OK. The 2015 training strategy in the fitness area is to get the players fit enough to play well in the last quarter of games.
Is this the answer to the fall off after half time in some games?
But what about the risk that this strategy leaves us cooked in the last 6 games of the home and away, falling out of the 4 and back down to 8th for instance?
How do we judge the training levels to achieve both aims? Do we then need to manage players more and not expect them all to play all 22 games ? Do we roster them off 1-2 weeks in the season, or do we just let the inevitable injuries do this for us anyway.
Last year we ran out the season, but fell off in the most important game we played. But at least we were playing about the same all year. Fitness levels did not decline during last year, but they did not drop off badly either.
Will the one year increase in average age of the list naturally deliver added match fitness and achieve this anyway?
All about that bass, bout’ that bass, bout’ that bass. 4th quarter bring in the treble.
Darren Burgess… Bring him in!
Now, back on topic… I felt like the boys we’re coasting at about 80% for the first half a dozen rounds last season. Could that be the reason we finished stronger than in previous years?
Anyone here with playing/coaching experience at professional level that may be able to confirm if this is a strategy that is possible to be employed?
Just my observation but I was convinced we could have spanked Carlton by another 50!
All about that bass, bout' that bass, bout' that bass. 4th quarter bring in the treble.
Darren Burgess… Bring him in!
Now, back on topic… I felt like the boys we’re coasting at about 80% for the first half a dozen rounds last season. Could that be the reason we finished stronger than in previous years?
Anyone here with playing/coaching experience at professional level that may be able to confirm if this is a strategy that is possible to be employed?
Just my observation but I was convinced we could have spanked Carlton by another 50!
I thought so. Maybe not really early running but from rd 4 or so.
Dogs, Brisbane, GWS games we just did enough. Got a goal and a half up in the 4th, and sat on it for almost 10 minutes. (St K, Melbourne we tried.)
Obviously recognised we were not good/deep/fit enough to dominate teams again and again and again, and just banked those points.
An analogy would be - being ‘fit’ for a sprint, and being ‘fit’ for a 10km - with ‘sprint’ being a game and ‘10km’ being a season. I’ve heard coaches say a season is a marathon, not a sprint.
If we are training to coast through the season so we aren’t run down at the end then we won’t win many games, but at least we’ll be the freshest team going on early holidays in September.
To use your analogy, if you had to race 5km once a week for 22 weeks in a row, would your training be consistant with that of a 5km racer or a marathon runner? And keep in mind that there’s no points for 2nd place each week in AFL.
I guess you build the base endurance through the preseason, then just do enough during the season to maintain the base and perform on game day. And some teams - top 4 do the increased training later in the year to freshen them up for finals.
i dont understand how taking it easy in the preseason means you will have more in the tank come finals time.
Best strategy is start with a good base…finishing 4th quarters will come with games.
so good start., then try and maintain fitness throughout season - means managing injuries and workloads/resting. and mid-long injured players doing mini preseasons before coming back.
Cant see how getting fit enough to play 4 quarters would leave you drained at the end of the season.
Yup, quite the opposite
Neglecting in season loads being too high, if you burn out at the back end of the season it’s because you spent too many petrol tickets early on
Rest/rotate players before they get injuries. More than happy for a player to sit out of all football most weeks.
Having a break due to injury does not freshen a player up as some seem to suggest.