I hate the "He's got a basketball background" line

[gohardorgohome]

I have read the I "He's got a basketball background" line, that comes up so much from recruiters too many times over the past few seasons. Surely playing footy as an inside midfielder when you need to break and make tackles is a far better background than basketball where you can give away fouls by just looking at an opponent the wrong way.

I'd much rather a kid that's been a damn good footballer that someone who is athletic and speculative.

End of comment!!!

[jeemak]

Kids that have basketball backgrounds tend to have quick and skillful hands. This can translate to sure handling in close.

[dog town]

I have heard this argument from Kevin Bartlett. Basketball definitely helps with many of the skills in AFL. Dont think anyone is saying you cant just be a natural footballer but every single bloke I grew up playing basketball with has much better vision and traffic skills than the rest of my mates. Certainly plenty in the theory.

[Dazza]

Basketball teaches some very handy skills. The ability to think ahead and know where your team mates are without actually seeing them is one of them.

[Bulldog4life]

I think when a good football player is also a good basketball player it would compliment his footy skills. Now if he was no good at footy then I could understand your dislike of the term "He's got a basketball background" but if he has been good at both in his youth why worry.

[gohardorgohome]

I'm 43 and most of the guys that were my age played basketball over footy were pea hearts that went to basketball over footy because they couldn't get a game of footy. It may be different today.

Many of those guys got very upset when the footy guys played basketball and attacked the ball with the same intensity as footy.

[GVGjr]

One of the big components about recruiting over the last few years appears to be the ability to sell the story of the recruit more than calling out his achievements.
You often only hear about their 'other' sporting achievements or attributes when that story is a bit better than their junior football achievements.

[Ghost Dog]

I think its a good thing. It involves more of the 'twitch fibers' so great to have guys that come from that background.

[gohardorgohome]

One of the big components about recruiting over the last few years appears to be the ability to sell the story of the recruit more than calling out his achievements.
You often only hear about their 'other' sporting achievements or attributes when that story is a bit better than their junior football achievements.

I have never thought of it that way. I think you are onto something.

[GVGjr]

I have never thought of it that way. I think you are onto something.

Look at some of our our recruits:
Pearce - the focus was just as much on his Danny Zurko performance as it was on Daniel Pearce the footballer.
With Lin Jong it was his Asian heritage and his basketball more than his football

If Clay Smith had a strong basketball background the opposite would have occurred and the focus would have read more about his exploits for the Gippsland Power and Vic Country with a throw away line about him being a decent basketballer as well.

With Tom Williams it was how we snatched him away from Rugby Union and Easton Wood was more about his cricket and athletics.

Whilst we focus on the more exotic players I think we will continue to initially read more about players other sporting achievements than what they have done on the footy field.

The story about our wide reaching recruiting network seems to be an important selling point.

There is a fantastic elite pathway to the AFL but we obviously don't rate it that highly.

[Remi Moses]

Kids that have basketball backgrounds tend to have quick and skillful hands. This can translate to sure handling in close.

Exactly how I read it as well.It's recruiting jargon, lot of kids play all sports these days.

[gohardorgohome]

I read it as basketball has no kicking or hand balling skills, there is no tackling or bumping. It is played on a small court. It may help somewhat for speed over the first three metres or so and in close peripheral vision. I would think that playing footy....especially six or seven a side games... and participating in footy related grid competitive training drills would be a much betting grounding to play footy given it covers a more specific skill set......

[LostDoggy]

There is a fantastic elite pathway to the AFL but we obviously don't rate it that highly.

This.

Why do you think that is? Too 'boring'? I'm happy to bore my way to a premiership recruitment-wise, frankly.

[stefoid]

Basketball teaches some very handy skills. The ability to think ahead and know where your team mates are without actually seeing them is one of them.

Yeah, I would agree with this - quick and sure passing of the ball in a 5 on 5 situation has similarities to a chain of handballs out of a stoppage -- but whilst that is only one facet of AFL, its almost the entirety of what a basketballer does, so presumably they are very good at it.

GHOGH, what do you expect of low draft picks and rookies anyway? If they were 'damn fine footballers' they would be be top picks. Its not as if recruiters are saying "hmm, should we take adam cooney or this guy with a basketball background?"

[stefoid]

If Clay Smith had a strong basketball background the opposite would have occurred and the focus would have read more about his exploits for the Gippsland Power and Vic Country with a throw away line about him being a decent basketballer as well.

Clay does have a basketball background - he is a relatively recent convert to AFL. I think he switched codes at 15/16. But he wasnt picekd because of that, he was picked because the coach wanted a take no prisoners tough guy around the stoppages.

[G-Mo77]

I'm 43 and most of the guys that were my age played basketball over footy were pea hearts that went to basketball over footy because they couldn't get a game of footy. It may be different today.

Many of those guys got very upset when the footy guys played basketball and attacked the ball with the same intensity as footy.

I was the opposite, loved playing against Footy players trying to play basketball.

[LongWait]

I'm 43 and most of the guys that were my age played basketball over footy were pea hearts that went to basketball over footy because they couldn't get a game of footy. It may be different today.

Many of those guys got very upset when the footy guys played basketball and attacked the ball with the same intensity as footy.

Which of our footballers who have a basketball background are soft? Scott West? Do you think that Clay Smith is soft? Was Eddie Prato soft?

[w3design]

Eddie Prato might have been a little bit soft. But then again he is big and gangly.

[jeemak]

It's becoming more relevant due to the need to move the ball through mini zones in different areas on the field or create them and defend. Basketball teaches quick decision making, techniques in shuffling laterally at pace rather than turning and running and anticipating when to jump and when not to.

Some might believe that training kids this with a football in hand rather than a basketball is the way to go, and they would be right in a world completely dedicated to footy, but kids don't just play footy growing up.

The best footballers I grew up with were good at multiple sports.

[mjp]

The reality is that an invasion style game is an invasion style game be it basketball, hockey, soccer, water polo or football. The more reps a person can get in identifying:
1/.A target to give the ball too under pressure.
2/.The right spot to run to either attack or defend from.
3/.WHEN to deliver the ball/break for space/break to defend

...then the better off they should be...Recruiters like players to have played multiple sports - with basketball at the top of the list - for a number of reasons but the primary one is reps. Basketball is a 12-month sport giving 12-months per year of decision making experience. Cricket and Athletics and Surf Lifesaving etc dont provide the same benefits re- decision making.

[jeemak]

The reality is that an invasion style game is an invasion style game be it basketball, hockey, soccer, water polo or football. The more reps a person can get in identifying:
1/.A target to give the ball too under pressure.
2/.The right spot to run to either attack or defend from.
3/.WHEN to deliver the ball/break for space/break to defend

...then the better off they should be...Recruiters like players to have played multiple sports - with basketball at the top of the list - for a number of reasons but the primary one is reps. Basketball is a 12-month sport giving 12-months per year of decision making experience. Cricket and Athletics and Surf Lifesaving etc dont provide the same benefits re- decision making.

That's a pretty good explanation.

Sure some basketballers were "pea hearts" when I played against them (some weren't, and some you wouldn't know anyway), but there's clear rules in what you can do on the court versus what you can't so it doesn't really matter if you go hard at it without the right technique.

[w3design]

The best footballers I grew up with were good at multiple sports.


Exactly. Lewis Johnston pretty much dominated everything in our hometown. Holds the school record for javelin, won basketball trophies, was an excellent sprinter and high jumper.

Most AFL kids, especially these days, are just standout athletes.

[AndrewP6]

Exactly. Lewis Johnston pretty much dominated everything in our hometown. Holds the school record for javelin, won basketball trophies, was an excellent sprinter and high jumper.

Most AFL kids, especially these days, are just standout athletes.

At primary school, Tom Scully was good at pretty much every sport he tried. Could run, played basketball, and always very good at footy of course!

[Remi Moses]

Remember playing Basketball at ViC Uni once and my brothers mate tucking the ball under his arm and taking ten steps. Neecless to say he was a footballer!
Watching any NBA I wouldn't say basketball is a wimp sport

[AndrewP6]

Remember playing Basketball at ViC Uni once and my brothers mate tucking the ball under his arm and taking ten steps. Neecless to say he was a footballer!
Watching any NBA I wouldn't say basketball is a wimp sport

Case in point:

-M-g5wZ5js4

[Ghost Dog]

Exactly. Lewis Johnston pretty much dominated everything in our hometown. Holds the school record for javelin, won basketball trophies, was an excellent sprinter and high jumper.

Most AFL kids, especially these days, are just standout athletes.

hey Gus, nice avatar. Wonder what Mr Skinner is going to do for us next season?

[jeemak]

Case in point:

-M-g5wZ5js4

I did one of those playing ammos. Went to tackle a guy on a stretch, got him with a good grip on his arms, he moved left (I was behind him) and as he did that one of my team mates went in for the bump on my LHS. He hit me right on the elbow and put it out.

Didn't know what happened when I got to my knees, except to say that when I tried to straighten my arms out in front of me my left forearm from the elbow was pointing to ten o'clock. I was facing the bench at the time, and all I could see were people waving their arms at me to come off. With my right arm I grabbed the bottom of my jumper and stretched it to the tip of my left hand, and wrapping it around it I pulled in as quickly as I could. The pain release was terrible, but I felt so much better afterwards as I watched everyone on the bench put their hands across their faces.

Great game, especially when you have to earn a wage outside of it!

[gohardorgohome]

I quite like Andrew Bogut however clinging onto a basketball ring and falling awkwardly is similar to a kid hurting themselves attempting a stunt at a skateboard park.

Take a look at the average NBL player, they are built like Jarrad Grant but ten cm taller. The game has no tackling bumping or kicking. Who cares if a seven foot tall guy can dunk a basketball. Most of these tall guys should be able to.

I am sure there are many more guys that are elite at cricket that also excel at footy. There are many athletic freaks out there that are good at whatever they do.

Basketball is a good to develop a bit of peripheral vision and maybe speed, but it is soft boring game that discourages vigorous attack on the ball. It has no bumping, kicking or tackling. Give me a footballer any day over someone that has chosen basketball over footy for an extended period of time...

[jeemak]

Had you already made up your mind prior to posting in the first place?

If you put Grant up against the majority of NBA or NBL players he'd not only be shorter than all of them, he'd also be a fair bit smaller than them in terms of muscle mass.

These guys aren't pushoevers at the elite level. With such a small space to move within, free space becomes premium and to earn it you have to be extremely strong (especially within your core) to create space without giving away a foul, and smart.

Basketball at the elite level is a physical sport, that takes a lot of body contact to excell at. It's not a collision sport mind you, but when you have a bunch of built guys that are quick and over 6"5' working within a 3m radius each it's a tough environment.

[w3design]

hey Gus, nice avatar. Wonder what Mr Skinner is going to do for us next season?


Probably not too much. Still needs to work on his tank. But either way he's exciting and worth getting behind as a smokey.

[AndrewP6]

I quite like Andrew Bogut however clinging onto a basketball ring and falling awkwardly is similar to a kid hurting themselves attempting a stunt at a skateboard park.

Take a look at the average NBL player, they are built like Jarrad Grant but ten cm taller. The game has no tackling bumping or kicking. Who cares if a seven foot tall guy can dunk a basketball. Most of these tall guys should be able to.

I am sure there are many more guys that are elite at cricket that also excel at footy. There are many athletic freaks out there that are good at whatever they do.

Basketball is a good to develop a bit of peripheral vision and maybe speed, but it is soft boring game that discourages vigorous attack on the ball. It has no bumping, kicking or tackling. Give me a footballer any day over someone that has chosen basketball over footy for an extended period of time...

So you've never watched European basketball then...

[AndrewP6]

Had you already made up your mind prior to posting in the first place?

If you put Grant up against the majority of NBA or NBL players he'd not only be shorter than all of them, he'd also be a fair bit smaller than them in terms of muscle mass.

These guys aren't pushoevers at the elite level. With such a small space to move within, free space becomes premium and to earn it you have to be extremely strong (especially within your core) to create space without giving away a foul, and smart.

Basketball at the elite level is a physical sport, that takes a lot of body contact to excell at. It's not a collision sport mind you, but when you have a bunch of built guys that are quick and over 6"5' working within a 3m radius each it's a tough environment.

There are plenty of collisions.

[Dancin' Douggy]

I think the best thing about basketball is learning how to set up CHAINS of possessions in limited space.
It's not just quick hands and spotting a target amongst traffic.
It's about seeing 3 or 4 moves ahead.
Scott West was a master at this.

[Ghost Dog]

I think I understand some of the sentiment behind the OP.
In the past, like the 70s, football was a pretty simple kind of game.
There was also a kind of blue collar ethic associated with it which has been eroded.
We live in a bit of a nanny state, and while AFL remains a tough game to play, it has lost a bit of it's manly charm.
basketball and maybe even soccer have all influenced the game. Some might think for better, others for worse.

[Remi Moses]

I quite like Andrew Bogut however clinging onto a basketball ring and falling awkwardly is similar to a kid hurting themselves attempting a stunt at a skateboard park.

Take a look at the average NBL player, they are built like Jarrad Grant but ten cm taller. The game has no tackling bumping or kicking. Who cares if a seven foot tall guy can dunk a basketball. Most of these tall guys should be able to.

I am sure there are many more guys that are elite at cricket that also excel at footy. There are many athletic freaks out there that are good at whatever they do.

Basketball is a good to develop a bit of peripheral vision and maybe speed, but it is soft boring game that discourages vigorous attack onRe: Jayden Schofield - Delisted
I have no pitty for him we treat kids today with cotton glove's.
He needs to harden up and get a clue.
He has broken his contract and it should be mandatory he has to sit out next season at least.
__________________
If it's not in the heart, the head and muscle mean FA !!

the ball. It has no bumping, kicking or tackling. Give me a footballer any day over someone that has chosen basketball over footy for an extended period of time...

Total Rubbish

[LostDoggy]

Like a lot of AFL trends, it's copied from America. It was a pretty big hit about 10 years ago producing two all time greats in the NFL.
I guess the problem here is the pro basketball is generally considered a step lower than AFL so many younger athletes with a 50/50 choice choose footy, but it's only time before the find an elite athlete who will become one the league's best key players

[jeemak]

There are plenty of collisions.

Yeah there are indeed. But, games like Gridiron, Rugby (both types), Ice Hockey and Australian Rules are colision sports. Basketball, as physical as it can get will never be one.