Snickers
Club Legend
http://www.sportal.com.au/football.asp?i=news&id=61488
St Kilda's narrow preliminary final loss to Port Adelaide last year will act as a stinging driver for the improving club in 2005.
According to coach Grant Thomas, the players are angry and already impatient to advance. And with the benefit of four months reflection, he predicts the six-point September defeat by eventual premiers Port, will help his team in the long run.
"The players have a real purpose, a real focus, which is quite evident and easy to see. Angry is probably a word (to describe it), which isn't a bad thing."
"Sometimes until you've gone through a situation like that and lost, you don't actually understand what you were able to achieve," Thomas said.
"What happened last year I think in retrospect was a good thing for us, and a healthy thing."
"They've got a real purpose about them. Having said that, every club has at this time of year, but…all I can say is that I can see a real steely purpose about what they're doing and what their expectations are."
While the implications of a jump from third to first place would be monumental for St Kilda, still striving for a precious second premiership, Thomas says the crucial ingredients are not as elusive as some might think.
The Saints leapt from 11th to third in 2004, and going a couple of places better is not simply a matter of on-field improvement according to Thomas.
"It's not as simple as doing everything 10 per cent better. That's not what's it about. I see it much, much more about the off-field stuff."
"I see it much more about the players having a deeper knowledge, respect and care for one another. Such is why we go away, so that they are prepared to go further for each other," he said.
"As an outcome they're big steps. But as an input they're not huge, because they're just little parts of a program that's put in place that we just do better."
The club's recent three-week camp in South Africa was as much about serious fitness work as it was about planning and discussion.
"It's been a continual evolvement of values, behaviours and team ethos or ethic that is the predominant driver within the club. And that's what it's about, and that's what everything has to be underpinned on."
"Historically we've underpinned everything on either outstanding individual players or players with flare or with particular looks or whatever. That's what we've always been at this club. And what we're trying to ensure is that everything we do now is based on team, and that's what the focus is," Thomas said.
"The guys literally love each other, and they love being around each other and they spend a lot of time together."
Very good article, it fires me up!
St Kilda's narrow preliminary final loss to Port Adelaide last year will act as a stinging driver for the improving club in 2005.
According to coach Grant Thomas, the players are angry and already impatient to advance. And with the benefit of four months reflection, he predicts the six-point September defeat by eventual premiers Port, will help his team in the long run.
"The players have a real purpose, a real focus, which is quite evident and easy to see. Angry is probably a word (to describe it), which isn't a bad thing."
"Sometimes until you've gone through a situation like that and lost, you don't actually understand what you were able to achieve," Thomas said.
"What happened last year I think in retrospect was a good thing for us, and a healthy thing."
"They've got a real purpose about them. Having said that, every club has at this time of year, but…all I can say is that I can see a real steely purpose about what they're doing and what their expectations are."
While the implications of a jump from third to first place would be monumental for St Kilda, still striving for a precious second premiership, Thomas says the crucial ingredients are not as elusive as some might think.
The Saints leapt from 11th to third in 2004, and going a couple of places better is not simply a matter of on-field improvement according to Thomas.
"It's not as simple as doing everything 10 per cent better. That's not what's it about. I see it much, much more about the off-field stuff."
"I see it much more about the players having a deeper knowledge, respect and care for one another. Such is why we go away, so that they are prepared to go further for each other," he said.
"As an outcome they're big steps. But as an input they're not huge, because they're just little parts of a program that's put in place that we just do better."
The club's recent three-week camp in South Africa was as much about serious fitness work as it was about planning and discussion.
"It's been a continual evolvement of values, behaviours and team ethos or ethic that is the predominant driver within the club. And that's what it's about, and that's what everything has to be underpinned on."
"Historically we've underpinned everything on either outstanding individual players or players with flare or with particular looks or whatever. That's what we've always been at this club. And what we're trying to ensure is that everything we do now is based on team, and that's what the focus is," Thomas said.
"The guys literally love each other, and they love being around each other and they spend a lot of time together."
Very good article, it fires me up!
