Question for those who attend training, how often/how much time is spent on goal kicking each week?
Cheers for the reports and the pics fellas!
Not worth it's own thread (since we only read one thread these days) - so put it here instead. Let's see if Bomber's "we are aiming to play deep into the season" focus comes off.
from http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-07-11/bombers-work-paying-off
Bombers' extra work paying off, says Zaharakis
DAVID Zaharakis thinks his form spike can partially be attributed to a change in Essendon's fitness focus.
After a quiet first two months of the season, the midfielder has been in terrific touch since round eight, averaging 28 disposals a game and getting back to his dynamic and damaging best.
"I reckon if I judge just my last seven weeks as a block, it's probably career-best footy, really. I'm running on top of the ground, I'm fit, I've done a lot more work during the season fitness-wise," Zaharakis told AFL.com.au.
That has been a team-wide tweak for the Bombers, who have been put through more fitness sessions between matches than in previous years in an attempt to make sure they last the season rather than fall away towards the end, as has been the case in recent years.
They are hitting the bikes more during the week and using the altitude rooms more in-season, as well as continuing with their weights program.
Having endured a horror run of soft-tissue injuries in 2012, and some setbacks last season, Zaharakis said the club had previously shied away from in-season fitness training, but has felt the impact of an altered program this year.
"We didn't really do much cross training as a whole group over the last two years. We've always had maybe a couple of injuries and then we'd get afraid and not do as much training and that kind of thing," he said.
"We had a presentation the other day from Jackie Mihocek saying we're doing on average three more conditioning sessions a month than what we did the year before and in previous years. We're actually doing a lot more training, which I find is helping my footy in preparing better each week.
"I've noticed a massive difference, and I'm going into games knowing I've done a watt bike, or an extra fitness session during the week, [which means] on the weekend I can trust my body a bit extra and win a bit more of the footy or run further in games.
"It's probably [helped] to play my best footy at the moment."
After a relatively injury-free pre-season, and a reasonable run through its 2014 campaign, any concern about of overtraining has diminished.
Zaharakis and other midfielders have wanted to do more work and felt able to complete it, and aren't concerned they will head into games fatigued or pick up injuries, but are instead confident they can run out four quarters.
It is a reason why Zaharakis is optimistic that the Bombers, who sit one win outside the top eight in 10th position on the ladder, can finish the season strongly after a season-best win over Port Adelaide last week at Adelaide Oval.
"Everyone knows, our fans know, we've died off in the last six to 10 weeks in previous years, whereas I don't think that will happen this year because we've done a lot more work during the season to keep us fit for the end of the year," he said.
good to hear
The effects of this extra training is what l have been waiting for to kick in. lt was noticeable last week.
Blue colour growing on me.
Blue colour growing on me.
Should see a doctor about that mate
The effects of this extra training is what l have been waiting for to kick in. lt was noticeable last week.
I hope so CJ.
Regarding the extra training, I'm not sure if it's fair dinkum or what. Previously we've blamed injuries, on low testosterone and HGH levels due to overtraining, then we backed off training due to injuries and played crap, and now we are doing extra training which is making is better? Sounds like just another line from the club to me, but they know more than me and if they have got their mix and timing of workout working better than ever that's great news.
I'm also curious about what else we are doing behind the scenes, with diet and supplements etc. It would be ironic if our best season fitness and injury-wise was the same season we cut out all of the beetroot juice, colostrum, pseudo peptides, vitamin injections etc, and just stuck to pizza, pasta, yakult and McDonalds.
Hopefully the win last week was a turning point in our confidence, there's no reason the boys should feel like underdogs against the pies.
FIXEDThis brings me to an interesting supposition - the players have commented on the boredom involved in being in Adelaide
Quick one for the training watchers - what approach do the coaches seem to be taking with Edwards? Just from seeing a couple of VFL games he seems to be quick and talented but perhaps lacking in consistency and focus. Are we working on any particular areas with him, is he being singled out for any targeted advice etc, what role does he play in match practice? Just trying to get an idea of how he's seen around the club and where his future is perceived to be.
Seriously how fkn good does that facility look.
Quick one for the training watchers - what approach do the coaches seem to be taking with Edwards? Just from seeing a couple of VFL games he seems to be quick and talented but perhaps lacking in consistency and focus. Are we working on any particular areas with him, is he being singled out for any targeted advice etc, what role does he play in match practice? Just trying to get an idea of how he's seen around the club and where his future is perceived to be.
I was watching Edwards at training yesterday. There is no doubt he possesses good skills and pace however......what is noticeable is that he still struggles with the mental side of the game when under pressure and his skills / decision-making are not what they need to be. An example may be the end of session drill where Bomba had players snap shooting for goal from the forward pocket under pressure from a team mate challenging them from behind. Shaun seemed overly conscious of the tackler and his foot skills deteriorated accordingly.
Quick one for the training watchers - what approach do the coaches seem to be taking with Edwards? Just from seeing a couple of VFL games he seems to be quick and talented but perhaps lacking in consistency and focus. Are we working on any particular areas with him, is he being singled out for any targeted advice etc, what role does he play in match practice? Just trying to get an idea of how he's seen around the club and where his future is perceived to be.
I was watching Edwards at training yesterday. There is no doubt he possesses good skills and pace however......what is noticeable is that he still struggles with the mental side of the game when under pressure and his skills / decision-making are not what they need to be. An example may be the end of session drill where Bomba had players snap shooting for goal from the forward pocket under pressure from a team mate challenging them from behind. Aaron seemed overly conscious of the tackler and his foot skills deteriorated accordingly.
Probably needs to take a few hits to get the pace of the game.
Cheers for the reports and the pics fellas!
Thanks for that.
Quick one for the training watchers - what approach do the coaches seem to be taking with Edwards? Just from seeing a couple of VFL games he seems to be quick and talented but perhaps lacking in consistency and focus. Are we working on any particular areas with him, is he being singled out for any targeted advice etc, what role does he play in match practice? Just trying to get an idea of how he's seen around the club and where his future is perceived to be.
I spoke to him a few days ago. He said he felt he was definitely getting closer to a senior game; his poor game in the VFL last week and the seniors' big win in Adelaide ensured this wouldn't be his week. Huge potential with this young man, could be anything.
wheres he play mostly now forward or back?
wheres he play mostly now forward or back?
Back flank I think but they have trialled him up forward.
Anyone else notice Bomb Doe’s little amendment to the article? lol.
I had to check the link to see if it was real or not.
Anyone else notice Bomb Doe's little amendment to the article? lol.
I had to check the link to see if it was real or not.
I believed. You have just destroyed my worldview.