bing181

I believe you'll find Max was referring to doing full training sessions through the bye in keeping with Burgess' and Goodwin's train hard all year round philosophy. i.e., even in the bye week they had to match game-day loads. All covered in the quite detailed podcast that Burgess did with Peter Bruckner post GF last year, where he drills down into the specifics of it all.

I don't think Petty will go out. He got through the match, and we have the bye coming up. We desperately need stability and system down back. Up forward, no idea, but it's clearly not working and with Tom Mac out, the cupboard is bare. Agree with posters above suggesting Max will play more forward. Robbing Peter to pay Paul as we'd lose his influence (dominance) around the ground, but what can you do?

For those playing along at home re loading: Loading does NOT happen in team sports in-season. And that's for any team sport, not just AFL. For any number of reasons, risk of injuries and risk of losing matches being two of them, the limited duration of the resulting peak being another. As for what happens across the season: "During the in-season phase, the emphasis of training reverts to technical and tactical development and the maintenance of the physical capacities developed during preseason." "Seasonal Training-Load Quantification in Elite English Premier League Soccer Players" James J. Malone, Rocco Di Michele, Ryland Morgans, Darren Burgess, James P. Morton, and Barry Drust But yes, loading does happen in team sports: it's called pre-season. Loading primarily happens in individual sports where it is implemented - the important bit - out of competition. i.e., it's the equivalent of a pre-season leading up to, say, a single event (Olympics, world championships etc.). Often found in athletics and sports like cycling - pro cyclists will go out of effective competition to complete an intense training block, often at altitude. They may still do races, but they're primarily treated as training. There may be any number of reasons for us losing matches, most of which have been touched on here or in the media. Loading isn't one of them. PS If anyone wants to dig deeper, there's actually a study on loads across a season in an AFL club, done with the Bulldogs. What did they find? No in-season loading. Quantification of Training and Competition Load Across a Season in an Elite Australian Football Club. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/29685/3/Ritchie et al 2015 Quantification of AFL across a season.pdf

Have no idea about whether he'll be axed or not, but you're absolutely right on him being isolated one on one. Deliberate tactic, which unfortunately works, and we may see the same this week if he plays.

Yep. Or someone in the club or FD. Or ANY club or FD, not just Melbourne. It could even be one of those hot-shot football commentators, they love having inside goss "An exclusive from our man on the scene: Tom what do you have for us on the reason for Melbourne's two losses ..." And at anytime, could be last season or any season. Go for it.

OK, so you have no evidence. Thanks for clearing that up. At least Binman is honest enough to acknowledge that it's a theory.

As you (and others) keep on saying. Though still without providing any actual evidence.

Then it should be easy for you to find some links to share with us. Apart from anything else, if you're going to load up the players, you do it in the period leading up to the finals: mid-July/August. It's early June.

The small forwards rely on the ball getting to ground. The McCartins made sure that didn't happen.

So including the Swans and Freo? Not much slumping going on there, at least in our games. Sure, there have been finals teams who have struggled mid-year. And plenty who haven't. And any number of reasons for slumps to occur. Drawing a long bow IMV.

Perhaps, but I'd be interested to see any evidence for it apart from "they look tired". Apart from the fact that it's too early in the year to be building for (checks notes) September, ... there's the idea that has been floated on here that of course they're loading because "everyone does it". But if everyone does it, how come our opponents aren't also flagging during games? Don't believe it myself. Footy is as much mental as physical, and there are only so many times you can go to the self-belief well when you're being hammered by a competitive team who are on their game, as has been the case these last 2 weeks. (And will be next week.)

Is he? He's "famous" for wanting to build resilience by having players train at a high level all year round and push through niggles rather than having sessions off or shorter ... but loading? I don't believe "loading", whatever that is in the context of AFL, has anything to do with what's going on at the moment.

Hopefully May back next week. The back line needs a general to knock it into shape onfield - or a second general, it's too much just for Lever. Also need May's lockdown so that Lever can play the third man up - Lever has never been great one-on-one, and has never been a great disposer either. Thought Petty played a better game, or at least a second half, so hopefully if we can get the band back together with May back in, the backline will start to resemble the all-dominant machine it was last year.

Not sure that Salem should have been played. Or Langdon. Salem was rusty as all hell, not sure how many times he turned the ball over, yet alone being beaten by his man. Langdon seemed to be not quite his usual run-all-day self. Which is understandable, but we paid for it. Wonder if both of them were being fast-tracked back knowing that they weren't quite ready - but knowing also that they'd get more out of an AFL game than one at Casey. Add into that Thomlinson, and to a lesser extent Mitch Brown, both of whom have hardly played any AFL footy for a year or so - and it showed. Neither had the pace of the game. Add that to Salem and Langdon and ... a step too far perhaps.

Yes, jumped out at me as well. I don't know that I've ever heard Goodwin name a player in that context, if he criticises it's usually "we" (were poor ...). Interesting as well that he defended Ben Brown. Obviously some pressure being put on Weeds to stand up.

Missing May badly, not just in what he does, but in how the backline sets up. He's the anchor point, around which all the others play. Not helped by Salem being rusty and Thomlinson being reminded that it's a bit of a step up from the VFL. As for up the other end ... Van Royen can't develop quickly enough.

Ben Brown slightly lucky, wouldn't want another game with a handful of touches and no goals. Equally, need better entry into the forward line.

It's an interesting question, especially with Majak Daw and JVR both outs due to illness at Casey. Perhaps there was more going on than we know/knew about. At this level, if you're even 5% off it'll have an impact.

If May and Petty are both out, we'll have to break the glass and either play Tom Mac as a permanent KPD, or take a chance on Turner. Neither are ideal solutions, but what can you do? I don't think we'll make any more changes down back than that, unless forced. Consistency counts for something. Equally, understand the concerns re Rivers especially.

Langdon, Salem, Harmes, McDonald and effectively May out was a step too far. You start bleeding in one area and it spreads throughout the team. e.g. Biggest failing tonight for me was our inability to lock it in the forward line. Presumably McDonald would help that but even there, under normal circumstances Langdon is one of the prime movers in getting it back in when it does come out. Also missed Spargo in the forward line. (Not to ignore BBB's inability to have any impact at all ... but that hasn't stopped us in the past.)

Hopefully McDonald and Langdon in, at least.

TMac has been OK of late, shame he's not out there (in more ways than one as he could have covered for May if necessary).

Buddy could have to answer to the MRO.

With no May down there, Lobb the worry.

You'd think so. But tricky situation.