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Review Half yearly update
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Nunez
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I love Mighty Lions posts but sometimes even inside opinions are still opinions.
The difference between this year and the previous 2 years is that this time our prep. has been geared towards peaking in September. Just looking in from the outside. We've taken on all our 'learnings' now it's a matter of whether we're good enough. It's usually the first 2 or 3 rounds after the bye that the real contenders put their hands up.
Nunez
Premium Platinum
I think our prep has matched our players fitness this year. Our best 22 basically all got a full pre season which is a huge deal. We had nothing of the sort in 2021 (and still made top 4 - that should show people the level of improvement left in this group). Once things start to click - and they will - we will be extremely hard to beat. Consider that and the fact we're on top of the ladder without having hit our final form.
We're basically wrathful Broly who is aiming to hit super sayan come September
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I’m not sure we are that close to having an “amazing” list. Our 2001-04 team, Cats 07-11, Hawks 13-15 were “amazing lists”or “amazing teams”.
The thing is though, and I’ve said this previously, I think the competition as a whole isn’t as good as it used to be, perhaps because the talent is now diluted into 18 teams, so you don’t necessarily need to have this amazing super team to win a flag.
Take Melbourne for example. Gawn, Petracca, Oliver, May all A grade players of course, but then underneath that a solid team of role players who played their role last year and achieved the ultimate.
With our team, I think definitely we have enough talent forward of centre and enough (albeit some down on form) behind the ball, but my worry like you said is whether we have enough depth in the midfield when games are on the line come finals time. But that’s nothing this board didn’t already know.
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mattsmob
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I don't think we have the role players that some of the premiership teams of the past have had, some of our older guys seem to not have much of the role player mentality at times which can be an issue if you're not at the very top of the tree. Neale who is our best player by a fair margin definitely still has the role player mentality so it's disappointing a couple of the older guys haven't followed his lead. If guys like Lyons, McCarthy and potentially even Zorko don't get that back into their games I would be close to thinking we're a better team with Prior, Robertson and Lohmann taking their place. They aren't as good as individuals but their defensive effort and want to work for the team makes a huge difference.
Nunez
Premium Platinum
He was being aggressive?
BRAB
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Please curb your aggression Nunez.
Nunez
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This aggression will not stand, man...
Gadzorks
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I think our prep has matched our players fitness this year. Our best 22 basically all got a full pre season which is a huge deal. We had nothing of the sort in 2021 (and still made top 4 - that should show people the level of improvement left in this group). Once things start to click - and they will - we will be extremely hard to beat. Consider that and the fact we're on top of the ladder without having hit our final form.
We're basically wrathful Broly who is aiming to hit super sayan come September
I thought our prep was heated to finals but it was all but debunked on to the roar deal by Mike Whiting.
He talked about Richmond doing it once, but said he had seen no evidence of the lions changing things up.
If anything like that was to happen it would be for managing individuals, not whole squad.
Particularly with a young list, getting full standard pre seasons was important.
Lace Out
Full of it.
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Any pointing to us being top of the ladder should stop..it’s a couple of points either way and it’s only because Dees pretty much incredibly lost their last 3..no prize in June thrill seekers
Viceregal
Premium Platinum
Although our current position on the ladder is a data point in our discussion of where we are at at the half way mark ...
That being said assuming we are Ozymandias and untouchable simply because we are currently at the top would be, well, simple and fail to take into account the variables that went into it (eg your mentioned recent Demon mini-exorcism). Conversely both the Demons and we are 10 and 3, we are both in the 'hunted' group this year and both teams were sooooo very much hanging out for the bye ... and yet we didn't lose our last three games and what we have lost we have not lost by much.
Ladder is not the be all and end all and in the end (finals) only counts for advantages (important ones eg home finals) and in the ultimate test (GF) it matters not how well we played during the season it is one game and it will not be at our home ground (thanks V/AFL) ... but I would definitely rather be first that last or in the mob vying for 8th etc.
Nunez
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Gadzorks
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I'm sure the club would want to give away their trade secrets on their podcast...
True, but he didn't say anything about the club giving information. Whiting said he hadn't observed anything that indicated a delay or change from normal programming.
He's an experienced coach who understands periodization of training programs and is at many training sessions. Figured his observations are worth something.
Nunez
Premium Platinum
He's on a club funded podcast that is reviewed by club officials before being released mate. Agree that Fish brings great insight from his running background, but equally he wouldn't be in a position to reveal anything we've done to set ourselves for September if the club doesn't want it to be public knowledge. AFL is truly a sport of 1%ers so they're going to keep that sort of thing within the four walls.
25 years on
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We saw glimpses of our run and pass game against the Saints, I hope we see a lot more of it heading towards the finals.
Seems like Geelong is pretty happy to publicize their super secret mid season "primed for September" training routine.
'We double down': Cats' bold plan to peak at right time - 'We double down': Cats' bold plan to peak at right time
How are we so far behind the 8 ball? /s
'We double down': Cats' bold plan to peak at right time - 'We double down': Cats' bold plan to peak at right time
How are we so far behind the 8 ball? /s
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Mike Whiting's analysis of this sort of thing on the podcast was actually quite insightful and worth listening to. I don't want to try summarise it as I'll get it wrong but my takeaway was while this sort of thing might help some players, clearly it isn't for everyone.
He wasn't speaking about any current Brisbane training approach per se - as far as I am aware journalists don't get to watch all of training during the year, and only get to take a bit of footage at a time.So unless he's spoken to a player or club official, he doesn't know that we don't have a similar plan to do a bit more running mid-season.
Why assume we are 'so far behind the 8 ball' based on absolutely nothing?
mpal6
Norm Smith Medallist
Look at the bright side - so far behind the 8 ball aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand Still. No. 1 !!!
Obvious the /s wasn't clear enough that my post was tongue in cheek haha.
I don't think we are behind the 8 ball at all, I think that every team is aiming to peak around September and thinking we aren't doing the same is pretty foolish.
I don't think we are behind the 8 ball at all, I think that every team is aiming to peak around September and thinking we aren't doing the same is pretty foolish.
Whatever Mike Whiting or anyone else says it's clear to me that the preps. of certain players have been geared towards a build into the latter part of the year. Rich , Rayner ,McCarthy , Hipwood obviously , Oscar , Harris I think, to name but 6 off the top of my head. The previous 3 years we've generally been out on our feet at the business end.
This year has a different feel to it to my untrained eye . Or maybe I'm imagining it.
This year has a different feel to it to my untrained eye . Or maybe I'm imagining it.
Some fans wont be satisfied unless we win a premiership by July. Having endured 2010-2017, I take pleasure in just having a winning record. I don't know how some of us will cope when we will inevitably return to the mean sometime in this decade.
BRAB
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We are never going to be bad again.
