6 Day Breaks...

Saw this from Leo (good job Leo) on another board found it interesting seeing its FACT.

In 30 games so far this year from round 3 onwards a team has had a 6 day break, while their opponent has 7 days +.
In those 30 games this year the team that has had the 6 day break has won 11 games, which equates to 36%.
Out of those 11 games that were won by the team that had the 6 day break, 4 of the winners played either the Gold Coast, or GWS.
If we take those games out it takes it back to 26 games played 7 games won at 27%.
Out of those 30 games on 22 occasions the team with the short break has lost the 1st quarter at 73%.
And on 18 occasions the team has lost the last quarter 18 times at 60%.
Out the 22 occasions that the team with the short break has lost the 1st quarter they have gone on to lose 18 times at 81%.

Interesting that Collingwoods last 7 games are against sides coming off a six day break. Collingwood having the extra day on every team other than the floating round. More than chance you'd think...what a very "fair and even" competition we have.....

At least start with some facts.

Coll (8 day break) v Melb (9 day break)
Coll (8) v Gold Coast (8)
Coll (8) v Adel (6)
Coll (6) v Geel (6) Doesn't really count does it.
Coll (8) v Bris (7)
Coll (9) V Dogs (6)
Coll (4) v Ess (4)

That brings it down to 2 (from 7) coming off 6 day break when we've had more, and 3 (down from 6) for the extra days.

It's not that hard to look up the draw but if it doesn't fit in with your story..........

Not so good Leo.

I think he means the last 7 games of the season - that is rounds 17-23, although as the last round is the "floating round" we won't know for sure about that yet.

Interesting stats, but to me 6 day breaks is the biggest crock of shit around. How is this all of a sudden a problem? I think the players/clubs/supporters are starting to get a bit too precious with this.

As long as there have been games on Friday/Saturday/Sunday, there has always been six day breaks. If you play a Sunday one week, then saturday the next, thats a 6 day break. what are we supposed to do? Have teams play exclusively on set days to make sure they always get a 7 day break? It can't happen!

Get over it. Its one day FFS!

*insert random statistic that disproves that theory

You're right.

Apologies to OP.

Hope 6 day breaks mean something then. But I don't think they do.

I agree how we got the hardest draw this year is a total crock, great to see a saints supporter sticking up for the pies.

im not having a shot at Pies- goodluck to them they dont do the draw.

I think the above stats are indisputable - consecutive 6 day games when sides are coming up against sides off a 7,8,9 13?? day break hurt - the stats show that....no smoking gun here....just facts.

And yep....its 1 day....till you have 2 or 3 in succession.....

No problems its English I get that its not second nature...

No worries, I'm sure St. Kilda will be happy not to play matches on Friday nights then to avoid six day breaks

People think making a fixture is easy. Try factoring in:

- Make sure teams don't have consecutive six day breaks;
- Make sure if they do have a 6 day break, the team they play also has a 6 day break;
- "Blockbuster" matches;
- Venue availability;
- Variety of timeslots for each club;
- TV station demands of what teams they want and when;
- Club demands of which teams they host to maximise attendances;
- Byes;
- Alternating home/away games each week - particularly for non-Vic clubs;
- Only one game in each of SA/WA/QLD/NSW per weekend;
- Fit in "home" games at secondary venues such as Aurora/Bellerive/Manuka etc

Its a bloody hard exercise and there is so many factors that have to be considered. If you can't front up on any of Fri/Sat/Sun each week and play a good game, then the problems are internal and maybe your fitness and conditioning staff aren't doing their job properly. Soccer teams play upwards of 50 games a season, Basketball often plays two or three games on consecutive days, even Ice hockey - which is a pretty brutal sport - play games every 2-3 days.

I just will not accept "we had a 6 day break versus their 7" as an excuse for poor performances.

This does not constitute any kind of "proof" that a 6 day break is a disadvantage. For example, why have you removed GWS/GCFC games from the 6 day break group but not the other group? What was the "expected" win loss ratio based on clubs involved? I'm not saying that there is definitely no disadvantage merely that your "stats" don't prove there is.

Honestly, try travelling across the breadth of Australia every second week.

6 day breaks are a massive crock. I'd take them every week if we got to stay home 3 weeks out of 4

its called professional sports for a reason...

Should focus more on teams with 6 day break vs a team just off the bye

Are you speaking from your own personal experience here? Or, if not, have you spoken to those who do travel regularly and who have also experienced their fair share of 6 day breaks and is that their opinion/experience?

Otherwise, if this is your completely uninformed opinion, why are the stats showing that that is clearly not the case? The proof is in the pudding and 36%, even if you include the wins over GWS and Gold Coast, is a significantly low number. And why do those involved at the clubs mention them if they don't believe they effect their team's performance?

And to those saying "it's just one day", it might be "just one day", but with the game being played at a more frenetic pace than it's ever been played at before, one more day to recover can clearly make a world of difference (as those figures above would suggest, including the first and last term stats) and not only is it the extra day of rest/recovery that is important, but when you have a 6 day break you also miss out on one of the main training sessions of the week.

So if you have that extra day or two (more than the side you're coming up against) to recover from one game to the next and you also get to have one extra major training session, to work on the things you want to work on that week (especially specific structures for the coming game), then I would suggest that that is a significant advantage. To think otherwise you'd have to have your head in the sand, I believe, or else have no experience of this sort of thing. Otherwise, you're basically saying that rest and recovery and training make no difference to performance.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that they do.

Doesn't mean that travelling across the country every second week isn't also a disadvantage, but, just because one is, doesn't mean that they can't both be.

You mean like one where every team plays 22 games over a 23 week period as do their opponents?

Much rather have a day's less break than our opponents in the last 6 rounds than what is widely acknowledged as the hardest draw in the league in 2012.
And it obviously wasn't in OP's interests to point out the fact we travel interstate on three occasions during that period.

If my club ever uses 6 days rest as an excuse for losing I'll spew up. Luckily we are winners and don't have that attitude.

I find that having good players and coaches is an even bigger factor.

Why was I not surprised to see OP was a St. Kilda supporter?

Or essentially half of the length, but the jet-lag and other stuff is still there.

No luckily the AFL has given you the least six day breaks. As pointed out the last seven games played other than the floating round Collingwood has an extra day on there opponents.

Just play on Saturday arvo and avoid this problem

Again, there is nothing in your figures to show that this is significantly low.

can't help some 6 day breaks, but if a team has 3 in a row it effects their performance

Correlation does not imply causation

Jet-Lag? From Adelaide? Cmon....