I disagree with this. If he’s with a group that are working together it’s none of these things. It can be hard, and you can find yourself crawling around the grass delirious and vomiting after your 10th 400 rep, but if he’s working with a good group it’s a great experience.
With the right group and the right program (ie he probably has no need to run more than about 5 kms at any point) it could be one of the best times of his life.
This must be the fittest forum going around. No wonder none of the other supporter forums want to play forum footy, they’d be crazy to come up against so many prime specimens.
If we want to win flags we need our top end picks becoming major players in our side.
We need at least two of Francis, Laverde and Langford to play 22 games & be top 10 in our B/F.
Francis needs to step up next year.
Cal Twomey 25/10/2015 on Aaron Francis. (Selection 6). Another seer?
Despite playing in a range of different roles throughout the championships, Francis will need to build his aerobic base before becoming a midfielder at AFL level. At this stage it’s not at a high enough standard to hold down a role at the top level as a midfielder.
There is also the question about what sort of defender he will be in the AFL, and whether he is tall enough to be a true key backman. At 191cm he fits in nicely as a third tall defender, but despite his leap and jumping, Francis doesn’t carry the height to play on the bigger key forwards. He matched up against Josh Schache at stages late in the carnival and had trouble containing the 199cm prospect.
Each club will have its own views on how they see Francis now and what sort of player he will be in the future, but at his size he is unlikely to become a true tall backman capable of stopping big, powerful forwards. Recruiters will weigh that up. His speed is sound.
3 years later and no ones got any idea what his position is. I mentioned this a few days ago. It’s concerning imo. Pick a role for him and leave him there. Chopping and changing his role is doing him no favours
Cal Twomey, Nov 2015, Chosen at pick 12 - Carlton
Curnow is big, strong, and reasonably untapped in terms of the player he could become at the next level. As a forward his marking is his biggest trick, for he is able to outmuscle opponents and drag in contested grabs often. When up and going, he carries a presence around the forward line that draws the ball.
The 18-year-old also has a natural running power that will hold him in good stead at the next level. He’s not especially quick off the mark (his 20m sprint time at the combine was 3.15) but he can keep going: he ran 14.5 in the beep test and the 3km time trial in 10:24 minutes, which put him in the top 20 per cent of participants.
Curnow has the potential to be one of the best players from this year’s draft and for that reason he’s exciting. He is physical and willing to throw around his sturdy frame and ultimately may be a tall ball-winning midfielder who is impossible to get past at the stoppages.
B-b-b-b-but broadening his playing capacity…
for sure - the mateship helps, and there’s nothing like flying with your mates in the 8th and last 1000m interval. It’s certainly a period you look back on fondly. and you feel like superman (albeit a hungry one) and yearn afterwards to get back there…
But alot of it is far from exhilarating, and you count laps wishing them to go by quickly, feel like you’re meeting yourself coming back from yesterday evening’s run when you head out in the morning… not to mention the extra kms in warmup and cool-down, and stretching - not fun and certainly no glory there. All in all - it’s based on a taxing and repetitive routine, so you look for any ways to commit yourself. If you’re self - disciplined by nature and experienced - then it is alot easier. The “high” is great but to maintain it for weeks on end is tough. There’s always a reason = excuse to stop/cut short, drop 10% .( a niggle, rush, tiredness, weather, tomorrow, hunger, wrong shoes, etc etc.)…
Oh- and if everyone around you is having fun and improving whilst you’re suffering - mentally and/or physically - it is really disheartening…
The guy just looks a natural defender to me. Just put him down back and leave him there. Constantly swapping him around isnt helping at WOB said
He’s an 19 year old 194cm kid, finding his feet and growing into his body ffs. Stop being farking ridiculous. Nobody knows where his final position will be, including himself - because…he’s a kid!
Maybe because hes a kid we should just settle him down as a defender first…??
nah totally ridiculous because a kid is a kid is a kid.
Maybe part of learning and developing into either role means understanding the other side. On the other hand, maybe you’re right, and anything the club does is farked.
Keep in mind that Woosha plays a reasonably set best 22.
Compared to round 1 this year (vs the Elim final) - the changes are:
Out: Hooker (inj), Stanton, McKernan (Bell was inj), Green (inj), Langford
In: Myers, Bellcho, Begs, McKenna, Stewart
Keeping this in mind, I’m a bit worried that Francis may find it hard to get a spot. Effectively, Gleeson is probably in his role… And Gleeson has come along real well
Still not the least bit worried, his gone from 191 to 194 still a growing kid. Not worried they are exposing him to different positions. The kid is a natural talent who will be able to play anywhere. He is only one injury un-interupted pre-season away from regular senior footy. Sky is the limit.
I doubt he’ll ever be able to play midfield other than a few minutes here and there. I don’t recall ever seeing a player as far off fitness wise as he is, then end up being fit enough for a regular midfield gig.
He is 194, Roughead is 193 and of a similar build. I also doubt he will be a full time inside mid, but like Roughhead will be able to play through the midfield. I actually think we will eventually see him more fwd with the ability to play anywhere. Has the talent to be as good a player as Roughy IMHO anyway.
Pity he’s only got 1/10 of Roughy’s aerobic fitness.
Roughy is known to not have a massive tank, just uses what he’s got wisely.
True enough, that’s just makes Francis’ aerobic capacity all that much more diabolical.
He will both get fitter and learn to use his energy more wisely. 