Discussion Nick Walsh, Head of High Performance and Conditioning quits

[George]

Lyon literally said in his first press conference the one thing he knows we can do is run. That ability has always been there, it hasn’t magically appeared overnight. It is the entirely new football program installed by Lyon and overseen by Misson that has brought the improvement across the board, including fitness, not the same fitness coach who has been there for years.

I strongly disagree

 

[Moquo]

Yeah lol, whoever leaves was always s**t anyway and whoever we bring on board is the best appointment of all time. Makes me laugh sometimes.

I'm not so much worried about the resignation as I am of Misson potentially micromanaging his staff or creating internal shithousery. The fact that Walsh seems to be doing a good job just makes it worse.

Comments by Melbourne supporters about Misson and his time at the Dees is interesting too.

Regardless, IMO whoever has the potential to create fractures within the club needs to go immediately. We seem to finally have our ducks in a row and ruining that chemistry is probably the worst thing that can happen to us at this point. And that may have been Walsh for all we know, I just doubt it.

Did they say he was always shit anyway?

 

[George]

Did they say he was always s**t anyway?

Lol they said there was an injury crisis as soon as he walked in the door. Similarities between us now and them when he was there are pretty apparent.

 

[Saint Shags]

Lyon literally said in his first press conference the one thing he knows we can do is run. That ability has always been there, it hasn’t magically appeared overnight. It is the entirely new football program installed by Lyon and overseen by Misson that has brought the improvement across the board, including fitness, not the same fitness coach who has been there for years.

So does that mean that if Ross and Mission have been running the program and fitness that they are responsible for our injury issues.

Not being a smartarse but if Walsh hasn't been 'in charge' then those who were should get the heat for the problems some of our blokes have?

 

[saintmike65]

I don't quite understand this. So the caller is saying Nick left to go and study? Or that Nick was not qualified to do what Misson and co were asking? How can you be in the job and not be qualified lol

Nick had a good reputation from his days at GWS..we regular training watchers have our concerns & will be doing some digging at training tomorrow morning!!

 

[George]

So does that mean that if Ross and Mission have been running the program and fitness that they are responsible for our injury issues.

Not being a smartarse but if Walsh hasn't been 'in charge' then those who were should get the heat for the problems some of our blokes have?

Exactly lol

 

[bergholt]

So does that mean that if Ross and Mission have been running the program and fitness that they are responsible for our injury issues.

Not being a smartarse but if Walsh hasn't been 'in charge' then those who were should get the heat for the problems some of our blokes have?

Don't you know how management works? Take credit for the good things, blame your staff for the bad things.

 

[BucketsandBanger]

I strongly disagree

Don’t get me wrong the timing for him to move on is far from ideal but if you think that Nick Walsh and not Lyon is the driver behind our overall improvement this year and if they’re not seeing eye to eye for the club to back in Lyon then there is not much more to say.

It’s not that surprising to me that the likes of Nick Walsh and Rath have moved on due to the complete restructure around them, happens in organisations all the time.

 

[BucketsandBanger]

So does that mean that if Ross and Mission have been running the program and fitness that they are responsible for our injury issues.

Not being a smartarse but if Walsh hasn't been 'in charge' then those who were should get the heat for the problems some of our blokes have?

Fair point but thats not what I’m arguing. Not saying that Walsh deserves all the blame for the injuries and deserves to lose his job. You are right, Lyon and Misson as the drivers deserve any praise and criticism in regards to the general state of everything in the football program.

The timing is not ideal but in the grand scheme of things he is not much of a loss and won’t affect the performance of the team I wouldn’t have thought.

 

[George]

Don’t get me wrong the timing for him to move on is far from ideal but if you think that Nick Walsh and not Lyon is the driver behind our overall improvement this year and if they’re not seeing eye to eye for the club to back in Lyon then there is not much more to say.

It’s not that surprising to me that the likes of Nick Walsh and Rath have moved on due to the complete restructure around them, happens in organisations all the time.

You can't say that Lyon is the reason for the improvement and then in the same breath blame Walsh for the injuries.

Like I said earlier, you can't sustain Lyon's gameplan unless you are super fit. The reason we are super fit is because of the program Nick implemented. That cannot be denied. Lyon wouldn't be able to implement a hard running gameplan if the players weren't fit enough, that much is obvious.

 

[Sully111]

One of my people on the ground just told me Walsh was seen with a bag of Lyon's CC's

Will keep you posted as more info comes flooding in..... from my sources.... the ones on the ground.

 

[George]

One of my people on the ground just told me Walsh was seen with a bag of Lyon's CC's

Will keep you posted as more info comes flooding in..... from my sources.... the ones on the ground.

 

[Sully111]

pfffft... he's a lightweight compared to my sources

 

[Joffaboy]

Ross
Coffield
Jones
Billing
DMAC
King
who else?
Walsh was responsible for the fitness side and we are getting a big run of soft tissue injuries. Was challenged, cracked it and left.

So it is in any organisation.

Was responsible for the high level of fitness, however the fitness base was already there. This is the reason the intensity of training was ramped up before Christmas as Lyon was impressed with the groups level of fitness.

Seems there was a clash of philosophy, but without intimate details about who spoke to him, the context of what was said/not said, the relationship between many parties and the environment none of us know.
Shouldn't cast aspersions towards Walsh, Lyon, Misson, the temp receptionist, Aunty Katrina or anybody else at the club without having all the actual facts of the situation.

 

[longlivelenny]

Stinks of Lyon/Misson influence. Don't like it personally.

I thought that too.

Love Ross but he has been a coach who has burnt people out in the past.

But if this happened at the end of the season, no one would be concerned.

On Pixel 6 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[George]

I thought that too.

Love Ross but he has been a coach who has burnt people out in the past.

But if this happened at the end of the season, no one would be concerned.

On Pixel 6 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

Perhaps, but the immediate resignation leads me to believe something went on behind closed doors.

The same people who are now saying we've had a lot of soft tissue injuries were the same ones a month or two ago that were telling us it's overblown and the injuries are bad luck and contact injuries. We were all raving about the boys coming back and hitting PB's in time trials and all looking much leaner/fitter. Walsh is responsible for that.

 

[BucketsandBanger]

You can't say that Lyon is the reason for the improvement and then in the same breath blame Walsh for the injuries.

Like I said earlier, you can't sustain Lyon's gameplan unless you are super fit. The reason we are super fit is because of the program Nick implemented. That cannot be denied. Lyon wouldn't be able to implement a hard running gameplan if the players weren't fit enough, that much is obvious.

That’s not what I’m saying, see my response to Saint Shags if you can be bothered.

Everything you say is correct but If we are fitter this year then we have been previously it isn’t because Nick Walsh is a genius that implemented a flawless program. It’s because Lyon drove it from the top, hence I don’t see Walsh as much of a loss. Going around in circles though so just agree to disagree I think.

 

[Joffaboy]

I missed the bit before the guy called in (assume Tim & Gary were all doom & glooming it) but he was basically saying Walsh was a nice fellow but shouldn't have been in that position due to is lack of quals (most fitness heads at AFL clubs have not only sports science degrees but also post grad studies too).

Why he was brought in is probably a question to ask Satan.

Maybe the sudden resignation wasn't sudden to those in the inner sanctum.

This is the question. Walsh was a Lethlean appointment yeah?

 

[Joffaboy]

Lyon literally said in his first press conference the one thing he knows we can do is run. That ability has always been there, it hasn’t magically appeared overnight. It is the entirely new football program installed by Lyon and overseen by Misson that has brought the improvement across the board, including fitness, not the same fitness coach who has been there for years.

Disagree. Lyon was impressed by the fitness of the group, Walsh had been there since 2021 so if he is going to be made to take responsibility for current injuries, he has to be given credit for the level of fitness that allowed Lyon to ramp up training intensity a full two months prior to planning.

 

[stavro#4]

Perhaps, but the immediate resignation leads me to believe something went on behind closed doors.

The same people who are now saying we've had a lot of soft tissue injuries were the same ones a month or two ago that were telling us it's overblown and the injuries are bad luck and contact injuries. We were all raving about the boys coming back and hitting PB's in time trials and all looking much leaner/fitter. Walsh is responsible for that.

I never said anything about players injuries being bad luck.

And there is more to Walsh’s role than fitness.

Part of his role is to ensure our players are match ready and injury prevention.

 

[Mat Mann]

pfffft... he's a lightweight compared to my sources

 

[Jayman15]

Rooey and Joey briefly touched on Walsh leaving on the Footy Talk podcast. Rooey basically said some people don’t necessarily like the step up from a comfortable to challenging environment. Would seem a fair assessment from the outside

 

[Longmembrey]

Yeah lol, whoever leaves was always s**t anyway and whoever we bring on board is the best appointment of all time. Makes me laugh sometimes.

I'm not so much worried about the resignation as I am of Misson potentially micromanaging his staff or creating internal shithousery. The fact that Walsh seems to be doing a good job just makes it worse.

Comments by Melbourne supporters about Misson and his time at the Dees is interesting too.

Regardless, IMO whoever has the potential to create fractures within the club needs to go immediately. We seem to finally have our ducks in a row and ruining that chemistry is probably the worst thing that can happen to us at this point. And that may have been Walsh for all we know, I just doubt it.

Dude, we have won 1 final in over a decade. Sounds like micromanaging is exactly what we need...

 

[George]

I never said anything about players injuries being bad luck.

And there is more to Walsh’s role than fitness.

Part of his role is to ensure our players are match ready and injury prevention.

Wasn't you I was talking about. Walsh has been around during seasons where this wasn't a problem, so what's the difference now? The outlier is Misson.

 

[BucketsandBanger]

Disagree. Lyon was impressed by the fitness of the group, Walsh had been there since 2021 so if he is going to be made to take responsibility for current injuries, he has to be given credit for the level of fitness that allowed Lyon to ramp up training intensity a full two months prior to planning.

IMO he was mainly referring to their natural ability to run, not so much the fitness program at the club. He was talking about the players, not the program. For the 10th time I’m not saying Walsh is solely to blame for the injuries.