PREGAME: Rd 01 vs GWS

[Roost it far 10,143]

1 hour ago, binman said:

And even if he does play he's not going to be fully fit - he's been off legs for weeks.

From the giants' website:

Meanwhile, Tom Green (calf) has returned to running and will be pushing for an early return in round one. 

Which by the by points to an important consideration when assessing the impact of injuries on individual player's and team's preseason - not all injuries are created equal, so to speak.

Any injury in preseason that limits how much running a player can do has an outsize impact because if players don't get the optimal miles in their legs they will never reach optimal fitness - and they can't make it up in season.

The pre Xmas break is particularly important because that's when they do the bulk of their running.

They might start off ok but as the season wears on the impact of a sub optimal preseason will kick in.

For that reason, I suspect Nick Daicos will hit the wall at some point late in the season because his planta fascia injury severely limited his running pre Xmas.

If a team has too many such players they are in trouble at the back end of the season - which is precisely what happened to us last year

(by the by that's where I got it wrong in my prediction right before the season started about where we would finish. I failed to factor in how many players had injuries that impacted their running - off the top of my head that list included tmac, spargo, McAdams, Lever, Petty, Salem, Brown, May? and clarry - well not really an injury as such, but certainly no running).

Injuries that don't impede a players capacity to get the miles in might impact their ability do specific strength training or participate in drills but don't have the same impact on their aerobic capacity.

(On aerobic capacity it's worth noting that it is iterative - that's to say with each preseason players go up a level, building on the aerobic base developed in previous preseasons. That means the impact  of a sub optimal preseason carries forward to the next one).

Take Maxy's larynx injury.

Apparently that was a pretty serious injury. Maxy couldn't do match sims, drills and the like, and presumably some strength training.

But he could run - and by all accounts run he did. Maxy reckons aerobically he is the fittest he has EVER been - which is remarkable given how fit he has been over the last 6 years or so.

Can’t wait to see if the difference to fitness levels you’d expect from a longer preseason with less injuries translates into us hitting the backend of the season stronger than we’ve done the last few years. With a competition so even this is the kind of advantage that puts us right in contention. We just need to manage our top 12 players to be Cherry ripe come August-September. I actually thought we hit the 23 finals in great shape but losing Gus, Petty and Melk royally fceduk us.

Edited March 6 by Roost it far

[layzie 34,528]

9 hours ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

I also have a street party!  I thought it would start at 6 pm (to which I could arrive fashionably lateish) but they've set the start time at 4 pm :')

What's with all this good community stuff? Isn't everyone else just a neighbour isolationist like myself?

[Red But Mostly Blue 4,632]

As we hurtle towards a big 2025, we have dingbats like Damian Barrett doing their very best to drag us.

For a guy who lives to air things publicly, seemingly daily, often without base or substance, and whose peers do the same, it’s a bit rich.

Do they want us to acknowledge issues or not? Pick one? We ignore issues, it’s a problem, damo here goes off. We talk about them, and it’s fake and forced. And damo goes off 

what. A. [censored]. 

[DistrACTION Jackson 10,739]

12 minutes ago, Red But Mostly Blue said:

As we hurtle towards a big 2025, we have dingbats like Damian Barrett doing their very best to drag us.

For a guy who lives to air things publicly, seemingly daily, often without base or substance, and whose peers do the same, it’s a bit rich.

Do they want us to acknowledge issues or not? Pick one? We ignore issues, it’s a problem, damo here goes off. We talk about them, and it’s fake and forced. And damo goes off 

what. A. [censored]. 

My suggestion is not to read or listen to anything Barrett is involved with… you will live longer.

How his 'If so and so, then....' segment is still going is beyond me.... 

Edited March 6 by DistrACTION Jackson

[Demon17 5,262]

Been in Sydney all week. Crickets in the local media about gws. Not much more about swans or upcoming games here this weekend.

Usual care factor up here. NIL by the locals.

[Red But Mostly Blue 4,632]

2 hours ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

My suggestion is not to read or listen to anything Barrett is involved with… you will live longer.

How his 'If so and so, then....' segment is still going is beyond me.... 

It's a ridiculous section, and he doesn't even understand how 'sliding doors' work - even worse is it doesn't even make sense!!!

[Dr. Gonzo 24,468]

On 05/03/2025 at 17:54, Roost it far said:

Billing’s was ok but jeez his goal kicking is embarrassing. Imagine if we storm home in a GF against the pies after being 42 points down and the siren goes and he’s holding the ball 35m out. 

He should do a James Manson

 

 

[Dr. Gonzo 24,468]

Hopefully the supporters turn up for this one, 30k minimum.

[DeelightfulPlay 2,723]

On 07/03/2025 at 08:50, layzie said:

What's with all this good community stuff? Isn't everyone else just a neighbour isolationist like myself?

You might love it (or hate it) up here, Layzie!  I live on a laneway and everyone chats to each other.  Something about the small walkable streets and all the cute dogs being walked leads to a small town friendliness, even though it's only 1.5 km from the CBD.  As I type this I can hear my neighbours Kathleen and Ross talking under the frangipani tree!

(It's nice except for when you get caught with a large load of shopping...)

Edited Friday at 22:45 by DeelightfulPlay

[adonski 13,271]

 

[Adam The God 30,736]

On 06/03/2025 at 18:58, Deemania since 56 said:

Now we're talking, a little protection for Max is overdue. The umpires certainly ignore that need. 

One of the interesting things I noted in the Round 1 2018 game against Geelong is that Max would often be used on the wing in usually a 1v1 or 2v2 contest, where our guys knew it was going, and so we were able to get extra numbers to the foot of the contest.

The ball would usually go to him quickly, so an entire pack didn't form around him.

The result of this would be less arduous for Max and protect him a bit.

Slower ball movement would always result in more bashing and crashing into Max, and with our own defensive set up, we've been willing to defend with the help of Max.

With the Grundy experiment, I always wondered why we didn't use Max behind the ball when Grundy was rucking, and instead played Max forward. In retrospect, it was probably to protect Max, rather than have forwards fly into the back of his head or stick their knee in his back.

So it'll be interesting to see how they try to protect Max this year. Ball movement will be key, and I suspect (and hope) Campbell will get a game here or there.

[Deemania since 56 6,809]

On 07/03/2025 at 11:42, Red But Mostly Blue said:

It's a ridiculous section, and he doesn't even understand how 'sliding doors' work - even worse is it doesn't even make sense!!!

With what he says, it makes it incredibly worse than anything else the inexperienced media collective may offer. 

[monoccular 17,760]

On 03/03/2025 at 21:35, WERRIDEE said:

Jefferson won't debut. 1 club debut and 3 AFL debuts seems about right although they might not go with Woewodin instead of Johnson if van Rooyen is injury free.

Or Kylan Brown?

On 03/03/2025 at 23:02, dazzledavey36 said:

….

If your name isn't Viney, Petracca or Oliver then forget about it. It's going to be my number one frustration this year if we continue to constantly roll these three out as our starting midfield every single weekend. ..

 

 

One or two of the three, yes.  But all three, no.   Both for need for variation, and for induction of their eventual replacements.  And Tracc, and Clarrie, are decent forwards. 

[hardtack 11,106]

7 hours ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

You might love it (or hate it) up here, Layzie! 

If you don’t mind me asking, where is “Up here”?

Edited Saturday at 06:02 by hardtack

[DeelightfulPlay 2,723]

51 minutes ago, hardtack said:

If you don’t mind me asking, where is “Up here”?

I'm based in Sydney and have no sense of direction!

[ManDee 7,395]

1 hour ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

I'm based in Sydney and have no sense of direction!

 

1 hour ago, hardtack said:

If you don’t mind me asking, where is “Up here”?

From my perspective up is generally above my head. Some think it is North , others inside the 8 or Cazaly's destination. 🙂

[hardtack 11,106]

1 hour ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

I'm based in Sydney and have no sense of direction!

Me too… Inner West (Dulwich Hill) here.

[Redleg 42,167]

8 hours ago, adonski said:

 

If Giants beat Pies, I think they will not risk Green, but if they lose they might feel they need to play him.

With the bye the next week after our game, you would think they would give him the extra two weeks to recover.

[demosaw 1,155]

On 07/03/2025 at 12:12, Red But Mostly Blue said:

It's a ridiculous section, and he doesn't even understand how 'sliding doors' work - even worse is it doesn't even make sense!!!

I like the sliding doors where Damien Barrett doesn’t have a media job.

[KozzyCan 975]

On 07/03/2025 at 12:12, Red But Mostly Blue said:

It's a ridiculous section, and he doesn't even understand how 'sliding doors' work - even worse is it doesn't even make sense!!!

That article is literally rage bait. I have no idea why people keep getting sucked in to read it.

[DeelightfulPlay 2,723]

14 hours ago, ManDee said:

 

From my perspective up is generally above my head. Some think it is North , others inside the 8 or Cazaly's destination. 🙂

Well we're definitely heading up to the top 8!

[Bring-Back-Powell 15,553]

23 hours ago, adonski said:

 

On the Sunday Footy Show this morning Green suggested it was very line ball about his availability for our game.

Hopefully their bye in round 2 might discourage the Giants from playing him next week, but he’s certainly a chance.

[Roost it far 10,143]

GWS are going to be tough to beat especially without a proper game under our belts

Edited Sunday at 04:55 by Roost it far

[adonski 13,271]

Gawn will dominate Keefe with no Briggs

[Roost it far 10,143]

1 minute ago, adonski said:

Gawn will dominate Keefe with no Briggs

They play a good brand of footy, I’m hoping we do