Analysis Is Rocky the Right Man for the Job?

[Last of the Roys]

One thing that seemed a little bizarre from Hamilton's article on Rockliff the other day was the claims about his skinfolds being 'way over' what is required.

I watched Rocky pretty closely yesterday and he looked thinner than I have ever seen him. Now, of course that doesn't definitively mean he is at his fittest - but the claim that his skinfolds are way over seems like it is a big exaggeration. He is absolutely nothing like Christensen was early last year.

While he may look as fit as I have ever seen him, Rocky doesn't appear to be able to continually run as much as he has in the past. It is possible he hasn't trained as hard this year and perhaps all the hamstring problems have contributed to it as well. But he was never an athlete in any case, and it may be just a mental thing - i.e. it is bloody hard to have the will to keep running all day when you know more than likely the opposition is going to win the contest (god knows almost all of our team suffer from that).

And besides all that, he still provides more effort out there than 3/4's of his team mates. It must be bloody hard for Rocky who seems like a super competitive person to have to try to have a positive mindset before and throughout games when the facts of our uncompetitiveness are blindingly obvious.

 

[winged1]

You are talking about a professional footballer whose body is their "instrument", not only that but one who is asking to be paid as a top performer in the league. Add to that this is the person setting the tone within the group as captain. Not good enough.

 

[Lionwest]

Apologies in advance, don't know how to insert twitter feed but from 6PR twitter feed Brian Waldron said "Rockliff has to go. You can't stay if your skin folds are 70 and you're the captain of the club"

Wow if that figure on skin folds is correct, he's a little out of shape....

 

[SizeMatters]

Apologies in advance, don't know how to insert twitter feed but from 6PR twitter feed Brian Waldron said "Rockliff has to go. You can't stay if your skin folds are 70 and you're the captain of the club"

Wow if that figure on skin folds is correct, he's a little out of shape....

I'd think nearly all of our senior players are packing a few unwanted Kilos with the exception of Robbo. I wonder what our new fitness guru is doing about this all? Questions should be asked but I suppose he can only really control what goes on during training and if the players are ignoring his 'out of hours' advice then they should go no questions asked.

 

[Ironmonger]

One thing that seemed a little bizarre from Hamilton's article on Rockliff the other day was the claims about his skinfolds being 'way over' what is required.

I watched Rocky pretty closely yesterday and he looked thinner than I have ever seen him. Now, of course that doesn't definitively mean he is at his fittest - but the claim that his skinfolds are way over seems like it is a big exaggeration. He is absolutely nothing like Christensen was early last year.

While he may look as fit as I have ever seen him, Rocky doesn't appear to be able to continually run as much as he has in the past. It is possible he hasn't trained as hard this year and perhaps all the hamstring problems have contributed to it as well. But he was never an athlete in any case, and it may be just a mental thing - i.e. it is bloody hard to have the will to keep running all day when you know more than likely the opposition is going to win the contest (god knows almost all of our team suffer from that).

And besides all that, he still provides more effort out there than 3/4's of his team mates. It must be bloody hard for Rocky who seems like a super competitive person to have to try to have a positive mindset before and throughout games when the facts of our uncompetitiveness are blindingly obvious.

I was looking for that too. He doesn't look overweight.

 

[James North]

I'd think nearly all of our senior players are packing a few unwanted Kilos with the exception of Robbo. I wonder what our new fitness guru is doing about this all? Questions should be asked but I suppose he can only really control what goes on during training and if the players are ignoring his 'out of hours' advice then they should go no questions asked.

My understanding is that he's asking a lot and some aren't used to being pushed that hard.

 

[Nunez]

My understanding is that he's asking a lot and some aren't used to being pushed that hard.

Too much leisure living no doubt. Senior players have better things to do than set a good example for the youth with elite training standards. Disappointing.

 

[F_therest]

My understanding is that he's asking a lot and some aren't used to being pushed that hard.

Lol the players need to suck it up...maybe there's a reason they have been underperforming for years?

You'd think the players who have come from other clubs would be used to it though...your Beams, Christensen, Robbo, Bell, Bastinac etc

 

[luthor]

This "skin fold" claim by Hammo is rather curious isn't it.?

One week Hammo has all the dirt on how Rockliff has withdrawn form contract talks with the club. Supposedly because Rocky spilled the beans to him, possibly when on the piss at an after-match function.

Nek week, Hammo mysteriously has all the dirt and is an expert on Rocky's skin folds. Also makes claims that they are so bad that Rocky wouldn't get a game at Carlton because he wouldn't pass Bolton's Skinfold-ometer.

Amazing.

How is one intrepid journalist privy to such comparative and detailed skinfold data from two different clubs?

 

[jjami15]

This "skin fold" claim by Hammo is rather curious isn't it.?

One week Hammo has all the dirt on how Rockliff has withdrawn form contract talks with the club. Supposedly because Rocky spilled the beans to him, possibly when on the piss at an after-match function.

Nek week, Hammo mysteriously has all the dirt and is an expert on Rocky's skin folds. Also makes claims that they are so bad that Rocky wouldn't get a game at Carlton because he wouldn't pass Bolton's Skinfold-ometer.

Amazing.

How is one intrepid journalist privy to such comparative and detailed skinfold data from two different clubs?

Just in relation to the Bolton statement there was an article in one of the sports magazines earlier in the year outlining Bolton's methodology. There was a board in the gym with all of the players names and a number of different expectations with skinfolds, running times, reps etc on there and it was colour coded for all to see. There was no hiding from others and you had to have all green before you were even thought of to be picked. I thought it was quite smart actually and transparent for all to see.

In relation to our players I feel that a number of them wouldn't pass this with Rocky being one of them. Visually, you can see the difference in bodies of our players in relation to players from other clubs I believe and it's quite telling.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Just in relation to the Bolton statement there was an article in one of the sports magazines earlier in the year outlining Bolton's methodology. There was a board in the gym with all of the players names and a number of different expectations with skinfolds, running times, reps etc on there and it was colour coded for all to see. There was no hiding from others and you had to have all green before you were even thought of to be picked. I thought it was quite smart actually and transparent for all to see.

In relation to our players I feel that a number of them wouldn't pass this with Rocky being one of them. Visually, you can see the difference in bodies of our players in relation to players from other clubs I believe and it's quite telling.

We have a skinfold board. Ive seen it in a locker talk episode

 

[Cockliff38]

Rocky went on RSN this morning - http://rsn.net.au/

Pretty good chat initially then it faded into routine AFL drivel. Some points...

• Rocky called out Hammo, they discussed the article at length. Rocky concedes Hammo has his sources and is entitled to trust that information BUT Rocky said Hammo did think he pushed some points of the article too far and would retract parts (haven't seen a retraction of sorts in the paper).

• Rocky said medical results indicated he was in the best shape of his life. Not sure where the skinfold stuff came from

• Said the "media is trying to drive a wedge between the playing group". Reiterated they're a close bunch.

There might've been more, I listened over 30 mins ago and may have forgotten relevant content. Just noticed no one else had posted.

 

[Gadzorks]

Gotta wonder if hammo had a personal grudge with rocky. Going at him from a different angle every week.

 

[Cockliff38]

Rocky went on RSN this morning - http://rsn.net.au/

Pretty good chat initially then it faded into routine AFL drivel. Some points...

• Rocky called out Hammo, they discussed the article at length. Rocky concedes Hammo has his sources and is entitled to trust that information BUT Rocky said Hammo did think he pushed some points of the article too far and would retract parts (haven't seen a retraction of sorts in the paper).

• Rocky said medical results indicated he was in the best shape of his life. Not sure where the skinfold stuff came from

• Said the "media is trying to drive a wedge between the playing group". Reiterated they're a close bunch.

There might've been more, I listened over 30 mins ago and may have forgotten relevant content. Just noticed no one else had posted.

And just as I say there's been no retraction yet...

Must say they're both handling this quite maturely as opposed to a dirty slinging match

 

[Fatcat08]

Just in relation to the Bolton statement there was an article in one of the sports magazines earlier in the year outlining Bolton's methodology. There was a board in the gym with all of the players names and a number of different expectations with skinfolds, running times, reps etc on there and it was colour coded for all to see. There was no hiding from others and you had to have all green before you were even thought of to be picked. I thought it was quite smart actually and transparent for all to see.

In relation to our players I feel that a number of them wouldn't pass this with Rocky being one of them. Visually, you can see the difference in bodies of our players in relation to players from other clubs I believe and it's quite telling.

We have a skinfold board. Ive seen it in a locker talk episode

There certainly is one of these boards in the Gabba, have walked past it. There's a whole bunch of others with different metrics for both the team and individual players around the place as well. So everyone is well aware what everyone else is doing.

 

[notliondown]

I don't know why we need to constantly assume every other club does things better and differently to us.

We need to get over our inferiority complex, stop assuming there's a secret weapon everyone else has that we don't.

Sometimes things really are as simple as they seem.

 

[Milux]

I don't know why we need to constantly assume every other club does things better and differently to us.

We need to get over our inferiority complex, stop assuming there's a secret weapon everyone else has that we don't.

Sometimes things really are as simple as they seem.

There will be 17 teams above us next week. I guess its safe for people to assume every other club is doing things better.

 

[Ironmonger]

I once saw a movie where a journalist had some information about a public figure and was going to use it to write a story, so the journalist got in touch with that public figure before the story was published to either confirm or deny it.

Honestly, the rubbish they put in movies...

 

[Last of the Roys]

There are various articles on different media sites covering Rockliff's interview this morning. Anyway, here are the ones that have been put up on the Lions website and the AFL website:

http://www.lions.com.au/news/2016-07-20/rockliff-we-are-united
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-07-20/im-not-fat-rockliff-fumes-over-newspaper-column

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

There certainly is one of these boards in the Gabba, have walked past it. There's a whole bunch of others with different metrics for both the team and individual players around the place as well. So everyone is well aware what everyone else is doing.

I am undoubtedly old-fashioned, but is there one up with just wins and losses? I think they call it the ladder.

 

[CarterS]

This "skin fold" claim by Hammo is rather curious isn't it.?

Just on the skinfold thing, worth noting that Bolton was On The Couch this week and J Brown specifically brought up the article and asked him if the skin fold story was correct and he confirmed that it was.

 

[MacMum]

Heard Bolton's response and thought do we do that?

They check the skinfolds regularly and are one of the non negotiables the players have to follow and abide by.

 

[Jivlain]

I once saw a movie where a journalist had some information about a public figure and was going to use it to write a story, so the journalist got in touch with that public figure before the story was published to either confirm or deny it.

Honestly, the rubbish they put in movies...

It's just that sort of thing which tend to put me off entirely. Some of those just stretch the suspension of disbelief entirely too far.

 

[SizeMatters]

I have no problem with the skinfolds test but whether it is a good indicator for overall fitness is debatable . It at least keeps the players focused not only on field but off field as well and sets minimal standards that must be met. It's all part of the cultural turn around at the Blues and Bolton has done a remarkable job.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Heard Bolton's response and thought do we do that?

They check the skinfolds regularly and are one of the non negotiables the players have to follow and abide by.

Makes me laugh that Josh Green was rumoured to want to play under Bolton.