Just an observation, but for a team that has been training since October, shouldn't we have run out the match better than we did?

I thought we didn't have any legs in the last quarter.

Just an observation, but for a team that has been training since October, shouldn't we have run out the match better than we did?

I thought we didn't have any legs in the last quarter.

have you thought about player experience...4 first gamers

have you thought about player experience...4 first gamers

BUT, there were 18 other players out there.

with all the youngsters they have had limited pre seasons at afl level.

Were as most other teams players average about 5 pre seasons big difference.

Over the next year or so You should notice the fitness levels soar.

BUT, there were 18 other players out there.

How many games played by the other 18....can't you wait as I have for over 40 years for success or will you give them away

It was a warm day and we ran hard for 3 quarters and just ran out of petrol. Guys like Rivers, Moloney, McLean etc are still coming back from long term injuries and we had 4 first gamers. Today we looked slow more than anything. Their smaller players killed us all day.

You can be fit,

but if you aint got the quality, you aint got it!

it was either lack of fitmess or complete and utter laziness. The number of times we let North players lead us to the ball whilst we were jogging after them was a highlight for mine. Disappointing for mine since the early start was highlighted so much.

Whether its fitness, sloth or some form of leprosy, that's the third time in five matches this year including the preseason that we've been flogged in the last quarter when the game was up for grabs. The players should be more disappointed with the end scoreline than the supporters today. They owed themselves more than that after an improved effort in the first three quarters.

Whether its fitness, sloth or some form of leprosy, that's the third time in five matches this year including the preseason that we've been flogged in the last quarter when the game was up for grabs. The players should be more disappointed with the end scoreline than the supporters today. They owed themselves momre than that after an improved effort in the first three quarters.

I thought it wasn't just last qtr it was stages of every qtr that is what is so annoying. The amount of times North easuly moved it up the ground to there f50

Just an observation, but for a team that has been training since October, shouldn't we have run out the match better than we did?

I thought we didn't have any legs in the last quarter.

Q/ Are we fit?

Yes.

I was listening to one of the senior players interviewed at the 'G' yesterday, he said they were all leg sore after the first game of the season at the 'G'.

Probably that & mental fatigue with such a young side.

No.

We arnt the fittest at the moment. But our decision making was poor at times also. They looked fatigued!

I expected the first year players Jetta and Bennell to struggle with 4 quarters and it showed. Jetta's first half was good though I thought!

These two need match fitness at this level. Give them time.

The players coming back from injury also looked lethargic at times. Again they need time.

However, I thought North were far better in getting free when attacking. Thats where are fitness level difficiency showed big time.

They're fit.

But with 12 players 21 or younger and Rivers, Moloney, and McLean coming back after a long time out we are going to have fade-outs.

Really great to see Rivers running around but Moloney was fantastic, and McLean was quiet and still had 7 clearances.

Good signs.

If you are referring to aerobic fitness I'd say we are pretty even with most clubs. The difference is the impact the body takes from the contact during the game and this affects the players ability to keep running over the game. Older/mature bodies can take these hits and keep running, lighter bodies can'. If you ever played senior footy, thin how it felt being a colt to a senior player when you play colts. Colts run fast but not after a few bumps or heavy tackles.

How many games played by the other 18....can't you wait as I have for over 40 years for success or will you give them away

I've followed them since I was a little tacker, er..sum 51 years now, just an observation and wondered what everyone else thought.

And as far as 'will you give them away', I will only stop following them when I can't breathe anymore......hopefully I've got a few more years left????? :D

If you are referring to aerobic fitness I'd say we are pretty even with most clubs. The difference is the impact the body takes from the contact during the game and this affects the players ability to keep running over the game. Older/mature bodies can take these hits and keep running, lighter bodies can'. If you ever played senior footy, thin how it felt being a colt to a senior player when you play colts. Colts run fast but not after a few bumps or heavy tackles.

That was pretty much the way I saw it. We just began to get out muscled the longer the game went. Those muscles don't get any softer as the game goes on and we can expect it to happen a lot more this season but in a year or two the kids will be bigger and fitter and will be able to do it to other clubs.

Alarmingly our fadeout in the last quarter has been evident in 4 of the 5 competitive games we've played and lost this year .

- final quarter against Hawthorn , where we gave up a 5 goal lead at 3/4 time and lost

- final quarter against Sydney , after being even at 3/4 time and lost

- final quarter against Footscray , after being within a goal at 3/4 time and lost by heaps

- final quarter against North , after being close at 3/4 time and lost by heaps .

Yes I know there are extenuating circumstances and the young players should be commended for their competitiveness , but the facts are that we appear to run out of steam !

I can't believe that it's a lack of general fitness. And don't give me this bullsh#t about having young players, or players coming back from injury. Every team has them.

IMO, it's a mindset. The players expend so much energy for so little scoreboard reward, as soon as the opposition get scoreboard supremacy, we drop our bundle. Look at all the beltings we copped last season.

I can't believe that it's a lack of general fitness. And don't give me this bullsh#t about having young players, or players coming back from injury. Every team has them.

IMO, it's a mindset. The players expend so much energy for so little scoreboard reward, as soon as the opposition get scoreboard supremacy, we drop our bundle. Look at all the beltings we copped last season.

To a degree I agree with this assessment. The body language of some of the players in the last quarter backs this up. A combination of slow older players and many youngsters is quite fitting with this result unfortunately.

Another thing that makes us "look" unfit is our lack of organisation around the ground. Watching that game from a pocket I noticed that our fastest players were rarely in the right spots of the ground outside the square. At one stopage, we had Miller, Bate and Johnson in close vicinity against fast agile players from the Kangas. The Kangas had the right players at the right spot of the ground most of the time. Needless to say that the Roos sharked it and sped off so quick that our guys looked like they were in slow motion. I guess Bailey will work on this throughout the season but it certainly hurts us and takes us right out of the contest. Around half forward, our players were so slow off the mark sometimes that I think they didn't bother chasing as they were left in their opponents dust. Our faster players need to be used more effectively over 4 quarters but as a whole we are still a slow team IMO.

I can't believe that it's a lack of general fitness. And don't give me this bullsh#t about having young players, or players coming back from injury. Every team has them.

IMO, it's a mindset. The players expend so much energy for so little scoreboard reward, as soon as the opposition get scoreboard supremacy, we drop our bundle. Look at all the beltings we copped last season.

You can add lack or forward line presence or personnel too.

Yes we are fit.

But our side lacks these values which enable a side to "compete consistently": -

1) Experience

2) Structure

3) Skill/Quality (composure under pressure)

When you are lacking in these areas OR lacking of these components compared to other teams....you're more often than not facing an uphill battle.