Heavy training load, short preseason

[Mr Miyagi]

I’m now concerned about the wisdom of this. Particularly given our tough draw for March, but I think we increased training loads before the draw was announced though. I’m hoping it pays off with sustained fitness for the long season, especially after June. I guess we’ll see. But clearly the players looked like they’d already run a race before the first bounce of the first quarter past two weeks.

[piffdog]

This seems like a great justification, but personally, I dont think thats the case. Let me offer up some other factors I think are in play:

1. Played 2 very good opponents
2. Game plan when not executed to the letter exposes you big time (think back to the Adelaide games, Port game and several quarters of the finals series last year). We won playing brilliant footy for quarters here and there. In between those great quarters we had issues
3. Players dont have to be far off for point #2 to manifest
4. Oldest list in the comp
5. Every other team in the comp has been studying us. Some of them (many?) have better lists. Our game plan and their list will make it very hard. I would argue both Sydney and GWS are in this camp. Sydney essentially beat us playing our style Friday night.

[Mr Miyagi]

Yep totally agree with you. I think the load is a factor, but not the factor. In retrospect, I don’t think we should have gone so hard but we didn’t know the draw so 🤷‍♂️. I guess we’ll see how we run out the season.

[What'sinaname]

The only encouraging part is Brisbane are 0 - 2, but their losses have really been - start hot and then fade to nothing.

We've been pretty poor from the opening bounce. Noted, the GWS game could have been closer if we kicked straight

[LaurieHolden]

^the only 'load factor' to me that is evident is above the shoulders.
Our Captain looks a shell of his former self.
To date we've been beaten by better sides that have very good coaches.
Of the two, based on last season and reflecting on the games to date, GWS has the more talented list and Swans were better coached. Both sides had real desire. We seem to be missing that spark. It's why I've been an advocate of Noble, he'll give his all, nothing surer. It was no coincidence he gave us extra bite when we were getting well beaten by GWS, his efforts saved us from a complete blow-out.

The past two seasons we won so many close games, and the reality is those teams that were knocking on the door, GWS, Swans, Adelaide have all improved their 4 quarter efforts.
Look at Brisbane, they can play like millionaires, but haven't played out 4 quarters.

Another short prep into the Saints match whom I'd expect they'll be keen to show they have improved on their 2023 output.
We mightn't get back to form come Thursday, but winning ugly might be the order of the day, and that might not see our true gameplay unfold. Simply beating your opponent would be a good start.

Exactly how long it'll take to get back to Flyball is undetermined, but to me its the ideal time to get the likes of Macrae, McInnes, Ryan, Allan, Harrison Dean, DeMattia a taste of senior football over the coming weeks, and with that sporadically rest up our veterans in Pendles, Sidey, Mitchell, Howe when selections allow.
Just don't crucify those new players - like several have done e.g Dean, who has been forced into a position for his first 2 games and against quality opposiiton that are expected to finish top 4.

[piffdog]

I’m a little hesitant to get the kids in there. If we can’t open the ledger here soon we’ll be 0-5 and the season will be done before it starts. Must persist with MacRae and I think McInnes should get a go, but it’s got to be the experienced guys who lead the charge here.

Agree with you on Dean being thrown to the wolves. He just needs time and it would help if the team were travelling a bit better to remove the spotlight. It’s all about balance isn’t it. Are we trying to win another flag this year or in two-three years time? Of course we all want both, but reality is that’s not gonna happen with a very even competition.

[LaurieHolden]

^certainly not all at once, but break them into the side in the first half of the year.
I just think too many Premiership players have post season baggage that needs to be dropped.
I do expect however we'll see Fly gather this group and straighten us up over the next few weeks, and that might involve a few of those names getting a start.

Do we need Fly to go into this mode ahead of R2?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4fBcbtNf7U/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Although we'll need the VFL season to get underway first.

[Pies2016]

Yes, it’s a shorter pre season but that hadn’t stopped GWS getting off to a good start. I’ve said this before, heavy training loads AS A COLLECTIVE, is an urban myth. We live in the days of data driven individual training programs and GPS tracking that records nearly every aspect of a players output. All players are assigned KPI physical performance markers and individual programs at their exit meetings. In the event of any players falling short of their markers at any time, they will then be required to lift their training loads in order to bring them back up to those pre planned training levels. So there are occasions when some players will be flogged harder than others but that’s only because they aren’t at the level they had been assigned. If you’re up with the program as required, there should be no need for anyone to be asked to do more again, particularly since that only raises the risk of fatiguing earlier on the day.
We’re about to prepare for another six day break, so the stamina and endurance work for the main squad would be at a minimum during this fortnight. It will be all skills and rehab over this period ( unless once again , an individuals preparation is already short on where they should be )
These days, GPS and sports science doesn’t allow anyone to hide or take short cuts during their preseason. If you’re not up to speed, then there’s always someone else on the list who is.

[RudeBoy]

I think structurally we've picked an unbalanced team for 2 weeks in a row.

We are lacking a genuine big man at both ends of the ground. Neither Johnson nor Dean are big (or good) enough for their roles. I'd replace them both with Frampton and Kreuger. At least they are both competitive beasts. That's what we need.

[Geek]

I don't think we've prepped properly for our start.

Looking at GWS, they could basically treat rounds 0 - 2 as they would have a pre-season cup they wanted to win back in the day. Then have a 14 day breather before attacking the season proper. It helps that 2, maybe 3 of their opponents are running at pre-season levels of skill and intensity.

Sydney will be interesting to watch, not only up to the bye but thereafter. They've clearly come out firing and have needed to, facing finalists in their first 2 games, followed up by an easier run into their bye

Brisbane really should have beaten Carlton at home and that they have failed to beat Freo with all their pre-existing and then in game injuries shows them starting as bad, if not worse, than us. Maybe they have focus issues too. Their 1st 15 minutes last nigt was dynamite, then they barely fired a shot for the next hour and a bit.

As for us, we have a shocking opening schedule with us playing 6 of last year's finalists in the first 8 weeks along with Hawthorn who for some reason we struggle against.

Now ok, they decided to give us our 4 hardest games going into the finals series - no Geelong treatment here - and so I can see why we might have put more effort into us being extra fit and firing by then with us effectively playing 7 or 8 finals in 2 months but geez if we don't find some run and focus soon, we'll be pushing it uphill just to qualify for September.

[dalyc]

It doesn’t help that the VFL doesn’t start till this weekend. Any replacements are going to have to come from players with no games under the belt.

[Mr Miyagi]

[Piesnchess]

[Jezza]

Quite a coincidence that the reigning Grand Finalists both start the season 0-2 for the first time in VFL/AFL history just as we have the earliest start to a season in VFL/AFL history.