Would Greg Williams be drafted in 2015

[BOND 007]

The statistics of the average footballer is different today than 10 years ago - he is stronger, faster and taller. The recruiting blueprint is now based Kouta or Goodes and it seems all the characteristics that made Leigh Matthews the "player of the century" seem to be long forgotten. Even the phantom drafts on BF that discuss the names of 'sliders' focus on names like Hurley, Cornelius and even Rich - young kids whose ability to find and use the football is unquestioned - but whose only vice is that they may be 'bit slow'.
So where in the future does that leave the Priddis's of the world? Are we losing sight of the very essence of what makes a good footballer - being able to find and distribute the ball with precision - as we search for that perfect athlete that we hope can become a footballer ?

 

[Mario the Lothario]

Probably not.

Bon Dylan wouldn't make it past the preliminary rounds of Australian Idol either.

We live in disturbing times.

 

[tin can sam]

He would be absoltely no chance of getting drafted.

Thing is though, if he was, he'd still dominate in Today's day and age.

 

[RichosGuns]

Probably not.

Bon Dylan wouldn't make it past the preliminary rounds of Australian Idol either.

We live in disturbing times.

The times they are a' changing

 

[markr]

Might not get drafted as a 17 year old, but he'd end up on a list eventually. Look at Sam Mitchell. If you're good enough and you want it enough you'll make it.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Bon Dylan wouldn't make it past the preliminary rounds of Australian Idol either.

And? Dylan wasn't really a pop idol...

As for Williams, is he that much worse off physically than Sam Mitchell? He was certainly a better kick than Mitchell is.

 

[Top_4_Tiger]

If there were a 17/18yo kid getting 35 touches every week at the championships with brilliant skills then he would get picked up without question. Rhys Palmer did it with poor skills and went Pick 7.

Recruiters don't place that much of an emphasis on athletes, or at least they went through a tiny phase recently where it was of increased importance.

But last year people had Gourdis going Top 5 in the draft because they thought clubs saw him as the perfect athlete. What happened? He didn't get drafted!

 

[Soul_Pie]

I think he'd make it, but there's no doubt that these days recruiters are looking for a certain mold of player. Heck, I think times have changed so much in the past 15 years or so that even guys like Crawford and Brent Harvey would find it harder to convince recruiters that they are the goods because of their diminutive stature. As for a nuggety little in and under player like Tony Liberatore, well I'm not even sure recruiters would look twice at him.

 

[bodazoka]

So where in the future does that leave the Priddis's of the world?

Where blokes with good disposal, a good footy brain, and poor speed should be... under the pack dishing it out to the blokes with speed.

 

[bodazoka]

As for a nuggety little in and under player like Tony Liberatore, well I'm not even sure recruiters would look twice at him.

Which is why everyone passed on Daniel Kerr till we took him at pick 18.

 

[GoDons]

Probably not.

Bon Dylan wouldn't make it past the preliminary rounds of Australian Idol either.

We live in disturbing times.

Bob would never have won any singing contests anyway.

He was, and still is, a man of lyrics. People have merely adapted to the voice.

Regardless, the odds of ever finding Dylan in a contest like that would mirror those of Courtney Johns ever winning a Brownlow.

Back on topic. I don't think lack of speed is going to hold back the very best. I still imagine Leigh Matthews could be effective in today's modern game. Grunt in the midfield is still very much necessary, as well as anyone that can win clearances with any sort of regularity.

However, the increased need for pure athleticism probably holds back those who were at the next level down from the likes of Williams and Matthews. You can't carry guys without any serious weapons in today's game, the ultimate 'average' footballer just doesn't cut it anymore.

 

[dutchy12]

of course he'd make it.

 

[TheBigGame]

Will Martinello???

 

[Mario the Lothario]

Will Martinello???

Mitch Banner.

 

[dockers4ever]

He would probably have finished up as the biggest bargain in draft history.
Going as a low pick and winning multiple brownlows

 

[JohnD]

As for Williams, is he that much worse off physically than Sam Mitchell? He was certainly a better kick than Mitchell is.

Mitchell kicked a goal from 50 in the GF. Williams never kicked a ball that far, even on the street, downhill with the wind behind him, as a kid.

Williams' inside game was peerless and his handballing unequalled since. Comparing Williams and Mitchell is doing the latter a favour, IMO.

 

[Macca19]

Who knows what will happen in 2015, slow nuggety types might be back in vogue then.

Whist everyone says that Kouta/Goodes is the blueprint AFL player, theres still not too many of those types of guys running around...and as the JON scenario shows, players with skill beat athletic prototypes most of the time.

I do agree that these slightly smaller, not so quick blokes do miss out, which is a pity. In the SANFL, guys like Jeremy Clayton, Scott Borlace etc. would have been outright superstars if they were born 10 years earlier.

 

[Burzum]

Hmm, it's really hard to say. His inside work was so clean but would a team want to risk a high pick on a small and slow midfielder? He'd probably get burnt a lot by his opponent nowadays.

 

[Kings Army]

Hmm, it's really hard to say. His inside work was so clean but would a team want to risk a high pick on a small and slow midfielder? He'd probably get burnt a lot by his opponent nowadays.

Except when he plays against Essendon - he could go head to head with Watson seeing as Jobe runs the 100m in 17 seconds.

 

[Burzum]

Except when he plays against Essendon - he could go head to head with Watson seeing as Jobe runs the 100m in 17 seconds.

Uh, yeah.

 

[Australia]

Everyone gets obsessed with the athlete tag.

Naitanui is an amazing athlete so he should go number 1?
He looks so awkward bouncing a footy, looks confused on the field and my little sister is no joke about his equal in skills.

I was worried that AFL clubs would be stupid enough to recruit only on the basis of athletiscm. However, looks like the Dees will take Watts and I think WC will take Rich. Two natural footballers who the game comes to without thinking about it.

Natural footy smarts and skills >>>>>>>>>> athletiscm

 

[The rabbi]

Williams, Couch and Bartel were all said to be too slow for the top level of footy. All have Brownlow medals and two have premiership medals. The other had plenty of chances. Being a good athelete means jack if you do not have a footy brain and good skills. David Clarke Jr, Tenace are prime examples from the Cats. Shannon Byrnes can find the ball and run like buggery with it but he just cannot dispose of it well. He would never play twos if his disposal was good.

Couch, Williams and Bartel will never be noted for their speed but they could find the ball and dispose of it well.
Williams was as good at finding a player in traffic with a handpass as I have ever seen. I was spewing when he left the Cats for Sydney.

A Williams in 2015 would be a late pick who would turn out to be a gem.

 

[BOND 007]

There is no doubt Williams, Priddis, Mitchell would make it in 7 years time - all good footballers ultimately do, what I am concerned about is the direction in which recruiters are heading. Draft camp is a prime example - when it is all done you know how high a person can jump and how fast he is across 20m and around poles, but there is no testing for actual football skills such as kicking accuracy, the ability to deliver both feet or even the ability to handball the nondominant hand. It seems the whole focus now is on whether a person has the skills to get the ball and completely ignores whether he can actually do something with it when he gets it.
I just wonder whether this direction will leave the Williams and Libbers etc out in the cold.

 

[Mismatched]

I definitely think Greg Williams would get drafted, it may not be easy for him but he'll get there.

I think a prime example is Jason Porplyzia. He always had talent, there was no real question about that, however at 180cm, he lacked fitness, wasn't fast and I believe strength/body size may have been an issue too. He dropped to the rookie draft and after a year as a rookie on the Crows list he was dropped.

Spends 2 years with Westies, gets his fitness and body strength to an acceptable, but by no means outstanding level, wins a B&F for Westies and we pick him up in the PSD. He is now one of the Crows select few match winners and looks to be one of the real up and coming superstars of the comp. He has been very much likened to your Jarmans and your Greg Williams, not quick, but super smooth, silky skilled, just seems to have all the time in the world when he gets the footy and knows exactly where to run.

Greg Williams might not go first round, but IMO he would be picked up and a team would get an absolute bargain, as the Crows look to with Porplyzia.

Oh and if you wanted to see Porplyzia win a match with one good arm: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=hM1Z7bkEqUI

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Mitchell kicked a goal from 50 in the GF. Williams never kicked a ball that far, even on the street, downhill with the wind behind him, as a kid.

Williams' inside game was peerless and his handballing unequalled since. Comparing Williams and Mitchell is doing the latter a favour, IMO.

I think you underrate Williams' kicking a little - While he didn't have a lot of penetration, he was a creative kick and used both sides equally well. He could snap good little goals from the pockets that Mitchell isn't capable of.

Like this one:
[YOUTUBE]LCKCygVpYa4[/YOUTUBE]

And he kicks this one comfortably from 45 with a wet ball:
[YOUTUBE]eQwV20m1ZKs[/YOUTUBE]

So as I say, I think you underestimate Williams' kicking. In no way was I suggesting that Mitchell is near as good as Williams - Just that they share a similar lack of impressive physical abilities.