So who's giving me odds on him playing seniors in his first year?
American Swan?s journey begins - sydneyswans.com.au
So who's giving me odds on him playing seniors in his first year?
American Swan?s journey begins - sydneyswans.com.au
I think Pat Mitchell will probably play in the ruck or KB on the resting ruck if he turns out to be a winner. Xav Richards will be playing FB.
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Their footy is nothing like ours. Poinyty ends like a witch hat, rubber/plastic. bloody horrible thing no relation to a ball in my opinion. I kicked one 60 metres and I could only land a sherrin 45.
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Reggi I think the difference is Mike Pyke was playing a football type sport on a surface that at least resembles grass not wood. The surface of a rugby field is 100m x 68m and and the average Aussie rules field is 160 x 135. The dimensions of a basketball court are 28.65 x 15.54. Some of the problems with coming over from basketball to footy are;
1. On a court you can basically see every player at all times they are not going to sneak up behind you or come out of the blue. In Aussie rules the field being so big this happens all the time and we hunt in packs they doin't tend to in basketball due to the foul rules and tech fouls and 5 foul send off.
2. The endurance needed to play basketball is not as intensive as playing Aussie rules, the players are not even half as fit.
3. They don't kick in basketball. Kicking our ball is the bane of even our home grown and developed players so when a player comes from another game even one where you do kick it is hard, ask Pykie. A huge advantage to Pykie
4. They do not tackle in basketball, in fact tackling is a foul. Rugby they tackle, a huge advantage to Pykie
5. They do not bump in basketball. See above
6. You are not allowed to physically hustle and bustle a player in basketball, it is a foul. In Aussie rules a backman can grapple with you up to the point of holding or pushing quite legally. Physicality is a huge part of our game. Pykie having played rugby has a huge advantage over a basketballer in that he would be used to this.
7. Handball and bouncing an oval ball on a grass surface are two major problems not encountered by either basketballers or rugby players. Pykie still has problems with the latter. Maybe Patrick will be a bit better at this being a basketballer.
But all in all the fitness level, dedication and weights requirements are what tell in the end. Yes we have had basketballers who have made the transition BUT they had all played Aussie rules either as juniors or joined AFL development programs and played 16-19 level like Tippett & White. Both White and Tippett were 15 when they joined the AFL junior development program.
He might make it he might not he has a good chance due to his agility and height. But he is coming from a long way back not having played any REAL OVAL ball sports. He seems to be doing very well for a beginner and played in the local AFL comp last year as a development measure. His ball handling so far in all his training programs seems to be very neat and clean. So there is a chance we just need to wait and see what the kid can bring to the table.
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Mike Pyke played in a World Cup Reggi and to represent your country at any sport no matter how min ow they may be is no mean feat. He also scored a full length of the field try against the All blacks and that does not happen very often, so he must have been pretty well at the top level of rugby.
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Jesus Meg he has grown 5cm in a year. The Swans site says he is 203cm but I knew they were hedging 'cos he was 206cm last year. He is a big boy and very agile too for a big lad, more so than Sandilands.
More worried this year than last year, less worried than when we had Mott, Chambers or Gavin Rose as primary ruck prospects (the latter being too short)
Congratulations Wolfie on your new career as a NFL punter. Ben Graham could only average a bit over 50 metres in his NFL career, so you're way ahead of him already. I can hardly imagine what you might be capable of with a bit of practice. I think Ben Graham was getting around $3 mil a year. I'd hold out for $5 mil if I you were you.
And don't forget to wear your helmet! We don't want you sounding like a blubbering idiot when you rejoin RWO after your gridiron career comes to an end.
If Mitchell can make it from US Basketball then that will be a way bigger story than Pyke IMO, rugby as a contact, kicking and tackling sport adapst a lot better IMO. Still, good on the Swans for having a go.
Naismith sounds like a real prospect though...
Massively bigger and it will make things VERY interesting in recruiting and talent scouting land because the pool of US basketballers is infinitely bigger than the pool of Canadian rugby players. Of course this was the point Reggi was making which prompted Captain Obvious' edition of 'Basketball for Dummies'...
Driver of the Dan Hannebery bandwagon....all aboard. 4th April 09
My favourite is point 4.
I genuinely had no idea it was a foul if you tackled someone on the basketball field.
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