Roos: AFL players not watching enough footy

[Sir Why You Little 35,321]

I wish that it could be part of training for our players and coaches to watch at least 1 game a week live.

Learning from your peers

[DeeSpencer 23,642]

I kind of wish we had 1 super fit and 1 super crazy hard intense guy to drive it on field.

Was hoping Lumumba brought us the first thing. Endless run that inspires team mates.

It's the argument we've had time and again re: Campbell Brown or Mitch Robinson and getting an absolute battering ram. But not sure it works like that. Ideally they'd be a great player to be super hard and drive it that way.

With Vince underdone, Viney tagging, Crossy seemingly a step off and Jones throwing a stinker it's not a surprise we lacked for intensity in the middle. Dawes doesn't really scare anyone forward. Jamar's too slow to be a high intensity guy. Really we have to bring it as a team.

[Chook 14,701]

I can't imagine you'd want to spend what little free time you do have as an AFL player watching even more AFL.

When you're outside your jobs do YOU want to spend your free time thinking about whatever industry you work in?

Ever heard of homework? Every third grader in Australia does it.

[praha 10,574]

Ever heard of homework? Every third grader in Australia does it.

Yeah but let's be honest, the homework ain't that challenging these days

[markc 975]

have to say over the last few years i watch less and less afl games , maybe its because melbourne have been so bad , maybe its because its seems like its the same teams winning all the time

sadly most years our chance of finals or even winning more than a handful of games has been over before the season even started

this year it was fantastic to win round 1 , made me look forward to round 2 and so on but lets see over the year how we go

Edited April 14, 2015 by markc

[Jaded No More 59,975]

between playing and training how many hours would a player put in per week?

Put it this way, for the salary they get paid (well many of them), they work about 60% less hours than most of us adults with a "regular job".

I would say they should be given at least 2 games a week they have to watch. One being of the opponent we play the following week, one being of the best team/most in form team.

It's exactly like me being required to go shopping on weekends to asses the competition. It's additional "training" for which I don't get paid and it sucks not being able to switch off, but it's part of the job.

[beelzebub 22,716]

Their whole playing career. ..is intense. That means everything is ramped up.

If they don't get that...they don't belong.

!!

[Fork 'em 6,627]

Their whole playing career. ..is intense. That means everything is ramped up.

Including their pay checks.

Pizzes me off how they harp about needing to be paid well cause their careers are short.

Like they deserve to retire and sit on their arzes at 30 cause they played football.

Many people change careers throughout their working lives.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Fork 'em

[Emerald 1,743]

I hear Motlop likes watching footy that much that he even goes to local games.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Including their pay checks.

Pizzes me off how they harp about needing to be paid well cause their careers are short.

Like they deserve to retire and sit on their arzes at 30 cause they played football.

Many people change careers throughout their working lives.

exactly. To pluck a a name at random, I'll raise you Colin Sylvia. So he was better than most a junior. This prompted us to use pick 3 on him. He then spent the better part of a decade cashing checks and not lifting the weight that was asked of him. Are we supposed to have some sort of sympathy for this apathy? If I had been blessed by some force almighty to make several hundred K to play for the demons you best believe I would be glued to every match that is played just trying to get any sort of edge I could possibly find to make myself a better player. Best gig on the planet bar none. Makes me sick the blase attitude some supporters have to our players' professionalism

[The Devil Inside 2,147]

Put it this way, for the salary they get paid (well many of them), they work about 60% less hours than most of us adults with a "regular job".

I would say they should be given at least 2 games a week they have to watch. One being of the opponent we play the following week, one being of the best team/most in form team.

It's exactly like me being required to go shopping on weekends to asses the competition. It's additional "training" for which I don't get paid and it sucks not being able to switch off, but it's part of the job.

No they don't, not to defend them, but in season, they get one day off a week, average day starts at 8am and finishes at 5pm, in their contracts they also agree to do various sponsor/clinics/school visits etc etc some after the end of the working day. As of for the vision to watch, I would say talking to them they spend a whole working day in total watching vision

[dee-tox 4,831]

If most careers in AFL only last four years I'd be doing whatever was necessary to eke out a career.

[Undeeterred 2,908]

No they don't, not to defend them, but in season, they get one day off a week, average day starts at 8am and finishes at 5pm, in their contracts they also agree to do various sponsor/clinics/school visits etc etc some after the end of the working day. As of for the vision to watch, I would say talking to them they spend a whole working day in total watching vision

Oh boo hoo. Seriously.

[Arrow 1,257]

No they don't, not to defend them, but in season, they get one day off a week, average day starts at 8am and finishes at 5pm, in their contracts they also agree to do various sponsor/clinics/school visits etc etc some after the end of the working day. As of for the vision to watch, I would say talking to them they spend a whole working day in total watching vision

One day off a week is absolute BS. Completely untrue

[beelzebub 22,716]

If most careers in AFL only last four years I'd be doing whatever was necessary to eke out a career.

this....^^^^^^

show some gumption.

seems like a few ( more than ) just want to do 'enough'

[Nasher 33,246]

Including their pay checks.

Pizzes me off how they harp about needing to be paid well cause their careers are short.

Like they deserve to retire and sit on their arzes at 30 cause they played football.

Many people change careers throughout their working lives.

They deserve to be paid a lot because they are the central product of an industry that makes a truckload of money. It would be pretty stupid and unfair if the players were offered the same salary as the lollipop guy on the road construction job, while the AFL built its own swimming pool of money.

And I doubt very many AFL footballers retire and sit on their backsides after their career. For the smart ones it's a starting point for future earning, for the exceptionally lucky ones it's a gravy train they can stay on post playing, and for the dumb ones it is all just money wasted.

[Gipsy Danger 1,067]

No they don't, not to defend them, but in season, they get one day off a week, average day starts at 8am and finishes at 5pm, in their contracts they also agree to do various sponsor/clinics/school visits etc etc some after the end of the working day. As of for the vision to watch, I would say talking to them they spend a whole working day in total watching vision

6 days a week of anything football still a lot better then 6 days a week on a building site. Pro footballers don't know the first thing about doing it tough.

They get paid way more then enough and get plenty of paid annual leave. Their work to reward ratio is well higher then the average punter.

I know I'd trade in everything I do for the life of an athlete

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

They deserve to be paid a lot because they are the central product of an industry that makes a truckload of money. It would be pretty stupid and unfair if the players were offered the same salary as the lollipop guy on the road construction job, while the AFL built its own swimming pool of money.

And I doubt very many AFL footballers retire and sit on their backsides after their career. For the smart ones it's a starting point for future earning, for the exceptionally lucky ones it's a gravy train they can stay on post playing, and for the dumb ones it is all just money wasted.

And then there are the ones that have to nurse bad knees for the rest of their lives and have mental issues resulting from concussions and head knocks.

It is actually embarrassing the pitiful amount of money these guys are paid when compared to other mainstream sports people. Baseball players for example. What do they do? Throw a ball, catch a ball, hit a ball? They earn millions for being fat roid takers

[beelzebub 22,716]

And then there are the ones that have to nurse bad knees for the rest of their lives and have mental issues resulting from concussions and head knocks.

It is actually embarrassing the pitiful amount of money these guys are paid when compared to other mainstream sports people. Baseball players for example. What do they do? Throw a ball, catch a ball, hit a ball? They earn millions for being fat roid takers

different market....different money pool

[ManDee 7,101]

I can't imagine you'd want to spend what little free time you do have as an AFL player watching even more AFL.

When you're outside your jobs do YOU want to spend your free time thinking about whatever industry you work in?

You do if you want to improve.

[rpfc 27,678]

When footy has been as much fun for this club over the last 7 years - I can understand the desire to not look at a sherrin the rest of the week...

But if Roos sees it as an issue then have the game of the week on in the physio room, at lunch, play a quarter before a team meeting, etc.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

different market....different money pool

Last TV rights deal was like a billion wasn't it? Still underpaid.

[beelzebub 22,716]

Last TV rights deal was like a billion wasn't it? Still underpaid.

US market is billion$

They're not underpaid

[rpfc 27,678]

US market is billion$

They're not underpaid

In the NBA - the players are guaranteed around 50% of the TV money. In the AFL - the players were fighting for 27%...

Some things are different - like the NBA doesn't have to spend as much on grassroots or developmental football programs - but that is still quite a disparity...

[Mad_Melbourne 872]

It is an interesting concept, I was sure that the development coaches went to games with the 1st-3rd year players and I think it is pretty important for player development to be able to watch the best players, how they move, how many contests they get too, player positioning and even rotations. That being said, nowdays with all the technology and cameras at the game I would think that the coaching staff would be able to create a package from all 9 games with similar comparisons for the players to watch and learn from.

At the end of the day if you want to get better you need to understand what the best do, but all the footage in the world doesnt translate into a player being able to develop the workrate or skillset that is present in the best palyers.