bringbackbucky
26 Jun 2008, 11:09
Link: http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/AFL2008... (http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/AFL2008/News/Article/tabid/6038/default.aspx?newsid=62156)
Regardless of our opinions of his recent performanes and perceived stubborness, sounds even more demanding a job than I had envisaged... 10 years is a damn good effort. No wonder Sheedy and Malthouse are both bordering on insane... (apologies if this has already been posted - couldn't see it anywhere)
The post game analysis
By Mark Williams
12:59 PM Wed 25 June, 2008
IT IS interesting what a senior coach goes through immediately after the siren on match day. It can be an emotional time, but as a coach, you’re always aware that your preparation for the next week starts from the final siren onwards.
When the game is over you walk downstairs, escorted by security, and make your way into the rooms, bumping into either happy or disgruntled supporters along the way.
When you lose, it can be a long journey made worse by the fact the opposition team often walk down the same stairs as you.
You hear their elation echoing off the walls as you make your way down into your own rooms and, at that point, your head is pretty well down.
The doormen aren’t sure where to look and they mention a ‘bad luck’ here or there.
You’re the first person in the rooms, but soon the doctors, physios and trainers arrive and the disappointment is written all over their faces too.
You try to gather your thoughts and work out exactly what you’re going to say to the team. The message should have a positive impact but you know the players won’t be listening too hard because they are physically and emotionally drained.
Variation is often the key and it’s important to think back to past messages you might have given to the group and, if you are in the middle of a run of losses, you try and assess what approach is going to be most effective.
Are you going to come down hard on them? Are you going to be understanding? Do you engage the group in conversation? You really have to think on your feet because the players are expecting a clear and concise message moments after they walk in the door.
Following the senior coach’s address there might be a question and answer session to get the players’ views on certain areas of the game. The other coaches might also give their opinions, but typically the players are keen to just get one or two points out of the game and to get out of there to start their own recovery.
The players go and stretch, get iced-up or warmed down and the coaches get together and, with the aid of the stats that have just arrived, go into deeper analysis.
At the same time, you’re trying to gather your thoughts and work out what you’re going to say at the post-match press conference.
You get a quick report from the doctors to get an update on any injuries and, in my case, my media manager, Hitaf, gives me a heads up on some of the topics people have discussed during the day and the questions that are likely to be asked by the media.
As hard as it might seem, the post-match press conference is a fantastic opportunity to talk to your supporters, especially those that have come to the game.
You answer as many questions as you can with as much depth as you can. It’s a challenging time because you want to give some good answers, but at that stage, you don’t know all the answers. There is also the issue of confidentiality. Quite often you can’t reveal some of the specific strategies or game plans because you don’t want to be compromised next time you play that particular opponent.
After the press conference you go back into the rooms and wait for up to an hour for the video footage of the game to arrive. By that time, when we play at home, my kids might wander in and it’s always good to console them.
Members of the board also filter into the rooms and it’s good to have their unwavering support regardless of the result.
After you get the video footage it’s either back to the club or upstairs to talk to your loyal supporters who want to hear what’s going on.
In my case, it’s probably the fourth group of people I’ve spoken to after the game and they too want to hear my thoughts on the performance and it’s good to be able to join them.
Afterwards, I head off for a drink with some key sponsors or supporters, which is certainly fantastic when we win, but it’s just as important for the club when we lose.
Finally then, it’s time to go home in the car with my wife and the kids and they’re interested to know my thoughts on who played well and they give me their opinions on what happened and maybe also on an umpiring decision or two that might have worked against us.
If I’m returning from an interstate game, I always make sure to pick up a box of Krispy Kremes from the airport, so at least then the kids are happy to see me.
When I get home I might have 30 minutes to mix with the family, but it’s not too much later that I have to go and analyse the game.
After the four-hour analysis it takes another hour to write up all the notes, which at Port Adelaide, get sent off to our IT man who uploads the data ready for the players to access the following morning.
The process continues for us the next day, regardless of how much sleep we’ve had the night before. The coaches meet at 8am to combine our individual game reviews and then we meet with the leaders before delivering the complete analysis package to the playing group.
By Tuesday, we’ve moved on to next week’s opponent and the whole cycle starts again.
When you win it is such a different atmosphere. There is nothing better than being in the rooms after a win and watching your kids belt out the club song with the players and coaches.
It takes me back to my childhood days of being around the club with my dad and it certainly makes all the hard work of preparing for a win worth it.
Regardless of our opinions of his recent performanes and perceived stubborness, sounds even more demanding a job than I had envisaged... 10 years is a damn good effort. No wonder Sheedy and Malthouse are both bordering on insane... (apologies if this has already been posted - couldn't see it anywhere)
The post game analysis
By Mark Williams
12:59 PM Wed 25 June, 2008
IT IS interesting what a senior coach goes through immediately after the siren on match day. It can be an emotional time, but as a coach, you’re always aware that your preparation for the next week starts from the final siren onwards.
When the game is over you walk downstairs, escorted by security, and make your way into the rooms, bumping into either happy or disgruntled supporters along the way.
When you lose, it can be a long journey made worse by the fact the opposition team often walk down the same stairs as you.
You hear their elation echoing off the walls as you make your way down into your own rooms and, at that point, your head is pretty well down.
The doormen aren’t sure where to look and they mention a ‘bad luck’ here or there.
You’re the first person in the rooms, but soon the doctors, physios and trainers arrive and the disappointment is written all over their faces too.
You try to gather your thoughts and work out exactly what you’re going to say to the team. The message should have a positive impact but you know the players won’t be listening too hard because they are physically and emotionally drained.
Variation is often the key and it’s important to think back to past messages you might have given to the group and, if you are in the middle of a run of losses, you try and assess what approach is going to be most effective.
Are you going to come down hard on them? Are you going to be understanding? Do you engage the group in conversation? You really have to think on your feet because the players are expecting a clear and concise message moments after they walk in the door.
Following the senior coach’s address there might be a question and answer session to get the players’ views on certain areas of the game. The other coaches might also give their opinions, but typically the players are keen to just get one or two points out of the game and to get out of there to start their own recovery.
The players go and stretch, get iced-up or warmed down and the coaches get together and, with the aid of the stats that have just arrived, go into deeper analysis.
At the same time, you’re trying to gather your thoughts and work out what you’re going to say at the post-match press conference.
You get a quick report from the doctors to get an update on any injuries and, in my case, my media manager, Hitaf, gives me a heads up on some of the topics people have discussed during the day and the questions that are likely to be asked by the media.
As hard as it might seem, the post-match press conference is a fantastic opportunity to talk to your supporters, especially those that have come to the game.
You answer as many questions as you can with as much depth as you can. It’s a challenging time because you want to give some good answers, but at that stage, you don’t know all the answers. There is also the issue of confidentiality. Quite often you can’t reveal some of the specific strategies or game plans because you don’t want to be compromised next time you play that particular opponent.
After the press conference you go back into the rooms and wait for up to an hour for the video footage of the game to arrive. By that time, when we play at home, my kids might wander in and it’s always good to console them.
Members of the board also filter into the rooms and it’s good to have their unwavering support regardless of the result.
After you get the video footage it’s either back to the club or upstairs to talk to your loyal supporters who want to hear what’s going on.
In my case, it’s probably the fourth group of people I’ve spoken to after the game and they too want to hear my thoughts on the performance and it’s good to be able to join them.
Afterwards, I head off for a drink with some key sponsors or supporters, which is certainly fantastic when we win, but it’s just as important for the club when we lose.
Finally then, it’s time to go home in the car with my wife and the kids and they’re interested to know my thoughts on who played well and they give me their opinions on what happened and maybe also on an umpiring decision or two that might have worked against us.
If I’m returning from an interstate game, I always make sure to pick up a box of Krispy Kremes from the airport, so at least then the kids are happy to see me.
When I get home I might have 30 minutes to mix with the family, but it’s not too much later that I have to go and analyse the game.
After the four-hour analysis it takes another hour to write up all the notes, which at Port Adelaide, get sent off to our IT man who uploads the data ready for the players to access the following morning.
The process continues for us the next day, regardless of how much sleep we’ve had the night before. The coaches meet at 8am to combine our individual game reviews and then we meet with the leaders before delivering the complete analysis package to the playing group.
By Tuesday, we’ve moved on to next week’s opponent and the whole cycle starts again.
When you win it is such a different atmosphere. There is nothing better than being in the rooms after a win and watching your kids belt out the club song with the players and coaches.
It takes me back to my childhood days of being around the club with my dad and it certainly makes all the hard work of preparing for a win worth it.