Stuart Graham - Head of High Performance

[Ford Fairlane]

I'm going to do my usual pointless bang-on like a broken record, but the Carlton players looked so much physically stronger than us last night. Walked through our tackles, stopped our players dead in their tracks.

Do they have a more economical game plan where they're not required to run as much as we are (I'm sure someone will have the stats) or have we not hit the optimum balance between physical size and endurance that some clubs seem to be able to master?

Time for Koch to swallow his pride (as if) and invite Darren Burgess back?

 

[ibd77]

Lachie Jones last week against North look like he enjoyed a few Villies pies during his injury period.

 

[Port 2004]

I'm going to do my usual pointless bang-on like a broken record, but the Carlton players looked so much physically stronger than us last night. Walked through our tackles, stopped our players dead in their tracks.

Do they have a more economical game plan where they're not required to run as much as we are (I'm sure someone will have the stats) or have we not hit the optimum balance between physical size and endurance that some clubs seem to be able to master?

Time for Koch to swallow his pride (as if) and invite Darren Burgess back?

The whole club needs a clean out from top down including this bloke. From what I am told from a reliable source, Burgess is not in love with swamp land and would come back to us if asked. But dickhead Koch knows better. ****ing w***er.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Haha Jack Russell was under the pump a couple of weeks ago and Brian Cook said they will have a look at the number of injuries Carlton have, to see if they discover they were doing something wrong.

Wouldnt use the phrase, we are reviewing the high performance department, but looked alright to me last night.

 

[Willsy10]

I'm going to do my usual pointless bang-on like a broken record, but the Carlton players looked so much physically stronger than us last night. Walked through our tackles, stopped our players dead in their tracks.

Do they have a more economical game plan where they're not required to run as much as we are (I'm sure someone will have the stats) or have we not hit the optimum balance between physical size and endurance that some clubs seem to be able to master?

Time for Koch to swallow his pride (as if) and invite Darren Burgess back?

they physically monstered us last night, felt very similar to the GWS final last year and there last quarter was like the second quarter of that game. We couldn't hold a tackle all night it seemed, and when the ball went to ground they just wanted it so much more. The signs were there in the last fortnight, i thought Hawthorn monstered us too.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Burgo wont get us to put on size. Mackers got us to put on some size. But we cant pay him enough to leave the Philadelphia Flyers.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Burgo wont get us to put on size. Mackers got us to put on some size. But we cant pay him enough to leave the Philadelphia Flyers.

Burgo has changed. The crows look physically strong and can run all day.

Saw it with Melbourne when he was there. He adjusted his play book.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Burgo has changed. The crows look physically strong and can run all day.

Saw it with Melbourne when he was there. He adjusted his play book.

Goodwin told him to **** off and go and sit 100m from the action when they trained like they would play and Goodwin's attitude was if the players get injuries, then bad luck.

Crows players had decent size before he got there.

I dont know if we have the people at the club to tell him he cant go back to his old ways.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Goodwin told him to **** off and go and sit 100m from the action when they trained like they would play and Goodwin's attitude was if the players get injuries, then bad luck.

Crows players had decent size before he got there.

I dont know if we have the people at the club to tell him he cant go back to his old ways.

The crows might have had decent size but it would have been easy for him to strip kg's off them if that was how he still operates now. Walker is a classic example, he is big and strong and super-fit even at this late stage of his career. I remember him playing that cricket match pre-season a few years back and plodding around like an asthmatic.

Burgess has a different kind of runs on the board in two different environments in his latest incarnation as a football fitness manager. Maybe he learned something from Goodwin.

Whatever we are doing now isn't working. Maybe a different coach would give different instructions. I imagine the footy fitness industry would be full of open-source learning.

 

[The Hobo]

they physically monstered us last night, felt very similar to the GWS final last year and there last quarter was like the second quarter of that game. We couldn't hold a tackle all night it seemed, and when the ball went to ground they just wanted it so much more. The signs were there in the last fortnight, i thought Hawthorn monstered us too.

Particularly our half back line - players like Farrell, Burgoyne, Burton, Houston are all "softer" outside players that don't like to really get stuck in. We desperately need at least one of those to be a tough nut defender. In our 04 side, we had Michael Wilson and Damien Hardwick in those defensive roles - hard as nails and knew how to defend. The Lions side had the Scott brothers.

Times have changed, but I still think you need tough as nails defenders back there to complement the flashier players that we have everywhere else.

The closest thing we have on our squad to a tough defender is DBJ - and you'd have to wind the clock back a number of years to find the last time he did it well.

 

[bringbackbucky]

Farrell and Burton spent most of the pre-game warm up kicking the soccer ball to each other. The round ball suits them both to a tee...

 

[The Hobo]

Farrell and Burton spent most of the pre-game warm up kicking the soccer ball to each other. The round ball suits them both to a tee...

I feel like we can only have one of them in the team if they are playing their current roles.

Burton in the past has done a decent job as a lockdown defender - if he can get back to that, then he stays. Otherwise I'd play Farrell over Burton and get someone else in to actually defend.

 

[Long live PAFC]

There must be a mental element as well. We looked ok against Geelong but tiny and unfit against the Hawks and Carlton. We really looked like we need the break.

Right or wrong with his general methods, Burgo instilled belief and confidence in players so they could trust their bodies and keep pushing.

 

[Black 18]

I'm going to do my usual pointless bang-on like a broken record, but the Carlton players looked so much physically stronger than us last night. Walked through our tackles, stopped our players dead in their tracks.

Do they have a more economical game plan where they're not required to run as much as we are (I'm sure someone will have the stats) or have we not hit the optimum balance between physical size and endurance that some clubs seem to be able to master?

Time for Koch to swallow his pride (as if) and invite Darren Burgess back?

This issue does my head in.

Every year it's the same and we keep going along the same pathway without question.

I watched a YouTube video of JHF playing his first game for Nth Melb the other day and he looked bigger then than he is now and I've thought similar with Sweet and Soldo this year too. So it has to be a directive, it must be.

It's almost like Hinkley just wants runners yet implements a game based almost exclusively on playing contested, in-tight footy. And even if the plan is to have more running types than bigger, stronger types I can't remember a game where I have thought we looked so much faster or fitter etc.

I just don't think Hinkley actually knows what he's doing at all. He's just not a poor coach, he actually hasn't got a clue and despite evidence on every plane of existence he's too stubborn (and stupid) to acknowledge it's wrong, or not working, and he keeps going to the well thinking "work harder and next time I'll be proven right".

 

[Macca19]

They can talk about smart muscle mass all they like but at the end of the day, if you are big, you are big and you will walk through our tackles.

 

[Sleezy]

It feels like we are a team of players with poor balance and weak cores. I saw it in the SANFL yesterday, i saw it in the AFL today.

• Players unable to set a stable base and hold position in a marking contest
• Players unable to ride contact and keep their feet in a scrap
• Players going to ground and staying there, no bounceback, no spring, just flop, collapse
• Players unable to bend down, stay low, and move with speed and precision.

It's like our players can't bend over without collapsing, like they have been trained out of staying low with their knees bent, cores braced.

It is so noticable when one of our few players who can actually do: JHF riding a tackle, Burgoyne gathering and dodging in triffic, Aliir holding position and shifitng his opponent with his hips.

It is so noticable that so many of others just can't: Dyl Will, both Marshalls, McEntee, Burton, Jones, Finlayson, Dixon, even Rozee, Butters and Drew of late. If they're out of position, even just a little, they're done. Beaten.

Why is it that Burgoyne can effortlessly tackle a raging KPD to the ground, while our uber agile, fleet of foot Captain can't lay a finger on the opposition's lumbering ruckman?

It's as if Bonner left, but cursed us to be haunted by the remnants of his noodle armed flimsiness for the rest of our days.

 

[rogerjames]

It feels like we are a team of players with poor balance and weak cores. I saw it in the SANFL yesterday, i saw it in the AFL today.

• Players unable to set a stable base and hold position in a marking contest
• Players unable to ride contact and keep their feet in a scrap
• Players going to ground and staying there, no bounceback, no spring, just flop, collapse
• Players unable to bend down, stay low, and move with speed and precision.

It's like our players can't bend over without collapsing, like they have been trained out of staying low with their knees bent, cores braced.

It is so noticable when one of our few players who can actually do: JHF riding a tackle, Burgoyne gathering and dodging in triffic, Aliir holding position and shifitng his opponent with his hips.

It is so noticable that so many of others just can't: Dyl Will, both Marshalls, McEntee, Burton, Jones, Finlayson, Dixon, even Rozee, Butters and Drew of late. If they're out of position, even just a little, they're done. Beaten.

Why is it that Burgoyne can effortlessly tackle a raging KPD to the ground, while our uber agile, fleet of foot Captain can't lay a finger on the opposition's lumbering ruckman?

It's as if Bonner left, but cursed us to be haunted by the remnants of his noodle armed flimsiness for the rest of our days.

Your dot points are spot on. Been saying the same to my partner. So many players refuse to bend their backs to pick up the ball & the lack of balance of many players is mind blowing. Lord was shocking yesterday falling over virtually every time. He was just embarrassing. This has been a problem with our bigger players in particular for 8+ years. Player development is shocking & training is obviously inadequate.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

We should headhunt a fitness guy from Geelong or Brisbane.

I remember Choco headhunted Andrew Russell from Essendon who was 2IC to John Quinn and he did a great job. Until he buggered off after TMC (Too Much Choco).

 

[Sleezy]

We should headhunt a fitness guy from Geelong or Brisbane.

I remember Choco headhunted Andrew Russell from Essendon who was 2IC to John Quinn and he did a great job. Until he buggered off after TMC (Too Much Choco).

I'd add Sydney and Collingwood to that list.

 

[Sleezy]

Your dot points are spot on. Been saying the same to my partner. So many players refuse to bend their backs to pick up the ball & the lack of balance of many players is mind blowing. Lord was shocking yesterday falling over virtually every time. He was just embarrassing. This has been a problem with our bigger players in particular for 8+ years. Player development is shocking & training is obviously inadequate.

The other thing that stands out is our panicked handballs under physical pressure. So often we just handball blind and cough it up, only to watch the opposition hit mid- to long-range targets while under extreme physical pressure.

It's partly composure but I'm certain the lack of core strength plays into that, as they know they're going to get crunched and pnic.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I'd add Sydney and Collingwood to that list.

Happy to take suggestions

 

[Holden Hillbilly]

We have gone from a fake top 4 to a fake top 8 in a short time.
So much for high performance.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

It feels like we are a team of players with poor balance and weak cores. I saw it in the SANFL yesterday, i saw it in the AFL today.

• Players unable to set a stable base and hold position in a marking contest
• Players unable to ride contact and keep their feet in a scrap
• Players going to ground and staying there, no bounceback, no spring, just flop, collapse
• Players unable to bend down, stay low, and move with speed and precision.

It's like our players can't bend over without collapsing, like they have been trained out of staying low with their knees bent, cores braced.

It is so noticable when one of our few players who can actually do: JHF riding a tackle, Burgoyne gathering and dodging in triffic, Aliir holding position and shifitng his opponent with his hips.

It is so noticable that so many of others just can't: Dyl Will, both Marshalls, McEntee, Burton, Jones, Finlayson, Dixon, even Rozee, Butters and Drew of late. If they're out of position, even just a little, they're done. Beaten.

Why is it that Burgoyne can effortlessly tackle a raging KPD to the ground, while our uber agile, fleet of foot Captain can't lay a finger on the opposition's lumbering ruckman?

It's as if Bonner left, but cursed us to be haunted by the remnants of his noodle armed flimsiness for the rest of our days.

Speaking of noodle arms, this is Quinton Narkle at Geelong - compare this to the version we turn out.

 

[PowerLil]

Dare I say it Ford Fairlane. Another arm of the footy department Chris Davies has ****ed up.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Dare I say it Ford Fairlane. Another arm of the footy department Chris Davies has ****ed up.

Say it Lil. Say it loud!