Our Fitness

[Bruce Almighty 0]

With the amount of injuries that we have had this year, does that mean we will get a new fitness coach. Or do you think it is just generally BAD luck.

[Jerry Lundergard 382]

Some people will say it is bad luck, but you only have to take a look at us to realise we are [censored] weak, and that can't help in a fierce contact sport like the AFL.

Take yesterday as example, our endeavour to tackle can't be faulted, but how many times are oppostion teams able to free their hands and get a handball away when we tackle? And conversely, we get wrapped up and pinged when we try to break tackles.

I don't think we present up ground when we have the ball in defence to give us an outlet to move the ball foward(think Ryan O'Keefe). Is this fitness, or desire to run hard and help out a teamate? In saying that our footskills aren't sharp enough at present to hit targets anyway.

Somebody cosistently gets on here and defends Bodan, which is fine. But does anyone know why he left Hawthorn? They are easily one of the hardest running teams in the AFL now.

[sylvinator 96]

Some people will say it is bad luck, but you only have to take a look at us to realise we are [censored] weak, and that can't help in a fierce contact sport like the AFL.

Take yesterday as example, our endeavour to tackle can't be faulted, but how many times are oppostion teams able to free their hands and get a handball away when we tackle? And conversely, we get wrapped up and pinged when we try to break tackles.

I don't think we present up ground when we have the ball in defence to give us an outlet to move the ball foward(think Ryan O'Keefe). Is this fitness, or desire to run hard and help out a teamate? In saying that our footskills aren't sharp enough at present to hit targets anyway.

Somebody cosistently gets on here and defends Bodan, which is fine. But does anyone know why he left Hawthorn? They are easily one of the hardest running teams in the AFL now.

if people are going to say whether our injuries were bad luck or not, one must differentiate between colision injuries such as knees, shoulders etc (which cant be helped just bad luck), and soft tissue injuries (which can be somewhat prevented with good management).

i think most ppl will find we'v had an abnormal amount of collision type injuries which is really just bad luck.

just look at geelong. they were bottom 4 last year. this year they have had great luck and had no serious injuries at all to important players. most top 8 clubs have more than 15 players who have played more than 18 games this season. we have one!

injuries may not be an excuse, but in the even nature of the afl competition in can be the difference between top 4 and bottom 4. having a core group of players playing each week in vital for cohesion which is imperative to any kind of success.

[Jerry Lundergard 382]

If you have a stronger body when you collide, would it make you less likely to obtain an injury?

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

If you have a stronger body when you collide, would it make you less likely to obtain an injury?

The injuries we have had have not necessarily arised from collision. Some of them have occurred from landing awkwardly from a mark, some have occurred through losing footing when in motion, others have occurred from occurrences while in the action of play. There are a number of long term injuries which have been occurred by stresses on the body (eg OP).

The answer to your question though is not necessarily. There are many factors at play when two moving objects collide and having the stronger body may not mean you are less likely to incur an injury.

There are many reasons why each and every injury has occurred this year and I am sure the Club's medicos will review this at season's end. Its a cover all to say its bad luck. Its absolute BS to lay the blame at the hands of the fitness adviser. While no one on this thread has made allegations, there have been a number of factless and misinformed smears at the fitness adviser, Bohdan.

In addition the claim of smaller body size/weight this year and its negative impact on the team has been ignorantly and mischieveously applied. FWIW, Nathan Jones is the only player to have scaled down some body size and isnt he better for it. Been a star this year because he has the ability to run out games which he could not do last year.

In all truth, the whole football department will probably change at year end (sans CAC). As a consequence of this change, Bohdan might be a casualty of this broader broom sweep. If he does go, I hope the unfounded and misguided slurs on him go as well. They have as much credibility as Kevin Andrews acting in the best interests of Australia.

[demon3165 1,937]

The injuries we have had have not necessarily arised from collision. Some of them have occurred from landing awkwardly from a mark, some have occurred through losing footing when in motion, others have occurred from occurrences while in the action of play. There are a number of long term injuries which have been occurred by stresses on the body (eg OP).

The answer to your question though is not necessarily. There are many factors at play when two moving objects collide and having the stronger body may not mean you are less likely to incur an injury.

There are many reasons why each and every injury has occurred this year and I am sure the Club's medicos will review this at season's end. Its a cover all to say its bad luck. Its absolute BS to lay the blame at the hands of the fitness adviser. While no one on this thread has made allegations, there have been a number of factless and misinformed smears at the fitness adviser, Bohdan.

In addition the claim of smaller body size/weight this year and its negative impact on the team has been ignorantly and mischieveously applied. FWIW, Nathan Jones is the only player to have scaled down some body size and isnt he better for it. Been a star this year because he has the ability to run out games which he could not do last year.

In all truth, the whole football department will probably change at year end (sans CAC). As a consequence of this change, Bohdan might be a casualty of this broader broom sweep. If he does go, I hope the unfounded and misguided slurs on him go as well. They have as much credibility as Kevin Andrews acting in the best interests of Australia.

You are the Andrew Bolt of the MFC......god help us !!!!

[Jerry Lundergard 382]

You are the Andrew Bolt of the MFC......god help us !!!!

Not quite, he was actually having a dig at a liberal MP there, and not dishing out their propaganda, like Bolt does through the Herald Scum.

[Little Goffy 12,624]

In addition the claim of smaller body size/weight this year and its negative impact on the team has been ignorantly and mischieveously applied. FWIW, Nathan Jones is the only player to have scaled down some body size...

Brock Mclean comes quickly to mind - a specific point of reducing 'load' on his hamstrings. Well, his hamstrings seem to be coping better...

We had an entirely redirected pre-season training program compared to the previous year's emphasis on building up body strength - another influence of the (I think we all now say it as an expletive) 'run-and-carry game plan'. Long running and sustained fitness was the goal.

I love Cameron Bruce, but I don't think his body type should be the goal of an entire team's preseason!

[deanox 8,633]

If you have a stronger body when you collide, would it make you less likely to obtain an injury?

not nessecarily. think of it this way. the stronger players are more likely to have more muscle and thus be heavier. if you are heavier and are moving at a constant speed you have more momentum than if you are lighter and travelling at the same constant speed. if you are forced to stop in a short distance (ie a collision) the heavier body actually has more energy which it needs to dissipate in the same short distance, thus there is more force on the body. strength as in weight lifting will make it easier for you to push someone away, it will make it harder for you to run 14 kms but it doesnt necessarily increase the shock resistance of muscles, bones and ligaments in joints...

[Geddy Lee 582]

You will not get a definitive answer I'm afraid. I want to see Bohdan gone, but I understand that the majority of injuries have had nothing to do with his work. I want the new coach to bring his own fitness man so a cohesive direction is given to young malleable players like Jones and Frawley etc etc.

[Jerry Lundergard 382]

not nessecarily. think of it this way. the stronger players are more likely to have more muscle and thus be heavier. if you are heavier and are moving at a constant speed you have more momentum than if you are lighter and travelling at a constant speed. if you are forced to stop in a short distance (ie a collision) the heavier body actually has more energy which it needs to dissipate in the same short distance, thus there is more force on the body. strength as in weight lifting will make it easier for you to push someone away, it will make it harder for you to run 14 kms but it doesnt necessarily increase the shock resistance of muscles, bones and ligaments in joints...

I'm happy with that explanation, some reasoning behind statements always helps.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

You will not get a definitive answer I'm afraid. I want to see Bohdan gone, but I understand that the majority of injuries have had nothing to do with his work. I want the new coach to bring his own fitness man so a cohesive direction is given to young malleable players like Jones and Frawley etc etc.

I would have thought for all the misinformation spread about Bohdan, I think the fitness progam for players like Jones have paid off in spades. Would it be a problem if the new Coach kept Bohdan?

[Jaded No More 58,113]

I would have thought for all the misinformation spread about Bohdan, I think the fitness progam for players like Jones have paid off in spades. Would it be a problem if the new Coach kept Bohdan?

Who's to say that Jones wouldn't have been made to lose weight under a different fitness trainer?

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about sports science or even fitness for that matter. However, I have a number of friends who study sports science and I also know a long time fitness trainer who says Bohdan's training is not suitable for AFL players.

I don't have a problem with players being made to lose weight to ensure they can run out games, however I believe that our poor tackling this season has a lot to do with our reduced body size. We were the best tackling team in the competition last year, then we focused on trimming down for endurance and what did we get? Neither tackling, nor endurance (and only 1 player playing all 22 rounds).

Putting injuries aside, what have we achieved in terms of fitness this season?

[Jerry Lundergard 382]

I would have thought for all the misinformation spread about Bohdan, I think the fitness progam for players like Jones have paid off in spades. Would it be a problem if the new Coach kept Bohdan?

Just out of interest, are you mates with him RR? You seem to go into bat for him on a pretty personal level. Or are you in the fitness industry yourself?

I don't know enough about all the circumstnces of our injuries, and enough about the science of a fitness program to call for any sackings of Bohdan. But, i can make general observations, that when i see our team play, we seem physically weaker, and have an inferior work rate than our oppostion. Now, that has always been a criticism of us for a while now, but because we are losing and sufferring loads of injuries this year, i guess the finger gets pointed.

Maybe it is all a mental thing, and we should sack our sports pyschologist. We tried the coach, and that didn't work.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Just out of interest, are you mates with him RR? You seem to go into bat for him on a pretty personal level. Or are you in the fitness industry yourself?

I don't know enough about all the circumstnces of our injuries, and enough about the science of a fitness program to call for any sackings of Bohdan. But, i can make general observations, that when i see our team play, we seem physically weaker, and have an inferior work rate than our oppostion. Now, that has always been a criticism of us for a while now, but because we are losing and sufferring loads of injuries this year, i guess the finger gets pointed.

Maybe it is all a mental thing, and we should sack our sports pyschologist. We tried the coach, and that didn't work.

No I have never met him. Why is that relevant?

I just dont buy into witch hunts on public figures in the Club based on misinformation and speculation.

I work on facts and evidence which is not always a basis of criticism on this site.

The finger has been pointed without any clear evidence.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Who's to say that Jones wouldn't have been made to lose weight under a different fitness trainer?

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about sports science or even fitness for that matter. However, I have a number of friends who study sports science and I also know a long time fitness trainer who says Bohdan's training is not suitable for AFL players.

I don't have a problem with players being made to lose weight to ensure they can run out games, however I believe that our poor tackling this season has a lot to do with our reduced body size. We were the best tackling team in the competition last year, then we focused on trimming down for endurance and what did we get? Neither tackling, nor endurance (and only 1 player playing all 22 rounds).

Putting injuries aside, what have we achieved in terms of fitness this season?

The fact is that Bohdan was responsible for Jones's program which he the player has public commented on as benefitting him. I am at a loss at what the relevance of your first point.

Why isnt Bohdan's training suitable for AFL players? Has this long time (gives credibility) fitness trainer seen his program at MFC? I have a number of friends who study sports science too. What's your point in raising that? You socialise alot?!

Jaded, do the sums on the sides body weight. Aside from Jones, how much weight has been lost from this year to last by players on the list? Which players trimmed down? There was a post on this about six months ago that including Jones it was about 10kgs in total. When you are looking at about 36 players weighing an 85 kgs each. That's about 0.3%. That does not include Byron's blowout which would probably end in a net gain in weight overall for the team.

Our tackling has been poor for a number of reasons with the absence of McLean, Pickett and Bartram from midfield rotations. As a side our lack of intensity overall and jelly like performance of many of our senior players further added to that. Our form early and the impact of injuries further crushed players confidences.

You should light your torch for the witch hunt on this one Jaded.

[deanox 8,633]

I'm happy with that explanation, some reasoning behind statements always helps.

cheers. im not an expert on these sorts of things but thats the way i tend to see it. i would assume it is much more complex than that. and it would be fair to say that conditioned athletes would better accept a shock or collision than you're average joe, and i think the same would be true within athletic fields - if you are trained to take shocks and bumps you are less likely to be injured by them ie rugby players compared to soccer players (but this comparison is made different again because each sport has different demands...)

the twisting of a knee or shoulder due to an awkward landing, the jarring of a knee or ankle when diving for a mark or broken bones and concussions from impact injuries are unpredictable and most likely unpreventable imo. OP and soft tissue injuries can be prevented through a range of core strength and condition methods, but this doesnt eliminate them, it just helps to over come incumbent weaknesses (ie if you have weak core strength in the right of your body, i believe you are more likely to have a soft tissue injury occur on the left due to excess strain etc, by evening these up and strengthening all core strength you will help minimise your chances). however it needs to be remembers that this is sport at a level where it pushes the boundaries of what your body can do. they jump the highest, they run til they throw up, then run some more. kicking while running at 100% puts amazing strain on your hamstrings, other actions put strain on other muscles...

[Jaded No More 58,113]

You should light your torch for the witch hunt on this one Jaded.

You can't be serious.

I'm not witch hunting anyone, and I have not once declared Bohdan responsible for our woeful injury list.

However, from my discussions with people who know the business and who know Bohdan, it seems clear that his technique is much more suitable for athletics (which is where he comes from I believe). He concentrates on endurance rather than strength, but IMO you need to have a balance of both.

We have been physically weak this year. We're being pushed aside in contests, and we can't hold our tackles.

We haven't played 4 consistently hard quarters all season, and we're fighting it out for a priority pick.

Everyone in the footy department is in trouble, and that includes the fitness trainers.

Maybe he'll be deemed guilty of our poor form by association, or maybe he is largely responsible. Bottom line is, he'll come under scrutiny, and so he should.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

You can't be serious.

I'm not witch hunting anyone, and I have not once declared Bohdan responsible for our woeful injury list.

However, from my discussions with people who know the business and who know Bohdan, it seems clear that his technique is much more suitable for athletics (which is where he comes from I believe). He concentrates on endurance rather than strength, but IMO you need to have a balance of both.

We have been physically weak this year. We're being pushed aside in contests, and we can't hold our tackles.

We haven't played 4 consistently hard quarters all season, and we're fighting it out for a priority pick.

Everyone in the footy department is in trouble, and that includes the fitness trainers.

Maybe he'll be deemed guilty of our poor form by association, or maybe he is largely responsible. Bottom line is, he'll come under scrutiny, and so he should.

You are seeking to hold him responsible for issues that are broadly the responsibility of the whole football department. He should come under scrutiny for issues that he is definitely responsible for. So far its been speculation and innuendo.

[Hannabal 4]

You are seeking to hold him responsible for issues that are broadly the responsibility of the whole football department. He should come under scrutiny for issues that he is definitely responsible for. So far its been speculation and innuendo.

Whilst our level of injuries may be entirely coincidentally linked to BB's arrival, if I ran the joint I'd at least want to look at the link, as tenuous as it might be. To summarily dismiss any possibility wouldn't be good governance.

[Mazer Rackham 14,969]

Does the fitness coach determine the game plan?

Did the fitness coach decide to make the players skinny?

Or was he directed to make them skinny?

You can't evaluate the fitness coach on this horror season.

He may have done his job to a "T".

Having said that, I think he's gorn.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,180]

Does the fitness coach determine the game plan?

Did the fitness coach decide to make the players skinny?

Or was he directed to make them skinny?

You can't evaluate the fitness coach on this horror season.

He may have done his job to a "T".

Having said that, I think he's gorn.

No way. Bohdan has a TWO YEAR contract. He still has another year to go. Good for you Rhino in defending him from the senseless WITCH HUNTERS like Jaded and co. You at least, have done some research into Bohdan's abilities.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,180]

If you have a stronger body when you collide, would it make you less likely to obtain an injury?

No! Ask David Neitz or Ben Holland.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

No way. Bohdan has a TWO YEAR contract. He still has another year to go. Good for you Rhino in defending him from the senseless WITCH HUNTERS like Jaded and co. You at least, have done some research into Bohdan's abilities.

Thanks Bobby.

In all honesty I have not done much research at all into Bohdan and I dont have an opinion either way on his ability.

However, I have read some extraordinary criticisms of him by people who clearly have no idea of the role of football departments and fitness experts and have blamed him for a variety of club problems which do not appear to be the role of the fitness adviser. I am awaiting a spurious nexus of Bohdan with global warming! When challenged these critics respond in manner that only highlights they are not in an informed position to make the unfair judgements.

However, as part of the review of a horrendous year all aspects of the football department should be subject to informed and sensible scrutiny including Bohdan's role. If he has failed his role he should go. But that should be the result of the investigation and not a suuporter site witch hunt.

[Jaded No More 58,113]

However, as part of the review of a horrendous year all aspects of the football department should be subject to informed and sensible scrutiny including Bohdan's role. If he has failed his role he should go. But that should be the result of the investigation and not a suuporter site witch hunt.

Some call it witch hunting, others call it common sense.

He should be looked at because he is a big part of a failed footy department.

He may or may not be the cause of our injuries, we can never know for sure. However, we have won 4 games this year. Everyone should be feeling the heat!