Pre-Season Thread

[arkie]

Since the pre-season has started at the club today I thought it would be a good idea to have a running thread for it.

Anyone know why we aren't going overseas this year? It seems that North have gone to Utah two years in a row now. I know the club went to Arizona a few years ago and NZ last year but surely the club should be organising these trips every year. I know it's costly but how come other clubs are able to do it more than us?

 

[cleveland]

Does it really help?

 

[arkie]

Does it really help?

Well training at high altitudes is certainly beneficial to professional athletes. And going on such training camps would be great for team bonding. I'm pretty sure the other clubs and when the WB went to Arizona didn't do it for nothing.

 

[VitalDread]

most likely it's Macca's idea, think he wants the boys to work on their skills before they go over seas. http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125853/default.aspx

 

[The Coon Dog]

Some pics via Facebook:

 

[cosmicr]

some great pics there coon dog thanks!

 

[The Coon Dog]

some great pics there coon dog thanks!

Thanks, but it wasn't me who took the pics, just copied the URL from Facebook (to see the pics better right click on them & then click View Image).

 

[Igloo]

Thought I might as well put this in this thread.

Patrick Keane on Twitter has said our only retained rookie is Jason Johannissen. Looks like Barlow and Prato are gone.

 

[Bazza28]

It looks like Veszpremi and Moles have started pre season in better shape than last year.

 

[BenF]

Training pics and a press conference with Macca on www.westernbulldogs.com.au.

Loving Macca's attitude in the pressy

 

[jackb_93]

Matty Boyd believes Panos is ready to go.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125868/default.aspx

 

[About a Boyd]

shermo has a great new tat :|

 

[Eastdog]

Great pics there from TCD.

 

[Dazb86]

"The beauty of the pre-season is it will give us an opportunity to skill people up and say they fit the set-up rather than the set-up fitting them."


Really liking this quote.

 

[GiantDog]

Great pics there from TCD.

They're on the website...

 

[Gus]

Swans fans definitely reckon Vesz has trimmed down.

 

[Devo_]

Matty Boyd believes Panos is ready to go.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125868/default.aspx

Forgive the intrusion onto the WB board, but I'm interested in knowing more about Panos and how he plays. Is a straight replacement for Barry Hall or does he bring something different to the table? Does he get up the ground and win his own ball? Does he have a defensive side to his game? Thanks.

 

[Dazb86]

Forgive the intrusion onto the WB board, but I'm interested in knowing more about Panos and how he plays. Is a straight replacement for Barry Hall or does he bring something different to the table? Does he get up the ground and win his own ball? Does he have a defensive side to his game? Thanks.

Pretty much a Hall replacement. He'll be a stay at home forward type of player. His ball use and decision making is actually really good around the ground but has trouble finding it. Has played in defence and performed pretty well. Biggest knock on him is his pace and fitness.

 

[igloo dweller]

any news on if we've invited any ex AFL players / VFL players / former rookies to participate in training in the lead up to the drafts?

 

[Igloo]

any news on if we've invited any ex AFL players / VFL players / former rookies to participate in training in the lead up to the drafts?

Only 7 teams lodged permission to train things with the AFL, and we were not one of them.

 

[TempleKelvington]

Pretty much a Hall replacement. He'll be a stay at home forward type of player. His ball use and decision making is actually really good around the ground but has trouble finding it. Has played in defence and performed pretty well. Biggest knock on him is his pace and fitness.

Thats a pretty good assessment. He does not have Halls off the mark pace at this stage, he's not as big either in height. But he is very good in traffic, makes good decisions and is a very good user by foot. His set shot kicking is remarkable. Has spent time with Willi at CHB and handled it really well. Has a happy knack of finding the score board. Like Hall he's not a big pack marker, but is smart, knows where to be when playing forward.

Needs fraction more speed I reckon, and while he made great in roads on his fitness last pre season, he needs to go another level again.

But....if he gets the ball in range 5 or 6 times, he'll kick 4 or 5 goals. deadly shot.

 

[TempleKelvington]

Swans fans definitely reckon Vesz has trimmed down.

From the pics Gus I have to agree. He looks ligher all round and in the legs expecially....However he was not wearing the bike shorts he usually wears.

I reckon he knows he is a massive chance to make the team if he can get fit....his end to the season was really good.

 

[GreyWind]

Matty Boyd believes Panos is ready to go.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125868/default.aspx

Really liked what Boyd had to say about Panos, of course he isn't going to say he is a dud and won't have any shot of playing in 2012. But for the captain of the club and one of the more respected players in the AFL to come out and say that would have to give the young bloke a lot of confidence to succeed next season.

Also I don't believe altitude training helps all that much, sure there is the initial improvement from training at a higher altitude, but after a couple of weeks when the players get back to a normal altitude the body re-adjusts and red blood cell count goes back to what it originally was.

 

[arkie]

Really liked what Boyd had to say about Panos, of course he isn't going to say he is a dud and won't have any shot of playing in 2012. But for the captain of the club and one of the more respected players in the AFL to come out and say that would have to give the young bloke a lot of confidence to succeed next season.

Also I don't believe altitude training helps all that much, sure there is the initial improvement from training at a higher altitude, but after a couple of weeks when the players get back to a normal altitude the body re-adjusts and red blood cell count goes back to what it originally was.

The red blood cell count doesn't go back to normal as soon as you get back to sea-level. It lasts until the red blood cells die which is about 4 months but the effects usually won't last that long at all.

What I don't understand is if it's not going to last for a whole season why do so many teams train at high altitudes? Maybe they have a better tolerance for pain?

 

[GreyWind]

The red blood cell count doesn't go back to normal as soon as you get back to sea-level. It lasts until the red blood cells die which is about 4 months but the effects usually won't last that long at all.

What I don't understand is if it's not going to last for a whole season why do so many teams train at high altitudes? Maybe they have a better tolerance for pain?

Exactly, the effects won't last until September when finals happen so I don't put much stock in the training for footballers as it will only have an effect during the pre-season and the first half of the season.

Don't think they would have any better tolerance to pain than a team training at a lower altitude, could be wrong though. Maybe it's more of an escape from Australia and team building that occurs than if a team went to the Gold Coast to train.