Bohdan cops a fair bit of flak on demonland and it could well be justified. It's difficult to judge the fitness staff without a some inside knowledge, from the outside it appears Bohdan is doing well.

At the moment we have 1 soft tissue injury (Petterd) out of a list of 40 blokes.

We've won 5 quaters of football for the year and 4 of them have been last quaters. Is this purely because other teams have been so far ahead by 3/4 time they've taken the foot off the pedal or are we running out games well? We certainly looked pretty fit in the last quater on Sunday.

One of the players, I think Mclean, said after the game that at three quarter time the players felt they were fitter than Fremantle and were a chance to run over the top them. A good sign.

Freo's last quarter the week before might have something to do with that

Freo's last quarter the week before might have something to do with that

And we played in Brisbane heat. Big deal.

No, i'm saying we probably had confidence that they would collapse like they did the week before

even if its just bad luck, i don't know why a club would employ a fitness guy with a reputation of having soft-tissue injuries with its players. Mclean, Rivers, Sylvia, Petterd, Bate, Whelan and more. I think we are just fielding guys under 100%.

Dean Bailey, it seems, is taking the approach of only playing those who are fit to play. If Daniher was choosing to play guys who were unfit, even against the advice of medicos, then Babijczuk may have been compromised in his position and unfairly carried the public can for this last year.

It seems to me that players, like Bate for example, are now being made to gain some fitness and touch in the Sandy firsts and seconds, after sitting out weeks on the sidelines. I'm not sure that would have happened under Daniher. The benefit of the Bailey approach, and at the beginning of a 3 year contract he has time on his side, and can take this strategic approach, is being able to look at the list and give game time to kids to see what they can do.

The rotation increase would also play a part in getting players through games and speeding recovery.

Our injury list this year compared to last is pleasantly unrecognisable, even if the scoreboard results don't necessarily fall in line with this. Perhaps that is about to change.

And Bohdan Babijczuk may at last be being allowed to do his job properly.

And Bohdan Babijczuk may at last be being allowed to do his job properly.

Unless you have conclusive evidence to the contrary, to suggest that ND compromised BB's role is scurrilous.

Unless you have conclusive evidence to the contrary, to suggest that ND compromised BB's role is scurrilous.

And to suggest that the injury woes of last year, as many have intimated over the past 12 months, were all Babijczuk's doing is just as scurrilous.

And no, I have no evidence, however I think you'll notice I used the words "if' and "may" to qualify any assertions. If he didn't, then fine, I hope he didn't, and I had actually alot of time for Daniher.

However Daniher's agenda of last year and Bailey's agenda of this year are very different beasts. Daniher was riding on the back of 3 years of finals appearances, and perhaps was in a window of opportunity in the last year of a ten year tenure. That can bring with it an element of risk in injured player selection. Daniher, if he did do this, would not have been alone. All coaches in certain situations, particularly in finals, gamble on player fitness all the time. And when you gamble on player fitness, you may be going against the advice of fitness and medical staff.

Bailey, on the back of last year's misery, and at the beginning of a three year tenure, has a different licence. Time is on his side, time was not on Daniher's side.

And finally, if we all made comments here based only on conclusive evidence rather than opinion and theory, then these boards would be very empty.

Unless you are close to the inside running of the football club, then I think it is nigh on impossible for the average supporter to form an informed assessment of the performance of BB whether positive or critical. And the typical basis of rumour innuendo and speculation is a very poor proxy for the facts.

Its hard to tell whether our "better" performances in the last quarter are a consequence of greater fitness or the opposition taking their foot off our throats or a mixture of both. I suspect a fair degree of junk time heroics have played a part.

And Freak, most sensible employers employ on the basis of fact not third hand wives tales that have you so convinced.

One of the players, I think Mclean, said after the game that at three quarter time the players felt they were fitter than Fremantle and were a chance to run over the top them. A good sign.

Brocky may be feeling fitter but he is not playing like it! Looks slower and bit underdone to me especially in first half on Sunday and previous 2 weeks

No, i'm saying we probably had confidence that they would collapse like they did the week before

I think you're right - post-match, one of the players said the same.

Its hard to tell whether our "better" performances in the last quarter are a consequence of greater fitness or the opposition taking their foot off our throats or a mixture of both. I suspect a fair degree of junk time heroics have played a part.

I agree.

With regards to your other point...

And finally, if we all made comments here based only on conclusive evidence rather than opinion and theory, then these boards would be very empty.

I agree

Brocky may be feeling fitter but he is not playing like it! Looks slower and bit underdone to me especially in first half on Sunday and previous 2 weeks

Firstly, I think his comment was regarding the team - note the 'we'.

Anyhow, I do tend to agree - doesn't seem to move across the ground at a very rapid speed.

well rhino, its not third hand wives tales. bohdan does have a bad history with other clubs in terms of soft-tissue injuries...and recruiting a fitness guy is not much different from recruiting a player..there is always a hunch involved. like i had a hunch that franklin would be better than deledio, like i had a hunch steve johnson would be one of the best of his draft and a hunch that bohdan would increase our levels of injuries for whatever reason.

well rhino, its not third hand wives tales. bohdan does have a bad history with other clubs in terms of soft-tissue injuries...and recruiting a fitness guy is not much different from recruiting a player..there is always a hunch involved. like i had a hunch that franklin would be better than deledio, like i had a hunch steve johnson would be one of the best of his draft and a hunch that bohdan would increase our levels of injuries for whatever reason.

Wrong again Freak.

You should base your conclusions on what you observe and what substantive information and facts you can assemble. Drawing conclusions based on uninformed hunches like you do is as reliable as p1$$ing into the wind with a blind fold on. And you case you are getting soaked.

Id like to say I have a hunch you're full of hot air but there is too much evidence and circumstance to make that hunch unnecessary.

And to suggest that the injury woes of last year, as many have intimated over the past 12 months, were all Babijczuk's doing is just as scurrilous.

And no, I have no evidence, however I think you'll notice I used the words "if' and "may" to qualify any assertions. If he didn't, then fine, I hope he didn't, and I had actually alot of time for Daniher.

However Daniher's agenda of last year and Bailey's agenda of this year are very different beasts. Daniher was riding on the back of 3 years of finals appearances, and perhaps was in a window of opportunity in the last year of a ten year tenure. That can bring with it an element of risk in injured player selection. Daniher, if he did do this, would not have been alone. All coaches in certain situations, particularly in finals, gamble on player fitness all the time. And when you gamble on player fitness, you may be going against the advice of fitness and medical staff.

Bailey, on the back of last year's misery, and at the beginning of a three year tenure, has a different licence. Time is on his side, time was not on Daniher's side.

And finally, if we all made comments here based only on conclusive evidence rather than opinion and theory, then these boards would be very empty.

I think your comments that apply to BB apply to ND.

At the start of 2007, ND had to at least get a top 4 finish to survive and if possible to play off for a flag if everything went right. It did not. And by round 4 I think he knew MFC were shot. Four losses and the injuries. There was no incentive to play injured players. If we had been challenge for the top 8 or higher then there might be something to your theory.

But where's your proof?

In regard to your last sentence, you may be right. But it would have more integrity if people stopped trying to pass off speculation as fact.

Is ND to blame for everything?

Grow a pair and realise that ND was not the disease that some portray him as.

As for not playing blokes underdone - that's rubbish.

Bruce at the start of the season was unfit, Moloney was nursed through Rd.1 which was an abject failure and he was out for the next three. Davey and his ankle is another example.

Players play injured and coaches play unfit blokes, don't give me this 'ND was to blame' crap and expect to get away with it.