binman

I think these are totally reasonable points. It is absolutely possible that the Pies evident fatigue and form slump is loading related. I wondered the same thing. But the conclusion i arrived at is that it is unlikely to be the case. You might be right, but i don't think they can be doing it now. Teams can only do the extra training loads in and around the bye period, because the two week break gives them some chance to recover. And then maybe a top up after. Maybe they are still in the post loading phase - they definitely looked fatigued from the get go to my eye. And they never looked like coming back in the last as is their normal modus operandi. But i don't think so. I would have thought it is way, way too close to finals to not want to be at your very best. Or close to your very best. It's not just needing time to, for want of better word, taper and be in good shape for finals. Teams also need a few weeks in, or close to, optimal shape to perfect their final's game plan (which only works properly when at full fitness) - and any specific strategies, roles etc. etc. Take our example. We have been progressively fresher and running out games from the giants game on. The improvement has been incremental but steady. Each week week stronger and faster for longer. I think we are almost cherry ripe, and will be against the blues next week. There is no way we play like we did last week in terms of method if we are are not vey close to our optimal shape. We simply would not have the run to implement say the fantastic over lap running or have the ball in constant motion. Same goes for our wins over the lions and the crow. We need a few weeks of being in top shape to drill our final's method in and play at the elite level we want to play in finals. I think it much more likely that the pies were fatigued for the old fashioned reason - two incredibly physically and psychologically draining back to back games against Port and the blues. They would not have been able to do anything but recover after those two games - let alone additional loads. No way. And the hawks came out and hunted and smashed them - knowing full well they would be fatigued. Port are not fatigued because of loading either i don't think. They are struggling for the same reason as the Pies - back to back epics and now a third. It is so similar to the last 3 games of our season last year - Pies, Blues and Lions. I thought we would get there, but really the signs were obvious - we never really had the run in the legs post bye we did in 2021. When we came up against the pies, we blitzed in the first half but ran out of the steam in the last to go down by 7 in an epic. We snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the blues the next week, with the Koz wonder goal - but again we were gassed in the last. We blitzed the Lions at the Gabba by 9 goals in the last round and i thought we're in top shape - here we go. But again the signs were there - we only kicked 5 goals in the second half, and only one in the last q (we led by 11 goals at half time). We never got into optimal shape - close, but we just didn't run out out games in the last 6 matches like we did in 2021. And i have zero doubt those last three games completely flattened us. Even with the pre finals bye, we were gassed and a shell of our best in our two finals. That is what Port and the Pies are now experiencing. Except they have it even worse. Both have just played 3 intense matches in row - with more to come. And i suspect Port and the Pies both have injuries from their games yesterday. The Pies have lost two in a row and Port four! Port have the Giants next week, which even if they win will still be a super tough, physical and taxing game. They play Freo in Perth next and finish the season against the tigers. That is a very tough run. And the Pies play the cats next Friday night (off a six day break), the lions at Marvel the following week, which will be incredibly bruising - and finish the season against the Bombers in front of 90k with maybe the bombers needing to win to make finals. Three absolute epic games. And three very, very taxing games. That's why yesterdays Cats Port game was so huge. I reckon Port has to finish second and play week one at AO to have any chance of winning the flag. I cant see them doing so now. We really need to go nuts today and bank some percentage to ensure we are above the Lions if we finish on equal points with them (go freo!)

That presser is amazing. Mcrae looks like he had been on an all night speed bender at a techno club. Feedback. I love it.

It was the perfect result. Port lost. Tough game that hopefully they struggle to come up from. And the cats win, but at home really should have done so much more impressively.

It's not a willingness to run and score. It's is the ability to do so. Big difference. Impassible to play we have in the last few week when fatgued. Look at port and the pies, the two teams most consider to he the most agressive, high octane teams (I don't- we are). Both look very fatigued yesterday which given how intense their previous two games were is not surprising. The mighty pies scoring machine was 29 points at half time! A reminder that in 2022 at this stage we were also trying to score heavily and were also really aggressive with our ball movement. And that followed exactly the same pattern as 2021 ie dour in the middle of the year(because of fatigue) before ramping it up big time as we neared final. Which is exactly the same pattern as wer'e seeing agsin this year. Coincidence? Possibly- but unlikely. In 2021 we could only manage to score 65 points in our 20 point loss to the dogs in round 19 In round 20 we scored 128 to demolish the suns. And didn't score less than a hundred for the rest of the season- including of course our barnstorming finals run The common thread in all those wins games was, on the back of phenomenal fitness, running over teams in the last quarter - stronger for longer in 2022, we scored 100 points in our loss to the dogs in round 19. Hammered freo in Perth in round 20. Went out super hard against the pies in round 21 and blitzed them the first half. We were less dynamic in our narrow win over the blues in round 22. And absolutely destroyed the lions at the gabba in round 23, leading by 11 goals at half. The common thread in all four games in 2022 was running out of gas in the last quarter Signs on that front look so, so much better this year. We didn't run out any games in the back half of 2022 like we did against the Lions, Crows and Tigers

Good thing we're not a big scalp - well at least not according to 95% of football pundits all season.

The umps won't fall for that

C'mon cats!

C'mon. Choco? Wotcha talking about Willis? Our most successful coach since norm smith for pete sake. The last time we finished top 4 in three consecutive years was 1958-60. He stuffed up last year? Waste a generational list? I would have thought as a long time dees fans you'd appreciate how hard it is to win a flag. We have one. And are likely contenders for several mote years. All under goody. Seriously, he deserves more respect.

Are you being serious. You weren't a fan till the last 6-8 weeks? Goody won a bloody flag two seasons back! When did you start supporting the dees? 2022?

My point, for what it's worth, is you could have made your point without calling posters who hold a contrary view, or a senior coach of a premiership winning team for that matter, a nuffie. I mean, it's not compulsory on the internet to insult people.

Go redlegs

Did I say that? We dominated the pies. We put time into daicos and limited his impact - without having to sacrifice the output of one of our players or allow daicos to drag that player away from the contest. Goody doesn't tag. Take it up with the manager, Karen.

Gotta build a solid foundation before you can renovate

Which is one reason I'm loving all the different modes and methods goody has employed this season n. We have plans A, B, C and D. Mcrae is playing chess. Goody is playing 5D chess.

You'd reckon goody and the other coaches would be loving watching back to back games of our contenders getting the suitcase knocked out of them.

And really, teams have to use the bye period. Too late now.

Do you mean nuffies like our Premiership coach?

Ia that you Garry?

True dat.

Another dose of the flu? They need to look at their control systems for infectious diseases. I've heard colliwobbles can be really debilitating.

Feedback is the new learnings.

Not by me.

Such a similar vibe isn't it. Easier to see when it's not your team.

Blimey, 17-2 in centre clearances. That is unbelievable.

Yeah, maybe.