Kildonan
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Saints players go hi-tech
By Mark Stevens
Fox Sports
July 5, 2006
ST KILDA is using revolutionary pocket-sized video players to swot up on the opposition before games.
Every player and coach at the Saints has an Archos machine, which offers the luxury of last-minute cramming of personalised highlights in the rooms.
In an AFL first, the Saints have spent $50,000 to buy 50 of the French-designed machines.
Players and coaches can transfer edited highlights from 16 desktop computers at the club on to their Archos.
Just when Adelaide seemed to have cornered the technology market, the Saints have stolen a march on others by enabling players to create a go-everywhere library of strengths and weaknesses of opponents.
They can also at any time watch streamlined packages of their own games or motivational messages produced by the club.
The Archos is similar to an iPod but has a bigger screen and is designed to play video rather than music.
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas yesterday said he could see a time when all clubs gave their players an Archos or a similar product.
"We think it's an outstanding investment. We're really happy with it," Thomas said. "We've got them for a whole host of reasons."
Thomas used the example of all his midfielders being able to download every centre clearance for the year – both by the Saints and all opposition clubs.
"For instance, we can do our 50 best clearances for the year just to reinforce how it's done," he said.
Saint Brendon Goddard is a regular user of the Archos, watching highlights packaged with music.
He said it had become a valuable tool before games, particularly for defenders.
"A few players often watch highlights while they're getting rubbed before a game," Goddard said.
"It is good for backmen watching opposition forwards and how their forward line works."
Midfielder Nick Dal Santo had a break between clinics on the Mornington Peninsula on Monday and had the advantage of using his Archos to study in the car for 90 minutes.
Thomas said the Archos units enabled the club to cut down on formal team meetings.
"One thing that hasn't kept pace with the professionalism of the game is players being attentive or taking things in," Thomas said. "Some people take it in better by hearing, some people take it in better by seeing and some people take in better by doing. We're trying to do all three.
"What happens with most toys when the novelty wears off is that you don't use them as much, but we're keeping quality information on these things so it's valuable for the players."
The recommendation to use the product came from the AFL's official statistician, Champion Data.
US Major League baseball team the Colorado Rockies have started using video iPods to perform a similar pre-game task.
By Mark Stevens
Fox Sports
July 5, 2006
ST KILDA is using revolutionary pocket-sized video players to swot up on the opposition before games.
Every player and coach at the Saints has an Archos machine, which offers the luxury of last-minute cramming of personalised highlights in the rooms.
In an AFL first, the Saints have spent $50,000 to buy 50 of the French-designed machines.
Players and coaches can transfer edited highlights from 16 desktop computers at the club on to their Archos.
Just when Adelaide seemed to have cornered the technology market, the Saints have stolen a march on others by enabling players to create a go-everywhere library of strengths and weaknesses of opponents.
They can also at any time watch streamlined packages of their own games or motivational messages produced by the club.
The Archos is similar to an iPod but has a bigger screen and is designed to play video rather than music.
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas yesterday said he could see a time when all clubs gave their players an Archos or a similar product.
"We think it's an outstanding investment. We're really happy with it," Thomas said. "We've got them for a whole host of reasons."
Thomas used the example of all his midfielders being able to download every centre clearance for the year – both by the Saints and all opposition clubs.
"For instance, we can do our 50 best clearances for the year just to reinforce how it's done," he said.
Saint Brendon Goddard is a regular user of the Archos, watching highlights packaged with music.
He said it had become a valuable tool before games, particularly for defenders.
"A few players often watch highlights while they're getting rubbed before a game," Goddard said.
"It is good for backmen watching opposition forwards and how their forward line works."
Midfielder Nick Dal Santo had a break between clinics on the Mornington Peninsula on Monday and had the advantage of using his Archos to study in the car for 90 minutes.
Thomas said the Archos units enabled the club to cut down on formal team meetings.
"One thing that hasn't kept pace with the professionalism of the game is players being attentive or taking things in," Thomas said. "Some people take it in better by hearing, some people take it in better by seeing and some people take in better by doing. We're trying to do all three.
"What happens with most toys when the novelty wears off is that you don't use them as much, but we're keeping quality information on these things so it's valuable for the players."
The recommendation to use the product came from the AFL's official statistician, Champion Data.
US Major League baseball team the Colorado Rockies have started using video iPods to perform a similar pre-game task.
