Mega Thread 2015 Training Reports

[Arcassius]

It's not a 'maybe it's something we do' by the way - it's a common strategy for finals bound teams

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-07-07/cats-enduring-heavy-training-load-to-peak-for-september-stokes


It's a calculated risk - the club doesn't plan to lose games, but we're more likely to be beaten during the period, and so are the other teams who do the same

 

[beetz]

It's not a 'maybe it's something we do' by the way - it's a common strategy for finals bound teams

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-07-07/cats-enduring-heavy-training-load-to-peak-for-september-stokes



Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk

On Sunday, we were crap from the start of the 2nd quarter. Can't blame that on an increase in the training load.

 

[Arcassius]

On Sunday, we were crap from the start of the 2nd quarter. Can't blame that on an increase in the training load.

Again - I'm not making excuses for the team, just pointing out that were doing something particular in regards to training leading into finals

 

[theGav56]

Please don't go there salim, don't let one or two flogs bring you down to that level.

April 14 was such a great recruiting time for this Board, and we managed to get three posters with very similar views with the same join dates.

Since then we have enjoyed posts that are consistently derogatory for the club, and have an edge of nastiness towards other posters. Guess what? They don't like Lyon. And other clubs are usually better, and we should be like them. No surprise they "like" each others posts a lot.

The problem with the training loads excuse is that you are, in addition to claiming that our increased training loads (whether or not they actually exist) are impacting our performance, claiming that other clubs that we have been flat against have not implemented a similar program. Despite the fact that those clubs are also positioning themselves for a run at the finals. And in the case of West Coast, having a similar advantage of ladder position.

And North Melbourne, would they not be doing something similar to us in regards to training? Why didn't their skills go to poo?

Also our skills started to deteriorate after the first qtr.

How many more excuses do the Freo players want?

 

[salim malik]

2014 Freo were battling to stay in top 4 contention for the last rounds and didn't have the opportunity to change up our training and rest players.
The finals for Freo were a disaster.This season its been planned from the first day of pre season to have the club in the position were we are now and thats to have the opportunity to do exactly whats needed in player preparation for the finals . Change up or down the training regimes and rest players.
There has been a distinct change in training and as Taylor said a lot more work on the bikes and in the gym.For Freo its all been about the finals for the last couple of weeks.

 

[theGav56]

2014 Freo were battling to stay in top 4 contention for the last rounds and didn't have the opportunity to change up our training and rest players.
The finals for Freo were a disaster.This season its been planned from the first day of pre season to have the club in the position were we are now and thats to have the opportunity to do exactly whats needed in player preparation for the finals . Change up or down the training regimes and rest players.
There has been a distinct change in training and as Taylor said a lot more work on the bikes and in the gym.For Freo its all been about the finals for the last couple of weeks.

I am loving it. No idea quite what to expect, and don't think we have the class of Hawthorn so I am not oozing confidence about winning BIG. But I do think there is a game of chess going on.

 

[salim malik]

I am loving it. No idea quite what to expect, and don't think we have the class of Hawthorn so I am not oozing confidence about winning BIG. But I do think there is a game of chess going on.

Yep the season has been carefully planned. To achieve what Bond and Ross saw as necessary to give us the best possible outcome is pure genius and I find it really hard to understand the negativity towards Ross and the players.

 

[jackkkkk]

Did we do the training load thing last year? I heard from a relative that we did (i'll be ****ed if he knows) but we were playing awful footy (saints, carlton, most of the geelong game) before all of a sudden we clicked and comfortably beat the hawks and port

 

[greatgatsby]

Not feeling much pressure myself. Started the season written off (too old, too slow) then suddenly got rated. Internally, we always knew it was about positioning to give ourselves the best chance (knowing that Hawthorn has the most raw talent). Nothing's changed - we'll be top two and if we're fresh going into finals - unlike last year - and the Hawks have some challenges (like travelling to play a finals match - sacre bleu!) ... then we're a chance! If it doesn't work out, we'll shape up again next year with one of the best coaches in the land and some talented kids playing.

 

[beetz]

April 14 was such a great recruiting time for this Board, and we managed to get three posters with very similar views with the same join dates.

Since then we have enjoyed posts that are consistently derogatory for the club, and have an edge of nastiness towards other posters. Guess what? They don't like Lyon. And other clubs are usually better, and we should be like them. No surprise they "like" each others posts a lot.

Are you serious? So now opinions posted on here are superior/inferior based on join date?

Who are you to tell me I am constantly derogatory about the club and hate Lyon. Im no such thing and certainly don't hate Ross.

Get real.

 

[Square Peg]

Yep the season has been carefully planned. To achieve what Bond and Ross saw as necessary to give us the best possible outcome is pure genius and I find it really hard to understand the negativity towards Ross and the players.

 

[Unique Name]

April 14 was such a great recruiting time for this Board, and we managed to get three posters with very similar views with the same join dates.

Since then we have enjoyed posts that are consistently derogatory for the club, and have an edge of nastiness towards other posters. Guess what? They don't like Lyon. And other clubs are usually better, and we should be like them. No surprise they "like" each others posts a lot.

Haha, the old join date argument.

Find a post of mine where I've said I don't like Ross. Go on give it a shot.

 

[free at last]

I'm just hoping we flare our nostrils.

 

[PapaJ]

Did we do the training load thing last year? I heard from a relative that we did (i'll be ****ed if he knows) but we were playing awful footy (saints, carlton, most of the geelong game) before all of a sudden we clicked and comfortably beat the hawks and port

Yeah we did. It's been posted above, most teams in the past decade+ who feel they are in contention for finals will do something to that effect (there will be variations of it), and it's certainly part of RTB philosophy. He did it with the Saints too. It leaves you a touch vulnerable during that time, but increases your ability to power through the finals.

 

[Righteo]

Haha, the old join date argument.

Find a post of mine where I've said I don't like Ross. Go on give it a shot.

Let's not, please. FWIW theGav56 if they were all aliases of the same person we'd have zapped the accounts by now. Let's play nice and try and veer this ship back on course.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

Best meme ever

 

[Grape Bear]

I feel better after a few days break from Bigfooty. I've decided that I will put my faith in the team and just enjoy the ride, wherever that may take us. I'm a realist and not an optimist, and as a realist, I accept that:

a) We are in the current position we are in because we are a good footy team. Not the best in the AFL, certainly not the best right now form-wise, but a good one that deserves our current ladder position regardless of how scrappy and close our wins have been since round 10.

b) Because we are a good footy team, albeit one that is playing shit, it follows that despite our shit form, we are still in this with a chance. The beauty of every game is that it is always going to be a 50/50 outcome (with the odd draw thrown in). Therefore, as soon as we get on the field, even if it is against Hawthorn, the Eagles, or whoever the flavor of the month is, we still have a 50% chance of winning that game.

c) We are locked into a double chance, and if win one more game, we will be locked into being able to host a QF on our own dung heap. The double chance is great, but the home QF is icing. We're bagging our team like crazy, but there are 16 other teams who would kill to be in our position.

There's no point in stressing about our chances because it's not going to change what they are, what will happen will happen.

I know that there will be people who will continue to gnash teeth and wail and pelt stones at our unskilled plodders, our underperforming stars, and our clueless coaching staff, and that's fine, it's a footy forum. But it sure would be nice if those who want to go on with their self-flagellation didn't do it on a soapbox with a know-it-all-you'll-see-we-were-right attitude. Those of us who want to stay hopeful are entitled to do so, just as much as you are.

 

[Righteo]

I want to sticky that ^^^

 

[Spoken4]

I agree with the basic skills of handballing and short kicks however we kicked 7.0 to start the game then the wheels fell off in that area coinciding with the other skill errors. We had form and lost form all in the same game.

And On the Coach last night, all three commented how incredibly good and skilled Freo looked in the first quarter. How does that change in the 5 minute break between quarters?

 

[Banker]

2014 Freo were battling to stay in top 4 contention for the last rounds and didn't have the opportunity to change up our training and rest players.
The finals for Freo were a disaster.This season its been planned from the first day of pre season to have the club in the position were we are now and thats to have the opportunity to do exactly whats needed in player preparation for the finals . Change up or down the training regimes and rest players.
There has been a distinct change in training and as Taylor said a lot more work on the bikes and in the gym.For Freo its all been about the finals for the last couple of weeks.

Who has been rested?

We have cooked Pav, Sandi and D Pearce. Luke.M has also been forced to play due injuries.

Unless we play Duffield and CPearce no amount of rest and training will over come the selection of players with poor skills.

 

[theridge]

My guess is that we're going through a heavy training load in the lead up to the finals. So come finals time we can ease off our training but maintain our fitness.

Ross has been managing players during the games too, to ease their load towards the end of the year.

The port game will answer our questions I believe.

 

[salim malik]

Who has been rested?

We have cooked Pav, Sandi and D Pearce. Luke.M has also been forced to play due injuries.

Unless we play Duffield and CPearce no amount of rest and training will over come the selection of players with poor skills.

Sandi isn't cooked ,WTF are you on about. Pav has an injury that he could play with if it was finals but is being given time of.Its called resting. D Pearce is fine and in full training.One of the characters always laughing and smiling.
Johnno and Zac D have had weeks of so if they aren't rested they never will be.Luke could have played but the club chose to REST him.
Your pathological hatred of Ross clouds every comment you have on Freo. Only supporters of the Saints carry on like you do in regards to Ross and the team.Apart from you I have never heard a Freo supporter call him Ross Lyin'

 

[Spoken4]

On Sunday, we were crap from the start of the 2nd quarter. Can't blame that on an increase in the training load.

Logically, what can you explain it on then? We played perhaps our best first quarter of the year (save the first derby) and our skills were outstanding. Why were we "crap from the start of the 2nd quarter"? Can't be all down to North can it?

 

[TheMcManusNose]

Why do you think Hawthorn was outrun by Port who have nothing to play for after round 23?
Do you remember Brisbane outrunning Geelong a couple of years ago and almost pinching a win?

This happens every season from clubs who are used to 25 game years.

I don't really buy that, it's a highly selective argument. Upsets happen throughout the season. Look at your example of the Hawks, earlier in the year. I don't think we can use the losses of top-4 teams after a certain round as concrete examples of training load caused issues.

Yes, it's a practice that occurs. But I think there are other issues that have contributed to a greater extent to our form slump (although this is not the thread and I have expanded on them in others) and the training loads argument is not a well supported one given the performances of other teams who should arguably also be 'loading'.

West coast were 10 premiership points behind us before the derby. That is nowhere near the advantage we had 2 weeks ago.

Indeed, but that was well past the point where they had essentially secured a double chance. I would also note that they suffered no such adverse effects from a potential increased training load last weekend - after they had closed the gap somewhat and against a side that very much needed to keep winning right now to secure a top 4 berth (i.e. not a side that should have been 'loading').

It will be interesting to come back to it after the Eagles/Crows game. Given that the Crows are in a similar place to North in terms of needing to make finals (ie. they shouldn't be 'loading' because they need to win right now, especially with a home final theoretically on the cards, and West Coast are now in a similar place to us in terms of not really having to do a great deal to achieve anything.

April 14 was such a great recruiting time for this Board, and we managed to get three posters with very similar views with the same join dates.

Since then we have enjoyed posts that are consistently derogatory for the club, and have an edge of nastiness towards other posters. Guess what? They don't like Lyon. And other clubs are usually better, and we should be like them. No surprise they "like" each others posts a lot.

Would you like to address my point rather than attempting to label me as part of some 'derogatory' conspiracy or as someone's alt?

 

[tek87]

I feel better after a few days break from Bigfooty. I've decided that I will put my faith in the team and just enjoy the ride, wherever that may take us. I'm a realist and not an optimist, and as a realist, I accept that:

a) We are in the current position we are in because we are a good footy team. Not the best in the AFL, certainly not the best right now form-wise, but a good one that deserves our current ladder position regardless of how scrappy and close our wins have been since round 10.

b) Because we are a good footy team, albeit one that is playing shit, it follows that despite our shit form, we are still in this with a chance. The beauty of every game is that it is always going to be a 50/50 outcome (with the odd draw thrown in). Therefore, as soon as we get on the field, even if it is against Hawthorn, the Eagles, or whoever the flavor of the month is, we still have a 50% chance of winning that game.

c) We are locked into a double chance, and if win one more game, we will be locked into being able to host a QF on our own dung heap. The double chance is great, but the home QF is icing. We're bagging our team like crazy, but there are 16 other teams who would kill to be in our position.

There's no point in stressing about our chances because it's not going to change what they are, what will happen will happen.

I know that there will be people who will continue to gnash teeth and wail and pelt stones at our unskilled plodders, our underperforming stars, and our clueless coaching staff, and that's fine, it's a footy forum. But it sure would be nice if those who want to go on with their self-flagellation didn't do it on a soapbox with a know-it-all-you'll-see-we-were-right attitude. Those of us who want to stay hopeful are entitled to do so, just as much as you are.

great post. be a pessimist . that way be surprised when you dont expect it