News Phil Walsh - New AFC Coach and Art Critic

[Bay62]

He's big on brutal tackling in the midfield and also elite hands under pressure so he used to run this drill with the midfield group where it was all about copping a hit and inside hands to improve handballs at stoppages. There was one rookie list player who kept either handballing around the outside or looping handballs over the packs and he tore strips off him a couple of times. But not just ranting, real direct messages about why this was important and that he'd never make it if he couldnt do these types of tasks. Got sent to the sidelines to watch it done. Then was given a vest and made the go-to player again, and again, and again until he understood what was going on. Turned out alright.

Very big on motivation, positive reinforcement and praise, especially with young players. A couple years later using a similar drill and there was a first year player who was copping an absolute hammering, probably the most brutal training drill ive seen but was hitting the targets with the handballs and he pretty much made Choco stop the rest of the training so all the lads could get around him and gave him some huge praise in front of the group.

Big on positive reinforcement, big on praise, but look out if you are slacking off or doing the wrong thing.

Thanks for this much appreciated

Gee some players are in for a shock

 

[beartoo]

He's had that many opportunities, I can't see Walsh would have the slightest effect on his 'training' standards.

I've been studying reality tv and society at uni at the moment, so this whole laughing at others is at the forefront of my mind, so my assumption on what you said. Happy to be corrected

Masochism much!

 

[VKCrow]

Yeah he's a bit slow shows you don't need to be a genius, just dedicated enough to do the work and remember the syllabus. Good on him I like seeing footy players branch out after they retire.

He owns his own pharmacy right in the heart of alberton. Gets some interesting characters in there I bet.

He wasn't the brightest cookie in the class....didn't think he'd make it. Funny what money can buy.

 

[lunacy]

What does it say about us when we like to watch other people being denigrated or to laugh at them in their discomfort?

Who's laughing?

 

[NikkiNoo]

Masochism much!

Not my choice! The lecturer decided to torture us in this way! At least we get to create our own question for the major essay, so I chose Orphan Black

Who's laughing?

A lot of people watch those shows and the lifestyle makeover shows so that they can basically say 'at least I'm not like that' and to laugh at those stupider than they think they are (very overarching generalisation there, but it seems to be that way for many viewers not realising that this is what they are actually doing from the research that has been done into it)

 

[MRB37]

It was only the AFC bulking up that 2012 season where Sando was trying to copy Geelong. He's just lucky he inherited a bloody fit side from Craig and had few injuries. Most of the good coaches in the AFL over that time saw the on-coming caps to the interchange and developed game-plans based on gut-running and requiring less muscle (Hawks/Fremantle/Port over 2013-14). What did Sando do? Instead of doing something similar, I remember quite vividly him sooking in the media about the impacts of the interchange on the way we played. Yeah, good one Sando.

Yea, we went the exact opposite and spent the off-season bulking up further and neglecting the running completely. We were already a fairly slow side as it was, but it just made the problem worse. Look at Jacobs from 2013 when he was carrying that extra weight compared to his 2012 and 2014 versions where he was slimmer. Big difference.

For me personally one aspect of Walsh's coaching that I'll be watching closely and feel will be important - both tactically and symbolically - is his use of Scott Thompson. I know Thommo's a club legend and been a terrific player for a long time but I've had the creeping suspicion these past couple of years that it's been more about him (getting a game when injured, getting a possession) than the team...which I know is a big accusation to make.

If Walsh is true to his word of team-first and taking a longer-term approach to build a winning squad then I want to see Thommo playing less games and when he does play being more accountable defensively and spending less time in the centre square so the likes of Lyon, Grigg and the Crouches can get a fair crack. I for one don't think we'll lose much, if anything, in the short term and will gain in the long term...but doing this without causing dissension in the ranks relies on Thommo understanding and accepting that this is the best thing for the team and supporting it 100%.

I had heard once Thommo was told to take it easy in the gym because he was getting too big and heavy, but he basically ignores it and keeps going cause he likes having the big biceps and such. No idea if that's true, but the sort of thing you're talking about I guess.

 

[bjn1960]

Good observation and I've thought the same over the last couple of years.

I think we all accept our elite players are just that, and we also accept that improvement must come from below.

However the harsh analysis stops there - apart from the ritual whipping of fringe players. There's a whole category of player that escapes the spotlight but they are the real problem.

In the last 2 years Thommo has been at the forefront of that group, together with MacKay and this year Hendo.

Are you saying, Mackay and Henderson aren't receiving criticism or not the appropiate level of criticism? ...and then you lump Thommo into their group of underachievers or under-critisied? What has Thommo done to offend - age by two years!

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I think you can in context of his reduced effectiveness over the last 2 years.

2013 saw some pretty diminished returns from Thompson. Looked injured half the time. Did put a few decent games together in the last few rounds.

Thommo was playing some very good football in early 2014 but by the end of the season he looked to be struggling with the rigors of AFL. We have suffered on two fronts. Firstly for not properly managing Thompson and resting him when he was looking cooked. Secondly for not giving more opportunities to the younger guys who will take his place.

Thompson has been a champion player. No denying it. He's still a gun when he's fully fit but these niggling injuries are a big concern. Hopefully the new coach can manage his players a little better than the last.

 

[Allefgib]

Not my choice! The lecturer decided to torture us in this way! At least we get to create our own question for the major essay, so I chose Orphan Black



A lot of people watch those shows and the lifestyle makeover shows so that they can basically say 'at least I'm not like that' and to laugh at those stupider than they think they are (very overarching generalisation there, but it seems to be that way for many viewers not realising that this is what they are actually doing from the research that has been done into it)

Sounds like moderating bigfooty?

 

[NikkiNoo]

Sounds like moderating bigfooty?

Just look at Kane McGoodwin footer Wise words to live by...

 

[VKCrow]

Sorry about this but there's no Sando thread anymore and I was wondering why I kept hearing his voice on 5aa today? When was this interview? (Not that I care )

 

[AFC3000]

Sorry about this but there's no Sando thread anymore and I was wondering why I kept hearing his voice on 5aa today? When was this interview? (Not that I care )

Interview on 3AW http://audioboom.com/boos/2587433-brenton-sanderson-with-sports-today

 

[VKCrow]

Interview on 3AW http://audioboom.com/boos/2587433-brenton-sanderson-with-sports-today

Thanks mate. Cheers. 6PR in perth is hack.

 

[GROTTO]

Interview on 3AW http://audioboom.com/boos/2587433-brenton-sanderson-with-sports-today

Thanks champ.

An interesting comment was raised. What if Port were struggling and were a bottom 4 or 6 team, would Sando still have a job with us?

The mind ponders.

 

[GROTTO]

Thanks mate. Cheers. 6PR in perth is hack.

Having lived in different parts of Australia I can understand why some supporters outside SA like having posters put these kind of links up like AFC3000 has done.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

Thanks champ.

An interesting comment was raised. What if Port were struggling and were a bottom 4 or 6 team, would Sando still have a job with us?

The mind ponders.

The answer is simple it's no

The Sando decision has nothing to do with port and everything to do with his coaching in particular the lack of standards and effective communication with the players

Not sure how many times that this needs to be explained to get it clear in people's mind

 

[Geoffa32]

Reading Macca19 talk about the Walsh/Chocco training drills reminds me of the drills I saw when Dean Bailey was taking and involved with training.


Remember how brutal we were in 2012 and the players loved playing that brand of football.

 

[GROTTO]

The answer is simple it's no

The Sando decision has nothing to do with port and everything to do with his coaching in particular the lack of standards and effective communication with the players

Not sure how many times that this needs to be explained to get it clear in people's mind

Its not simple at all. We dont know what impact Port being a basket case would have had on the AFC resting on their laurels and keeping Sando.

Bearing in mind if Port were a bottom 4 or 6 team, we would have probably been playing finals as well. If we played finals for the last two years, supporters, players and clubs perception would have a been a lot different too.

Its a hypothetical. There is no simple answer and each posters response is merely an opinion about a hypothetical scenario that cannot be quantified.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

If you have lost most of the players, the consequences for the coach is rather simple...

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

Its not simple at all. We dont know what impact Port being a basket case would have had on the AFC resting on their laurels and keeping Sando.

Bearing in mind if Port were a bottom 4 or 6 team, we would have probably been playing finals as well. If we played finals for the last two years, supporters, players and clubs perception would have a been a lot different too.

Its a hypothetical. There is no simple answer and each posters response is merely an opinion about a hypothetical scenario that cannot be quantified.

It is rather simple, Port could have been bottom and the same decision would have been made

The reasons have been made extremely clear the rest is just noise

 

[VKCrow]

The answer is simple it's no

The Sando decision has nothing to do with port and everything to do with his coaching in particular the lack of standards and effective communication with the players

Not sure how many times that this needs to be explained to get it clear in people's mind

Imagine Walshy inviting some players over for dinner. He'd serve them a block of concrete.

 

[GROTTO]

It is rather simple, Port could have been bottom and the same decision would have been made

The reasons have been made extremely clear the rest is just noise

No your missing the point, of course I can sit back and give the easy politically correct and sanitized response of the norm what I am asking and challenging posters was had the Power struggled and we made the 8 in both the years, would the players and Clubs response been different. Its possible that the players may have come around if they saw that Sando was capable of taking us to a flag, if we consistently played finals footy.

We simply dont know. Who was the last coach sacked in the same year that got a Club into the 8?

 

[King Elvis]

But he didn't, so who cares.

We didn't make the 8, and Port aren't relevant.

SANDO was a crap coach.

 

[CrowAboutIt]

Not that we didn't all know it.

From a source that talked to Roo directly, "If we kept Sando we'd have had to get rid of him in round 5-6 next year. He was too soft. He didn't have what we needed."

 

[GROTTO]

Not that we didn't all know it.

From a source that talked to Roo directly, "If we kept Sando we'd have had to get rid of him in round 5-6 next year. He was too soft. He didn't have what we needed."

I think it would have been "dead man walking" after R12, it would have been an awful 2015 for us on reflection.