Is losing at home in Melbourne after playing in WA really a valid excuse?

kranky al

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#51
Playing in hot conditions is a bit different though, what you are conditioned to and what you are genetically evolved to handle makes a significant difference. I am okay in up to 40 degree heat (doing physical activity), some of my friends struggle in mild heat. Cold really bothers me, even in the mid 20s I wear warm clothing and find it chilly, a friend of mine wears shorts and a t-shirt in cold weather, his genes come from a cold climate, mine come from a warmer climate.

What you are acclimatised also makes a big difference, if you live somewhere where it is a lot hotter you get more used to hotter weather. Those born and or raised in hotter climates and those who spend a fair bit of time getting accustom to the conditions will handle it better. Excessive heat is far more debilitating than excessive cold, because the player activity will warm them up to a certain degree, you can cover yourself in deep heat, etc. Cooling down is a lot harder.

As you saw from the quarter time breaks, all the eagles players were standing around like normal, the Essendon players were all wearing ice vests and looked cactus. Unless you come from a warm climate the heat is going to bother you and it can take some time to recover from significant heat stress.

No - im acclimatised to heat and just shut down when its cold - i just dont function and get depressed - i live in an area thats winter is more like other places spring - one of the reasons i left perth was because of the winters

So no - cold isnt easier to acclimatise to
 

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Mezz

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#52
So no - cold isnt easier to acclimatise to
I agree. Having lived in the Kimberley and Pilbara, I have not experienced winter for the past 3 yrs. Last year, I attended the Dockers QF in Geelong. On the Thursday, I was in Pannawonica: 45 degrees, flew to Melbourne on the Friday, and Geelong, at the match, it was 12 degrees. I was frozen.
 

Tazmania

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#53
Even more amusement was had by me when the Essedon 1/4time huddle was literally huddled under the shadow of one of the light towers

Meanwhile, the Freo huddle was spread out with each group (backs/forwards/mids) getting their specific instructions under the glorious sunshine :thumbsu:

On the flipside to this, I remember when we travelled to Geelong mid-season and some of our players got treatment for hypothermia - I may be wrong but the rumour going round was that there was no hot water for the Freo team showers
I think pav also picked to kick towards the city in the first quarter knowing that by the fourth quarter half the ground would be shaded and would be in the Dockers forward half. Part of knowing your home ground.
 

Tazmania

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#54
No - im acclimatised to heat and just shut down when its cold - i just dont function and get depressed - i live in an area thats winter is more like other places spring - one of the reasons i left perth was because of the winters

So no - cold isnt easier to acclimatise to
Agreed after 8 years in Canberra I'd had enough and felt I never eally adjusted to the cold. Funny thing is though back in Perth last winter I thought it was gloriously warm in a polo shirt whilst my co-workers were shivering in their coats. I can feel the cold but it doesn't bother me now.
 

ep2018

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#55
I think pav also picked to kick towards the city in the first quarter knowing that by the fourth quarter half the ground would be shaded and would be in the Dockers forward half. Part of knowing your home ground.
Pav went against the wind when he won the toss in the grand final knowing his team would have the wind in the last. That was pretty smart at the time I thought and it nearly paid off if it weren't for some arsey Hawks goals in the last to shut you guys out of the game.
 

Tazmania

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#56
Pav went against the wind when he won the toss in the grand final knowing his team would have the wind in the last. That was pretty smart at the time I thought and it nearly paid off if it weren't for some arsey Hawks goals in the last to shut you guys out of the game.
You mean you don't think Fremantle choked?
 

ep2018

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#57
You mean you don't think Fremantle choked?
Game day wise you didn't choke, you were never ahead at any point, if you have a five goal lead and lost then yes you would have.

If we blew 2006 GF I'd call that a choke, for example (should have put them away by half time, left them in the game).

My avatar is just a docker choking himself, it's not really in reference to the grand final, just thought it was an interesting image.
 

Howard Littlejohn

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#58
Nope... has always been a bullshit excuse...

Interstate clubs deal with this every week.
They also get home ground advantage 10 out of 11 times on return, Vic sides often get a neutral game against a team that didn't travel either week. Arguably non-Vic sides also can build travel into the routine more.
That said, while it is probably a factor it shouldn't be a decisive one too often. The better side should still normally win.
 

Roobound

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#60
This is easy......and its generic to Big Footy

My level of tolerance is determined completely by the jumper.

If its my team then YES it is an excuse....If its not my team then the answer is NO its not valid.

This excludes Plugger35 as it was not the travel but the umpires yet again.
 
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#61
it's no excuse imo, especially when you think of the a league teams who play in the ACL, travelling to china/South korea/Japan etc during the week then playing in the a league on the weekend
 

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Roobound

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#62
I agree. Having lived in the Kimberley and Pilbara, I have not experienced winter for the past 3 yrs. Last year, I attended the Dockers QF in Geelong. On the Thursday, I was in Pannawonica: 45 degrees, flew to Melbourne on the Friday, and Geelong, at the match, it was 12 degrees. I was frozen.
You were sitting on your ass also....run around for 2hours & you're fine.

Run around in heat you're not used too & hydration/fatigue is a huge factor you just don't recover
 

Roobound

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#63
Pav went against the wind when he won the toss in the grand final knowing his team would have the wind in the last. That was pretty smart at the time I thought and it nearly paid off if it weren't for some arsey Hawks goals in the last to shut you guys out of the game.

Actually it is the other end of the game you potentially get the advantage as much of the 1st Qtr is wasted with pressure fumbling & nerves by the 2nd Qtr you could potentially take the advantage with the players settling down. Effectively they only get a qtr with the breeze is the theory, reality is the breeze swirls at the G so you never really know where to start your kick unless you have played there a lot.
 

Oneiros

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#66
Well, of the four "After Subi" games that the WA teams have played, they have one win against the Dees, and three defeats, two of them absolutely miserable (Freo @ Hawks, WCE @ Cats).

Of the three "After Subi" games so far that the visiting teams have played, there has been one win (Suns v Lions, though they did get mutilated later in the game, like the Eagles), and two defeats, one uncharacteristically abject (Saints getting obliterated by an Adelaide that has looked nowhere near the pace, when Saints had competed very well at Subi).

You would think that if Essendon are run close by the Saints, or lose, that we're looking at evidence that if the season is to ever start this early again, Subiaco games must be held no earlier than 6:40pm, and ideally at 7:40pm, broadcast rights be-damned. I don't think that the travel is the issue so much as the WA weather being too unfriendly for afternoon footy in these early weeks. This seems to be happening to the extent that teams who are scheduled for early games in Subiaco (including WA teams) are effectively being handed a inequitable fixture.
 
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#69
You would think that if Essendon are run close by the Saints, or lose, that we're looking at evidence that if the season is to ever start this early again, Subiaco games must be held no earlier than 6:40pm, and ideally at 7:40pm, broadcast rights be-damned. I don't think that the travel is the issue so much as the WA weather being too unfriendly for afternoon footy in these early weeks. This seems to be happening to the extent that teams who are scheduled for early games in Subiaco (including WA teams) are effectively being handed a inequitable fixture.
I think WA games should just be given 6.40/7.40 starts for the WA fans anyway, broadcast rights be-damned in general.
 

Oneiros

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#70
Well, of the four "After Subi" games that the WA teams have played, they have one win against the Dees, and three defeats, two of them absolutely miserable (Freo @ Hawks, WCE @ Cats).

Of the three "After Subi" games so far that the visiting teams have played, there has been one win (Suns v Lions, though they did get mutilated later in the game, like the Eagles), and two defeats, one uncharacteristically abject (Saints getting obliterated by an Adelaide that has looked nowhere near the pace, when Saints had competed very well at Subi).

You would think that if Essendon are run close by the Saints, or lose, that we're looking at evidence that if the season is to ever start this early again, Subiaco games must be held no earlier than 6:40pm, and ideally at 7:40pm, broadcast rights be-damned. I don't think that the travel is the issue so much as the WA weather being too unfriendly for afternoon footy in these early weeks. This seems to be happening to the extent that teams who are scheduled for early games in Subiaco (including WA teams) are effectively being handed a inequitable fixture.
Welp, there we go. And it might be an accumulation for the Eagles and Freo resulting in late-game problems in Sydney and now against Port at Subi.
 
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#72
It is a cop out - always has been. Last night's "effort" was purely mental, not physical. Our players turned up thinking it was a walk up win.

I know it isn't as physical but look at the MLB in the states - teams travel timezones all through the season and play the next day.
 
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