Discussion Nick Walsh, Head of High Performance and Conditioning quits

[AirWinmar]

Just caught up on the injury thread. You'd have to think the timing of this would have to do with Hayes and Coff re-injuring themselves again

 

[AirWinmar]

I imagine the latest Hayes and Coffield setbacks had to have played a role

Only so much you can put down to bad luck

Yeah you'd think so. What is it the 2nd or 3rd time of re-injury?

 

[Cairnsman]

Let me start by saying I am a huge RTB fan and was never more pleased than when he returned and I am over the moon with what he has achieved so far with an injury plagued list - phenomenal!

BUT

One thing that worries me more in a big picture sense is that, given RTB is such a big personality and is now the face of the Club, who manages him and in the worst case scenario just says “Ross we are not doing this as it’s not a good idea” or “ok but we will approach this differently”

Ron Joseph used to have these hard discussions with Barassi when he was in charge at the Kangaroos.

Geoff Walsh would have been ideal - I wonder if Misson is just too close to RTB?

I’ve go no idea if this is an issue - pure speculation on my part - but let’s hope Misson can have the hard chat if needs be.

I think this is something that could be a concern.

Lyon is Basset's Captain's pick and you'd have to think Lyon only answers to him and doesn't recognise any other authority.

It's something that hasn't been backed over but Ross's game plan, which is essentially the same game plan he's deployed since 2007, and that's despite promising he would introduce more attacking flare, is a very taxing game plan, it's really suited to a list that is battle hardened and much closer to being a sustained top 4 side which we are still a few years from reaching.

The boys looked cooked at times against Port.

Lyons game plan was heavily criticised by Freo supporters in his last few years for being overly taxing and creating their perpetual injury crisis.

 

[George]

What was that?

I haven't seen or heard either

I missed both. Able to give a brief rundown?

This is the interview (I haven't listened to it yet so don't know the reference)

 

[The_Steadier]

Maybe I’m an overly sensitive snowflake with poor coping mechanisms

....But(t)...
I was not prepared for that analogy!

Re the injuries, Ross was pretty clear early on that most of the injuries were impact injuries, but really now all of those have resolved themselves, now we're seeing soft tissue injuries rise, not only that but injured players are injuring new body parts - Jack Hayes now has a hamstring set back, Coff went from a knee injury to a distal bicep (ouch, I have recently had surgery for that it's a bugger) and now has a calf, Dmac still injured plus the injuries last year as well.

On the rest, who knows. When I did basic training in the army I loved it and really cruised through, another guy I knew last a few days because it was too overbearing - just like anal, it's a personal thing and some like it and thrive and some don't.

Honestly, if we had to choose to set the club up to be overbearing or not, I'd go with overbearing because at least there will be enough pressure to drive the opportunity of success.

 

[austinnn]

just like anal, it's a personal thing and some like it and thrive and some don't.

Just casually throw that one in there lololol

 

[Mowman]

Caros comments the other day, followed up by a lethers interview on SEN sure is interesting now

What did Caro say

 

[stavro#4]

Wasn't you I was talking about. Walsh has been around during seasons where this wasn't a problem, so what's the difference now? The outlier is Misson.

It’s not that simple.

Training these days is like a legitimate high performance environment

Last few years it was like going down to your local club for a kick on a cold Tuesday night and then ****ing off for a snag and a beer.

If Walsh wasn’t up to the task Mission would spot it.

As I said the other night, for all I know it was Hayes not Coffield or even both being reinjured - That became enough for Walsh to walk away.

 

[gringo2011]

Wasn't you I was talking about. Walsh has been around during seasons where this wasn't a problem, so what's the difference now? The outlier is Misson.

Didn't you say he was there in 2021? That was the year we nearly ran out of players after a promising 2020 where we were expected to step up. Sharman only got played after we'd been through nearly every fit player.

Cornes said this.

"These are the things we would look at right now: the recruiting, their fitness and injury (management) has been diabolical and their last quarter was a testament to that against the youngest team in the comp, Adelaide.

"Then you look at football, I can't remember a drop-off year on year like we've seen with St Kilda in a long, long time."

AFL greats unload on Saints over 'excuses'

The alarming numbers behind inexplicable slide

wwos.nine.com.au

 

[gringo2011]

I was talking to a retired surgeon at a function over the weekend, who is a footy follower(Collingwood) and we spoke about the footy and I mentioned that Steele looked a bit off the pace after his shoulder operation- his opinion having looked at Steele's situation, was that he personally wouldn't have let Steele return to football for many more weeks. Maybe the Walsh walkout was over how we manage players coming back from serious injury.

He's the exception though. Most are frustratingly held back.

 

[Bertha]

Just casually throw that one in there lololol

Haha, I'm checking who's actually reading my posts!

 

[Bertha]

That's what usually happens when you up the intensity of a program though, players break down. We are doing what Geelong have done for a few years, the difference is Geelong have done it for a few years so their players are used to it and so their bodies hold up.

The only thing I can criticise Walsh on is the injury on return. The rest to me isn't enough to micromanage the guy to the point he quits.

We both agree on the injuring injured players - do you know he was micromanged to the point of resigning though?

 

[George]

It’s not that simple.

Training these days is like a legitimate high performance environment

Last few years it was like going down to your local club for a kick on a cold Tuesday night and then ******* off for a snag and a beer.

If Walsh wasn’t up to the task Mission would spot it.

As I said the other night, for all I know it was Hayes not Coffield or even both being reinjured - That became enough for Walsh to walk away.

The only concern to me is the re-injury of injured players. If that's the only reason for his immediate resignation then fair enough however my own personal opinion is that it seems Walsh has been undermined by someone else at the club and the only logical choice would be Misson (because of the immediate resignation despite Walsh saying he wanted a career change - you would think if all was OK then this would've been planned) We are an elite hard running side with many of our list coming back for the pre-season in top shape - a dozen having career best numbers. Walsh should be credited largely for that - and the fact that we are so fit leads me to believe he packed up and left for more reasons than the re-injury issues.

Didn't you say he was there in 2021? That was the year we nearly ran out of players after a promising 2020 where we were expected to step up. Sharman only got played after we'd been through nearly every fit player.

Cornes said this.

"These are the things we would look at right now: the recruiting, their fitness and injury (management) has been diabolical and their last quarter was a testament to that against the youngest team in the comp, Adelaide.

"Then you look at football, I can't remember a drop-off year on year like we've seen with St Kilda in a long, long time."

AFL greats unload on Saints over 'excuses'

The alarming numbers behind inexplicable slide

wwos.nine.com.au

Same season that Ratten told the group to go and do their own programs over the summer after making finals in 2020. How can you attribute this to Walsh? Ratten is the head coach and told the players otherwise - to me it's on Ratten. Walsh had written the programs for the players but without guidance and elite level management it went to shit. Walsh can't go over Ratten's head.

 

[George]

We both agree on the injuring injured players - do you know he was micromanged to the point of resigning though?

Well given we both don't work at the club we are both speculating. It seems like you don't think he was micromanaged but that's also speculation.

 

[gubby88]

Walsh aside I agree that it's very amateurish to hire someone who doesn't have the qualifications for the role. That's on Lethers.

I heard they needed someone to run the department but Finnis didn't want to spend on the footy department so they went left field and Walsh was the best of the lot they could get

On SM-G960F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[snails13]

Wouldn't read too much into fitness staff leaving, they are a dime a dozen and are every where. I'm sure Misson will find a sound replacement before too long and lets hope they can address our consistently poor attrition rate with injuries. I dont think its any coincidence that Walsh was the last of the Ratten/Lethlean era.

I think this is something that could be a concern.

Lyon is Basset's Captain's pick and you'd have to think Lyon only answers to him and doesn't recognise any other authority.

It's something that hasn't been backed over but Ross's game plan, which is essentially the same game plan he's deployed since 2007, and that's despite promising he would introduce more attacking flare, is a very taxing game plan, it's really suited to a list that is battle hardened and much closer to being a sustained top 4 side which we are still a few years from reaching.

The boys looked cooked at times against Port.

Lyons game plan was heavily criticised by Freo supporters in his last few years for being overly taxing and creating their perpetual injury crisis.

Arent the concerns of this thread involving players who haven't taken the field to date

 

[George]

Tony74 insinuating that Walsh is not only to blame

Something is terribly wrong. Too many re-occurring soft term injuries.

May be a case of "good riddance" to Walsh

Lots of moving parts here Saynta. We actually have someone else in charge of rehab. Who is responsible to someone else. I’m not giving names but it’s never one person’s fault.

 

[Cairnsman]

What did Caro say

Arent the concerns of this thread involving players who haven't taken the field to date

Mostly but now I'm concerned it also includes your concerns.

 

[Cairnsman]

Tony74 insinuating that Walsh is not only to blame

But he does insinuate someone is to blame

 

[stfan]

Lyons game plan was heavily criticised by Freo supporters in his last few years for being overly taxing and creating their perpetual injury crisis.

The problem with that theory is that the players who are being taxed by that gameplan are playing, and not getting injured.

Whereas it is the injured non-playing, non-taxed, players who are getting re-injured.

It seems to me that we mainly seem to have a rehab problem.

 

[Cairnsman]

The problem with that theory is that the players who are being taxed by that gameplan are playing, and not getting injured.

Wheread it is the injured non-playing, non-taxed, players who are getting re-injured.

It seems to me that we mainly seem to have a rehab problem.

Training for a taxing game plan migjt also be taxing, especially when the coache's number one mantra is you play the way you train.

 

[bergholt]

But he does insinuate someone is to blame

Probably Danny Sexton. We fired him but he volunteered to hang around and run rehab for us.

 

[Cairnsman]

Probably Danny Sexton. We fired him but he volunteered to hang around and run rehab for us.

If that was true it would sound like amateur hour at your country league level.

 

[StFly]

Probably Danny Sexton. We fired him but he volunteered to hang around and run rehab for us.

In a year and maybe 4 months, whatever department ol Sexton is in, he'll throw a tanty and head that department regardless of qualifications, build that CV of being the manwhore of the football department at the Saints to hold literally every operational role except:

Forwards coach.
Head Coach.

The Sexton Stink lives on! May it always be pungent so that we may ferret out the problem in any department he's in.

And people blame Lethers mates without having that guy as 2IC to him operationally, the man is a shadow such is his skill at completly stuffing a department so he can head it himself in a year to stick the boot in himself.

 

[BrutThough]

Tony74 insinuating that Walsh is not only to blame

Sounds like it's two different issues - a problem with the rehab program or how it is being overseen and then what has caused Walsh to leave.