Training Are they really unfit?

[fishardansin]

Unfit for duty, amirite?!

Clearly there's more than one meaning to the word unfit and most of the various forms have already been addressed itt.

All I'd say is: for months people said EFC were the great unknown because no one knows how the players will fare after a year off, and that no training program can compare with actual matches.

Many of us said that as well.

Yet here we are, barely a month in, and people are freaking out wondering what's going wrong. Footy fans, goldfish have better memories than footy fans.

It's pretty simple. We're finally finding out how the players will cope after a year off, and unsurprisingly it's that they are going to have ups and downs and will struggle at times.

Yet I read constant complaints and whinges that no, actually they are no good, are overpaid, and have actually somehow lost their talent than it being the most basic and obvious thing: a byproduct of the year off that we all talked about ad nauseum for the last year.

lol

lol indeed.

 

[fishardansin]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest we're not going to win the flag this year. As such, we're best off doing everything we can do be as ready for an assault next year

We have a lot to like about our team coming through, however, I think we still have too many holes on our list to even think about next year.

We need two lock down defenders (smalls). Kelly is gone at the end of the year and I just don't think Baguely is up to it. I also don't think Gleeson will ever get the size. We need the two other defenders to allow McGrath to attack more. With Hooker playing forward and Hartley in the VFL we have a heap of KPDs.

Our midfield is lacking two bulls. One of them needs to be able to break away. Watson's output will drop after this year so we probably need three. We may have that on the list if Francis, Laverde and Myers can all stay fit for long enough to build up some form and become dependable. I am also very unimpressed with our rucks.

KPFs obviously have some great top end quality and I am one of the few who really rate Hooker up forward, but if need either McKernan or Stewart can't become that backup ruck-forward then that is a hole we need to fill. Our small forwards are a strength all of a sudden.

The problem with those holes is the midfield ones are very difficult to fill. If you draft one they often take years to come on, especially if we do the typical Essendon thing (Watson and Myers) we make them build up KPP size. If you trade for them they cost so much that you create another two or three holes on the list.

The only hope is if we can land one of the out of contract guns at the end of the season with FA, get lucky with injuries to the players I mentioned and we draft a few quick mids who are capable of playing defense early in their career (like McGrath). However, the only players like that I can remember at Essendon are Heppell, McGrath and Wanganeen! So probably just as likely to find the next Martin/Dangerfield!

Just to prove I ramble like grandpa Simpson and have splinters in my arse, perhaps a rejigging of the roster could do it. Francis plays down back and Tippa goes back there because someone like Begley steps up. Laverde becomes the inside beast who breaks away from the pack, Myers becomes the beast who is good while not excellent on the spread and Bellchambers gets super fit and aggressive in the ruck. Francis and Begley can pinch hit in the guts and Watson has a dream testimonial year in the guts as his lack of speed is covered by those mentioned earlier and the genuine speed we have on the outside. While Heppell isn't super quick he is good on the spread because of the sheer volume of running he does.

I still am almost pessimistic about our chances for next year.

 

[NAB777]

Seems to be so much talk the last couple of weeks about how the players returning from a year off are really struggling with fitness.

Funnily enough it wasn't mentioned when we were winnings Round 1 and 2.

Apparently Hurley is really unfit, Hooker so unfit that he's actually incapable of playing back where he belongs, and it's been said of Heppell as well.

Is there actually anything to this or is it just hyperbole/"narrative"/bullshit/excuses that somebody has come up with and is propogating?

I don't seem to recall anything coming out of the club.

They'd totally have lacked match fitness, but so does every player at the start of the season. You absolutely lose match fitness in five months off playing just like these blokes would have.

After 2-3 preseason games and 4 H&A games, you'd hope they're getting there on that front.

Hurley I just think was outclassed by Walker and had to deal with isolation due to a poor defensive setup and zero pressure on the Crows in the midfield. Fitness? Really?

Lack of touch can make you look slower/more unfit than you actually are.