Heavy training loads to prepare for finals

[Gavin Excell]

I remember the Crows talking up their sports science fitness program under Neil Craig 20 or so years ago where heavy training and tapering off for finals was considered elite end sports management. More recently Pies losses last 2 weeks have been put down (in part) to the heavy training loads.

Is this still a thing, and does it explain why some teams at top are going through a rough patch?

 

[GROTTO]

I remember the Crows talking up their sports science fitness program under Neil Craig 20 or so years ago where heavy training and tapering off for finals was considered elite end sports management. More recently Pies losses last 2 weeks have been put down (in part) to the heavy training loads.

Is this still a thing, and does it explain why some teams at top are going through a rough patch?

Craig McRae was playing footy 20 years ago and would have likely had heavy training loads under "Lethal" in preparation for finals.

 

[deck]

Teams definitely do it, but when is anybody's guess. Is it a valid reason if your opponent is doing the same thing.

Geelong did what they called a mini pre season starting at the bye round last year due to previous methods not working for them. How long that went for I don't know but it seemingly worked for them.

It's a similar issue when you have a week off during finals. Fresh legs are great but too fresh and you can get caught flat footed compared to your match hardened opponent.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I remember the Crows talking up their sports science fitness program under Neil Craig 20 or so years ago where heavy training and tapering off for finals was considered elite end sports management. More recently Pies losses last 2 weeks have been put down (in part) to the heavy training loads.

Is this still a thing, and does it explain why some teams at top are going through a rough patch?

Ironically Neil Craig's crows were among the best examples of teams peaking at the wrong time.

In 2005 they went 13-1 in the last 14 rounds before losing to the Saints at home in the QF.

In 2006 they were 14-2 with a percentage of over 172 and looked the best team by a mile. From there they went 2-4 to the the H&A season and lost the home prelim to West Coast.

 

[JP2]

It happens, but it's difficult to say when it happens or what kind of effect it has on teams. Apparently we increased training loads after the bye in 2021 which corresponded with a slump in form, but it obviously worked out well in the end. Fans on another forum were suggesting that our form slump in the second half of 2022 might also have correlated with higher training loads, but if that's the case then it obviously didn't work out so well. Whatever we were doing, it's apparent that we were cooked by the end of the year, with a lot of players showing obvious signs of fatigue and (according to Gawn) about a third of the team being forced to play through finals under an injury cloud (including Petracca playing with a broken knee).

Loading could certainly be an explanation for Collingwood's form slump, because their gap at the top of the ladder gives them the luxury of training harder now in preparation for finals even at the cost of losing games, but I would have thought that being in the middle of loading 3 rounds before the end of the season is leaving it a bit late, because this is really the wrong time to be flirting with form.

 

[Coach_Required]

I remember the Crows talking up their sports science fitness program under Neil Craig 20 or so years ago where heavy training and tapering off for finals was considered elite end sports management. More recently Pies losses last 2 weeks have been put down (in part) to the heavy training loads.

Is this still a thing, and does it explain why some teams at top are going through a rough patch?

It's just an excuse teams supporters use to explain a couple of losses they werent expecting.

This time of year no team near the top wants to be dropping matches.

 

[peetoo]

I remember the Crows talking up their sports science fitness program under Neil Craig 20 or so years ago where heavy training and tapering off for finals was considered elite end sports management. More recently Pies losses last 2 weeks have been put down (in part) to the heavy training loads.

Is this still a thing, and does it explain why some teams at top are going through a rough patch?

3 losses coming up

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Ironically Neil Craig's crows were among the best examples of teams peaking at the wrong time.

In 2005 they went 13-1 in the last 14 rounds before losing to the Saints at home in the QF.

In 2006 they were 14-2 with a percentage of over 172 and looked the best team by a mile. From there they went 2-4 to the the H&A season and lost the home prelim to West Coast.

Its more they kept avoiding Us and ending up on the side of the Eagles.

Just another weird football quirk

 

[Nebula1971]

3 losses coming up

This aged well. They beat the umps too!!! Doubly delicious


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[Danw0w]

Looks like Geelong is doing the same thing

 

[lenny&carl]

It's just an excuse teams supporters use to explain a couple of losses they werent expecting.

This time of year no team near the top wants to be dropping matches.

Unless they're 1st, and 4th is just as good.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Something Geelong need not worry about anymore

 

[peetoo]

Something Geelong need not worry about anymore

If they get in the finals, the percentage hawthorn gifted them will be the difference…is that right damo?

 

[peetoo]

What’s the biggest furphy, training loads or a team needs to really bottom out to rebuild

Both seen to be presented as ‘conventional wisdom’ but in truth were fads which weren’t a thing outside the decade they were fashionable in

 

[HairyO]

I always assumed it was a cheap excuse for teams losing just before finals.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Pies were impacted by training loads in the 1st qtr last night, but then got over it before being impacted by loading at start of last qtr, until finally overcoming it in the last period of the match

 

[moogerfooger]

Ironically Neil Craig's crows were among the best examples of teams peaking at the wrong time.

In 2005 they went 13-1 in the last 14 rounds before losing to the Saints at home in the QF.

In 2006 they were 14-2 with a percentage of over 172 and looked the best team by a mile. From there they went 2-4 to the the H&A season and lost the home prelim to West Coast.

Yes, when he was senior coach. Prior to that he ran the fitness program in the 97/98 premierships under Blight, which is where he gained the reputation.

 

[peetoo]

Pies were impacted by training loads in the 1st qtr last night, but then got over it before being impacted by loading at start of last qtr, until finally overcoming it in the last period of the match

And last week or pre season? Apparently they didn’t crush hawks because they ran for an hour (15k) that week?

It’s total furphy

 

[Borussia Teeth]

Maybe they should try edging instead.

 

[Taper]

Looks like Geelong is doing the same thing

We were in a heavy training load last year when we played West Coast and Richmond. Chris Scott mentioned it at the time.
We were so good last year, we still won those games despite our players having heavy legs.

 

[Danw0w]

We were in a heavy training load last year when we played West Coast and Richmond. Chris Scott mentioned it at the time.
We were so good last year, we still won those games despite our players having heavy legs.

Yeah I remember that. The momentum from the close wins against West Coast and the tiges under pressure may just be the reason you guys won the flag.

 

[Coolangatta]

Not 100% sure if the Pies did it recently but it’s undeniable they were in a position to do it if they wanted to. They looked flat. Also think the intensity of that Port game took its toll.

I’d say they did put in the hard yards, probably why Moore did a hammy and DeGoey and Noble had scares. I guess we’ll find out if Collingwood do carve everyone up in finals.

 

[peetoo]

Not 100% sure if the Pies did it recently but it’s undeniable they were in a position to do it if they wanted to. They looked flat. Also think the intensity of that Port game took its toll.

I’d say they did put in the hard yards, probably why Moore did a hammy and DeGoey and Noble had scares. I guess we’ll find out if Collingwood do carve everyone up in finals.

Looking at the head to head, the pies have not taken the hawks seriously for over a decade now. The win did not surprise both teams fans much, just the way the current hawks put in a solid 4 quarters

 

[Gavin Excell]

Is tapering practised in elite sporting competitions?
Does it explain Sydney and Carltons last few weeks?

 

[Orange crush]

Is tapering practised in elite sporting competitions?
Does it explain Sydney and Carltons last few weeks?

Would they be loading now or de-loading? You’d want to be throw any de-load periid coming into finals, wouldn’t you?