Notable that joey hasn't been involved with our team/halves this year. I'd believe his synopsis based on last year's output for Drown. Listening to Dylan on ABC Grandstand yesterday, he's as switched on as he needs to be as a 21 year old half imo. And it's well documented, by his own admission that his performances and prep in 2021 left a lot to be desired....
And yet the apologists were still defending him last year. The youth excuse is only applicable to a limit. Dylan was making school boy level errors or not participating and taking a back seat way to much. That wasn't due to fitness but indecisiveness because he hadn't done the homework and therefore would leave it up to the senior players like Gutho and Moses even though he is probably as good either of them and they needed his support as Moses has so often publically stated.
The only part of Dylan's game that is spot on at this point is his defense. In every other aspect he needs improving and if he had put in the homework he would be way more involved for the full 80 minutes and be better at it.
I'm not trying to attack Dylan here. I am just pointing out that he hasn't done the homework that I would insist that all our players do. There are no excuses like 'I wasn't switched on or my personal life was upside down and couldn't get it together' nonsense.
He is a professional and is being paid accordingly. The extra homework that is necessary, would only support and strengthen his game day output and performance no matter what his personal life is like. When you put the work in and focus on that, even if things aren't that great at home or your personal life in general, it helps you go into auto pilot and produce at a high standard, like muscle memory does.
Now without knowing what Dylan's distractions were last season, I hardly think they would have been earth shattering nightmarish ones. He even has admitted to as much. They most probably would have typical young mans dramas that we all go through. Something that extra hard work could help you get your focus off and make you a better person in the long run. Who is or are his mentors at the club? He is one of our prized bulls ffs. We need to make sure we give him every opportunity to produce like a prized bull should.
In the corporate world management knows the value of potentially high quality, young personnel and pears them up with an old and wise mentor type that can guide them through the pitfalls and bounce ideas around and offer solutions to situations or problems. Do we have people like this around our club that can be respected mentors to our players or respected pests that hound our players to do the extra video sessions or drills even when the players don't feel like it like the Johns boys had?
These are all the little things that make the world of difference in the end. Our coach for example has been around for nearly 10 years now, giving the same message over and over. The players would appreciate different voices that are knowledgeable and that they respect who can give them that little bit extra beyond the normal routine. For example there are many wise old former club players and or coaches that could easily be sort out and asked to mentor some of our players. Just an idea. But all these little ideas are what we need to be putting together and leave no stone unturned if we want to finally bring home the trophy. Otherwise what's the point? We just keep making excuses?
