focus and mood/dopamine (which leads to other things). And not a one size fits all, can be quite unique depending on the individual

 

[Nugett]

Denver is settled here. He doesn't want to go back home He has bought a house with his gf. So going back to the wafl won't be a thing. He had a better second half. Just as an aside he was targetted by the port forwards especially Gowers. Pushing shoving scraggling him. It was a perfect day for it. No doubt he has brought it upon himself as he is a bit of a hot head but it is what it is.

Growing pains and the frustration of wanting to be better.

He maybe needs a mentor of sorts? A guy like Sicily perhaps, to show him, on how to respond when being provoked. It’s well known that Sis was a hot head, for the most part he taken that annoying aspect out of his game. Or even some one like Roughie, to teach him a few tricks?

 

[Big Easy]

Re the ADHD potential diagnosis. Interesting thought. I was diagnosed when I was 50, and looking back to my youth so many of my actions and the paths and decisions I took (good and bad) made so much more sense post diagnosis. For DGB (if he has ADHD) maybe the reasons it hasn't "clicked" for him are wide and varied. Most obvious example is maybe he can't focus in team meetings, can't absorb information and therefore can't follow the game plan out on the field. Frustration plays a huge part - you know theres something there that isn't quite right and your brain spins trying to join the dots but you can't. In the pressure cooker out in the middle of the MCG clarity and stillness of mind is paramount to perform to your best. On a list of 40 players theres bound to be more than one also who is neuro-divergent.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

ADHD would really suck as an AFL player because all the therapeutic drugs are probably banned on game day

 

[Denver Day Lewis]

Re the ADHD potential diagnosis. Interesting thought. I was diagnosed when I was 50, and looking back to my youth so many of my actions and the paths and decisions I took (good and bad) made so much more sense post diagnosis. For DGB (if he has ADHD) maybe the reasons it hasn't "clicked" for him are wide and varied. Most obvious example is maybe he can't focus in team meetings, can't absorb information and therefore can't follow the game plan out on the field. Frustration plays a huge part - you know theres something there that isn't quite right and your brain spins trying to join the dots but you can't. In the pressure cooker out in the middle of the MCG clarity and stillness of mind is paramount to perform to your best. On a list of 40 players theres bound to be more than one also who is neuro-divergent.

Emotional regulation is clearly not his strong suit on the field. I can empathise with the kid.

 

[crazywildhorse]

Has anyone thought to test him for ADHD? May have a genuine case of something, not uncommon

To dox myself a touch, I was diagnosed later with ADHD. I wonder about it from time to time with players because of the amount of focus that is required these days. You would either have to be next level instinctive in your playing ability, or you would have to have the game be where your hyper-focus moment falls every week.

ADHD totally affected my sports “career”, amongst other things. I was one of the best in the side when I was mentally there, but I could easily and often drop off—like right off a cliff style—when my focus was gone. A bad decision, a person on the sidelines, a well timed sledge could all send me at right angles—rarely in a violent way though—and I would be left floundering trying to catch up with the rhythm of the game again. It used to get so disappointed with myself that I could just ‘reset’. Cricket was the worst, see something out the corner of your eye at that moment the bowler is coming in, you are screwed.

Anyway, I wondered about the meds also. I don’t take them all the time—actually i dont like taking them, but when I do, I can get in order a lot quicker and can get a lot more work done. So it is, indeed, performance enhancing. With around 6% of the population having it, I wonder if they have a protocol for it.

 

[crazywildhorse]

Apologies if i missed something but what is the relevance to his fitness or football performance? Is there some sort of correlation between adhd and difficulty improving aerobic capacity? Genuine question here!

Kind of what everyone has mentioned, the discussion was based around his onfield fades, but it could easily play a role in fitness also.

For example, some people turn to sugary food to increase the levels of dopamine they are lacking. Also, the lacking of dopamine also means you find it hard to stick to routine, so a health regime is very difficult to maintain.

 

[KermitJagger]

To dox myself a touch, I was diagnosed later with ADHD. I wonder about it from time to time with players because of the amount of focus that is required these days. You would either have to be next level instinctive in your playing ability, or you would have to have the game be where your hyper-focus moment falls every week.

ADHD totally affected my sports “career”, amongst other things. I was one of the best in the side when I was mentally there, but I could easily and often drop off—like right off a cliff style—when my focus was gone. A bad decision, a person on the sidelines, a well timed sledge could all send me at right angles—rarely in a violent way though—and I would be left floundering trying to catch up with the rhythm of the game again. It used to get so disappointed with myself that I could just ‘reset’. Cricket was the worst, see something out the corner of your eye at that moment the bowler is coming in, you are screwed.

Anyway, I wondered about the meds also. I don’t take them all the time—actually i dont like taking them, but when I do, I can get in order a lot quicker and can get a lot more work done. So it is, indeed, performance enhancing. With around 6% of the population having it, I wonder if they have a protocol for it.

It's interesting how it works. I grew up with a kid who was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD back when it was just starting to crop up and he was an absolute gun footy player, but I think the thing that helped him was that he was a midfielder - there was always action, he was always near the ball and always involved. I can see why someone who plays a more out of sight role like defender would be more negatively impacted by it.

I'm pretty sure the AFL abides by the WADA rules which would absolutely ban Methylphenidate or any other ADHD medication. They would probably use some sort of behavioural therapy on and around game day.

There have been players who have come out with it before, an AFLW player most recently and Heath Shaw has spoken about it a couple of times in the past.

 

[Slainte]

We have doctors and psychologists. I find it hard to imagine they would have missed what has become a pretty common condition.

 

[play2win]

It's interesting how it works. I grew up with a kid who was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD back when it was just starting to crop up and he was an absolute gun footy player, but I think the thing that helped him was that he was a midfielder - there was always action, he was always near the ball and always involved. I can see why someone who plays a more out of sight role like defender would be more negatively impacted by it.

I'm pretty sure the AFL abides by the WADA rules which would absolutely ban Methylphenidate or any other ADHD medication. They would probably use some sort of behavioural therapy on and around game day.

There have been players who have come out with it before, an AFLW player most recently and Heath Shaw has spoken about it a couple of times in the past.

Iirc heath shaw was on meds but had a medical exemption due to his condition.