I'll bet I could take postings from the pre-season training summaries of the last few years, change a few names and post them as for this pre-season and very few, if any, would know somethings not right. Going to training for a good few years I think there is only one thing I've noticed that I believe really indicated how they are going and that is how many things they fluff. ie the odd miskick or dropped mark. When they are going to have a good season, there's hardly any stuff ups. When they are ordinary they fluff say 1 in 10 and when they are good say 1 in 20. All this talk about attitude or traning style or whether the coach is there or what the players say etc doesn't say "". Oh, theres one other thing, I do think if a player has not had a full pre-season it really does handicap them.

mmmmm

Rantings of a lost soul, come in from the cold my son and seek the Lord

Rantings of a lost soul, come in from the cold my son and seek the Lord

Amen Brother!

The answer is you don't but 3 things that I've noticed:

1. New players

2. They are doing things differently - if somethings not working a change is often a decent idea. That's pretty much why we vote different politicians in here! But seriously there is a heap less running around the track and much more physical and skill based training

3. My judgement (and it is consistent with others) is that training is of a higher standard

The first 2 are objective, the third is subjective.

We had new players and were doing things differently last year and my judgement at least at this time and even after the NAB Cup triple header spoke improvement. We did fine against North Melbourne in the first game - would have beaten them but for the fact they got a 9 pointer when 6 points would have given us a win. Did OK against the Toigs given we had to play a fresh side with little break in sauna like conditions. Then a weakened side with few of our so called "better" players beat a far more experienced Port Adelaide in Renmark. Then the wheels fell off. How did we know at any given time whether we had improved or not?

You'll know they've improved when they win their third game for the season.

After round 23 (2014)

:blink: :blink:

I live in Canberra (bugger it!) so I don't get to training very often ............... but I know we have improved because I believe the positive half of what I read on Demonland. Silly me!!

I hope this doesn't jinx us - but I dreamt last night that we flogged Saints Rd1 and the boys played this amazing running and attacking brand of footy. It was such flogging that the team ran a lap of the oval afterwards to thank the crowd for sticking by them....

Here's hoping it comes true...

I live in Canberra (bugger it!) so I don't get to training very often ............... but I know we have improved because I believe the positive half of what I read on Demonland. Silly me!!

Where you doing that at this time in 2012 and 2013?

I suspect the answer is yes.

Believe only what the score board tells you Deeoldfart.

"

I hope this doesn't jinx us - but I dreamt last night that we flogged Saints Rd1 and the boys played this amazing running and attacking brand of footy. It was such flogging that the team ran a lap of the oval afterwards to thank the crowd for sticking by them....

Here's hoping it comes true...

I think you covered it with "I dreamt"

You'll know they've improved when they win their third game for the season.

How will we know its not just other teams getting worse and us staying put?

How will we know its not just other teams getting worse and us staying put?

I will take that as improvement.

Still I am desperate!

I'll bet I could take postings from the pre-season training summaries of the last few years, change a few names and post them as for this pre-season and very few, if any, would know somethings not right. Going to training for a good few years I think there is only one thing I've noticed that I believe really indicated how they are going and that is how many things they fluff. ie the odd miskick or dropped mark. When they are going to have a good season, there's hardly any stuff ups. When they are ordinary they fluff say 1 in 10 and when they are good say 1 in 20. All this talk about attitude or traning style or whether the coach is there or what the players say etc doesn't say "". Oh, theres one other thing, I do think if a player has not had a full pre-season it really does handicap them.

bigger stronger faster + mitch

sorry, maybe I should have posted this concept in the no $cully well-fare threads.

Edited January 28, 201411 yr by dee-luded

What we have is better coaching staff, better club administration, Better fitter playing list and from the training last year to this year it is chalk and cheese, the skill levels have improved last year drills were riddled with miss kicks and errors even yesterday with a good wind blowing we can hit targets, the size of our players body's have improved not to many skinny kids. We also have a group of young players hitting 22+ and approaching 100 games plus a few senior heads 26+ with well over 100 games. The balance of the team looks to be a lot better

We will be a muched improved no question.

I will take that as improvement.

Still I am desperate!

We're all desperate OD. But desperate times call for one thing - optimism and faith - well that's obviously two things, but if we all stay positive and have nice dreams I am convinced our faith will be rewarded. It's about creating a cosmic shift in the mindset of all.

The stars are aligning OD. It's a grand old flag and everything is going to be just great. Trust me, I'm an optimist!

Last year/season was the lowest, we cant go lower as a club,

All been uphill since and changes throughout the club, as stated above the players are a year older and some quality senior heads added

A new coach Paul Roos has a reputation and respect

The club/players seem happier going by training notes and MFC media so PLEASE no more multiple 100 point losses.

By the way they play footy

It seems that hey're being coached at team play, at using their skills to win and keep possession under pressure, and especially at working their way out of specific difficult situations using teamwork. And they're being coached to do this under as close as they can get to match conditions, with other players doing their darndest to stop them.

ISure, the big question is whether they can bring this to actual match conditions. But it seems to me that if they're being coached in this way, they're more likely to get there. Even if it might take them most of the season to get there.

We're all desperate OD. But desperate times call for one thing - optimism and faith - well that's obviously two things, but if we all stay positive and have nice dreams I am convinced our faith will be rewarded. It's about creating a cosmic shift in the mindset of all.

The stars are aligning OD. It's a grand old flag and everything is going to be just great. Trust me, I'm an optimist!

Gee Reverend I would never have guessed!

Well, our players know plenty about what not to do....

Most of our guys have another year under their belts and another preseason in their bodies... If nothing else, then the game time experience, of the last few years, will add something to their abilities... there will be natural improvement.... Maybe...lol...

Edited January 28, 201411 yr by tatu

How will we know its not just other teams getting worse and us staying put?

Well, you're right in that improvement is a relative and an absolute concept. I think that if we're winning more games, that's an improvement in the only category that matters. I don't care if, in absolute terms, they're hitting targets at a higher percentage, running faster etc. Improvement vis-a-vis the competition is what counts.

You can only improve when you become confident in the skills you possess. For that we are a long way behind. Confidence breeds confidence so it will be interesting to see when it comes together.

How will we know its not just other teams getting worse and us staying put?

I'll tell you what, I could definitely imagine a side that played better than footy than we did 2013 and being 0-22. That's what I thought of our brand of footy last year