Yeo_Check_Out_ma_Flow
No Colonel Sanders, YOU'RE wrong
- Jul 18, 2021
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Injury SJOGHCIU 2022
- Thread starter Biggie
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Have zero patience left with Nicnat.
Because of his talent , the club has accepted this ridiculous situation where one of our highest paid players has spent his entire career visibly overweight and incapable of playing 4 quarters. It is genuinely pretty incredible that we've accepted a decade of 'he's on the comeback trail/battling a bit of soreness/probably a few weeks off his best' etc etc etc without the club ever directly addressing the obvious cause of all those injuries, which is simply down to his knees and legs carrying too much weight.
He is not remotely worth what he is paid because he does not get out on the park enough either in terms of games played or time on ground during games. The fact that he is constantly injured hurts the team and the fact that he has spent his entire career incapable of doing his job without a specialised backup ruck to spell him off the bench hurts the team. It is easy to measure the tap work highlights and centre square dominance he creates when he's out there, but it is much harder to quantify the impact of starting every game with one less defensive runner, an incrementally weaker zone and one less person capable of being an option on the spread compared to the opposition.
It is a bit late now, but it would be nice if just once before the end of his career he showed some self discipline and rocked up to a preseason looking like an AFL player, did the level of running and fitness work required of an average AFL player.
Because of his talent , the club has accepted this ridiculous situation where one of our highest paid players has spent his entire career visibly overweight and incapable of playing 4 quarters. It is genuinely pretty incredible that we've accepted a decade of 'he's on the comeback trail/battling a bit of soreness/probably a few weeks off his best' etc etc etc without the club ever directly addressing the obvious cause of all those injuries, which is simply down to his knees and legs carrying too much weight.
He is not remotely worth what he is paid because he does not get out on the park enough either in terms of games played or time on ground during games. The fact that he is constantly injured hurts the team and the fact that he has spent his entire career incapable of doing his job without a specialised backup ruck to spell him off the bench hurts the team. It is easy to measure the tap work highlights and centre square dominance he creates when he's out there, but it is much harder to quantify the impact of starting every game with one less defensive runner, an incrementally weaker zone and one less person capable of being an option on the spread compared to the opposition.
It is a bit late now, but it would be nice if just once before the end of his career he showed some self discipline and rocked up to a preseason looking like an AFL player, did the level of running and fitness work required of an average AFL player.
Carbine Chaos
See My Chess
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Nah.
He’s a 200cm+ 100kg+ player who came back from two knees reconstructions to achieve back to back AAs.
He’s done remarkably well to even make it back, let alone be the player he is when fit.
He’s a 200cm+ 100kg+ player who came back from two knees reconstructions to achieve back to back AAs.
He’s done remarkably well to even make it back, let alone be the player he is when fit.
What the hell are you on about he’s won back to back John worsfold medals and all australian, he’s basically the reason the last 2 years we haven’t been sitting on the bottom of the ladder like we have this year I’m sure he’s worth the 500k he’s on each year.
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- Sep 21, 2004
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100% when NN retires we'll all be saying "Geez I wish we still had the big fella out there"
We'll probably build a gun midfield and have poopy ruckmen and again the balance will be all out
On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app
We'll probably build a gun midfield and have poopy ruckmen and again the balance will be all out
On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app
- Nov 18, 2017
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First one was likened to a car crash with some doubts he'd ever be back as well.
Slinging shit on NN ain’t it.
The best player on our list by a mile and has been the only one on numerous occasions who actually gives a shit
The best player on our list by a mile and has been the only one on numerous occasions who actually gives a shit
Nicnat is the heart and soul player of our club. His knee injuries have robbed him of his athleticism so the club has built him further into a contested beast. It's why he now struggles against the likes of witts who have a height advantage over him or some younger rucks who are much more athletic than he is now. But his work rate in the contest is second to none. You can't have a guy his size and weight who athletically has a high amount of twitch muscle buildup and turn them into an aerobic beast. It doesn't work. He could spend as many hours on a bike or running program as you like and he would never have the endurance of a grundy/ gawn or witts type. It's purely down to genetics and muscle structure.
It's why if you look at the olympics white people dominate swimming, people from central african descent dominate sprinting and sub saharan african's dominate endurance running. There are major different physiological differences. Nicnat as he slowed down and lost his agility was always going to end up the player he is now. It has just been made hugely worse in regards to his athleticism because of his knees.
It's why if you look at the olympics white people dominate swimming, people from central african descent dominate sprinting and sub saharan african's dominate endurance running. There are major different physiological differences. Nicnat as he slowed down and lost his agility was always going to end up the player he is now. It has just been made hugely worse in regards to his athleticism because of his knees.
Ochre
:o
I just love that people genuinely think NN has for years now turned up about 20kgs heavier than asked and the clubs gone, oh well, better keep playing him, nothing we can do.
Shut him down for the season.
Miguel Sanchez
(Unique injury) TBC
When your weight gets up around the 120kg mark it really does play havoc with your knees.
Don’t ask me how I know this.
Don’t ask me how I know this.
RookiePick
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I'm presuming you are a close follower of Zion Williamson's career.
The wily weagle
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Nic has been playing a little over half a game every week for the past few years. He also coming off 2 knee reconstructions, apparently had a full pre season this year, and yet is looking heavier then he ever has.
The knee is a weight bearing joint, and he is coming off 2 knee constructions and is in a profession where he has to leap for a living. I would also confidently wager that whatever spin the club is trotting out, Nics skinfolds are at record highs as of right now. Is it any wonder therefore there were comments on the weekend gone that the man was barely able to jump?
The goal then, of any competent medical and/or strength and conditioning team therefore, is to get him as light as possible, and as fit as possible. Particularly at this, the twilight, of his career.
That he hasn't indicates to me that
1) Our strength and conditioning team are utterly incompetent. No elite team of medical and health professionals in the land are going to think that recovering from dual knee operations whilst being heavier then he ever has is a good, sound idea. Which brings us to the next point:
2) The club is pissing in Nic's pocket being a favorite son and are not telling him the truth nor coming down hard on him for being poorly conditioned and too heavy
3) Nic is not putting in the required work, sacrifice and discipline to get himself in the shape he needs to be at this point in his career
4) Any/all of the above
Nic has had a remarkable career. Even more remarkable really that he was able to get back to All Australian form whilst spending half a game on the bench. That is itself is something of a miracle really. But if we put our fanboy glasses away for a minute, and we are being really honest, i think we all know, deep down, there is another level that Nic can get to. The one that wills himself to contest after contest, covers more ground, stays on the ground longer, and has a greater influence on the contest. Not the man that does a tap, trots around for 4 minutes and then requires a 5 minute rest.
He may never be an ultra endurance beast like a Todd Goldstein, but i will be damned if he cant have the endurance of a Shane Mumford. Mumford, when he got to the AFL system, was a fat, lazy bastard. But via perseverance, adherence to diet, a lot of hard work, and some occasional cocaine use, he was basically able to ruck for almost a full game.
If that guy can do it, Nic can do it (if he really wanted to)
Another excellent comparison for a guy that required 2 knee reconstructions is Max Gawn, who clearly got some sound medical advice. Rather then showing up looking like he had Uber Eats on speed dial, he got himself lighter then ever, fitter then ever, covered more ground then ever and has never looked back. He has been a fixture at the top of the ruck heap ever since.
But, but, but........Nic has the islander genetics, which means that getting lighter and fitter is harder for him!!
No doubt, genetically, it may be hard for him as he gets older. But that is no excuse, particularly at our club which is meant to have a lot of resources. Whatever Nic is eating atm, he needs to crack down and clean up his diet. Metabolically, as we age, we get a slowing. This might count double for Nic given his Islander heritage. So its paramount therefore, that his diet takes utmost importance. Someone needs to sit Nic down and tell him this "Nic, we are going to put you on a very strictly monitored diet. Its going to suck, its not going to be fun, but it might just extend your career"
Much in the same way a boxer or a fighter diets to makes weight, Nic needs to adopt that mentality. Because realistically, he needs to lose anywhere from 5-10kgs. Preferably, the later.
The guy has had a great career, and as fans and spectators we look at what the man can do. But part of the problem is that the club hasn't really ever addressed his deficiencies; which is aerobic fitness, weight, kilometers covered and time on the ground. And they all add up to the same things
-Get lighter
-Get fitter
-And stop making excuses
And if the aforementioned doesn't happen this pre season, it will never happen.
Over to you, Nic
We've seen the BF podcast. We know.
Miguel Sanchez
(Unique injury) TBC
The wily weagle
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I dont shy away from that line, they are incompetent
The sooner the club get their head around that reality, the better off we shall all be
The sooner the club get their head around that reality, the better off we shall all be
Miguel Sanchez
(Unique injury) TBC
Sadly I think you’re only speaking for about eight or nine people.
Ochre
:o
I don't think Badge has that many family members
On the whole I actually agree with you, and cop the "bad take" criticisms from the same guys who spruik Nic's accolades as well.
YES - the fact that Nic won back to back AAs in 2020 and 2021 is both admirable and speaks to his potential ceiling. I for one would like to see him get back there in 2023.
HOWEVER - the facts facing us at the moment are that:
- Nic will be 33 next year.
- He has dicky knees that keep him off the park for vast swathes of the season. These are not going to magically get better in the twilight of his career.
- He is perpetually "managed" on gameday, playing roughly half a game. This means he is sucking rotations out of the side (especially our shit/ old midfield) to cover for his inability to play out games.
- He is heavy as f***, and that is contributing to his knee problems.
In the offseason Nic needs to be told to slim down substantially, and we need to build his endurance up with the intention of having him play more game time. We also need to find suitable cover for him (better said than done), as like Shuey and Yeo he'll probably be sidelined more often than he plays for the rest of his career.
I don't see how he makes it beyond next year. Hell, at this stage, I'm not even sure he'll make it the whole year.
We will have phased out quite a few vets by the end of 2023. Good chance Nic, Shuey, Redden and Hurn all finish up by then.
Clinical experience and expert opinion are the lowest forms of evidence. So if these old farts that have been at the club forever are not up to date with the latest research (usually with in the last 5 years) that's not good either.
Pure guesswork with Jamieson and Rioli hopefully we get Yeo, West, NicNat and Petrucelle get back for Adelaide game. Realistically we only have one maybe two games we could win which is Gold Coast and Adelaide. Both would need at least Yeo back.
