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"Good old karma, it can be a real bitch. I don't mind watching Gould's world crash and burn. Galvin will develop into a good player, but at the moment he's like a spanner in the works."
"Poppa you basically discredited Neil Camptons article on Blaize because it came from an ABC source with out even reading it.. A 5 year old would probably absorb any information as part of his growing process. When we become adults? we probably have…"
"Maybe we should ask AI for an opinion on Blaize? Cheers "
"Primary source? Pops . Probably someone else's opinion who you think has some merit? Others seem to share that opinion as well .I think anyone who can make it into a sport at an elite first grade level deserves some respect. They certainly have a…"
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Over the off season, Morts was undoubtedly styudies and scrutinised (especially since the Eels were seen as a real threat this year). Teams have discovered his weaknesses and change their style of play in an attempt to shut him down, which by running constantly at him and forcing him to defend, they have successfully done.
Then the player gets less confident - because what they doing last year just isn't working anymore. Often these players are young too and this can really rattle them - limiting their capacity to try new things and to develop their game.
I think Tim Smith is a bit of a different example because he never really had his head in the right place. Soward and Carney have taken years to develop into the players they are now, and patience needs to be afforded to new halfbacks.
Hopefully this year has been a learning curve for Morts. He is a tough and committed player who will hopefully work over the off season to improve his game - in whatever position we put him in next year.
The reasoning is simple. The opposition sit up and take notice and do heaps of homework on the new 'x-factor' kid that has just come into grade. Nobody knows too much about him so a concerted effort is made to research the player's strengths and weaknesses so as to counter the kid's effectiveness.
On the other hand, players that build up quietly and steadily tend not to garner so much attention from opposition players and coaches and, before your know it, those player (a la Carney) mature into some of the most devastating players in the game and it's too late to stop them.
So it;s a term or phenomenom that seems to have a fairly wide spread.
In Sports like Rugby League, Union AFL, and seeing I have brought in the U S of A - the NFL, i think the 2nd Year Syndrome is a term that was orginally coined in America by journalists. It (to me) is one of those throw away lines that GETS more credibility than it should.
It isolates second year althletes whose performace is LESS than their rookie season - BUT does not include performances that SURPASS or EQUAL the rookie year.
So - it is not, by any means a syndrome for ALL athletes - any one recall the Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Greg Inglis etc etc 2nd Year Sydndrome, no, cause they played well and a 2nd year syndrome TAG did not apply
That said - there are certain players that DO go backwards in performance and in League that is due to some of the following
1. Video Replay - modern coaches study player habits extensivly and GAME PLAN to counter their strengths and to expose a weakness. A first year (rookie) player has the ADVANTAGE here because there is a low supply of video to study.
2. With the modern team schedule - some teams only play each other ONCE or can meet for the first time LATE in the season - again the rookie has the advantage or surprise here due to lack of familiarity the opposing coach and players have encountering the rookie for the first few times
but where things can get tricky for the rookie in the second year is when opposing coaches and defenses are PREPARED for the rookies playing style in the second year........and the players INABILITY to make adjustments to his OWN playing style.....quite often players who cannot make their own adjustments rarely improve or "go backwards" as a result of a prepared defense.
The final factor, I believe, is a mental or a psychological barrier/factor of EXPECTATION..........here is an example for you to consider slip - have you ever played pool and missed an easy shot on the 8 ball - or played golf and missed a 3 foot birdie or par putt
Why did you miss ?? - EXPECTATION is the answer - basically, you place you OWN MIND under additional PRESSURE due to the outcome or expectation of the result...........if the same easy pool shot was early on (and NOT for the WIN) or if you were putting for a three foot bogie - MORE OFTEN than not - due to lower expectations, the ball goes in
Same with footy players, SOME players feel the weight of EXPECTATION and the thought processes are incorrectly accociated with the RESULT as opposed to concentrating on EXECUTION (basically putting the donkey infront of the cart) WILL effect performance.
I would also ADD - the added weight of EXPECTATION can also infect a whole team both in a posative and negative way
I'll use Parrmatta as an example - EXPECTATION played a major role in Parra's 1981-1986 years. Parra had achieved success at a high level and used that success to BUILD and to maintain success, obvoiusly the success could not have been mainted without great players and coaching - but the EXPECTATION to continue to succeed was also fuel that helped continue success
on the flip side - the 2010 Eels. The modern Parramatta eels have a bad habit of making a run at the GF or playing DEEP into the semi's - only to come out the following season and to underperform.........recent history (not just 2010) suggests that the Parramatta Eels have their OWN 2nd Year (Sophmore) Syndrome of their own to overcome - putting successive successful seasons together seems BEYOND the 'teams" psychology at the moment due to the weight of EXPECTATION - for some strange reason
Or perhaps it is what happens to up and coming players when they are thrown into the spotlight long before they have actually developed sufficient skills to remain competetive.
A true top line player has the ability to change their own game to keep the opposition guessing.
"Lucky" players however play the same routines week in, week out and get clobbered when the opposition have had time to study their play.
2nd year syndrome was invented by the media who are NOT allowed to rubbish RL for fear of losing lucrative broadcasting rights.
2ND YEAR SYNDROME IS JUST ANOTHER URBAN MYTH.
It is permission to fail without accepting any responsibility or accountability for yourself and your actions.
Bourbon Man you are correct with your assessment of Todd Carney and Jamie "The Coward"Soward, they have never really excelled in their years as footballer's but have rather maintained a certain consistancy with their form, making them very reliable