General AFL Thread

[Rors]

Have heard from someone on the D&T board I think that the Suns are being absolutely pounded on the track this year, with Eade pretty shocked at how far off AFL standard their fitness levels were, so much so that they apparently aren't individually allowed to start ball work until their fitness levels are up to the mark Eade and co require.

Around the mid way point of the season last year they were around 4th on the ladder, apparently while being way off the fitness levels required at AFL level, so it could be a bit of an eye-opener as to how good they can be once their fitness is up to scratch and with much of their young group being that year older and more ready to really make their mark. Imagine their speed and skill combined with fitness!

I feel like this is something that we hear fairly regularly and I'm always surprised that it's possible. Wouldn't the clubs know roughly what the other clubs are doing in terms of fitness? How do they let it get to that point? Do the clubs focus too much on skills and just let the fitness slowly drop or are their fitness programs just slightly below the other clubs so that over time it builds up?

GC will be super scary anyway, but if their fitness was lacking and they continue to develop as well...

I've been reading Lenny's book & he did mention that the preseason going into the 2006 season was the softest Matty Rendell had ever seen. So I'm guessing that the guys who are in there around the clubs & players, year in year out, really know what they're talking about. Lenny kind of alluded to players not really knowing how hard a preseason is due to being the ones actually doing it & it always seems pretty though. And also that over the years you build up a good base fitness so harder preseasons can feel as thought they aren't too bad at all.

I'd say Rocket would know what he's talking about, and maybe the injury to GAJ just put more pressure on everyone else & it was their lack of fitness, not mental scarring of no GAJ to pull them along, that saw the Suns fall off the cliff last season

 

[Jack Stevens]

point more was we had an AFL player on what is it minimum base of 75k + match day + bonuses, potentially skimping on a hair cut. i mean does he even qualify as concession given he is employed full time?

hair cut price was silly but hair dressers can easily get that way (ask any lady)

Vic concession cards last till the end of February, so he'd still have his high school concession. Bit cheeky, but nothing too bad.

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

Sidebottom 5.50 odd i think. Streeted it in at the pies

Geez thats pretty good.
Ya gotta be happy with that.

 

[toxic]

Geez thats pretty good.
Ya gotta be happy with that.

He is always our best
however 3rd was 30 seconds behind him

 

[Sir Skid]

He is always our best
however 3rd was 30 seconds behind him

Fastbottom! Just like you toxic

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

He is always our best
however 3rd was 30 seconds behind him

How do you see the Pies next yr Toxic.
List is at an interesting place. I cant get get a grip on if you are coming or going.
Picked up some handy kids.

 

[toxic]

How do you see the Pies next yr Toxic.
List is at an interesting place. I cant get get a grip on if you are coming or going.
Picked up some handy kids.

Coming but from a long way back
8th -14th imo.
Great kids we have like yourselves

 

[sammm]

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/20...-football-american-basketball-players-profile

Jason Holmes discussed.

"Granted, it's not one of those moments.

Not Jesse Owens in Berlin, not the U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey team in Lake Placid.

History's about to happen, but it won't even register a blip on the American radar. Still, one man from the Southern Bible Belt and another from a Midwestern suburb will achieve an American athletic first.

Eric Wallace, of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Jason Holmes, from Elk Grove Village, Ill., face each other, wearing their familiar tank-top jerseys and shorts. An official with a whistle around his neck holds the ball, ready to retreat and watch them vault upward, furiously trying to tap it to a teammate. But before the improbability of their meeting here at this place, at this time hits home, the umpire bouncing the red, oblong ball inside a chalk-outlined circle on the enormous oval expanse of grass underfoot snaps them into their new reality:......"

WALLACE AND HOLMES MAY SOON BECOME THE LEAGUE'S FIRST-EVER, BORN-AND-BRED AMERICAN PLAYERS.

Two Americans — Jason Holmes, left, and Eric Wallace — compete against each other in an AFL match. (Mark Bruty / North Ballarat Football Club)
Australian Rules football.

 

[sammm]

another article about usa footy

http://usafl.com/news/20150106/new-york’s-aurrichio-has-his-eyes-afl

.....Having been in Melbourne for just over a month, Aurrichio is putting his effort into overdrive training with the likes of Collingwood VFL, Coburg VFL, and St. Kilda Sandringham VFL. While trainings have been challenging with hill sprints and altitude rooms, Aurrichio reports that the experience has also been extremely fun. Aurrichio keeps working hard trying to catch the eye of AFL teams......

 

[CursingFijian]

Good write up, and he looks like a genuine leaping ruck. Whats the rest of his game like?

Love the extract below:

"Holmes heard plenty of trash talk. But not even that, four years of college hoops, and Wallace's advance scouting report could prepare Holmes for the landfill's worth of verbal abuse dumped on him in his eighth game by Collingwood's VFL club's Ben Hudson — an AFL-hardened veteran and master in the lethal oral art of what Aussies call "sledging." From the opening bounce to the final siren that ends the match three hours later, Hudson, a 6'6, 35-year-old whose thick auburn carpet of hair and bushy beard could get him cast as a swashbuckling buccaneer in "Pirates of the Caribbean," was relentless. After Hudson out-leaped Holmes and batted the ball to a teammate to start play, he loudly questioned the tutelage of Holmes's development coach, Paul Hudson (no relation).
"'Huddo' didn't teach you that one, did he?"

Later, after Hudson won another ruck contest, he yelled:

"This isn't basketball, mate!"

Holmes wisely resisted matching wits. Gradually, the tide turned, both in the ruck and on the scoreboard. The Zebras and Holmes got more physical. Suddenly, the "hitouts" — the all-important metric tallying the number of times a ruckman wins the ball from a center bounce, boundary throw-in, or ball-up, tilted Holmes's way. The more Hudson jawed, the more Holmes realized he was succeeding. He wasn't annoyed; he was flattered. When the game ended, Holmes had 27 hitouts, versus only 17 for Hudson. Most importantly, the Zebras won by 44 points. Afterward, Hudson still had to have the last word. He told Holmes:

"Well done, mate."

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/20...-football-american-basketball-players-profile

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

Coming but from a long way back
8th -14th imo.
Great kids we have like yourselves

Didnt really care mate. I just wanted to check out what avatar you had now

( only joking ,always interesting to hear your views Keep up the good work on the Avatars though)

 

[toxic]

Didnt really care mate. I just wanted to check out what avatar you had now

( only joking ,always interesting to hear your views Keep up the good work on the Avatars though)

Will update tomoz just 4 U

 

[Persevering Saint]

Great tweet by Rainbow:

Dillon Viojo-Rainbow ‏@d_viojorainbow 18h18 hours ago
Back on the Twitter! @bboekhorst9 teach me how to use this thing

#learnfromthebest

https://twitter.com/hashtag/learnfromthebest?src=hash

 

[Rors]

Cant wait for Sydney Swans new recruit to get benched the first time....

"Jack Hiscox off"

 

[Persevering Saint]

Cant wait for Sydney Swans new recruit to get benched the first time....

"Jack Hiscox off"

 

[sverik25]

When you say his name it sounds like he is jacking off.

 

[Rors]

 

[joop]

With Walker the new Adelaide captain there is a small % chance that Dangerfield will be at Adelaide next year, that % is less than 1.

 

[sverik25]

With Walker the new Adelaide captain there is a small % chance that Dangerfield will be at Adelaide next year, that % is less than 1.

To be honest I thought Sloane would have been made captain... maybe he's considering a move as well?

 

[Persevering Saint]

To be honest I thought Sloane would have been made captain... maybe he's considering a move as well?

On the contrary, I think they felt that giving him the captaincy was unnecessary - he's not going anywhere, and will lead whether he's captain or not.

 

[joop]

To be honest I thought Sloane would have been made captain... maybe he's considering a move as well?

Can confirm that the Sloane camp were 'very surprised' at the decision.
I sent a text out saying I hope he was pissed off at the decision and would come play for the saints.....it ain't happening.
He's staying, no two ways about it, dangers gone tho.

 

[sverik25]

Can confirm that the Sloane camp were 'very surprised' at the decision.
I sent a text out saying I hope he was pissed off at the decision and would come play for the saints.....it ain't happening.
He's staying, no two ways about it, dangers gone tho.

Ah well, nothing wrong with wishful thinking.

 

[Defacto]

Can confirm that the Sloane camp were 'very surprised' at the decision.
I sent a text out saying I hope he was pissed off at the decision and would come play for the saints.....it ain't happening.
He's staying, no two ways about it, dangers gone tho.

good stuff joop, good on your for keeping us updated too!!

 

[Periphery]

If anyone was wondering how important depth is:

 

[Flandersss]

Good write up, and he looks like a genuine leaping ruck. Whats the rest of his game like?

Love the extract below:

"Holmes heard plenty of trash talk. But not even that, four years of college hoops, and Wallace's advance scouting report could prepare Holmes for the landfill's worth of verbal abuse dumped on him in his eighth game by Collingwood's VFL club's Ben Hudson — an AFL-hardened veteran and master in the lethal oral art of what Aussies call "sledging." From the opening bounce to the final siren that ends the match three hours later, Hudson, a 6'6, 35-year-old whose thick auburn carpet of hair and bushy beard could get him cast as a swashbuckling buccaneer in "Pirates of the Caribbean," was relentless. After Hudson out-leaped Holmes and batted the ball to a teammate to start play, he loudly questioned the tutelage of Holmes's development coach, Paul Hudson (no relation).
"'Huddo' didn't teach you that one, did he?"

Later, after Hudson won another ruck contest, he yelled:

"This isn't basketball, mate!"

Holmes wisely resisted matching wits. Gradually, the tide turned, both in the ruck and on the scoreboard. The Zebras and Holmes got more physical. Suddenly, the "hitouts" — the all-important metric tallying the number of times a ruckman wins the ball from a center bounce, boundary throw-in, or ball-up, tilted Holmes's way. The more Hudson jawed, the more Holmes realized he was succeeding. He wasn't annoyed; he was flattered. When the game ended, Holmes had 27 hitouts, versus only 17 for Hudson. Most importantly, the Zebras won by 44 points. Afterward, Hudson still had to have the last word. He told Holmes:

"Well done, mate."

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/20...-football-american-basketball-players-profile

What a great little snippet.