The best young player in the world (of a one nation sport)

cesc's_mullet

- This guy is 21 years of age.

- 198 cm.

- 101 kilos of raw beef.

- Quick as lightning with and without the ball in his possession.

- Agile as a gazel. (which is quite amazing considering his size)

Second top scorer last year, with the most scoring shots/shots on goal in the League by a margin. That's all at 19-20 years of age. Has proven he can play in high pressure situations, scoring the winning goal (a few seconds before time) in a nock-out final last season. Currently the top scorer this season after 7 games.

Has so much talent it's almost unbelievable. In fact it's incredible!

He is THE marquee player of the League. Every team wants him, but only WE have him. Everyday there's an article on this kid, every single day he's getting some coverage. Everyone wants a piece of him. (and rightly so)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnAvTIY9UoI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAI3Z...eature=related

That's right... I'm talking about the one and only Lance 'Buddy' Franklin. He is the Christiano Ronaldo of our code, and has millions of Australians (whether they go for or against his side) in raptures each time he goes near the ball. As I said earlier, he's the top scorer already in our league with an amazing 36 goals in 7 games. That's akin to scoring at 2 goals a game in the EPL. (that's including 28 points too - amassing a total of 64 scoring shots in 7 games absolutely incredible)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86NoZ...eature=related - here he is kicking the winning goal from 50 metres on the angle, with about 20 seconds to go, in the clubs BIGGEST game for half a dozen years. Note: he kicked 7 goals that match, akin to a hattrick.

He was born to win.

And the best part of all is: He plays for my team .


Ok and now for the more serious part of my post.

I'm kind of wondering whether players like that could revolutionise world sport. You can see it's happening in our League/code, though in fairness it's not actually down to Buddy himself.

I'm talking more about the raw athleticism part. That kid, and he is a kid, is 21yrs (and 3 months) old. Yet he's coming in at 198cm and 101 kilos. Now when you hear someone mention those stats you'd be inclined to think of some massive hulking fat giant-like unit. But then you look at him. And you'd then be inclined to think well yes he's big, but surely he couldn't move like the small men of the competition do. Yet he does. He moves like a cat.

Players like this will revolutionise world sport, ball sports at least.

For teams to compete they're taking their training, pre-seasons, and preparation to new levels. Massive athletic bases are now a minimum requirement in these sports, superhuman efforts need to be able to be put in by these players. And sometimes it detracts from their skill levels, but this is being curbed by better training facilites and coaches and regimes.

I think players like Buddy, could walk into other codes of sport. And I can't even fathom what destruction he'd cause on a football (soccer) pitch, where players at 180cm are considered 'tall.'

He'd be able to MONSTER the likes of a Drogba. Think about it, he's got 10 (yes TEN) centimetres on him. And Drogba's THE power forward of the League, if not the World.

I'm telling you, in 20 years time, the influx of new players will really have to be a minimum of 180 centimetres, have the aerobic capacity of professional runners, and have skill to burn. It's inevitable.

- Buddy Franklin is the future of world sport.

I implore you to watch those vids (even for curiosities sakes) and see where world sport is heading.

Then I implore you to say what you think on the matter, if you agree/disagree. If you believe the EPL and the likes will ever be infiltrated by ‘athletes’ rather then pure old-school skilled players with no real athletic base. Ala, Scholes.

enghuei

Wrong forum

Brad

I didn't know you were out of the closet mate. Well done, takes bravery on a football forum does that

Keyzer Soze

cesc's_mullet

Aah I see the vultures have gotten in early.

Well I was hoping to have my posts doubled up, for obvious reasons. I actually want to have a fair discussion, and all the while plugging the best thing going around in the world of sport.

Tee hee.

Alex

sorry but 21 isnt even considered a kid in the US, the lad is man, what sports does he play anyway hahahaha

cesc's_mullet

Well I do study Journalism, and am acutely aware of the pro's of Sensationalist Media.

Hence the 'kid' remarks.

But seriously, he's young. And in AFL terms (Australian Football League - the sport in which he's plying his trade) he's young. You get drafted at 17/18 years of age and have to work your way into the side.

Much like Euro-Footy in the regard that the players break through at similar ages. This will be his 4th season on our list.

enghuei

Seriously you should post this somewhere else

AussieJim

Who cares about AFL

Switch to the NRL mate , much much better

cesc's_mullet

This IS a Football Forum, no?

I've raised a serious Footballing related issue.

Read post 5, and either contribute please or (obviously) don't and buzz off.

enghuei

Yes this is a football forum.

As in Association football, not Aussie Rules.

Alex

I'll indulge you, he might look graceful running down the field in AFL or whatever its called but to think he has the talent or grace to anything on a football field is just daft. Your major argument is that he is strong as shit which I believe, but football isnt a touch game really, this guy would get banned sooner or later if he played football because of a massive amount of red cards. I can tell you one thing Shaw has 10 cm on him, that doesnt mean he would be a good footballer, although I feel he could kill several opposition players at once

AussieJim

But surely AFL is a code of Football is it not ?

Johnno

Cesc you bastard, don’t be bringing any Gay-FL shit here mate, it’s tainting the site.

Alex

Yeah about as much as the NFL is

cesc's_mullet

Hehe, and you call yourself an Aussie. (I take it you're from QLD or NSW?)

Anyway this thread has nothing to do with the NRL or whatever the other Rugby code's called - but we can incorperate it.

Ok but on a serious note, that Melbourne Storm lad is another perfect example of what I'm getting at (mental blank for name) - he's tall, uber-quick, skillful, agile and packs on the kilos. Perfect prototype.

Mind you Rugby (and Grid Iron) is all about being big and quick anyway, and this thread was aimed at the possible changed we'll see in the World Game.

But obviously back in the old days both Rugby and Grid Iron were played by normal people like us, none-too athletic nor massive bulk wise. The games evolve, teams want to get ahead thus they train up their players. Now days there's minimum physical requirements that could not be reached by 99 out of 100 peoples, if that.

That's what I'm talking about.

Surely we'll see these changes come into the World Game.

Keyzer Soze

Are u being serious, i thought u were joking at first. That game looks like it has as much to do with football as ballet. Just become someone is physically gifted does not mean they can play any sport.

cesc's_mullet

Well we do use our feet. And the game is 150 years old.

We have a right to call it Football*.

You want to take the 'football' issue up with anyone take it up with the Rugby and Grid Iron followers. They have no right.

*If mainly because we couldn't think of anything else. Plus 'Foot & Hand ball doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

enghuei

Judging by your logic, should Aussie Rules, Gaelic Football, Rugby Union, Rugby Leagye, hell even American Football be all discussed here?

There is a section for all these sports in this forum in case you have not noticed, and it's called "Other Sports"

cesc's_mullet

FUCK SAKE read post #5.

There was a point to all that, and this.

This is why I stopped coming on here last year, you seriously can not get any serious discussions going! Come on lads!

enghuei

Maybe you should continue doing just that.

And talk about being revolutionary in world sporting scene. Have you not know players like Kobe Bryant and co? If you theory about revolutionizing world sports is correct, these guys have been doing just that for the past couple of decades.

Keyzer Soze

To be fair mate people have only pointed out to you that it is not really relevant to football, u should have just put it in the "other sport" forum.

cesc's_mullet

Once again I shall point out that this is a Football Forum, and that I've raised a Football related issue.

And by Football I mean soccer. I just used a specific Aussy rules player, and the way certain codes of football are shaping as an example - to make the crux of my SOCCER related issue.

cesc's_mullet

Ah yes, finally we're getting somewhere. Even though you clearly have stumbled onto it inadvertently.

Now obviously our AFL is a fair way different to Euro Footy, but the same base principles apply. Skill, athleticism and smarts.

We all said/thought that the new 'breed' of Footballers would die out down here. That Athletes wont win you games, sure, they can run around all day but where's the 'footy-smarts?' Give me the old talent anyday.

And for a while it seemed that we were right.

But then we started to see (what we called) 'genuine' footballers being overlooked in the draft - because they were either too small, slow, had to small-a frame etc. One prime example of this was some kid (whos name beats me) only 3 years ago, he was probably THE best midfielder in the whole of the TAC - the league that all the AFL teams choose their youngsters from - he was dominating matches. Yet the poor kid was only 174 cm tall, and ALL the AFL teams thought that 174 cm is far too small, and not a viable height, for a player to have a proper sustainable professional career. And in the end the kid never got drafted simply because he was too small.

It's just like how Paul Scholes was nearly booted out years ago because he was too slow? couldn't run? until Fergie stepped in!

So then we saw development stages of the youngsters vying for a professional career be changed. All the hopeful kids where busting their gut on the tracks, even the really naturally talented ones. Obviously they all are nowdays because simple skill is just not enough.

cesc's_mullet

Good one. I don't think I ever had an issue with you, in fact I seem to recall upon you favourably. But it seems you've become another run of the mill beat-off artists on here. Like so many others. Shame, this Forum was really great once.

Ooh nice edit.

Yes I wanted to use Basketball as an example too, the players there are huge. Though it's obviously a requirement to be tall.

But as for Bryant, well there's obviously going to be exceptions to the rule. I think there always will be. Absolute natural freaks can not be stopped.

And if you'd properly noted I wasn't talking about seeing these changes right at this moment in the EPL, but sometime in the future.

Surely it will happen?!?!

Keyzer Soze

You have lost the plot a bit here Scholes is a footballing genius that is why he has made it. If any old player with certain physical attributes were able to revolutionise our game players such as Bellion would be world class. Or Dwain Chambers would have made himself into a star striker as another publicity stunt. Or David James would be playin up friggin front. Football is about instincts, co-ordination and football intellignce not being ten foot tall and "101kilos of raw beef". Teddy Sheringham looked like he was running backwards but he was still a brilliant player for example. Therefore, in my opinion your point is a bit mute.

cesc's_mullet