News Burgess quits, returns to EPL with Arsenal, joins Melbourne, looks to be heading to Adelaide

Hellgood

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Best example is the cycling guys.

:oops: What was I thinking!

Yeah they did exceptionally well out of Australian's there - Sutton (whose methods ruffled a few feathers, but arguably "got the job done") and Kerrison (moreso Team Sky but went hand in hand with Wiggins success).
 
In that SEN's Cam Luke interview with ESPN.com reporter Kevin Arnovitz who wrote that article about Ben Simmons, Arnovitz talks about Aussie sports scientists all over the NBA teams and mentions Troy Flanagan at the Milwaukee Bucks. Our head of Medical Services, Tim O'Leary has come back to the club after a couple of years at the Bucks. In that interview in the Tsier with Ian Mckeown last week Tim said the following

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...m/news-story/6412c279d139861de48a33f99a4224e8
He returns to Port Adelaide armed with knowledge gathered as the rehabilitation manager with the NBA franchise Milwaukee Bucks, where he worked with multi million dollar basketball stars. “They called it senior physical therapist and I left here (Port Adelaide) as head physiotherapist,” O’Leary said. “The department was smaller — there were only 15 players — and we were sent out there to set up the department with a bit of a blank canvas.

“Interestingly enough the NBA is a little bit behind in those things, which seems odd to people because there’s so much money involved in it. “But younger owners are starting to look around the world at what goes into looking after players in reducing injuries and managing players. “But at the same time I learnt a lot because these players basically don’t stop.”
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...m/news-story/6412c279d139861de48a33f99a4224e8

A couple of weeks after Tim left the Bucks, they opened this $30m sports science centre facility called the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center - helping to set up that department from a blank canvas.

http://www.nba.com/bucks/release/fr...ience-center-officially-opens-milwaukee-bucks

 
Mar 1, 2014
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I am over Burgess. In 2014 his methods got results but somewhere along the line the other clubs caught up. Either Burgess had too many irons in other fires or his methods were copied by the rest of the comp. Something definitely happened in Dubai an couple of years back as the players admitted to being burnt out before the season started and that appears to have been a turning point in our fitness advantage over the rest of the competition.We never went back to Dubai so you have to wonder If Burgess had second thoughts about his pre season methods.

Darren Burgess was great for Port and Port was great for him but I am happy to wish Darren well and move on.
 
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BrockBlitz

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I am over Burgess. In 2014 his methods got results but somewhere along the line the other clubs caught up. Either Burgess had too many irons in other fires or his methods were copied by the rest of the comp. Something definitely happened in Dubai an couple of years back as the players admitted to being burnt out before the season started and that appears to have been a turning point in our fitness advantage over the rest of the competition.We never went back to Dubai so you have to wonder If Burgess had second thoughts about his pre season methods.

Darren Burgess was great for Port and Port was great for him but I am happy to wish Darren well and move on.

If you want to make an omelette you've got to break some eggs.

You either under cook your players and no one gets injured or burnt out but they aren't at peak physical potential.

Or,

You cook them just right, a couple break down over preseason and they're fit as they can be come season start.

Or,

You over cook them and they breakdown both physically and mentally.

It's a complete balancing act dependent on the bodies, age, personalities, nutrition, sleep, hydration, weather. It's a constantly evolving art.
We were better than everyone else because Darren pioneered a lot of this GPS stuff and everyone else played catch up.
 
If you want to make an omelette you've got to break some eggs.

You either under cook your players and no one gets injured or burnt out but they aren't at peak physical potential.

Or,

You cook them just right, a couple break down over preseason and they're fit as they can be come season start.

Or,

You over cook them and they breakdown both physically and mentally.

It's a complete balancing act dependent on the bodies, age, personalities, nutrition, sleep, hydration, weather. It's a constantly evolving art.
We were better than everyone else because Darren pioneered a lot of this GPS stuff and everyone else played catch up.

Yep.

It's like putting in golf.

You're better off hitting it past the hole because at least you've given yourself a chance of sinking it. Leave it short and you're not even in the game.
 
Mar 1, 2014
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Yep.

It's like putting in golf.

You're better off hitting it past the hole because at least you've given yourself a chance of sinking it. Leave it short and you're not even in the game.

Either way you have not sunk the putt which is the real objective.
 
Nov 5, 2010
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If you want to make an omelette you've got to break some eggs.

You either under cook your players and no one gets injured or burnt out but they aren't at peak physical potential.

Or,

You cook them just right, a couple break down over preseason and they're fit as they can be come season start.

Or,

You over cook them and they breakdown both physically and mentally.

It's a complete balancing act dependent on the bodies, age, personalities, nutrition, sleep, hydration, weather. It's a constantly evolving art.
We were better than everyone else because Darren pioneered a lot of this GPS stuff and everyone else played catch up.
Completely agree. The last few years we’ve still been in the top handful of clubs regardless, despite the murmurings on here.

I think one of the biggest impacts Burgess had which often goes forgotten (and one of the reasons for giving him the salary we did) is that we tasked him with building our high performance department from the ground up.

Let’s not forget how much of a rabble our fitness department was pre Burgess arriving, and to go from dead last to first over the course of just a year was an outstanding achievement. Now as part of recruiting the right people I anticipate that we’ll continue on being one of the top clubs fitness and recovery wise under McKeown.
 
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Completely agree. The last few years we’ve still been in the top handful of clubs regardless, despite the murmurings on here.
I keep forgetting that if in the last quarter of the first Showdown this year Sgary could kick a goal from 1m out and Wingard didn't have to spend time pointing out things on the dolly to the police we would have finished above the Crows.
 
Rooch is obviously bored in Italy - or maybe he made a quick trip to London and spoke to Burgo there.

Burgo and Port and moving away from us and having no real involvement other than personal contacts with people at the club and just being a fan from a distance.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...d/news-story/5f395b80b074d7ad46350c5021cb9fce
DARREN Burgess is not staring back. And given the work he has at English Premier League football club Arsenal, it is best for the former Port Adelaide fitness boss to keep looking forward. This is Burgess’ second stint in the EPL – in his preferred sport of soccer – after working at Liverpool (2010-2012) between his two stays in the AFL with the Power at Alberton. It is a much bigger agenda at Arsenal – where Burgess is the Gunners’ hand-picked head of high performance with an imposing portfolio that includes dealing with player contracts – than it was at Anfield. So there is not much time to spare on thinking about Port Adelaide from where Burgess left mid-season to take up a three-year contract with the Gunners. Unlike 2008, Burgess is more confident he will quickly pass into the shadows at Alberton to give substance to Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley’s cheeky one-liner in a press conference in September: “Darren who?’’ “The staff, the systems we put in place (from 2012) ensures Port Adelaide is a more-robust place than it was in 2008,’’ Burgess told The Advertiser while opening the doors to Arsenal’s modernised training base at London Colney.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...d/news-story/5f395b80b074d7ad46350c5021cb9fce

Ah my quotes have been removed. If you get over the paywall you will read

* The program continues without him.

*Sounds like he was chased virtually within a few months of coming back at the end of 2012.
Burgess was chased by NBA club Brooklyn and NFL franchise Cleveland soon after starting the Port in late 2012 after rejecting Richmond's approach and even on Italian Serie A club AS Roma’s interview list in 2014.

* Still rings Hinkley for a chat about sports and life. Sounds like it was an equal partnership. If BrockBlitz was right, then Burgo got paid more than Kenny. Sounds like he could be back at Port in the AFL industry down the track, maybe 5 or 10 years down the track.

* How and when Arsenal approached Burgo and the weekend 48 hour trip to Nice after the Thursday night Hawthorn game to be back for Monday morning work. The trip that Kdogg1337 gave us the heads up the next day - the Friday that Burgo was on, and Burgo was in France for 20 hours and came back with a contract too good to refuse. Burgo said that if Hinkley, Boak or Chris Davies said he shouldn't go, then that would have vetoed the move.

* And he is happy of what was created at the Burgo academy and the people he and the club has developed.
 
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Rooch wrote 2 stories about Burgo in the Sunday Mail but only 1 is available online, the main one I linked above.

burgess-article-sunday-mail.png


The second one not on line is headlined Cold reality of new football chapter

He regularly declines interviews about his position, turning down six so far since his arrival at the club, choosing to adhere to Arsene Wenger’s preference for minimal media exposure [ Shaucob_Burjan another example of the 180 degree difference between Port's attitude to talking up Burgo and sports science team)

Burgess has kept a low public profile since moving to Arsenal as its high performance chief. He has declined as many as six interviews recognising Wegner’s protocol for minimal media exposure and to avoid the inevitable comparisons between Australian Football and the EPL. Burgess’ profile will remain low key at Arsenal where he recognises there is a time to move away from wearing a whistle and moving cones on the training track, to managing people and critical systems in an elite sporting program.

The article say Koch and fellow board member Cos Cardone visited Burgo at Arsenal’s upgraded training facility London Colney last month and Kochie saw how serious Arsenal are about upgrading their high performance program that Koch might no longer be annoyed Burgo left according to Rooch. Michael Voss did a short study tour in the Arsenal system last month. Rooch reckons Burgo doesn’t dismiss a potential Port-Arsenal partnership down the track. Burgo reckons the 2 don't need a formal partnership but will keep talking about it as they exchange ideas.
 
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Burgo's Arsenal connection continues and not just the weekend at Arsenal with Burgo including flights which were auctioned off at the Hall of Fame. A couple of Arsenal Academy players are at Alberton in their gap year.

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-03-28/ports-arsenal-connection-continues
PORT ADELAIDE’S relationship with English Premier League powerhouse club Arsenal has continued with two academy players spending time at Alberton as part of a gap year program. Sam Roberts, 19 and originally from Manchester, and Kafele Morgan, 20 of London, are taking part in the Arsenal Community Gap Year Programme. The programme gives young men and women a year of development in coaching, teaching and leadership skills. They first undertake five months of training at the Arsenal Hub in Islington, where they get coaching badges and undertake classroom-based activities in primary and secondary schools. Participants can then be offered placements overseas for up to four months to help with Arsenal’s community projects around the world.

Roberts and Morgan came to Australia to spend time with Football Federation South Australia but also contacted Port Adelaide Football Club General Manager of Power Community Limited Ross Wait with a view to visiting Alberton, and he was happy to oblige. “I’ve been engaging with Arsenal in the Community over the last few years and spent a day with Arsenal in London last year and we’ve struck a relationship on mutual understanding and community benefit,” Wait said. “Coming from the soccer background, learning about Aussie Rules is quite unique for them, so learning about our programs and how we engage with the community is quite similar to what they do in the UK.”

Arsenal and Port Adelaide begun a collaborative partnership focussing on sports science and professional development opportunities after the Power’s Head of High Performance Darren Burgess was handpicked by Gunners coach Arsene Wenger to work at Highbury last June. While the sport is different, Wait expected the visiting Arsenal Academy players would realise that sport was a powerful engagement tool for young people..... Wait said he thought Port Adelaide could consider a similar gap year program for its students in its Aboriginal AFL Academies..........
http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2018-03-28/ports-arsenal-connection-continues
 
So with Arsene Wenger on the way out at Arsenal, I wonder if this might have implications for Burgo? When he was first appointed it was said that Wenger had handpicked him for the role. More than likely he continues on regardless but it's still a little bit of a watch this space I reckon.
 

rogerjames

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Completely agree. The last few years we’ve still been in the top handful of clubs regardless, despite the murmurings on here.

I think one of the biggest impacts Burgess had which often goes forgotten (and one of the reasons for giving him the salary we did) is that we tasked him with building our high performance department from the ground up.

Let’s not forget how much of a rabble our fitness department was pre Burgess arriving, and to go from dead last to first over the course of just a year was an outstanding achievement. Now as part of recruiting the right people I anticipate that we’ll continue on being one of the top clubs fitness and recovery wise under McKeown.
Fair call
 
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So with Arsene Wenger on the way out at Arsenal, I wonder if this might have implications for Burgo? When he was first appointed it was said that Wenger had handpicked him for the role. More than likely he continues on regardless but it's still a little bit of a watch this space I reckon.
I guess the Crows could be in the running for a High Performance Manager soon.
 
Just heard on 5AA Burgo could be making a few extra dollars and maybe a couple of extra visits to Oz if the A-League expansion licence bidder - Southern Expansion, does in fact win a 3rd licence for the Sydney market in late October. Maybe if he comes back to Oz in a few years that's where he will end up.

It basically covers the St George area down to Cronulla across to Hurstville footprint in Sydney's Sutherland Shire ie Sydney's SE and the South Coast which picks up Wollongong and Illawarra region . Haha he will have to work with Craig Foster who is head of football for the Southern Expansion. Les Murray backed them before he passed away - 12 months today says their website. Elbows read something out about it, but the SMH reported this on 13th July.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer...ith-arsenal-fitness-guru-20180712-p4zr5l.html
A-League hopefuls Southern Expansion are set to announce they've secured the services of Arsenal's director of high performance, Darren Burgess, in a massive boost for their bid to enter the 2019-20 competition. Burgess will continue in his role with the north London English Premier League giants, but will provide input from afar should Southern Expansion win the right to be Sydney's third club. The FFA, which whittled the shortlist down to 10 teams late last month, is expected to announce which two bids have won the expansion race on October 31. Burgess was hand-picked to join Arsene Wenger's staff at Arsenal in June of 2017 and survived a backroom cull when new manager Unai Emery took over. He was previously head of fitness at Liverpool Football Club under Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson and Brendan Rodgers. He has also worked in the AFL with Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans..........
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer...ith-arsenal-fitness-guru-20180712-p4zr5l.html

And this is the press release released by Southern Expansion a few hours after the SMH story. Elbows read this press release out word for word - 18 days after it was released.

Media Release 13 July,
2018 ARSENAL FC SPORTS SCIENTIST DARREN BURGESS JOINS SOUTHERN EXPANSION
Renowned Australian sports scientist, Darren Burgess, Director of High Performance at Arsenal FC in the English Premier League (EPL), will be joining Southern Expansion as a special High Performance Advisor upon the Club being granted a new A-League licence, it was announced today.

Mr Burgess has been at Arsenal since June 2017 after being “hand-picked” for the role by former Manager Arsene Wenger. He previously held key technical positions at Port Adelaide AFL Club, where he was High Performance Manager and Liverpool FC, where he was Head of Fitness and Conditioning, working with Managers Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson and Brendan Rodgers.

Mr Burgess was also was Head of Fitness for the Socceroos team, in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, in South Africa.

Southern CEO Chris Gardiner said Mr Burgess will join Southern as an external High Performance Technical Advisor, from his in-house role at Arsenal, working closely with Southern’s Head of Football Craig Foster. “Darren has worked at some of the biggest Clubs in both football and AFL and to have him joining Southern is a coup and it further strengthens the solid coaching and operational framework our Club already has in place,” Mr Gardiner said today.

“Working with Craig, his main priority will be to develop a high-performance structure for the Club, providing support and advice for our coaches and technical staff on training routines; technical analysis; and injury prevention and recovery, with the aim of giving our players the best chance of achieving their best performances.

“Given his wealth of experience in both Australia and the UK, Darren will mentor and train our coaches and allow us to leverage his international networks and tap-in to the very latest, cutting-edge sports science research.” Southern Chairman Morris Iemma welcomed Mr Burgess’ appointment, saying he would play a key role in supporting the Club’s coaches and A-League and W-League players, both on and off the field.
 
Ok think I have found out why this is being reported now. An Arsenal fans/dedicated website, The Daily Cannon has obviously just found out about Burgo's appointment as an advisor to Southern Expansion bid team and they are reporting this as Burgo is leaving Arsenal. This isn't correct as they haven't won the A-League licence yet, they start in 2019-20 season and its only an advisory position. Tim Parham's departure for Arsenal was reported on 14th July and this press release about Burgo was made on the 13 July.

The Daily Cannon have joined the two together and have hinted at the new coach Unai Emery maybe off loading Burgo who was a Wenger appointment.

Oh have a look at the picture of Port Adelaide player they use in the story from a tweet by Tim Parham.

http://dailycannon.com/2018/07/official-darren-burgess-to-leave-arsenal/
 

Ishikawa

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Wow on face value that is an immense downgrade - surely must be granted part ownership or something of the like?
 
Wow on face value that is an immense downgrade - surely must be granted part ownership or something of the like?
He's not leaving Arsenal. He has been put down as an ADVISOR in the bid documents. I will take it on face value that he is going to take up the position as a part time consultant if the Southern Expansion win the bid. He isnt going to give up a 1 million + pound a year job for a maybe. If the new coach sacks him he will take up a job somewhere else in Euro soccer or do something a lot bigger in Oz than a maybe licence in the A League.
 

Ishikawa

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He's not leaving Arsenal. He has been put down as an ADVISOR in the bid documents. I will take it on face value that he is going to take up the position as a part time consultant if the Southern Expansion win the bid. He isnt going to give up a 1 million + pound a year job for a maybe. If the new coach sacks him he will take up a job somewhere else in Euro soccer or do something a lot bigger in Oz than a maybe licence in the A League.

Ah I see, thanks. All just about trying to get as many established names associated with the bid in the documents.
 
Maybe they are forming a parent club partnership with Arsenal like Melbourne City with Man City. So Arsenal provide guidance with establishing the club and gives it some funding credibility.
 
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