Engorged Onion

Is that the answer? Then what are you alluding to?

The image is drawn from a workshop given by the AFL educators to early career coaches/staff. As it says up the top - it's an example. So it's not an accurate plan for our team, or individuals , but we can use it as an interpretation within a range of confidence of what is occurring.

Really nicely put synopsis there @Lord Nev

No mention of all the hot topics of Demonland either! Loading Poor coaching Arrogance Mental Fragility

Hi, find attached a generic pdf from the web. To be clear this is not my area of expertise in sport, but goes some way to explaining what is going on. Volume = Time spent. Technique = type training aerobically or anaerobically Y axis = % of maximum for an individual. This could also be useful

Really nicely put Groovy Owl. It reminds me of a time when a multiple premiership player (of a recent dynasty) said to me that the worst time of the year wasn't the pre-season - it was when you either knew you were out of the finals, or in the finals, as those subsequent matches were essentially meaningless items to get through. It's even more amplified when the days are short and cold in Victoria... as well as managing life within a pandemic... This clearly isn't a supporters perspective, as each match is either evidence that you've got a chance or not.

@Kent, I'm not sure how long you have followed the AFL for. There appears to be a tacit agreement between supporters, the media and coaches, for coaches to answer questions without giving any meaningful insight. Whist I agree about transparency, unless you're part of the inner sanctum, you and I as supporters are never going to get it. And that's not driven by disrespect to the supporters, that's driven and done for a multitude of reasons. Protecting players mental health (absorbing the ire of supporters himself) Not giving away IP to other football departments it's not local footy In playing devil's advocate. Can you imagine if Goodwin led off with. "Yeah, look we lost tonight because well, you know, today, the players are down on confidence, I was outcoached on particular tactics, and quite frankly some of my players just didn't do what was required. I mean I don't want to breach their trust, but it's important that the supporters know the explicit reasons for why we don't do things perfectly. The game plan works most of the time, but not all, that's on me, let me tell succinctly what elements were broken down, again just so the supporters know for sure that we are acting on things on the 5-6 days between matches. We know we are nothing without our supporters, that's why we owe it to them weekly basis in our presser, to ensure that they know, that we know, that they think is disrespectful that we don't answer questions, that the broader general public and other football departments will now be privy to."

It has taken me a while, but in that statement right there, you have sold me on Viney to forward line.

Video evidence please ?

So what you're saying is - on evidence - the last 5 games actually have no baring on the games in finals, its just that supporters like to buy into the notion of momentum? Let me just encapsulate our season from a momentum perspective... At round 1 we were neither +/- for momentum. We then had momentum for 9 games, until we didn't, then we got some again for two games, until we didn't and we lost, but then we stopped the lack of momentum by having a win, by which time we had momentum, until we lost the week after, but then we reversed that momentum by having another win, we then lost that momentum by drawing, and further momentum was lost on Saturday night, which I presume will have massive baring on the outcome of the game against the Suns if it is indeed played.

Hi @BW511. I feel as though you are putting your own supporters narrative onto the players. I disagree quite strongly. As one example - if there were resilience issues, then there is no way we would get back within 4 points. In 4 and half months, we've lost 2 games by under 4 straight kicks (one a quarter) We've lost one by an umpiring decision This is not the Melbourne of old, we don't get blown out of the water, we may not be perfect however. Your confidence may be erased, and it's probably not the players experience that theirs is erased either.

So you’re telling me we’re a chance? Great compiling of stats there. but it doesn’t stand up to the ‘eye test’ of some in here!

I'll lead off with that my belief is that it is impossible to sustain 22 week's of form (be it as a team, or an individual) and then get into the 'real' season and maintain it. Thus, I'm not in favour of the notion that the players were down or not up yesterday - they made errors, [censored] it, so did the Dogs, they just converted. Whilst some folk find Goodwin 'expressionless' in his conferences, the clue for us all is how he frames things. Irrespective of a win (he down plays it) or a loss (he also down plays it) because it's always about 'resetting for the week ahead'. For all of those in the ecosystem that is the AFL industry - it does not help to get emotional about the wins and losses... and that fact [censored] supporters to tears. He isn't about pumping up players, or jumping on them, because if you teach players that you can only win when you feel good or confident, what happens to performance when you are not feeling good or confident, or fatigued? You move away from games plans, you play more insular (sure weve seen it from individuals this year) and it impedes performance. And...how on earth would you feel on Grand Final Day in front of 100k... not sure about you... but I'd have a squeeky little bum.} It's a time of high anxiety and high stress... and Goodwin drives the team (as do most coaches) from a position of knowing that this is the emotional landscape of football. Having to front up to it, is exhausting. But it stands to reason that this has been our most consistent season in almost living memory. Some of the players are 5 years under his tutelage, others are 1, or 2 or 3. They're on a journey of psychological and physiological development. As supporters we can find the language too corporate, too naff, too disconnected from what we traditionally want to hear (give em a rev up etc etc), but he is speaking the language of the eco-system of the club... well not just our club, its all clubs. I'd argue its not about getting the players up , they know what their game plan is, they'll get themselves up...they weren't down yesterday either... They were up against the Dogs, as it were... but if you count WINS as the only indicator of being 'up', then you're missing the bigger picture....and also being unrealistic and unfair on the playing group. Loading, periodisation, whatever you want to call it, is real and it impacts on performance outcomes in the here and now, for the planning of the future.

I thought Mark Wiliiams was the messiah around here for fixing kicking ;)

To be the best you’ve got to pressure. No if’s or buts. And Is it realistic that over an 8 month (ostensibly 11 months) training period, that essentially 22 games in a row that ‘pressure’ will be dialed up?

Whilst Burgess is known for pushing the envelope, it would be arrogance on his behalf after a quarter of a century in the business to continue a strategy that on evidence hasn’t worked. Fatigue , wouldn’t be Burgess pushing the envelope on top of a periodisation process - that just ignoring best practice. We are where we are, because we are where we are on the schedule.

This could be useful to wrap your head around, whilst debating the probability of whether training loads matter, if you're a dubious type of person, who thinks the performances are disgusting and pathetic and think Goodwin should be sacked, and you'd much prefer the relief of knowing your not going to make the finals as a supporter. It's round 18 - here is a neat little graph - now if you're making finals - it's a pretty good template to run off. There wouldn't be too much variation from club to club, because clubs don't do that. In relation to this content, and through worrying about people knocking my credentials, I'll just say, I'm also coming from a place of knowledge of what happens, because I have it from numerous horses mouths who are fed crunchy digits from their employer(s)...

My take. "There is a vibe though that we are running on the spot. I'd argue it s clearly about training and game day loads, and as suggested, all teams in finals contention will be doing it. The difficulty for us and other Victorian teams is the lack of second tier competition, so where do we get to put those players who still need to have match fitness, but at a reduced level. This dilemma, impacts performance for obvious reasons. But with an eye on 4-5 weeks away - what is a Football department to do. Do you make every post a winner until september, with the eventuality that you haven't given your team the best opportunity FOR september. Or do you mitigate as much as possible, and hope the talents and systems will get you a top 4 slot, so that you're cherry ripe for september, but you may be in a position where you don't have a double chance. The 22 rounds are just the hors d'oeuvre's, and I would prefer my team to be pretty [censored] hungry for the main course in September, when fitness on dry (er) tracks will be at a premium. ps... what @Skuitsaid.

Gus did say back at the G the last time we played in the wet - that 'we' were licking our lips... I hope this is accurate, and they want to get down and dirty. It's no september football by any means, but it helps us.

amplification to the dogs? That is so blunt and just so lovely xo

legitimate unit of measurement?

I'll just stick this opinion piece here.

Mmmm a 25 year old film clip. Probably what a Melbourne fan will be like tomorrow - if we lose tonight

Curious, if we lose tonight, do most posters on here, interpret it that we are not 'legitimate contenders'?

So how many talls reduces a teams ability to effective deal with ground balls in your own forward line?