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Mega Thread 2016 Media Thread

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freo_leo29 said:
The Ross Lyon Q&A comment section on Facebook is absolute cancer, I can't find a genuine question that isn't bashing a "defensive game style" or Ross as a coach or even one of our players (mostly Zac)
Struggle to see how Ross is going to answer any of the crap that people have dished out there, absolutely shocking that the AFL wouldn't atleast monitor the questions and remove the crap like "Does Zac Dawson live in your basement" or "what are you goin to do on your year off in 2017"

I for one hope Ross just copy and pastes "You're quite brilliant (insert name)" for every answer
Click to expand...
Get even by going on Twitter #askthecoach
Apparently Ross will answer questions from 1pm AEST tomorrow.
If anyone gives me some decent questions, I will put them up.
 

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Not sure if this is the extent of RTB's 'Ask the Coach' appearance. If there is more, please post...


Hi Ross big fan of your leadership and process you put in place to achieve your goals who do you look to for leadership
We get Ray McLean and Leading Teams in as well.

We've got several big body options in defence, will we rotate some of those guys in attack? Pearce, Collins?
We’re looking to be more flexible. Currently train backs up as forwards intermittently throughout the weeks.

Can we win the flag Ross, YES or NO? One word answer please.
That’s the aim.

When do you expect Bennell to join in on full training?
Imminently for Harley.

What do you expect the split to be of Fyfe's time spent in the Midfield & Forwardline this year?
About 50/50?

Would you still fit into these shorts?


OMG! Did I play in them??

Who has impressed you the most this pre season Ross? And most likely debutant in 2016?
Tough call but Weller Blakely and Langdon in second year are impressing.

What ways can/do you see other sport influences working their way into AFL play eg. ice-hockey breakaway plays? Is there merit?
Already occurring - basketball, soccer, lacrosse are already big influences.

Thanks for your questions for Ross! Loves his social media (Peabody says, "I bet he does!)
There are no more Tweets in this stream.
 
Fyfe's new Ace16 laceless Adidas boots.
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Unique Name said:
That article really psyched me up. Our club is being run so well, our best is yet to come.

Also mods can we rename this thread to 2016 Media thread please :)
Click to expand...
Yes its more than the usual pre-season fluff (as you would expect from Lyon). I particularly like the way he talks about Bennell and Walters. Shows a genuine understanding of youth and human nature (as well as a willingness to discuss it in honest terms) rather than simply platitudes.
More than anything I want to see our side take some risks this year.
 
Attacking the comp with a defensive gameplan is risky.
Even your own supporters turn on you.;)
I think someone(maybe Crippa ) mentioned Lyon likes to read Psychology/Sociology/Anthropological texts??
Or perhaps it was in an interview, but it wasn't Mills and Boons that he read for enjoyment.He ain't your average boofhead!:oops:
 
Ross Lyon couldn’t be happier in charge of the Fremantle Dockers
February 6, 2016 4:00pm
MARK ROBINSONHerald Sun

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Fremantle coach Ross Lyon is happy, Melbourne Australia Picture: George Salpigtidis



ROSS Lyon has learnt not to believe everything he reads online.



The first story was about himself, which he knew to be wrong, and the second was about the seriousness of the back injury to his inspirational midfielder Nathan Fyfe, which he hoped to be wrong — and was wrong.

The Fremantle coach was linked to Carlton’s vacant coaching job after being visited by Blues’ coaching panel member Ken Sheldon in June last year.

It was speculated Lyon, who is contracted until the end of the 2017 season, had been offered the Carlton job.

The speculation also meant Lyon’s controversial departure from St Kilda was also detailed.

Lyon said he and Sheldon, a long-time friend, often met when Sheldon was in Perth and this day it was at an establishment near the Dockers ground and with Lyon in Dockers clothing.


“I get the story, I get that. But he rang me to get some advice on what are the characteristics, what should we be looking for,’’ he said.

“So, was I disappointed. You know what, nothing surprises me. That’s the game.’’

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Nat Fyfe is expected to be ready for Fremantle’s second NAB Challenge match. Picture: Matthew Poon
The speculation also insinuated that Lyon was perhaps gettable despite being contracted to the Dockers.

“This is the bottom line,’’ Lyon said. “If I really wanted to leave you wouldn’t have known because you didn’t the last time.’’

Lyon, 49, starts his fifth season in charge of the Dockers and despite having two years to run on his contract, he would keen for a contract extension discussion.

“Would I entertain it? Yes. Because I’m happy. If they wanted to extend I would extend,’’ he said.

“I’ve never approached the club, not once have I approached a club, they’ve always come to me.

“I’m very happy with the Fremantle Football Club and everything that’s around it.


“I’ve been there for four years, this is the fifth. I don’t put a finite time on (how long he’d like to be there) ... until they no longer want me probably.

“They’ve been magnificent and we’re still building as a club, we haven’t got what we want as a club.’’

The Fyfe scare came when Lyon was on holiday with his family in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Fyfe hurt his back on the final day of training in 2015.

The club doctor told Lyon that the back had “tightened up’’ and that subsequent scans showed a disc had bulged.

Most importantly the doctor said Fyfe didn’t need an operation and that the Brownlow medallist would head home to Lake Grace to rest it for up to two months.

Media reports then suggested Fyfe needed an operation and his season was in trouble.

“I was reading all this, that Nathan had a neck brace on, was in an iron lung, was in traction,’’ Lyon said.

“I was in Hanoi and starting to read all this. So I sent an email to the club doctor. I asked: ‘Did I misunderstand your email and feedback?’

“And he said: ‘No Nathan is fine.’

“So, hyperbole. Did he tweak his back? Yes. Did he have an operation? No. That’s where it sits.

“But there was so much written about it, I had to make an inquiry. And then it was OK, I’ll get back to my spring rolls.’’

Fyfe has resumed full training with plans to play him in Round 2 of the NAB Challenge.
Click to expand...

Mods, please let me know if this is not ok to do.
 
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon sits down with Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson
an hour ago
MARK ROBINSONHerald Sun

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Fremantle coach Ross Lyon at Fox Footy studios in Melbourne. Picture: George Salpigtidis



CARLTON is resetting and Fremantle is re-imagining.



Re-imagining?

“Yeah, write it down,’’ Ross Lyon says.

  • a79209462b9bec8d873b2a15be2d3367

    Hawks celebrate their 2013 Grand Final victory over Fremantle. Picture: Getty

  • 086d31eb9760f35eac2531521ab3fca2

    Dockers coach Ross Lyon is confident he can deliver the club its first AFL premiership. Picture: Getty

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    Fremantle coach Ross Lyon. Picture: George Salpigtidis

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    Dockers veteran Matthew Pavlich. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

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    Ross Lyon congratulates Nat Fyfe for winning the Brownlow Medal. Picture: Michael Klein

1 of 5
The Oxford dictionary says re-imagining is to “reinterpret (an event, work of art, etc.) imaginatively’’.

Lyon says it’s “just trying to shift yourself a bit, me a bit as senior coach, delegating more, how I manage, how I delegate’’.

There was notable change at Fremantle over the summer.

Hawks premiership players David Hale and Brent Guerra joined the coaching staff, former North Melbourne premiership player Anthony Rock starts his second stint under Lyon, and Lyon further moved the chess pieces, shifting Peter Sumich to head of development role, Mark Stone from stoppages to the forward line and Simon Eastaugh and Marc Webb to the midfield line.

Hale was chased by Lyon and Guerra chased Lyon and it’s not a coincidence the pair played at Hawthorn.

There was a natural curiosity, Lyon said.

“We got through some really strong characters from the most successful system and that was appealing,’’ Lyon said.

“Obviously, Hawthorn are the reference point for everybody.

“They do a lot right. Their competitiveness and their toughness, and their defence is really strong, and their offence and ball use is the best in the competition, so we clearly felt we could learn off David and Brent. They’ve brought through some concepts.

“Everyone can see how everyone plays, there is video of every thing, but sometimes there are some intrinsic understanding to help you understand things better.

“They’ve had influence on whole program.

“We’ve probably been a bit conservative on how much kicking we’ve done and how much skill work we’ve done because we’re trying to balance up availability, but they’ve probably made us understand and accept that we can stretch that and have more focus on that.’’

So it was significant they played at Hawthorn? ‘’I don’t think it hurt, it certainly didn’t go against them.’’

Guerra will be the second defensive coach, concentrating on the smalls. ‘’I like what he’s done (to turn around his life) ... he’s no snowflake and I’m no snowflake.’’

Lyon, though, wasn’t here to preach about how powerful the Hawks are.

“We do a lot right,’’ he said to end the Hawks talk. ‘’We finished on top of the ladder, won 17 games, in it up to our necks, but have fallen short. We’re building, I want to evolve.’’

Always with Lyon, there’s a narrative about him and a narrative about his football club. Call it a natural curiosity as well. What’s Lyon going to do this year? Will he change his system? Will he find more goals? How will he re-imagine himself?

“Nothing stays the same,’’ he said. ‘’Clearly, new coaching staff, we wanted stimulus from outside and we’ve done that.

“We look as a coaching group and think, including myself, can we do more on our personal and professional, be a bit more innovative and the only way to do that is expose yourself to outside courses and teaching. If we would describe ourselves, we work hard, we’re organised, sharp, we’re resilient, but we need to get off that treadmill and innovate more and stretch ourselves more.

“That starts with me. I talk to people. I have people in the corporate world. I go in and spend half days with people running technologies at big corporations and artificial intelligence. I see how they put together innovative teams. They showed me how they analyse data and big data. That’s one aspect, the other is culture and people, how it drives performance and you speak to those experts.

“I speak to others about how they manage, what models they use to delegate.’’

The international Rules series, where Lyon was an assistant coach, was also an intelligence-seeking operation.

He spoke at length with Al Clarkson and Chris Scott, often had dinner with the elite players, had one-on ones with umpires boss Hayden Kennedy, Paul March from the AFLPA, Gillon McLachlan, and met media chiefs including the head of News Corp, Robert Thompson in New York.

“When you start of on journey and you start in the scholarship squad when you’re 14, 15 at Fitzroy with Kenny Hinkley from Camperdown and to think, you’re 48, 49 and you’re walking in and there’s Robert Thompson at the News Corp head office, you feel privileged. It helps you grow.’’

Growth is every coach’s buzz word.

Lyon says he doesn’t dwell on last year, but tries to use it as learning tool.

The Dockers won 12 of their first 13 games and were the best team in the competition on the balance of scoring and defending and then lost four of their final six. They beat Sydney in the qualifying final by nine points and lost to the Hawks in the preliminary final by 27 points, blowing chances in front of goal.

“If you keep living the past you can’t move forward,’’ Lyon said. ‘’You wan to learn from it, but not specific moments. Everyone says it was about Tom Sheridan’s dropped mark (in the final quarter versus Hawthorn), but we just say to tommy, ‘a dropped mark, get your head up, we love you son, you’ve come a log way, let’s move on’.

Lyon’s boom recruit Harley Bennell knows about mistakes.

He departed Gold Coast in despair after a drunken night out followed his candid camera moment in Tasmania with a rolled up twenty and a happy face.


He tweaked a calf before Christmas and is still in rehab, but Lyon has no complaints.

“He’s not a saviour for us,’’ Lyon said.

“It’s very simple with Harley. He gets a legitimate fresh start. He walks into a club with a clear trademark or culture of expectation, he’s not left in any doubt what’s needs to be delivered on. We have a framework for conversations which are really clear for all our players and Harley sits in that. It’s a model of support the person, challenge the behaviour, good or bad. We reinforce or challenge. And Harley gets a chance to re-imagine himself within that. For Harley, it’s five minutes or five years. We sat down and had those conversations. Early days it was still maybe a bit grey, he was good, but we had a real open heart-to-heart and he’s been exceptional.’’

Lyon says he will be a centre-forward player. “I still have nightmares when he had 38 and kicked three goals with Adam McPhee tagging him in 2012,’’ Lyon says.

He probably won’t be ready for Round 1, Lyon hints.

He envisages a forward line of Pavlich and his nest of smalls led by Bennell, Walters, Ballantyne and probably Mayne.

The extra tall is still to be settled on although Tabberner got game time in 2015. And, of course, he plans to play Nat Fyfe more forward, perhaps releasing Bennell to the midfield.

“Nathan kicked 16 goals which is not too bad for a midfielder. Not many would kick more than 16 goals. I think Jordan Lewis kicked seven for the year, didn’t he? (It was nine). And he’s a great player.’’

It is and will always remain a project to find goalkickers. Certainly, the goals dried up in the second half of 2015. ‘’The first we half we delivered, the second. half didn’t deliver. That was frustrating and I take responsibility for that. We felt we had shifted, defending well, scoring well, stoppage work, and then for whatever reason we fell away and couldn’t get it back to that level.’’

The Dockers kicked five scores of 100-plus in first eight rounds, but had just one score of 100-plus (108 points v Melbourne, Round 22) from their next 16 games.

Arguably, part of the problem was the form drop off from Matthew Pavlich. Lyon says the major problem was the ball delivery into the forward line.

“What will help Matthew is not kicking to Matthew all the time,’’ he said. ‘’If you’re an equal opportunity forward line it creates options. Clearly we need to improve our system.’’

Part of that is a Hawks special: Flexibility.

Over summer he’s training his players in different roles. Such as David Mundy at half-back, Lee Spurr on a wing, Fyfe forward, Barlow back into the midfield and a bit of Garrick Ibbotson forward. He’s also talking up second-year players in Lachie Weller, Connor Blakely and Ed Langdon.

One lad going to get opportunity is Alex Pearce.

The key defender is 20-years-old, 200cm and played 13 games in first senior season last year.

“He’s Dustin Fletcher build. Long, rangy, really quick, great endurance ... we rate him highly. ‘’ He will likely be Luke McParlin’s replacement.

Up the other end it will be Pavlich once again

The 34-year battled form and injury mid to late last year and retirement was completely his decision.

“I think he was entitled to make the decision, but ultimately if he we thought he was cooked, we’d tell him,’’ Lyon said.

He reeled off stats which showed Pavlich’s output equalled that of Hawthorn’s Jarryd Roughead in the first half of the season _ ball won ball, scoring shots, how often the ball was kicked to him. ‘’But he did have a patch in the second half, but that reflected the team,’ Lyon said. ‘’We were just bombing and the less we scored we probably got desperate. Matthew’s form waned because our ball use regressed and he ran into some physical head wins late in the year playing at Etihad, his calf, and he blew his calf up in the final and if we had won, he wouldn’t have played the next week.’’

And Lyon has seen a spark in Pavlich since relinquishing the captaincy to David Mundy. ‘’We have noticed a freshness in him, see some joy in him. He’s training super well.’’

There’s a freshness in the coach, too. He says he’s never been fitter and more relaxed. He needs to be while in the grind. Even the outside perception that he’s a good coach but not great coach because he hasn’t won a premiership doesn’t faze him.

“I’ve been around long enough, everyone pots everyone is this industry,’’ he said. ‘’The first thing that’s important to me is what my players think and my club.

“I don’t sit here and think I’m a genius. Clearly my fundamentals are strong and we win, but we need to improve to achieve the ultimate success’’

Asked if missing a premiership on the CV eats at him, he said: “I deal with facts and they’re the facts. But hopefully one day they’ll say he persisted, he persevered, he never gave up and won a premiership. That would be a nice feather.

“So, does it eat at me? Whether I’ve won one or not, you should be working the same. You shouldn’t be defined by result. Clearly, I’ve been close, but not good enough. I deal with facts. I’m not going to push back the facts. But I’m still working, I’m working hard, I’m still trying to improve. And I have I quit? No.’’
 

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RTB's interviews in the lead up to the season are always a good read as he tends to reveal some of the focuses over the preseason. The recent articles with the Herald Sun and the Age highlight the following areas for me:

1. Delegation to new coaching staff
2a. Kicking and skills work.
2b. Ball delivery into the forward line
  • 'What will help Matthew is not kicking to Matthew all the time.'
  • ’We were just bombing and the less we scored we probably got desperate.'
  • 'Matthew’s form waned because our ball use regressed.'
2c. 'If you’re an equal opportunity forward line it creates options. Clearly we need to improve our system.'
3. Flexibility / Versatility

While some of the above were also flagged in 2015 like flexibility and versatility, it sounds like there has been a concerted effort to mix it up and draw from the new coaching blood. The increased focus on kicking and skills in the context that RTB describes it suggests a focus on having the confidence to take more risks with our ball movement.

The need for other options to Pav is still a focus of course and that's not a new thing. It will be interesting to see how we achieve equal opportunity in the forward line which he's indicating is largely to do with delivery and system but it also has to do with the guys delivering having confidence in the recipients up front too. Pav has historically drawn the ball for a good reason.
 
scon said:
Bugger the mods,I reckon it's great:D

For a top notch coach he doesn't seem to realise how useless Bond is though.
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What is the real issue you have with Bondy?. Didn't he sign you up or something for the Widgiemooltha Seconds when you desperately wanted a game. Everybody blames Bondy but if we want KPF's and theyre arent that many around and are taken before we get our first pick how is that Bondy's fault. If Travis Cloke or Mitch Clarke didn't want to come to us that isn't Bondy's fault.
 
DannyTheDoorman said:
What is the real issue you have with Bondy?. Didn't he sign you up or something for the Widgiemooltha Seconds when you desperately wanted a game. Everybody blames Bondy but if we want KPF's and theyre arent that many around and are taken before we get our first pick how is that Bondy's fault. If Travis Cloke or Mitch Clarke didn't want to come to us that isn't Bondy's fault.
Click to expand...
I thought it was sarcasm.....

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