NATURE VERSUS NUTURE...WHAT MAKES A DEFENDER TICK?
Are defenders born or are they made?
What type of person makes a good defender in football?
Is it a personality trait, an occupational offshoot or a values driven outcome?
On the nature side, a study of Hills’ Superules defenders personality styles revealed generally introverted characters with perfectionist traits.
This reaffirms the study commissioned by David Parkin when he coached Hawthorn that defenders are a special breed. No Jason Akermanis’ amongst this lot. The only handstand on Sunday was delivered by Randall Weekes, a non defender, which distracted Dick Kleemann’s focus when he was lining up for what should have been his third goal.
The Hills’ defenders are typically driven by the fear of making a mistake which can result directly in an opposition goal. Hence the low risk, careful approach to their football. They also prefer their own tight knit little group of fellow defenders to the broader gaggle of players from other parts of the field.
Defenders distrust forwards.
They shun limelight but will accept genuine praise when delivered sincerely. Defenders observe with distain how forwards will wallow in any types of gratuitous praise regardless of whether it is deserved or not. Some interpret this as jealousy based on forwards being about to lairise knowing that an early leap, an act of selfishness or just a careless kick can be forgiven without critical outcomes.
An assessment of vocations did group them into jobs that require specific, prescribed roles prioritising accuracy and order.
Rob McGregor’s vital calling as a “Beer Plumber” demands total accuracy and “keeping the bubbles in line”, while former “Correctional Services Officers” Scott Molloy and Dale Wiley were responsible for keeping the inmates “towing the line”.
Accountants Ron Berry and Andrew Frohling love to keep the “numbers in line” and used car salesman Chris Geraghty has to keep his “vehicles in line”.
The key question relating to the vocation study is how much their personalities drove them to their respective callings and how much their jobs influenced what they became.
Defenders are a special breed, marked by a clearly defined philosophy. They believe their roles are comprehensively prescribed with little room for negotiation or variation. Defenders will sledge onballers mercilessly for not getting back to help them but are generally loathed to leave their natural habitat. Rob “Max” McGregor, when offered a position in a winning forward line, politely thanked the coach and then returned to the last line of defence.
There is always an exception to the rule.
Dave “Runt” Wuttke, who is frighteningly gregarious, unstructured in his employment and in his younger days was naturally drawn to the dashing nature of the midfield, explained his role with more clarity. “I just go to the three loose opponents and hope for a miskick”.
The defenders certainly did their jobs on Sunday, restricting the Mid North forwards to just two goals but then sat back and again watched the goal kicking heroes at the other end of the ground bask in glory.
The defenders’ state of mind was not helped when they tried to explain to their more celebrated colleagues about their roles. Talk of spoils, smothers, close checking, desperate lunges and disciplined plays left their fellow Supertigers glazing over and disinterested. Some players really struggled with the concept of what actually happens down back, let alone why anyone would want to play there.
The non-believers treat defence like their motor car. They know they need it but if it doesn’t function have no real idea of what made it work in the first place and certainly couldn’t fix it themselves.
Once again this week, the glory went to the others.
Onballer David Threadgold was superb in close as was fellow “Chrome Dome” Wayne Seymour. Kleemann and Weekes combined grit and class and Rick Bennett had more “pictures on his arms” than anyone else in the team. Newcomer Matthew Mayes, who looks like a youthful Kane Cornes “ran himself ragged”, filling in for the opposition, and Dave McGill and Kim Pearce found more than their share of the ball.
It was another great win that left the boys from Clare in awe of this Superules juggernaut.
The Hills’ boys play their last home match for the year at Lobethal in two weeks time and expect the normal “bumper crowd” and regular level of interest as they strive for their 30th consecutive victory.
HILLS 21 – 7 MID NORTH 2 – 7
Best: Threadgold, Seymour, Kleemann, Mayes, Weekes, Bennett, Wall
Goals: Wall 5, Magee 4, Kleemann , Threadgold , Bojanic, McGill 2, Thomson, Bennett, Hill, Pearce 1
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