Do AFL footballers need any intelligence to play the game.....?

Question

....because what I can see from watching the game - they have to blindly do as their coaches tell them or they are dragged from the ground & blasted!

It appears that no skills or brains are need - just a pack forcing the ball along the ground towards the goals - & then someone hoping to scramble a shot at the goals (or silly enough - points, as well!!).

Answer 1

No. Definitely not.

One only has to look at the Collingwood Footbal Club to see that.

Answer 2

No, They are more of the sports people then the academic kind. But I'm sure that there are some footballers who have a good IQ score and are smart as well as an athletic.

Answer 3

I wonder who is going to get best answer for this one?

Answer 4

they obviously need some form of skill. Not everyone can go and kick a goal from the 50m line whilst its raining and score a goal between the posts, or run along the ground making judgement of where the other teams players are to make play and movement for their team. Yes true they have to listen to their coach, but they still need to have some skills. Some footballers probably arent tallented - sheer luck maybe??

Answer 5

you look good in your avatar photo-one day you'll discover the wheel-like they say if you pay peanuts you get monkey's.

Answer 6

I reckon its pretty poor form picking on people who may not be as switched on as others.. real poor form, not all of can be astrophysicists.

And to answer it.. it depends on your definition of intelligence. If you go with say the theory of general intelligence proposed by Cattell (1971) then a fluid intelligence is not required, but crystallised intelligence is. Or, if you consider intelligence simply to be the ability to apply knowledge, then its required every bit as much as athletic ability. If you consider intelligence an IQ test, then you are sadly mislead.

What is required more then intelligence is an apptitude. An apptitude for the game - the ability to look at the game and know where the ball is going to go. Running where the ball is going, not where it is. Its called reading the play. Just like correct decision making requires a great apptitude.

But alas.. its far easier to write off footballers and footy fans as thick and unintelligent. Oh the irony of it all.

Answer 7

AFL is certainly a different game to other football codes/ There are very few set moves -possibly only from the kick in after a behind. However, I think that's what makes the game great - the unpredictability of it all.

Rugby League has just become 5 take ups followed by a kick, or if your near the goal line, a bomb. Three point penalties and being allowed to kick in out on the full inside your own 25m in rugby union have wrecked that game.

I would like to say that AFL players have more intelligence but Cousins, Chick and others have proved you do not have to be intelligent to be a good player. On the other side I sat next to Norm Provan at a conference dinner a few years ago and he has become a very successful business man since being a successfulplayer and coach.

However, years ago in Sydney I went to uni with one of the Western Suburbs first grade players coached by Roy Masters. In his pre match addresses he would pump the players up by comparing the game as a class war and call Manly the silvertails. What amazed my friend was that the players believed it and would go onto the field like it was the Russian Revolution.

Now the players all earn megabucks so you probably couldn't raise such emotions.

Answer 8

They need to be about the same intelligence level as professional wrestlers!

Answer 9

Dude sorry to say this but whats wrong with you???

I mean in the other questions you are telling people how AFL people on th section abuse questions for not being AFL related and you act like such a little saint and make out everyone else is mean and shiit, and then you come along and ask questions like this??? Do you really expect hat no ones going to be pissed off ??

Dude you shouldnt be worried about footy players brains, you should be thinking of your own ay.

Answer 10

Course they need skill. Seriously they dont do exactly what their coaches say. They use their brains to decide the right option after the coach has given them the advice. They have to try stick to the plan, but they have to make the final decisions themselves.

Anyway, They need skills to do what the coach says. If they didnt need skills, the coach could go out and do it all even when hes retired.

Answer 11

No. Obviously not. They don't need to be very intelligent to play the game.

Have you listened to some of the players when they have been interviewed by the media - just lucky thay can play footy otherwise most would be on the dole!

Answer 12

Twinpole, this dic&head does it every single day the regulars tend to ignore his questions now.

homer28b, It's not half obvious who's going to get the points, my bet it will be he's other account dogsbody.

Do morons like you need brains to come on and talk S***e, no, I personally believe you are a loner, sitting at home masterbating over what you do, no girlfriend a family that despises you, even your own dog would have got up and left you thats if you had one to begin with, you would definately be a northern state r****d, a neville is what you guy's call them if I'm not mistaken, I'm sure you'll fade away soon when you actually get some questions coming in on the Thugby section, Oh I forgot no ones interested in Thugby any more, no wonder there are more crowds flocking to AFL, they're sick of seeing bloke's sniffing other guy's butts, no wonder Willie Mason is a s*x fiend he's had enough of the brown pot.

Answer 13

yeah for sure i think the best football brains i have seen are the foll: Hird, Voss , P.Kelly , R.Harvey and Carey