- Joined
- Apr 29, 2012
- Posts
- 4,005
- Reaction score
- 13,123
- AFL Club
- West Coast
Good afternoon comrades. Simmo emerged out of the cave today, and with that, so shall I:
- Asked re Champion Data prediction of us being "the next superpower": Not relevant to what we do. They picked it two years ago as well. We've been a favourite of theirs for a while. Not something we're considering.
- Asked about it predicting us last year: Good luck trying to pick form. Not something we're going to pin on the wall.
- Simmo stops the questioning and launches into a lecture: I think it's a bloody disgrace bombard got done over in the POTY. If the AFL integrity unit isn't looking into Keyser Soze and the admins, there's something rotten in Dixie, let me bloody tell you.*
- Asked re Redden injury: Dom and Jack are both progressing really well. Training full this week. Should be available for later in NAB cup.
- Asked if line for round one: They're progressing well, ahead of schedule, but you never know. Only takes a tiny hiccup to miss the start of the season. It's a fine line. Joining the main group this week.
- Asked re the strength of the preseason and their conditioning going into it (re: earlier comments he had made in December that the boys had come back better than the previous year): Every club is happy with their preseason. It's probably more the concern that we started four weeks later, and how quick it would take us to catch up to the previous year's level. That was done well, especially over Christmas. They came back with real purpose and our numbers are good - 29 last year versus around 40 this year. Really pleasing.
- Asked re: effect of the no sub / rotation cap and what it means: You can try and predict what it means and how to manage it, but it will evolve. Don't anticipate massive change. Our group are pretty durable, pretty fit - hopefully an asset for us but hard to tell.
- Asked if it impacts ruck selections - Scotty v Gov: Good to have the flexibility, but with an extra on the bench it means most teams can do the same thing. Giles and Fraser and Gov all pushing for the second ruck with Scott. Plenty of things to test in the preseason.
- Asked re Gov playing ruck: [Simmo laughs it off] Yeah he wants to play on-ball as well. I'll tell him where he needs to play. See how we go. He'd be a different type of ruck than most.
- Asked re type of training: Intraclub last week, another one this week. [Simmo pauses as some bloke goes past on a lawnmower or some sort of jet turbine - do Lockheed Martin do testing in rural WA?] We're into full game mode now. It'll come quick.
- Asked how happy Simmo is: Never a really clean intraclub game, but that's what expect. Good hit out, no injuries.
- Asked re Adelaide NAB 1 selection choices: Good question. A lot of clubs doing the planning phase. You probably think two games puts you in good stead for round one. We travel to Adelaide and then have two home games so we'll probably manage the blokes accordingly - kids in NAB 1, seniors in 2/3.
- Asked re Parto: All the new draftees have been good. Hopefully we can give them all some exposure.
- Asked re Nicnat preseason / expectations: He's missed a couple of sessions with back tightness. A lot of senior boys have had clean preseasons, but it doesn't guarantee anything - maybe a bit more durability - a couple of the senior blokes limped to the line last year. Hopefully we can go the extra few weeks and finish the season off well. Good position at the moment.
- Asked re NN athleticism: He does things that not many can, but I'm used to it. I just want him on the track. He needs a different program than most, but he's more mature now.
- Asked re Jetta and position thereof: We need flexibility and he provides that. HF/Wing/Back - he's been training everywhere. Hasn't missed a session.
- Asked re being in Kalgoorlie: Nice to see another part of the state, did Bunno last year. Look forward to seeing the town.
- Asked re anything he especially wants to see: Look, there's a Subway in Maritana Mall. Me and the boys don't go to a new town without checking out the way of the sub, obviously. Get me some bloody jalapenos, stat.**
- Asked if the kids asked the players any tough questions [presumably a school visit]: One kid asked why did you join the AFL - Fraser answered that well.
- Asked re Jack Darling being asked about his most embarrassing moment: He said dropping a chest mark in the Grand Final. Good that he can make light of it.
- Asked if he's happy with his group of players: I'm happy to be at West Coast for the next few years. Really exciting time, still some development to come. No guarantees - expectations will be higher - are we mature enough to deal with that? That's yet to come.
- Asked re Ben at the club: Father-son Academy - he came to help with training. Nothing more than that.
* May not have happened
** May well yet happen
- Asked re Champion Data prediction of us being "the next superpower": Not relevant to what we do. They picked it two years ago as well. We've been a favourite of theirs for a while. Not something we're considering.
- Asked about it predicting us last year: Good luck trying to pick form. Not something we're going to pin on the wall.
- Simmo stops the questioning and launches into a lecture: I think it's a bloody disgrace bombard got done over in the POTY. If the AFL integrity unit isn't looking into Keyser Soze and the admins, there's something rotten in Dixie, let me bloody tell you.*
- Asked re Redden injury: Dom and Jack are both progressing really well. Training full this week. Should be available for later in NAB cup.
- Asked if line for round one: They're progressing well, ahead of schedule, but you never know. Only takes a tiny hiccup to miss the start of the season. It's a fine line. Joining the main group this week.
- Asked re the strength of the preseason and their conditioning going into it (re: earlier comments he had made in December that the boys had come back better than the previous year): Every club is happy with their preseason. It's probably more the concern that we started four weeks later, and how quick it would take us to catch up to the previous year's level. That was done well, especially over Christmas. They came back with real purpose and our numbers are good - 29 last year versus around 40 this year. Really pleasing.
- Asked re: effect of the no sub / rotation cap and what it means: You can try and predict what it means and how to manage it, but it will evolve. Don't anticipate massive change. Our group are pretty durable, pretty fit - hopefully an asset for us but hard to tell.
- Asked if it impacts ruck selections - Scotty v Gov: Good to have the flexibility, but with an extra on the bench it means most teams can do the same thing. Giles and Fraser and Gov all pushing for the second ruck with Scott. Plenty of things to test in the preseason.
- Asked re Gov playing ruck: [Simmo laughs it off] Yeah he wants to play on-ball as well. I'll tell him where he needs to play. See how we go. He'd be a different type of ruck than most.
- Asked re type of training: Intraclub last week, another one this week. [Simmo pauses as some bloke goes past on a lawnmower or some sort of jet turbine - do Lockheed Martin do testing in rural WA?] We're into full game mode now. It'll come quick.
- Asked how happy Simmo is: Never a really clean intraclub game, but that's what expect. Good hit out, no injuries.
- Asked re Adelaide NAB 1 selection choices: Good question. A lot of clubs doing the planning phase. You probably think two games puts you in good stead for round one. We travel to Adelaide and then have two home games so we'll probably manage the blokes accordingly - kids in NAB 1, seniors in 2/3.
- Asked re Parto: All the new draftees have been good. Hopefully we can give them all some exposure.
- Asked re Nicnat preseason / expectations: He's missed a couple of sessions with back tightness. A lot of senior boys have had clean preseasons, but it doesn't guarantee anything - maybe a bit more durability - a couple of the senior blokes limped to the line last year. Hopefully we can go the extra few weeks and finish the season off well. Good position at the moment.
- Asked re NN athleticism: He does things that not many can, but I'm used to it. I just want him on the track. He needs a different program than most, but he's more mature now.
- Asked re Jetta and position thereof: We need flexibility and he provides that. HF/Wing/Back - he's been training everywhere. Hasn't missed a session.
- Asked re being in Kalgoorlie: Nice to see another part of the state, did Bunno last year. Look forward to seeing the town.
- Asked re anything he especially wants to see: Look, there's a Subway in Maritana Mall. Me and the boys don't go to a new town without checking out the way of the sub, obviously. Get me some bloody jalapenos, stat.**
- Asked if the kids asked the players any tough questions [presumably a school visit]: One kid asked why did you join the AFL - Fraser answered that well.
- Asked re Jack Darling being asked about his most embarrassing moment: He said dropping a chest mark in the Grand Final. Good that he can make light of it.
- Asked if he's happy with his group of players: I'm happy to be at West Coast for the next few years. Really exciting time, still some development to come. No guarantees - expectations will be higher - are we mature enough to deal with that? That's yet to come.
- Asked re Ben at the club: Father-son Academy - he came to help with training. Nothing more than that.
* May not have happened
** May well yet happen
