Bulldogs Leg-Speed

[LostDoggy]

I have been reading on a few threads that the Bulldogs are a bit short on leg speed in 09 which I though was quite strange. I can not remember if it was the 2006 or 2007 pre-season, but I can recall Eade outlining that there were 20 or 22 players on the list that had a sub 3 sec 20m sprint time. My first question is has the playing group lost leg speed? if so is this due to bulking up? And secondly, do the new comers over the past few drafts give us the leg speed that we need. My research to date on 20m Sprint times:

Jarrad Grant 2.89
Jarrad Bouman 2.86
Ayce Cordy 2.91
Malcolm Lynch 2.83
Henry White 2.93
Jameson Daniels 2.95
Easton Wood
Liam Jones
Callan Ward
Brennan Stack
Josh Hill
Guy O’Keefe
Sam Reid
Andrejs Everitt
Paul O'Shea
Jarrad Roughead

I would love to see the stats on our existing players as well if anyone knows them?
Griff
Cooney
Cross
Boyd
Gia
Harbrow

[GVGjr]

FWIW, I don't think we are that quick and the perception that we are is because we have a number of quick but not super quick types. Hargrave is one of the quicker ones by the way.
A couple of years ago he was the 2nd quickest over 20mtrs.

[always right]

Two to three years ago we were known as one of the quickest sides going round. Since then we have lost Smith, Grant and West (have I missed anyone of note?). Not sure we have got slower so it must be about perception, the speed at which we move the ball...and of course other teams getting quicker, which some of them certainly have.

[BulldogBelle]

Off-loading Ray and McMahon may have dented our quickness perception (ball carrying types)

Its all perception, in 2005-06 we were probably perceived as the 'young + quick + up-and coming Dogs' whereas now the line up is more senior, settled and starting to mature

[always right]

Off-loading Ray and McMahon may have dented our quickness perception (ball carrying types)

Its all perception, in 2005-06 we were probably perceived as the 'young + quick + up-and coming Dogs' whereas now the line up is more senior, settled and starting to mature


How did I miss those two?:o

[BulldogBelle]

How did I miss those two?:o


Ha ha ha

Yeah I soooooooooooo miss those two

Would give up 'quickness' anyday for hardness, football smarts, determination and physicality

[MrMahatma]

How did I miss those two?:o

Robbins was quick around the forward line.

Monty wasn't very quick by the time he'd finished.

I think it's a ball movement thing rather than leg speed really.

[azabob]

I think also other teams such as Essendon have specifically drafted quicker players. So we may not have lost much in the terms of pace but we have not added to it like other teams have.

[bulldogsman]

Murphy would also be very quick over 20m, would like to see what Morris' time

[hujsh]

Murphy would also be very quick over 20m, would like to see what Morris' time

I think Morris is the fastest at out club or at least was once

[dog town]

You have to define what quick is. There is a difference between being quick and being football quick. It looks ok when you line it up and say we have 20 players under 3 seconds for 20 metres but how many of them can use it in a football sense? Many of our quicker guys use it more in the defensive aspect of the game eg: Morris

We dont have a lot of guys who can really use a pace advantage in an attacking way. The thought process to get the ball then try and run with it and put it down for a bounce is not something you can easily teach. For Cooney, Griffen and these sort of guys it just comes naturally and these guys are what I would call football quick. Even in terms of having guys who can burst away onto a loose ball we are a little bit shallow. It pretty much makes Harbrow a walk up start.

[LostDoggy]

I agree there is a difference between leg speed and ball carrying ability/speed in refenrence to Cooney / Griffen. What I was more looking at was leg speed in:

Making contests
Forwards Leading
Chasing down takles from behind
Closing speed within defenders on leading forwards
Creating space away from opposition within zones.
Speed to make position.