Former St Kilda and Essendon defender Brendon Goddard cannot believe that some young players in the AFL aren’t willing to fight for senior selection, saying it’s “kind of pathetic” they all too often give up and hand in a trade request.
His comments come on the eve of the trade period, where several players are expected to seek a trade after being starved of senior game time.
Goddard said he finds it “staggering” how attitudes have changed since his playing days, where after being drafted it would be expected players would spend time in the second-tier competition before earning senior selection on a consistent basis.
“I find it staggering how that landscape has changed so much,” Goddard said on AFL Trade Radio’s Trade Mornings.
“Particularly with Generation Z and the expectation of just wanting to play football and if they’re not playing footy straight up and struggling to get in the team, they put their hand up to go home and go to the different team.
“The days are gone where these young kids come in and expect to be fighting for a position in the senior side in their first three or four years.
“Especially high draft picks, playing 70 or 80 VFL games is just not acceptable these days – the attitude around it has changed.
“It’s hard for me to get my head around it and it’s kind of pathetic in a way.”