James Frawley to Fremantle?

[Gekko71]

Fremantle travelled to Brisbane and Darwin once this year.
West Coast travelled twice to Brisbane and they went to Tasmania once as well
Hawthorn travelled 5 times to Tasmania ,once to Brisbane ,once to Sydney ,once to Adelaide and once to Perth .
If Hawthorne had not done the deal with the Tassie Govt they would have done 16 hours of flying timefor the whole season .

Everyone screams about how little flying \travel that Collingwood does well I THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME someone put the facts in front of you so you can judge the difference between Melbourne based Clubs and ourselves .

we have digressed a little but i think that flight time is more about the impact it has on the players recovery as opposed to them caring about sitting on a plane. digressing even further the bottom line seems to be from the outside is that the WA teams or the WA football commission doesn't do enough to support our teams. we should be arguing for academies, a better flight arrangement etc but it seems the afl hold all the power and wa football sit back and let it happen. anyway maybe it just isn't made public.

I posted my thoughts on all this elsewhere - rather than repeat myself, I'll quote my original thread instead.


Short version: RTB said the travel is a disincentive to eastern states players. I however think it also impacts on our performance, and we need to get inventive to deal with it.

Original (long) version: see below...

(...)

I've said it before but it bears repeating: Freo need a rotation policy - not just to give our 2nds better exposure to AFL-level pressure and encourage depth in our youth, but also to alleviate the unholy trinity of a longer season, higher running loads under the RTB game plan, and a grueling AFL-mandated travel schedule.

I appreciate that the NFL has added much sports science to our game, as has soccer. But each NFL side has two separate teams which alternate between offence and defense which makes it hard to compare, and soccer doesn't have to factor heavy body-contact into their thinking. Our game and our geography is unique and it require a unique approach.

RTB can go on about 'no excuses' all he likes - the human body has limits, and IMO the unique nature of Freo's situation tests those limits to their utmost. I very much doubt that DVT is a major consideration in the fitness regimes of other clubs, but with our guys it would have to be a factor.

Blood-clotting in humans is a complex series of chemical reactions brought on by damaged tissue in the presence of oxygen. After a hard game, there a lot of damaged tissue in player's bodies. I can't imagine that then being forced to sit for hours in a plane immediately afterwards is the best environment for the body to heal in.

In addition to which, the waste bi-product of muscular contraction is lymph. Our lymphatic system is not powered by our heart - lymph drainage requires body movement to happen properly. The reason people get stiff and sore after a long plane ride - even when perfectly healthy - is they aren't moving enough to drain lymph away from their muscles... which is why you need to get up and stretch your legs after a couple of hours. Our guys would have lymph coming out their ears after a game, and they need to move to ensure its drained into the lymphatic system. But injured muscle tissue doesn't want to contract and move - on the contrary, doing so may aggravate injury further if that tissue is weight-bearing.

It is not an excuse to say that a six-day break fatigues us and affects our performance the following week, it's statistics. Sure the Eagles won two premierships back in the 90's with a more grueling travel schedule - but the game was also far slower back then. As time has gone on and as the game has gotten faster, the Eagles have been unable to make it to the GF ever since, and look less and less likely to do so frankly. And we - for all out preparation and training - have also failed to win the big one and a lot of that has to do with injury management.

Consider the fact that RTB himself has acknowledged that a lot of our training week goes into recovery, as opposed to skills development. Considering that we have failed in two consecutive finals campaigns due to a combination of player injury and poor goal-kicking skills, I think that's something for the coaches and fitness team to dwell on.

I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that west-coast clubs need to have far greater depth than other teams and need to approach fitness management differently to compensate for all the extra travel that only we are exposed to.

One possible answer may lie - surprisingly enough - in the airline industry, which monitors and strictly controls the number of flight-hours a flight crew perform each month.

Keeping track of the number of flight hours each of our players have to travel, and then using a rest-and-rotation policy to ensure that no player racks up too many flight hours over the course of a 12 week period may be a missing link in our approach to fitness. The extra bye next year may go some way towards alleviating this, but I doubt it will be enough on its own, as the eastern states clubs would benefit more from the extra resting time than western clubs IMO - our extra travel might negate some of the benefits.

Sure this is all just a crazy theory right now - but once you're out of sensible options, the crazy ones start to look particularly attractive.

 

[free at last]

Need to purchase a private jet,customise the bird specifically for the player's needs and share the costs with the mob up the road.

Good program on 60 minutes tonight on where all the unwanted jets go to die.
Surely we could get a jumbo on the cheap!

 

[tofushark]

I posted my thoughts on all this elsewhere - rather than repeat myself, I'll quote my original thread instead.


Short version: RTB said the travel is a disincentive to eastern states players. I however think it also impacts on our performance, and we need to get inventive to deal with it.

Original (long) version: see below...

Harvey floated this idea under his regime but i remember everyone here shooting it down. it is a hard one as there are other factors at play like team consistency etc. i think the simplest solution would be to shorten the games by a small margin to the point where recovery isn't as much of a focus.

 

[Taylor]

Need to purchase a private jet,customise the bird specifically for the player's needs and share the costs with the mob up the road.

Good program on 60 minutes tonight on where all the unwanted jets go to die.
Surely we could get a jumbo on the cheap!

It would need to be run by Virgin.

 

[free at last]

It would need to be run by Virgin.

Due to sponsorship?

 

[Tazmania]

Need to purchase a private jet,customise the bird specifically for the player's needs and share the costs with the mob up the road.

Good program on 60 minutes tonight on where all the unwanted jets go to die.
Surely we could get a jumbo on the cheap!

Damn straight... make sure all the seats have enough legroom for Sandi. Bose noise cancelling headphones in each seat (it's the noise on long flights that causes fatigue in the brain).

A bar for the trip home, a lounge for shooting the breeze and post game piss-taking.

Put in media facilities for journo who travel with us and allow the clubs to sell seats on the plane to fans who want to join the trip. Talk about a money spinner for both clubs.

 

[Taylor]

Due to sponsorship?

Exactly. That's why we sit on a runway while JQ flights take off for Sydney.

I don't think they would mind an aircraft being provided for them though.

The real issue is the $40,000 fuel bill to get to Melbourne, one way.

If we can negotiate a deal with a freight company to move their stuff at the same time then we can maybe offset the cost.

It's still a $750,000 a year (just us, not including West Coast) running cost every year.

 

[Tazmania]

A 737/800 seats 189 passengers not including crew. Take out 5 rows to improve legroom that leaves 159. Team and trainers etc maybe 50 people. Leaves 109 seats that can be sold as part of a package. "Fly with the Dockers".... bus takes you to hotel near the stadium. Autographs from the players etc.

$40,000/109 = $366 per non-team person each way..... given the team already pays for flights they wouldn't have to anymore and could ever boost profits.

 

[The Black Sheep]

Exactly. That's why we sit on a runway while JQ flights take off for Sydney.

I don't think they would mind an aircraft being provided for them though.

The real issue is the $40,000 fuel bill to get to Melbourne, one way.

If we can negotiate a deal with a freight company to move their stuff at the same time then we can maybe offset the cost.

It's still a $750,000 a year (just us, not including West Coast) running cost every year.

Well the AFL will have to give us a COTA (cost of travel allowance). Maybe the AFL should purchase a few planes for all teams to use. Yes, my tounge is firmly implanted in my cheek, as the tight sods would never spend any of their septillions on such an idea.

 

[Taylor]

Don't forget the interest charges on the $20,000,000 purchase cost.

Collingwood will lose their mind over it. I'd enjoy watching Eddie demand use of the plane.

 

[free at last]

Exactly. That's why we sit on a runway while JQ flights take off for Sydney.

I don't think they would mind an aircraft being provided for them though.

The real issue is the $40,000 fuel bill to get to Melbourne, one way.

If we can negotiate a deal with a freight company to move their stuff at the same time then we can maybe offset the cost.

It's still a $750,000 a year (just us, not including West Coast) running cost every year.

I like your thinking at taking freight both ways.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

In my dreams we'd get both Ryder and Frawley....
That's not gonna happen unfortunately.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Speaking of private jets/charter flights - wasn't there some experiment a few years ago (Collingwood?) who flew back at lower than normal cruising altitude so they could pressurise the plane to a higher level to assist player recovery - what happened with that?

(Normal airliners although pressurised are not at sea level pressure. At cruising altitude of 35-40,000 feet the cabin pressure is normally around what it would be at 5-800 feet. The air is a bit thinner so less oxygen for recovering players. Maybe this is the problem with flying, it could be solved by flying at lower altitude so the cabin can be pressurised higher.)

 

[ep2018]

Speaking of private jets/charter flights - wasn't there some experiment a few years ago (Collingwood?) who flew back at lower than normal cruising altitude so they could pressurise the plane to a higher level to assist player recovery - what happened with that?

They almost ran over Geelong in a PF in 2007 after playing extra time the week before. They flew back from Perth on a low altitude plane basically straight after the game, hell they didn't even sing the song afterwards.

 

[Tazmania]

Speaking of private jets/charter flights - wasn't there some experiment a few years ago (Collingwood?) who flew back at lower than normal cruising altitude so they could pressurise the plane to a higher level to assist player recovery - what happened with that?

(Normal airliners although pressurised are not at sea level pressure. At cruising altitude of 35-40,000 feet the cabin pressure is normally around what it would be at 5-800 feet. The air is a bit thinner so less oxygen for recovering players. Maybe this is the problem with flying, it could be solved by flying at lower altitude so the cabin can be pressurised higher.)

Saw a study on airline travel on some doco.... the thing that causes fatigue is the noise/drone of the engines. It keeps your brain working constantly and hence the fatigue. Anything over about 2 hours will have an effect. The closer you are to the rear of the plane the worse it is as you are behind the engines. Further forward is better and one of the reasons you feel better flying business class.

Noise cancelling headphones pretty much negate the impact, which is why you see all the freo players carrying them on and off the plane. They plug in and isolate themselves from the noise most of the journey.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Some of the guys wear oxygen masks on the flight to off set the less oxygen factor.

 

[yakka man]

Apparently he didn't come to Perth for a second time. That was just BS. I don't think we're much of a chance.

 

[mike91]

Need to purchase a private jet,customise the bird specifically for the player's needs and share the costs with the mob up the road.

Good program on 60 minutes tonight on where all the unwanted jets go to die.
Surely we could get a jumbo on the cheap!

Where do they actually go?

 

[mike91]

In my dreams we'd get both Ryder and Frawley....
That's not gonna happen unfortunately.

What you be for or against having both Frawley and Waite? Waite is an interesting one, not a fan of him, personally think hes a dickhead, but we need him and he could play a very valuable role. I think we should get him, he'd take a defender away from Pav, Mayne would finally be able to play as a third forward which should help him and Waite can take a mark and kick goals. Also worth noting if a defender gets injured during the match, we could possibly throw Waite back, as he can also play as a defender.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

What you be for or against having both Frawley and Waite? Waite is an interesting one, not a fan of him, personally think hes a dickhead, but we need him and he could play a very valuable role. I think we should get him, he'd take a defender away from Pav, Mayne would finally be able to play as a third forward which should help him and Waite can take a mark and kick goals. Also worth noting if a defender gets injured during the match, we could possibly throw Waite back, as he can also play as a defender.

I'd be for Waite if he improved his discipline.

 

[free at last]

Where do they actually go?

Don't know.

 

[Taylor]

Where do they actually go?

Isn't everyone's dad an aeroplane nut?
There are huge bone yards in Arizona where they are slowly stripped of parts.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Where do they actually go?

I know there is a massive cemetery in a desert in the US....Nevada ?

 

[mike91]

I know there is a massive cemetery in a desert in the US....Nevada ?

Area 51

 

[mike91]

Apparently he didn't come to Perth for a second time. That was just BS. I don't think we're much of a chance.

Source?