Where does Weidemann's loyalty lie ?
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:55 amAfter reading the article "Blooded by the Weed" By Doug Robertson" from the 26th Dec, one statement I read made me wonder if his loyalties are with West or the Cows.
"I'll speak to the Crows early in the New Year and see what they want but we'll pretty much leave it to Adrian to show us where he wants to play."
Surely a SANFL coach would play a player in a position to best suit that SANFL club, not try and do the best for the Cows or Powder Puffs.
Here's the full article so you can read it in full context;
Blooded by the Weed
By DOUG ROBERTSON
26dec05
BIG, brawny Adrian Bonaddio is Adelaide's "Baby Rocca" but he won't be exposed to the AFL firestorm before his time.
The raw rookie says he's modelling his game on brothers Sav (Kangaroos) and Anthony Rocca (Collingwood) because of their similar body size but the time to find his own identity beckons.
Broad-shouldered Bonaddio, 19, (195cm, 97kg) will launch his professional career with West Adelaide and he couldn't be better placed to develop at a measured pace.
Coach Wayne Weidemann knows the stresses of oscillating between the AFL and SANFL competitions with instructions to polish specific skills – a task which sometimes goes against the needs of the local club.
However, no other SANFL coach has experienced that exact demand. Weidemann played 68 AFL games with the Crows (1991-96) but he was no star – he had to work hard for every success and he was regularly cast back to Woodville West-Torrens.
Now he says he relishes the chance to guide Bonaddio through the initial pitfalls after claiming him as the first selection in the SANFL mini-draft.
"I know how hard it is to go back and forward," Weidemann said. "All week you're training to the Crows' structure then you've got to go back to the SANFL and fit in to that structure.
"I'll speak to the Crows early in the New Year and see what they want but we'll pretty much leave it to Adrian to show us where he wants to play."
Bonaddio has one luxury at Richmond – he knows West recruit and former Port Melbourne team-mate Lance Oswald, 23 (177cm, 79kg).
"It's hard for these (AFL) guys because they know virtually nobody," Weidemann said. "They get really familiar with their Crows team-mates but we only see them probably once a week."
Strong overhead and an accurate kick, Bonaddio played only reserves at Port Melbourne, largely because of the high number of Kangaroos players drifting back to their AFL reserves team.
But Weidemann said the former Oakley Chargers TAC Cup under-18s key forward would be given time to blossom in the SANFL playing against men equally as strong and a lot more experienced.
"We took Adrian as the third marking option in attack but I'd have no problem pushing him back to find his way around the league," Weidemann said. "I've spoken to (Crows recruiting manager) James Fantasia and they're really, really happy to have a big, strong rookie who takes a good mark and is a nice kick as well.
"We'll play him close to goals and he's also capable of doing some ruck work up forward."
"I'll speak to the Crows early in the New Year and see what they want but we'll pretty much leave it to Adrian to show us where he wants to play."
Surely a SANFL coach would play a player in a position to best suit that SANFL club, not try and do the best for the Cows or Powder Puffs.
Here's the full article so you can read it in full context;
Blooded by the Weed
By DOUG ROBERTSON
26dec05
BIG, brawny Adrian Bonaddio is Adelaide's "Baby Rocca" but he won't be exposed to the AFL firestorm before his time.
The raw rookie says he's modelling his game on brothers Sav (Kangaroos) and Anthony Rocca (Collingwood) because of their similar body size but the time to find his own identity beckons.
Broad-shouldered Bonaddio, 19, (195cm, 97kg) will launch his professional career with West Adelaide and he couldn't be better placed to develop at a measured pace.
Coach Wayne Weidemann knows the stresses of oscillating between the AFL and SANFL competitions with instructions to polish specific skills – a task which sometimes goes against the needs of the local club.
However, no other SANFL coach has experienced that exact demand. Weidemann played 68 AFL games with the Crows (1991-96) but he was no star – he had to work hard for every success and he was regularly cast back to Woodville West-Torrens.
Now he says he relishes the chance to guide Bonaddio through the initial pitfalls after claiming him as the first selection in the SANFL mini-draft.
"I know how hard it is to go back and forward," Weidemann said. "All week you're training to the Crows' structure then you've got to go back to the SANFL and fit in to that structure.
"I'll speak to the Crows early in the New Year and see what they want but we'll pretty much leave it to Adrian to show us where he wants to play."
Bonaddio has one luxury at Richmond – he knows West recruit and former Port Melbourne team-mate Lance Oswald, 23 (177cm, 79kg).
"It's hard for these (AFL) guys because they know virtually nobody," Weidemann said. "They get really familiar with their Crows team-mates but we only see them probably once a week."
Strong overhead and an accurate kick, Bonaddio played only reserves at Port Melbourne, largely because of the high number of Kangaroos players drifting back to their AFL reserves team.
But Weidemann said the former Oakley Chargers TAC Cup under-18s key forward would be given time to blossom in the SANFL playing against men equally as strong and a lot more experienced.
"We took Adrian as the third marking option in attack but I'd have no problem pushing him back to find his way around the league," Weidemann said. "I've spoken to (Crows recruiting manager) James Fantasia and they're really, really happy to have a big, strong rookie who takes a good mark and is a nice kick as well.
"We'll play him close to goals and he's also capable of doing some ruck work up forward."
Not only was this a double page spread but it was the lead headline on the posters out the front of delis ,shops etc...Does a crows moron actually go in and buy a paper because of this?? they must or crap like this just wouldn't happen .Can you imagine "Bulldogs reveal the next Carey " lead headline in the Melbourne paper only to find out it was some b-grader they picked up from Preston?Honestly what could be next to embarrass me as a South Australian citizen leave alone football fan..a football players wedding on the front page of the JANUARY 1 edition maybe??????? surely not!!!!!!
