19 minutes ago, picket fence said:

SOCCER PRACTICE??? FFS GET SOME GOAL KICKING DRILLS AND PRACTICE GOING FFS AND I SAY AGAIN FFS!! JAAAHEEZUS ☠️

I'm with you fence.

They have no direction. If a few pushed themselves instead I'd be happier. From what I've seen it is a stroll. They aren't doing anything with structure. If it is player guided, they require help.

They need to be encouraged to run laps, sprint, and, bring out the handball and short kick targets, tackling dummies, obstacle course, trick shot challenges, a tap the ball on, get creative with a variety of stations that they can choose to use.

They are getting better at soccer.

I see Storm and Victory train, everytime it has purpose to it.

35 minutes ago, Kev said:

I'm with you fence.

They have no direction. If a few pushed themselves instead I'd be happier. From what I've seen it is a stroll. They aren't doing anything with structure. If it is player guided, they require help.

They need to be encouraged to run laps, sprint, and, bring out the handball and short kick targets, tackling dummies, obstacle course, trick shot challenges, a tap the ball on, get creative with a variety of stations that they can choose to use.

They are getting better at soccer.

I see Storm and Victory train, everytime it has purpose to it.

You play like you train, you always have. Considering the glaring weakness we have doesn’t require heavy contact to practice it needs to be practiced all the time. 4 years and counting.

2 hours ago, Willmoy1947 said:

How do you know he was rested?

And even if he was I would think him in the team every second week is better than not at all.

I posted this before ..Richo said Melky reported soreness after WC ..so makes perfect sense to “rest” him …

1 hour ago, Kev said:

I'm with you fence.

They have no direction. If a few pushed themselves instead I'd be happier. From what I've seen it is a stroll. They aren't doing anything with structure. If it is player guided, they require help.

They need to be encouraged to run laps, sprint, and, bring out the handball and short kick targets, tackling dummies, obstacle course, trick shot challenges, a tap the ball on, get creative with a variety of stations that they can choose to use.

They are getting better at soccer.

I see Storm and Victory train, everytime it has purpose to it.

Feels like the tail might be wagging the dog a little too much Kev?

Hope some of the players aren't back to taking the [censored] like the old days pre Roos

If that's the case and it's crept into the habits of some, especially one or more of the leaders, and Simon has lost any ruthless edge he might have had back from 2020 / 21 , then we're potentially in for a world of pain from here onwards.

1 hour ago, Roost it far said:

You play like you train, you always have. Considering the glaring weakness we have doesn’t require heavy contact to practice it needs to be practiced all the time. 4 years and counting.

1 hour ago, Kev said:

I see Storm and Victory train, everytime it has purpose to it.

NSW Rugby League team. Recovery session. Surfing (indoor). Also smiling.

2 hours ago, Kev said:

I'm with you fence.

They have no direction. If a few pushed themselves instead I'd be happier. From what I've seen it is a stroll. They aren't doing anything with structure. If it is player guided, they require help.

They need to be encouraged to run laps, sprint, and, bring out the handball and short kick targets, tackling dummies, obstacle course, trick shot challenges, a tap the ball on, get creative with a variety of stations that they can choose to use.

They are getting better at soccer.

I see Storm and Victory train, everytime it has purpose to it.

Im very curious. When they do these goal kicking drills, do they have a coach or assistant next to them with an ipad or pen/ paper and recording distance, accuracy, angle. In the NFL, qb throws during practice are measured for rotation, accuracy, distamce etc. It builds a database and then when tweaks are made to routine or technique the outputs can be compared and analysed. I'm sure the same happens for golf swings or putting. Or is it, as i assume, a bunch of guys having random set shots from different positions and going yea i kicked around 25 out of 40 today. Not bad, time for the sheds.

Id love to be wrong, and that someone is actually tracking kick for kick and measuring if we are getting better in practice (which is the first step in getting better in game). It cost absolutely SFA to have an assistant watching and recording this stuff. It also builds a database knowing which guys are good from which pockets, angles and distance which can help in a game day situation.

Edited May 12May 12 by Jjrogan

"NSW Rugby League team. Recovery session. Surfing (indoor). Also smiling."

@bing181

They are not doing that every week.

Probably reward or a change-up.

If soccer or a stroll was a once off, or if it made us a better team then I would support it.

We are not applying ourselves, fallen far, we have lost a mental edge.

Need to continually repeat and repeat, work hard, and make it fun.

Adit: the MFC players are doing enough smiling. That's my point. Push them, the likable has not worked, find the middle way.

Edited May 12May 12 by Kev

"Im very curious. When they do these goal kicking drills, do they have a coach or assistant next to them with an ipad or pen/ paper and recording distance, accuracy, angle." @Jjrogan

It is all laissez-faire, they probably don't even turn the cameras on, nor are any of the "tech team" set up during the Recovery or Captain's runs.

The coaches wander around aimlessly as well, some have player interactions for a short time or with one or two players, though they usually hang out with each other. They are (Recovery and Captain's) a player led training.

The "techs" are definitely there during the main sessions.

Edited May 12May 12 by Kev

1 hour ago, Sir Why You Little said:

And we are 15th on the ladder.

That’s the good news.

3 hours ago, picket fence said:

SOCCER PRACTICE??? FFS GET SOME GOAL KICKING DRILLS AND PRACTICE GOING FFS AND I SAY AGAIN FFS!! JAAAHEEZUS ☠️

Fyi, Trac doesn't play soccer - he only shoots for goal.

14 minutes ago, Harvey Wallbanger said:

Fyi, Trac doesn't play soccer - he only shoots for goal.

A little problematic, it can appear that Tracc is separate, aloof, from the squad. I'd suggest that he frolics with them, so as to build a sense of comraderie, or a few shoot for goal with him until the soccer finishes.

There he is kicking goals by himself, after last years dramas.

Are they a united team?

Does Tracc have close mates who would rather stick by him, than watch a soccer ball bounce around 30 players, with only a few getting a touch?

1 hour ago, Jjrogan said:

Im very curious. When they do these goal kicking drills, do they have a coach or assistant next to them with an ipad or pen/ paper and recording distance, accuracy, angle. In the NFL, qb throws during practice are measured for rotation, accuracy, distamce etc. It builds a database and then when tweaks are made to routine or technique the outputs can be compared and analysed. I'm sure the same happens for golf swings or putting. Or is it, as i assume, a bunch of guys having random set shots from different positions and going yea i kicked around 25 out of 40 today. Not bad, time for the sheds.

Id love to be wrong, and that someone is actually tracking kick for kick and measuring if we are getting better in practice (which is the first step in getting better in game). It cost absolutely SFA to have an assistant watching and recording this stuff. It also builds a database knowing which guys are good from which pockets, angles and distance which can help in a game day situation.

I sure hope so. So much is monitored these days. I suspect some goal kicking is the player kicking multiple times and getting a feel for how everything felt for the accurate shots vs the wildly inaccurate ones. If a computer can see that with the accurate shots the foot formed a 1 degree larger angle with the leg I'm not sure if that won't hinder players during matches. Of course if a player realises they're still more accurate with their weak leg from the other pocket or with a straight kick from a pocket that info is valuable. But sometimes just practising is probably enough.

10 hours ago, Kev said:

I'm with you fence.

They have no direction. If a few pushed themselves instead I'd be happier. From what I've seen it is a stroll. They aren't doing anything with structure. If it is player guided, they require help.

They need to be encouraged to run laps, sprint, and, bring out the handball and short kick targets, tackling dummies, obstacle course, trick shot challenges, a tap the ball on, get creative with a variety of stations that they can choose to use.

They are getting better at soccer.

I see Storm and Victory train, everytime it has purpose to it.

Does my head in! Since our last G.F win we lost 4 other finals to among other things, shocking innacuracy in front of Goals! What has been done about it?? SFA! Soccer, cheezus give me a break!

Edited May 12May 12 by picket fence

9 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

MIND BLOWINGLY TELLING! A FAILURE on every level.

15 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

If he was technically good to go against the Hawks, I have no idea why he was "managed" for a season defining game when we had soldiers already down in Petty and Viney.

We certainly do not have the luxury or have earned the wins in the bank to start resting players. If necessary, they could have rested him for a probable road trip loss to Brisbane and have him fit and fresh for a winnable game against Sydney the following week.

Jake Melksham was managed against due to hamstring tightness during the week. Better to miss 1 week instead of 4 weeks. Jake Lever should play 2 and half quarters at Casey this week. This information was mentioned at 30 years membership function before the game against Hawthorn.

I think too much is being made of the soccer game. These sessions are for recovery, get the bruises out, get the legs moving.

Further because the main weekly training session is at Casey we’ve no idea what they are doing there. We don’t know what they are doing indoors. We’ve too little information to judge.

Until you look at the whole training program I think many here are drawing too much from far too little information.

23 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

I think too much is being made of the soccer game. These sessions are for recovery, get the bruises out, get the legs moving.

Further because the main weekly training session is at Casey we’ve no idea what they are doing there. We don’t know what they are doing indoors. We’ve too little information to judge.

Until you look at the whole training program I think many here are drawing too much from far too little information.

I agree, Slartiblastfart 😜

Seriously though, the flush and captain’s runs are not serious training sessions; they’re not training sessions at all. They have their merit though.

Besides, it’s an hour per week - sometimes 40 minutes - all up, out of many, many hours spent on various other types of training which we don’t witness.

Interestingly, a lot of the shots on goal at Gosch’s are nailed; more than one would expect from a team that can’t boast accuracy on gameday. Maybe the pressure to kick goals during a match affects some players. Replicating gameday conditions is impossible.

Edited May 13May 13 by Ghostwriter

I know playing a game of soccer is not the same as kicking a soccer ball, but can anyone tell me whether there is a benefit to kicking a soccer ball for the purpose of looking at a player's kicking technique? Given we have persistently poor goal kicking accuracy, would kicking a round ball in practice help identify flaws in the biomechanical process which may not be seen when kicking an oval ball? Of course, this would mean holding the soccer ball and dropping it as if it were an Australian football and not just kicking it off the ground.

21 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Melks all good for this weekend.

He was an out last week (“managed”). I still don’t know why that was so but I’m glad he’s available this week. 🥳

I think he is old in football years and has a history of injuries over the last couple of years. I doubt he could get through a season of 22+ games. Sadly he is a week to week proposition.

13 hours ago, 58er said:

And we are 15th on the ladder.

That’s the good news.

Ok, so we are playing above our ability, that’s good.

NSW State of Origin go surfing to meet and bond with each other.

21 hours ago, Kev said:

Another beautiful day. The players, appeared in reasonable spirits and light-hearted (some having fun), given the win/loss ratio we have, about 31 on the paddock.

Woewodin worked with a trainer doing those change of direction runs, in rehab. Hore still in rehab as well.

Lever out there in runners, though with the squad.

Melky trained as well, and in runners.

They had a structured warm-up, stretching and short runs. A soccer game followed, 15 on 15, most of them didn't touch the ball or do much running. Plenty of squeals when a goal was attempted.

They broke for goal kicking practice. Most of them kicking within the 45° angle area and 35 m out. Later, a few moved to the boundary shot. Turner broke out in joy and an exaggerated 50m run, he must have hit an important one through the sticks from the boundary when the others challenged him.

Kentfield working hard, drilling with a trainer.

Tracc practiced goal kicking for the entire session.

Melky and Gawn first to leave.

I hope Kentfield With a solid year at Casey can be a worthy player at senior level in 2026. The players who were in front of him have fallen by the wayside. A position is his for the taken if he is good enough.

18 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I know playing a game of soccer is not the same as kicking a soccer ball, but can anyone tell me whether there is a benefit to kicking a soccer ball for the purpose of looking at a player's kicking technique? Given we have persistently poor goal kicking accuracy, would kicking a round ball in practice help identify flaws in the biomechanical process which may not be seen when kicking an oval ball? Of course, this would mean holding the soccer ball and dropping it as if it were an Australian football and not just kicking it off the ground.

I played soccer for 20 years and I would say there is no benefit aside from general foot/eye coordination.

I would say we play these games to mentally refresh, loosen the body and have fun.

It is one of those things that people look at when you are losing and not if you are winning.

Goal kicking is largely mental, these are professional athletes. Fristch is one of the best kicks for goal technically I have seen. He is missing due to pressure and the how tough footy is mentally.

24 minutes ago, DubDee said:

I played soccer for 20 years and I would say there is no benefit aside from general foot/eye coordination.

I would say we play these games to mentally refresh, loosen the body and have fun.

It is one of those things that people look at when you are losing and not if you are winning.

Goal kicking is largely mental, these are professional athletes. Fristch is one of the best kicks for goal technically I have seen. He is missing due to pressure and the how tough footy is mentally.

If we were 7-2 they could play soccer all week. it's not the soccer it's the fact we are so poor in our F50 we should be practising all the time when we're on the track. I get the whole wind down and relax but sheesh if I was coach they'd be no relaxing until our F50's improved markedly. It's not like it's a new problem, you know, we've had the same issue holding us back for 3 1/2 years now.

15 hours ago, Kev said:

"NSW Rugby League team. Recovery session. Surfing (indoor). Also smiling."

@bing181

They are not doing that every week.

Probably reward or a change-up.

If soccer or a stroll was a once off, or if it made us a better team then I would support it.

We are not applying ourselves, fallen far, we have lost a mental edge.

Need to continually repeat and repeat, work hard, and make it fun.

Adit: the MFC players are doing enough smiling. That's my point. Push them, the likable has not worked, find the middle way.

And you pick that up From the open Goschs park training sessions. I’m assuming you don’t attend the closed sessions at Casey or when they’re doing their indoor stuff? We are not a top 4 team ..could def push top 8 if we can keep the forward line together for more than a week & we finally get some reward on the scoreboard. That will come but overall I’m def see small improvements every week. With the composition of our team that’s a positive. We are definitely in a development year and we have more positives than negatives…