Israel Folau

[Dogwatcher]

Interesting comment from Laurie Daley on Fox News tonight, saying that during the Super League stoush he was approached by several AFL clubs.

He also talked about how he's good mates with Paul Kelly - both coming from Wagga.

No club names were mentioned but that Kelly connection being brought up might offer a clue.

[CoverKing]

All that money they're paying someone who hasn't grown up with the code could be put towards developing kids.

That's what Vossy said too. As someone pretty heavily involved with Auskick, I agree.

I think it is a chance to get thousands more kids into AFL rather than RL or RU that is surely a good thing.

No doubting however that more money could always be used to develop kids.

Thats it!

People may complain, but this expansion of the two sides is going to struggle unless it has the marketing tools such as Hunt and Folau behind it. It is similar to the David Beckham and LA Galaxy connection. These two guys will end up paying for themselves with all their merchandise and memberships they gain to the clubs, that otherwise wouldnt have come along.

The facts are, if they get games, which i think are near certainties, its a bonus! They will bring kids from Western Sydney and the Gold Coast that usually wouldnt have given the AFL a look in, simply because they have a hero in Hunt or Folau that are playing AFL now.

If the AFL can steal a Billy SLater, or Greg Inglis, i honestly think the NRL are going to struggle to move forward and catch the AFL in this country!

[Dogwatcher]

Folau is going to at least entice a heap of Polynesian kids to take a look at the game.

Those who heard Kevin Sheedy previously talking about all of the kids "on those islands around us" probably wouldn't be surprised now that Folau has been targeted by the GWS.

[OnSong]

Sheedy seems confident. That should be enough for all the armchair experts out there.

[jointman]

pay that much money for him...he might not be good enough to get a game!!!!!

[rogernumber10]

I've only got a couple of points, some of which were already made:

Gold Coast and GWS have got 88 new spots for footballers to fill to be part of the AFL competition. If people want opportunities to experiment, there is a chance, as well as plenty of chances for people to get their shot if they missed first time around.
He's got two pre-seasons up until 2012 (assuming he plays from the start) to alter his aerobic capacity from a full-on focus on NRL power to a greater mix of AFL endurance, albeit that I'm sure he will want to retain his power if he's playing at an end of the field.
He's 21 now, which is about the same age / slightly older than the likes of guys like Daniel Merrett (rugby league), Sam Gilbert (rugby league), Tadhg Kennelly, Jim Stynes, O'Hailpin, Kurt Tippett (basketball) etc etc etc have all come to the game with vary degrees of success. Every single one of them had to be taught to kick, and it took them varying times, but he's going to get plenty of practice.
We do know that he's big, he's fast, he's strong and he's got elite determination (you can't play Origin / Tests at 18 if you're mentally soft), but kicking and game awareness are the things that will take his 24/7 focus.
The AFL spent $45 million last year on development across Australia, covering Auskick, participation programs in schools, elite talent at 16s and 18s and Academy programs. The money hasn't dried up there.

If you are using 100 pct of one new club's marketing budget, combined with a standard player contract (trust me on that), then I'm not sure it's money wasted because who else will draw a new club's marketing budget and why not found out if he can do it, particularly if he draws the interest of an entire group of people who've never particularly looked at our game before.

If it's a failure, then you've tried and failed, and you try something else.

I would only say, in conclusion, that most football clubs in Australia in the 1950s thought all footy talent basically came from WA, SA, Victoria and Tasmania, before we discovered indigenous players, NSW, Qld, overseas and people who'd never even played the game before, but just stood out from the pack in terms of athletic talent.

Have a go. There's still a minimum of 88 new jobs as AFL players waiting on the lists of Gold Coast and GWS for someone to fill, if they're good enough, whether you're a kid or a mature age player from the country / state leagues.

[Dogwatcher]

Hard to knock a post like that, thanks Rog.

[Dogmatic]

Interesting comment from Laurie Daley on Fox News tonight, saying that during the Super League stoush he was approached by several AFL clubs.

He also talked about how he's good mates with Paul Kelly - both coming from Wagga.

No club names were mentioned but that Kelly connection being brought up might offer a clue.

It may have been a club in the Canberra league.

[Sojourner]

Thought I heard on the radio (5aa) that the AFL players association expect to see a significant increase in their wages at the next salary cap review in respect to the coin being available and thrown around for GWS and GC teams.

[Dogmatic]

Melbourne Storm NRL staff doubt Israel Folau's aerobic capacity
By Russell Gould - Herald Sun
June 02, 2010 AFL million-dollar man Israel Folau has a terrible aerobic capacity with little room for improvement and could struggle when repeat efforts are required.

Fitness staff at Melbourne Storm, where Folau played 52 of his 80 NRL games, said he had one of the "smallest tanks" of any player to come through the club. Folau now plays for Brisbane Broncos.

And while his burst efforts were good, he could muster only one or two in any short space of time before running out of puff.

"But he had good power and strength, and his acceleration off the mark was pretty good too," a Storm staffer said.

Folau also has big hands and Storm coach Craig Bellamy said in his 30 years in the game he had never seen a rugby league player jump higher.

"I remember watching him once jumping in to those bags and he just went miles in to the air," Bellamy said.

"He had massive legs and it was pretty amazing to see actually.

"And he doesn't drop too many high balls either."

It was on that capacity to jump and catch, as well as his size, that former Storm recruiter Peter O'Sullivan signed 14-year-old Folau to a $500 contract at a 2004 Queensland schoolboy carnival.

His new contract is 8000 times that.

The Storm were already using the high kick to their wingers when Folau began playing first grade for the club as a 17-year-old in 2007, but he quickly became the preferred target so outstanding was his ability.

Much has been made of Folau's inability to kick. It's not something he has done a lot of; just 10 times in his 80 NRL games.

But as an outside back that's not his job, and Storm skipper Cameron Smith said in post-training kick-arounds Folau had shown ability.

"He can kick. He's not bad. But he'll need some work. It's a totally different game," Smith said

"There is no doubt he had been bought because of the profile he brings to the area."

But his profile won't help him develop the lateral and peripheral awareness and movement he needs to play a 360-degree game.

Injuries could also be an issue for the amount of new movement required in Australian rules. It was suggested that Polynesian players like Folau suffered from significant joint laxity - a lack of stability - which could prove troublesome.

"We've had a lot of our Polynesian boys injure shoulder ligaments and knee ligaments as a result of that, or a greater proportion than the caucasian players at least," the Storm staffer said.

[Dirko]

They'll love having Israel out in the Western Suburbs, until Gaza hits the Gold Coast....

[Interceptor]

About 5 pages of related coverage in the Courier Mail today...

Has certainly raised the ire of plenty in RL world.
No more Origin for Folau -he won't be picked.
Broncos fans will be bitter losing another star like this and with the timing of the annoucement, he'll surely face plenty of resentment from other players, let alone supporters while he plays out the season.
NRL boss has had a cry about it and saw some other RL fella claim he'll be back in 2-3 years.

Obviously the marketing component of this and Hunt's signings are huge.
If the money is as big as is being claimed, it's possibly the biggest deal (and risk) in Australian sport since World Series Cricket.

[The Dark Knight]

Interesting comment from Laurie Daley on Fox News tonight, saying that during the Super League stoush he was approached by several AFL clubs.

He also talked about how he's good mates with Paul Kelly - both coming from Wagga.

No club names were mentioned but that Kelly connection being brought up might offer a clue.

Interesting

[Dog_ger]

It's in your blood.

Whatever your brought up on, is in your blood.

Whats the bet all these rugby guys return to rugby pretty soon.

They are not to blame.

Someone offers $1M to swap jobs?

Who on this site would not do the same...?

These sydney AFL clubs must work...

[cripple]

It's in your blood.

Whatever your brought up on, is in your blood.

Whats the bet all these rugby guys return to rugby pretty soon.

They are not to blame.

Someone offers $1M to swap jobs?

Who on this site would not do the same...?

These sydney AFL clubs must work...

Don't really agree with this statement, sort of discounts all the hard work that all players put in to get the level that they achieve, along the same lines as Adam Goodes "magic" remark frustrations in regards to aboriginal players. Even if it is in the blood, whats to say that folau and hunt have been playing the wrong sport for the entire lives and are about to find their real calling

[Dogwatcher]

That's an interesting call on the "magic" tag.

We don't ever hear of Magic Milne, although it's perfect for alliteration, and he has sublime skills that make most of us mere mortals blush.

[Media Park]

They'll love having Israel out in the Western Suburbs, until Gaza hits the Gold Coast....

i like it...

[Drop Bear]

About 5 pages of related coverage in the Courier Mail today...

Has certainly raised the ire of plenty in RL world.
No more Origin for Folau -he won't be picked.Broncos fans will be bitter losing another star like this and with the timing of the annoucement, he'll surely face plenty of resentment from other players, let alone supporters while he plays out the season.
NRL boss has had a cry about it and saw some other RL fella claim he'll be back in 2-3 years.

Obviously the marketing component of this and Hunt's signings are huge.
If the money is as big as is being claimed, it's possibly the biggest deal (and risk) in Australian sport since World Series Cricket.

I love queensland origin, but how ******* petty of them if they don't pick him for the remainder of the series. RL and AFL are professions. About time some players realised that. 100% behind Folau for making his decision to play AFL. Big dollars on offer and he's looking after his future.

[brod]

A red Sherrin mysteriously appeared at Brisbane's training headquarters on Thursday as Israel Folau's NRL team-mates did their best to embarrass the AFL's latest millionaire.

Howls of laughter swept across the training field at Red Hill when Sam Thaiday climbed up on Folau's back to take a mock mark.

Team-mates then tried to coerce the 21 year-old to kick the Sherrin between the goal posts.

"Take a snap Izzy," urged one player as others kicked the red leather ball around the ground.

Try as they may, Folau would not put his boot to the AFL ball before coach Ivan Henjak finally called a halt to the frivolity to get his players focussed on the more serious task of preparing for Sunday's tough NRL clash with Manly at Brookvale Oval.

Brisbane skipper Darren Lockyer dug the Sherrin out of a cupboard and pumped it up himself, knowing it would help break the ice with Folau and the players.

It worked.

Brisbane did a similar thing last year at training when fullback Karmichael Hunt signed his big AFL deal with the Gold Coast.