Lord Ivanhoe

3 hours ago, PJ_12345 said:

First post in a couple of years... but hey, today's game will do that to you!

Couple of comments:

1. Too many players sucked into the contest. Doesnt take 3 blokes to tackle. Allowed Collingwood to overlap perfectly.

2. Lost everywhere. Mid, forward and back.

3. DeGoey unmanned for 3/4 hurts. Should have been shut down.

4. Pedo should have gone to Cox, and told to play in front. 

5. Felt like we had the wrong team. Too tall forward, so small down back, not enough support in the ruck.

Bye will do them well. Need to step it up from here on.

Agree, but better to learn now than in the finals.

Although the backline needs to settle we need to bring in a week by week 'horses for courses' defender.

Pedersen could play back and give us versatility but I am sure Petty could have done something down back today. 

6 good wins but also time for other teams to work us out (Bulldogs & Tigers so lucky to have timed their runs at finals time).

Against these faster teams with better outside run do we include an extra Mid(Tyson) for small forward(Hannan)?

Pedersen, Hunt, Garlett, JSmith - How good is it to finally have such talent as our potential in's!

Its been a while...... Go Dee's!

4 hours ago, BAMF said:

Thoughts.

• We were playing with a large number of players out of form at the start of the year and were doing ok.
• Hawthorn game showed that we were out of form and gave us a reality check
• We were mentally under the pump in the Richmond game with the aftermath of the Hawks game and were not on our game
• 4 games against easy opponents, but we now have a number of players who are back in form.
• This one is ours for the taking. They have a large number of players out and we are in red hot form. Lets do this!

We only have had our real game going since the Bombers match. Once TMac arrived our true game style was cemented.

The so called 'easy' opponents of the past 3 weeks has been invaluable & greatly assisted us in further fine tuning the way we play and what each role required. Fabulous test today, full of opportunities for all to continue this journey up the ladder, Go Dee's!

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

Exactly. Not sure how much a commercial is worth these days but I'm sure it's not cheap. This wasn't even a commercial (which alot of people fast forward or go take a leak during). This was during the main event during one of the highest rating show in the country *. You can't put a price on that exposure and considering it was filmed in the off season no one can say it has any impact on our performances this year. I guarantee you the players featured aren't walking around like they're George Clooney or Brad Pitt today because they were on Masterchef last night.

* Last Wednesday Night's Ratings (this weeks not available yet)

Wednesday 9 May 2018

1 SEVEN NEWS / TODAY TONIGHT 1,022,000
2 SEVEN NEWS 996,000
3 NINE NEWS 952,000
4 NINE NEWS 6:30 927,000
5 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA 910,000

In addition, a large percentage of those 910k viewers would be from a non footy demographic. Hence exposing the club to new potential members & sponsors especially if/when they looked at the ladder and observed we were ‘up there’.

Thank you Druken’, Demonland and Vogon. Your balanced and informative summaries of the Casey Demons match is social media at its best and one of the main reason many of us log in.

This current batch of players in our AFL squad has for the last 10 quarters truly played the game style that was practiced all summer. Once the team actually plays this way further ongoing tweaks can to made to game style, player behavior & strengths suitability etc

Jade Rawlings’ move to Casey Coach has been one of the many masterstrokes and calculated gambles that need to go your way on the road to ultimate success. Being on the Senior coaching panel for a few years he has been able to replicate the AFL team game plan, as challenging as that it considering the player movement in & out of the Casey team week by week.

The Casey Demons yesterday continued the true game style exhibited from the ‘seniors’. The win gets further buy in from all players (not only the top 22 potentials) as they can see in practice both what & how to play in this style = easier to coach, show examples/outcomes for all involved.

Now we are truly building!

On 5/7/2018 at 8:20 PM, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

Is this the same unit that bought him back too early last year and cooked him??

No not the same unit. I know Dr. David Bolzonello from Alphington sports medicine clinic joined the MFC this year.

The crew at Alphington have been working with elite athletes/olympians for the 25 years I have been going. He takes no [censored] and will not be forced into anything. IMHO he was the one that said Viney/Tmac would not play for 6-8 weeks!

One of the many positives of the past few weeks included the fact that 4 guys(Hannan, Fritsch, Spargo Melks) who collectively kicked 10 goals last week, all up only kicked 1 this week but we still won by more than 6 goals!

The Return of Tommy Mac and the experiment/experiencing  with Weeds is obviously working. Together with the rtn of the old Gus &  natural footballers in Spargo & Fritsch adding new found depth, the Group is evolving into a new beast! Go Dees

1 hour ago, pewpewpew said:

Almost like a new recruit this year.

So true! This also gives us the flexibility to ease Viney back in without unrealistic expectations for someone returning from a career threatening injury.

21 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

 

(Thanks Saty). No strapping on Hoges knee!

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/spargo-family-makes-history-in-charlie-s-impressive-demons-debut-20180430-p4zcfj.html

"They [my teammates] are all really good but one today was probably Jake Melksham he was always barking at me, in the right way, letting me know when to stand and helping me out a fair bit. Always keeping me composed and helped me if I ever needed anything today," he said (Charlie Spargo)

Also great Leadership from Jake.  The defensive forward role suits him big time!

On 12/12/2017 at 11:40 AM, Satyriconhome said:

A few of the players have communicated that to me, new season clean slate, Goody will pick the 22 fit, in form and playing their role to a high consistent standard 

If we have a consistent 22 over a period of games, it will mean we are playing a good winning brand of footy

I feel after the way we finished 2017 that Goodwin has learnt a lot of lessons and has more resolve to live the above.

A first year coach/manager naturally needs to grow in the role. eg it would be a huge challenge to balance the need to build player/coach relationships yet still have the difficult conversations (when required) before real rapport exists.  

23 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

 

Thanks Demonland. Had to google GHR = Glute-Ham Raise. Here an example of the technique Harrison is aspiring to (with some nice scenery thrown in!)

From the Dees Podcast Facebook page -Gold!?

7 hours ago, KingDingAling said:

Richmond rectified some weaknesses in their list and brought in Nankervis, Caddy and Prestia. They were also able to get improvement out of Lambert, Vlastuin and improve their depth. I don't think it was down to mindfulness but more down to shrewd list management.

Fair enough KDA. I am obviously in the pro meditation camp.

Game styles, List management, Coaches, players, Luck with injuries, The draw. etc so many variables. The1%'s are the difference. Depending on the individual, mind strengthening tools whatever they may be that assist in keeping focus or to refocus could be the additional 1%er that takes a player to the next step.

Sure W45. Firstly, I appreciate there are many alternate perspectives/theories.

In my experience one way of explaining this could be:

1) You can observe your mind thinking

2) The mind is a tool that when trained it thinks and acts when it asked it to think

3) Most of us let the mind do as it pleases so in some ways are a slave to the mind. This is what the term Monkey Mind relates to

4) The real you is that which observes the mind

5) Meditation can assist to quieten a mind that just goes on incessantly by focusing it on a word(mantra), the breath, the senses

Eg If you are a stage coach driver, the horses are the mind. If you don’t hold onto the reins the horses will go where they like. Usually all over the place and namely on well worn tracks that most 7.2Billion humans repeatedly & habitually think(most of it not useful). Every time you use a tool to focus the mind you are grabbing the reins and steering the mind where you need it to go.

Many experience a freedom and less unhappiness by focussing the mind in this way.

Note most of us think we are the thinking. Once again this is one of many points of view and some posters may articulate it more simply.

2 hours ago, Deeprived Childhood said:

The pali term for 'sati' has been translated as mindfulness and also 'remembering' - remembering your object of attention that can be experienced in the moment. Be it breath, mantra, body sensations or whatever. You pay attention to breath, the mind drifts into thought, it comes back and you remember to focus on the breath again.

The focus of attention is a means to an end though. To continually focus on the breath after waking up from mindless automatic thought is to retrain the mind to habitually drift away less and less ie spend a month meditating and your mind drifts away less than it did a month earlier. That translates to being able to come back to the moment and not drift away into a stream of negative thoughts and defeatist idea's more often. Its also going to allow you to wake up and recall coaching instructions at a quicker pace. The Tiger article said they helped each other, so one attentive person who is recalling tactics in the heat of battle can remind others, so youve got a network of attentive players. 

Of couse, even without meditation, people can have far better memory recall than others. Players with natural leadership abilities or players that seem like they're a class above others, may often spend a lot of time studying or focussing on their tasks and taking it very seriously so they have that attentive ability in games and can instruct others around them. Luke Hodge springs to mind.

People might call meditation 'woo' and 'spiritual', but i think thats just a misunderstanding brought on by the vagueness of the word - I prefer to strip it down to the task of 'remembering' something. Being mindful of a task

Thanks for articulating this so well DC. It is interesting that surgeons and judges who I have met in the course of my employment display the same calm measured approach as many who meditate frequently. Hence, is the natural ability to maintain focus an essential or innate quality in good leaders/role models? To many of us not gifted with these traits some of the points mentioned so far could assist keeping focus especially in challenging situations.

2 hours ago, Skuit said:

Mindfulness isn't a catchall for meditation. But I believe both can be beneficial for everyday life. How these practices would translate to a football-field though, especially on game-day in the thick of action, is always going to be tenuous or unquantifiable (although, again, I think they would be of some benefit).

There are a few paradoxes at play in terms of mindfulness and professional football - was Goodwin's favourite phrase toward the end of the year - that it only matters where you sit on the ladder after round 23 - mindful or unmindful? Is his disregard for our past hurtful or helpful? These are broad strokes of course.

More acutely, does living in the moment produce some calm approach to your actions in play, or does it deflect from the singular goal of winning and only caring about such? And where would the correct balance lay?

 

29 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Why do I detect a hint of hostiliy or sarcasm here?

I mean, the obvious answer is 'all of it' since all the pop-gurus and advice columns and indeed the many wholly legitimate practitioners of mindfulness guidance are ultimately drawing on the hard work of researchers nobody has heard of.

Next up someone will be asking 'What have all your peer reviewed friends ever contributed to dental care? I get my toothpaste from the guy at the Coles checkout'.

I just hope I've not accidentally walked into some kind of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment silliness.

Wow, I just asked for your contribution. I will take a cue from Danelska and practise acceptance.  You obviously are fully committed to science, so am I. I am also open to what our current limited measuring instruments cannot measure,eg Emotional intelligence, intuition etc

In my experience if the intelligence is not tuned/trained to look for the potential or to source the new, the basic human instincts of fight or flight by default develop neural pathways based on fear = Neural pathways of looking for the negative, judging, blaming looking for fault. 

Hence if we both have a mutual intention to seek that which is positive & uplifting, fantastic. Looking forward to your contribution about the variety of ways the playing group/posters can use this topic to strengthen their mental muscles.

6 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Um... 'first to introduce the term neuroplasticity'... by about -50 years.

I've got no problem really with people re-packaging science into digestible material which is useful for informing anyone, but it is mildly annoying when there's a pretense that the work is original, instead of recognising that it is a handy synopsis of literally decades of research, debate, peer review and adjustment.

Y'know, all those 'dry' books by people with only 'book knowledge' and not the marketing nous that makes any particular brand of mindfulness a success...

Mindfulness is useful and there's value in any exercise or routine which helps people to be aware of what is going on in their own mind and why they feel the way they do, and to be aware that they can deliberately influence those reactions. Thank you, science.

Thanks For your contribution LG. Would love to hear what examples & practical knowledge you have gained from your peer reviewed friends. Feel free to share your experience with mindfulness.

At the 2017 Grand Final it was interesting to observe that Adelaide was practicing some kind of mediation/mindfulness and so, as we all know now, were many players at Richmond.

IMO mediation alone can assist you to be mindful but how you bring that mindfulness into everyday life is the difference. Adelaide may have used it to calm down almost too much (whatever that stare down Haka is supposed to be?) where as Richmond were taught how to ‘connect in the moment’ whilst they were active. I believe many RFC players even practiced meditating in there respective playing groups, ie midfield, backline etc. By being gutsy enough to being open, together, whilst practicing mindfulness exercises they learnt what ‘in the moment reminders’ each individual preferred. In this way when a player made a mistake, reminding that player of his specific mindfulness trigger eg ‘Feel the air on your skin” ,did infinitely more for that individual to reset his mind to the task/game plan etc than the usual encouraging or saying nothing, let alone criticise him.

After many years of exploring the more traditional esoteric mind calming traditions I have personally have enjoyed & followed Dr Joe Dispenza.

His initial book ‘Evolve your Brain’ was the first to introduce the term neuroplasticity(The brains' ability to re-organise itself). Many dry books have been since written by many who have a book knowledge not practical experience of meditation & neuroplasticity. This is why I feel Emma Murphy has had such success at Richmond. (ie Would anyone have thought that Dustin Martin would have ever embraced mindfulness??)

Dispenza’s following books ‘Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself’ and “You are the Placebo’ are also excellent.

Cool Thanks Mods. In relation to footy here is the article regarding Richmond/ Emma Murphy. 

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/mindfulness-and-meditation-helped-richmond-break-afl-premiership-drought-20171103-gzed1o.html

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2016-03-19/embracing-the-murrays

11 hours ago, McQueen said:

I’m relatively only dipping my toes in it but I was put on to the School of Philosophy late last year when I was feeling a bit down and drinking excessively for no real reason. The 10 week course (1.5 - 2 hr sessions) once per week in the basics gave me an added incentive to do a 3 month period of abstinence of which I managed nearly 10 weeks (can thank the Dee’s beating the Eagles for that lapse).

I thought it was great and for a couple of hundred bucks, very good value. I intend on doing the next course available when my travel commitments with work taper off.

Do a search for the school in the Capital city you live in and you’re bound to find something within a worthwhile traveling distance. 

As for the Headspace app, download it onto your smart phone and give it a whirl. From memory I think the first ten sessions are free or maybe more. It’s only ~$140 per year and excellent value imo.

Like anything, meditation requires effort and to begin with my mind was all over the shop but gradually, with the practice, you become more focused and relaxed and you’re away.

Cheers

I have been actively involved in mindfulness since 1992. I attended SOP (School of Philosophy) for 17yrs up to 2007. Good way to learn the practical skills if you have the time. I left 10 years ago to pursue my own brand named Active Mindfulness. (Very similar to what Emma Murray teaches) The most important initial aspect is to learn to be aware that there is a difference between ‘me’ & ‘my mind’.

Like McQueen, feel free to ask any questions

PS Mods -  Any chance of moving D4Life, McQueen & Lord Ivanhoe posts from this tread to a new Mindfulness thread. This way any Demonlanders who would to learn, ask or post can easily find it? Thanks In anticipation

On 11/6/2017 at 8:50 AM, D4Life said:

Reading about the Tigers focus on mindfulness on the weekend, will the Demons take this on, as poor starts and switching off during games, seemed to be our greatest issues this year.

It is said that Footy like many sports is a  game  'played between the ears'.

Those of you here that disparage Mindfulness obviously have no idea what it is. So you build up the body in the gym, build up fitness on the track but you dont need to exercise the mind?

The ability to focus, reduce negative self talk, improve self belief and most importantly let go of the past are all positive mental habits that can result from mindfulness.

Some of you might call this mental toughness.

PS Thanks for the post D4L