Is Riewoldt a Marshmallow??

[WayneJudson42]

Roo will never be another Jonno Brown. If you're lookig for someone to assert themselves physically, then you best leave that to someone like Gwilt, or Kosi who can split packs open IMO.

Roo is not soft, and absurd of ayone to question his courage.

[duckduckduckgoose]

he aint soft and is one of the best players in the league, however he has developed a slight case of the 'Richos' when on the lead overhead. ie looking for the free kick for a push or an arm chop.
But that's just nitpicking...

[BigMart]

Gwilt.....physical

What physical thing has he ever done????

Plays as an outside reciever......he is not sure how to use his size.....

[WayneJudson42]

Maybe he should use it better?

[ace]

Riewoldt is no longer a gentleman, he is becoming ruder every year.

This year, I saw him bump into an opponent and he completely forgot to say "excuse me".

If he is not careful he will end up knocking an opponent to the ground and then not helping him back onto his feet.

[Life Long Saint]

Courage required to go hard at the footy >>>>> Courage to go hard at the man

[st.byron]

It's a bloody tough judge who reckons that Roo needs to add more hardness to his game. I've never seen him shirk a contest and like others can remember numerous instances of sheer courage in single-mindedly and at times recklessly going at the footy. He already gives 100% physically every game.
The hard man who inspires fear through physical presence is a thing of the past IMO. The days of a big ugly ruckman or key position player dominating through physical intimidation are over. The way the rules have changed and the things that are now reportable have eliminated these type of players.
Roo is an awesome athlete and is super courageous. He's already a superstar.
If Roo needs to improve on anything I'd be putting set shots at goal at the top of the list.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

If you ever find yourself thinking that Roo is soft, I suggest taking a trip down to level 1 some game, and sitting near the fence.

Then ask yourself how many other players in the entire league run full pace into contests of the big bodies as often as Nick. The "thwack" as AFL KPP run into each other at contests on the ground or in the air is something I've never appreciated from TV or the higher levels. Every now and then I slip down to leve 1, and come away with a single conclusion.

These guys are nuts.

[doristhesaint]

I wish the rest of the team was as soft as Roo we would be a lot better off. A joke of a thread go to a game and watch him closely from ground level and c how he throws himself into every contest.

[St Fidelius]

Is Riewoldt a Marshmallow??


It is a fair question

One word NO....

or maybe a couple more FFS

[Saint Bev]

Took Max ages to drop the soft tag. Saints people know Roo is not soft but there is no doubt the opposition think of him as soft. I don't get to many games in Melbourne but I am always astounded as to how much he gets booed by people, it is beyone me.

[barneyboyz]

Now I realise that Christmas is the season for giving, so my timing for this audacious proposition is probably going to draw plenty of flak from my fellow diehard Saints. The topic of this post came up in my weekly footy-talk session where I work, and was prompted by a comment in the press from one of St Kilda's new recruits from SA who apparently had some time ago remarked that Nick Riewoldt is soft.

It is a fair question, because it goes to the heart of the capacity of this current St Kilda team to win a premiership. As my mate from Gympie said to me this morning (g'day Danny!), Nick Riewoldt is a franchise player - whatever that means......OK, I do know what that means, and it bothers me that St Kilda FC is built around a single (supposed) superstar, both on and off the field. Off the field is not a problem, but on the field is. Take a look at most of the games that Riewoldt played in this year and you will see St Kilda's attack permanently centred on getting the ball to our blonde hero. That has worked fine in some games, but has also failed when opposition coaches man more than 1 defender against him.

If you compile a list of essential attributes for your key forward, Riewoldt ticks every box bar one - hard on the man (as distinct from hardness on the ball). The very characteristic that makes Nick such a crucial figure off-field - he's a nice guy, looks great on-camera etc - is a characteristic he takes on the field with him. You rarely see Nick showing anger or mongrel when confronted by a tough opponent. It is one thing to beat your opponent with sheer class (and Nick does that really well), but footy is foremost a man's game and needs the sound of thundering feet bearing down and striking fear in the heart of the opposing backman as they go for the ball.

None of this suggests that Riewoldt lacks courage, not at all, he has oodles of it, but he needs to go on a course of killer pills in the off-season because unless he adds ruthless aggression to his formidable talent, he will not be the saviour he was long ago heralded to become. Important to note too that Riewoldt is the skipper, and he needs to be a mean bastard who commands respect from all of his players, in the style of Buckley, Voss and now Brown.

So my wish for Christmas is that Nick Riewoldt sheds "Mr Nice Guy" and develops a permanent snarl......can someone send him some highlight tapes of Ron Barassi in his heyday?

It is also my dearest wish that Ross Lyon and his team of coaches take a close look at the 2008 Grand Final and observe the way Alistair Clarkson allowed Franklin, Roughead and Williams to roam from attack to defence, which totally destroyed Bomber Thompson's pre-match strategies. It was only on rare occasions that Lyon diverted from a predictable template in 2008, and gets out-coached as a result.

Just a couple of things from me; Nick Riewoldt is as courageous as any bloke playing footy, my guess is he would take a hit for his team, so forget the marshmallow crap.

Sure, you need some intimidating people playing footy, is that Nick? no, Nick isn't gunna be that and this has a fair saying as to why King & Gardy are there, also when Goddard finally moves forward more regularly he will rough some blokes up.

Also, just on the Ross Lyon thing, people have to understand that he is a teacher, he has spent the best part of the last two years teaching the boys a certain game style, now he has to exagerate that to some extent in order to get the "instinctive" actions happening, but I see on occasion, when he gives some free range to the boys, then all hell brakes loose (read, shyt hot).

I was at both the Collingwood & Hawks finals - two different St. Kilda's!! ok Hawthorn took the game away from us after Qtr. time, but how much was it Ross holding things back? we were never going to batter up for a G.F. in 08, after our season we would have been kidding ourselves and against any other team, geelong would have broken their own record!!

With the fine new talent we have, the very honest (and sometimes brilliant) guys that have been there a few years and the best base group in the comp, add to that some luck, some fit players, all led by one of the finest captains we could ever wish for and just look out, by decade's end, who knows??

[Teflon]

I too think the choice of words in the OP was a little off...and even though I dont think it was an attack on Roo I do believe the overall concept that a ball player such as a Riewoldt (or Harvey for that matter) can suddenly "morph" into Mal Browne amuses me.

By and large, people are who they are - not saying they cant change just saying it aint that easy and developing "mongrel" in the Barry Hall style is never gonna happen to Nick Riewoldt.

Actually when I watched the Hawthorn final it occured to me that come the 3rd qtr there really appeared only 1 guy still leading with 2 opponents trailing him round and Hodge trying to drop back in front of him every step of the way....I was then amazed to see the same bloke in the midfield attempting to get something going for the rest of the side who went walkabout.

If I had a Xmas wish....and it was geared around improving our side.....Id spend it all up on the bottom end of the list and on those coming back from long term injury.....not trying to wring another 2% from the game of Riewoldt.

[st.byron]

I too think the choice of words in the OP was a little off...and even though I dont think it was an attack on Roo I do believe the overall concept that a ball player such as a Riewoldt (or Harvey for that matter) can suddenly "morph" into Mal Browne amuses me.

By and large, people are who they are - not saying they cant change just saying it aint that easy and developing "mongrel" in the Barry Hall style is never gonna happen to Nick Riewoldt.

Actually when I watched the Hawthorn final it occured to me that come the 3rd qtr there really appeared only 1 guy still leading with 2 opponents trailing him round and Hodge trying to drop back in front of him every step of the way....I was then amazed to see the same bloke in the midfield attempting to get something going for the rest of the side who went walkabout.

If I had a Xmas wish....and it was geared around improving our side.....Id spend it all up on the bottom end of the list and on those coming back from long term injury.....not trying to wring another 2% from the game of Riewoldt.

excellent post Teffers. Spot on.

[WayneJudson42]

Took Max ages to drop the soft tag. Saints people know Roo is not soft but there is no doubt the opposition think of him as soft. I don't get to many games in Melbourne but I am always astounded as to how much he gets booed by people, it is beyone me.

And Fiora.

[St. Luke]

So...umm...what does he have to do to harden himself up? Get some ink?? Hang out with bikies??? Belt someone behind play???? He flies backwards into packs, plays with one leg, stays on the ground with a broken collarbone until he's called off, runs so hard he could outlast a camel...sure, he's not likely to strike fear of being stretchered from the ground into an opposition player, but what part of any of this show that he's soft? I'm lost.

Well said! The bloke has courage.....and bucketloads of it! I hope he gets the captaincy again in 09.

[Moccha]

Why a marshmallow?

Scrambled eggs are softer

[Life Long Saint]

Maybe because marshmallows get softer when heat is applied whereas eggs do the opposite.

[Moccha]

Of course that makes sense!

[Stephen Theodore]

joffaboy wrote:
Anyone who calls Riewoldt soft, either physically or mentally really is either trolling or doesn't know a great deal about football.

I'm with you. The heading re: marsmallow is just plain offensive.

[meher baba]

Totally, absolutely disagree with this.

Committing illegal acts onfield is not the same thing as "tough".

Riewoldt is one of the toughest players I have ever seen: I was at the SCG in 2004 on the day he took that amazing mark and I have personally seen few acts of bravery to compare to it in any sport.

Max Hudghton is another super tough, brave player who doesn't go around thumping people off the ball.

IMO, easily the softest, most gutless player in the history of AFL was the much celebrated "Captain Blood", who basically went out on the field with the aim of deliberately and illegally maiming unsuspecting opponents, particularly young kids.

In more recent times, Dermott Brereton and Barry Hall would give him a run for his money.

The softest and most gutless acts I have seen in the game in recent years were Hall's unprovoked attacks on Maguire and Staker, following both of which he threw his arms up in the air with a look of"it wasn't me guv on your face".

[SainterK]

In light of recent events, hasn't the point been well and truly made that one guy is not capable of shouldering the rest of the team to a premiership?

I find the timing a little strange, given that his last part of the season was excellent?

[saintspremiers]

So...umm...what does he have to do to harden himself up? Get some ink?? Hang out with bikies??? Belt someone behind play???? He flies backwards into packs, plays with one leg, stays on the ground with a broken collarbone until he's called off, runs so hard he could outlast a camel...sure, he's not likely to strike fear of being stretchered from the ground into an opposition player, but what part of any of this show that he's soft? I'm lost.

100% spot on....He isn't ruthless, he doesn't belt blokes, but he is our most courageous player and toughest competitor easily....

Soft is a word that should never be used in the same sentence as Roo...

....and on the other theme of today, he plays his footy and conducts his life in a very similar way to Trevor Barker (but not as many women!).

[stinger]

Anyone who calls Riewoldt soft has no idea IMO... (Not saying that the OP did)

Riewoldt is one of the most courageou players in the leagues, any player can sniper someone (Solomon on Ling) but it takes true courage to go back with the flight of the ball...

The only bad quality about Nick Riewoldt as a player is that there is only one of him...

that's why i wanted his cousin

[duckduckduckgoose]

ha! Jack has shown nothing on the footy field to suggest he is even in the same hemisphere as Nick with regards to footballing ability.
Very lazy/poor comparison.