Re: Pre-Game Prattle: AFL Rd 10: Carlton vs St Kilda at Marvel
Reply #39 –
A pass/fail criterion that must be on our recruitment check list is "Does the player make good decisions with the ball?" We must not take players where the answer is NO! This quality is pretty much hard-wired so if you get this selection wrong you are pretty much stuck with it - coaching can only possibly change it with much work and attention or not change it at all.
Fans point to Walsh as an example, but in reality Walsh is doing that stuff because he is allowed to be unaccountable for his direct opponent, and based on a few rumors of him sledging senior team-mates the kid needs to be reminded of that or eventually a team-mate will leave him high and dry Murphy Mumford style!
Does Carlton have the luxury of allowing Walsh to play that way for 3 or 4 years, like CheatsFC did with Zach Merrett? I'd say no because it means continued loses while the kids learn!