Along came A. Schneider - The Age

[fingers]

Article on Schneider on today's Age (Sat 8 mar) - on a side note I just watched the replay of last weeks game against Essendon.Schneider's been a good pick up. Happy with his game and will be a great addition. The goal he snapped showed some real smarts to make the most of the time and space he had.


http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/a ... 70811.html


"WHAT’S it like?" Adam Schneider expected to be asked that question a fair bit when he moved from Sydney to St Kilda last spring, and he hasn’t been let down.

The "it" to which his new teammates refer is, of course, being part of an AFL premiership. And when those new colleagues are part of a club that has tasted the ultimate just once in 111 seasons of league football, and not for 42 years, they’re going to come thick and fast, even with a couple of other flag-winning recruits beside him in former Swan Sean Dempster and Geelong’s Steven King to help answer.

"A lot of the boys bring it up all the time, it’s quite amazing," Schneider says. "They pick your brain a fair bit because you’ve been there . . . 'what do you do to win one?' and 'how do you build up to it?' and stuff. "One of the biggest things I’ve noticed here is how hungry they are to ask about it and find out, because they know how close they’ve been. It’s great to see them still striving for something like that, and if there’s anything I can say to help them be better in any way, I will."

And Schneider, his preseason work thorough and impressing his new club, has already spent the best part of six months doing what he can to make himself better, too.

The motivation was twofold. "My first goal when I got down here was to earn the respect of the boys," he says. "I just wanted to get among the team and feel part of it, and the only way you can do that is through hard work. Now I’ve set that up, it’s about doing it on game day to get that respect from players and supporters.

"It’s a funny thing, respect. It can take a while to get it, but you can lose it in a day. Hopefully, I can just keep building it up."

Along with building up his internal "motor", a prime motivator for him, the sizeable reward for doing so is a far more meaningful role in his team’s midfield set-up than what Schneider has been used to. Getting serious time in the engine room wasn’t always that easy at Sydney, given the track record and consistency of the likes of Brett Kirk, Jude Bolton, Nic Fosdike and Luke Ablett.

Perversely, Schneider had created something of a rod for his own back with his proven goalkicking ability. "I was pigeon-holed as a forward pocket up there, and they had such a great midfield structure that was very hard to break into," he says.

"This was just more of an opportunity to try something new . . . maybe get up on a wing for half a game, and just get in the midfield a bit more and run around, use the things you grew up doing."

Schneider’s first summer with St Kilda has given him the chance, despite hurdles along the way, a thumb operation last November and a quad strain in January. That kept him from making his debut in the Saints’ first two NAB Cup games. But when he was finally unveiled in last week’s semi-final against Essendon, the impact of that time out had clearly been minimal.

In just on an hour on the ground, Schneider picked up plenty of the ball, used it well, and chipped in also with a smartly roved crumb and left-foot snap for an important goal.

In tonight’s grand final against Adelaide, that form and a game under his belt, he can expect a little more time still in the thick of it. As a pointer to St Kilda’s greater depth and flexibility now, Schneider’s first game in new colours was instructive.

On a personal level, he felt comfortable among his new teammates, and, importantly, he felt fit. As do all of the Saints, many of whom, Schneider says, have run personal best times at some stage in the past few months.

It’s another feather in the cap for highly rated strength and conditioning coach Dave Misson, another arrival from Sydney whose presence at Moorabbin along, of course, with former Swans assistant and now St Kilda boss Ross Lyon, Schneider says was a major factor in convincing him a move to Moorabbin was right.

For a club bedevilled by injuries for the past three seasons and continual debate about its fitness programs, Misson’s arrival has been as important as that of any player.

Schneider explains why. "Dave just understands every individual player’s body," he says. "If you’re a bit sore, he’ll be aware of that and pull back a little bit if he has to, and at the other end, he knows if you need more work as well.

"He’s very smart, and he’s constantly learning stuff. I know he’s travelled to Germany and places like that just to further his education. The boys have all mentioned that training has been a lot harder than in the past, but they’ve all enjoyed it."

Schneider was a big part of Sydney's renowned durability, missing only two games in the past two seasons, and while he concedes luck does play a part in runs with injury, it's not the whole story.

"With Dave, the little things are pretty big here, like recovery, he said.

"After games, we've spent two or three days on the beaches, the ice baths, getting massage and physio.

"And we've got three physios now, just to make sure everyone can get that extra bit, so you're not feeling sore going into a training session."

Neither can Schneider speak highly enough of his new coach, quick to convince him he had a big future at another club when his old one dropped the bombshell that the premiership player was to be traded, while he was on holiday in Bali.

"He's got a very well-set-out plan for us, which doesn't just rely on one or two but the whole 22, and he's very dedicated to it," Schneider said.

"He lets his emotions go at times when he gets over-excited, but I reckon that's good. He can spit the dummy, but it's always behind closed doors, and he knows when to give the boys a rev up and when they need a bit of a break as well."

Schneider, living with teammate Xavier Clarke just five minutes down the road from Moorabbin in Highett, reckons he's adjusted to Melbourne well, although he's not relishing the prospect of colder winters, nor having to finally wear the occasional jumper after five years.

But it's an easier place to find your way around than Sydney, he says, and being immersed in a football culture is a buzz.

"We've actually had some people down here watching us train. I don't think we ever had that in Sydney, even when we made the grand final," he said with a laugh.

And perhaps it's also nice to be used by your new teammates as a source of information about football's ultimate prize, a badge of honour that never fades.

"It's three years down the track, but I had a phone call from (Swans premiership ruckman) Jason Ball the other day, and we had a little chat about it even then," Schneider said.

"It's something I'm proud of, and which I'll never forget."

Schneider jokes about keeping his "Bloods" tattoo on his left ankle strapped up all year at his new footballing home, then comes up with a better idea. "I'll just get another one in the future." This one, hopefully, featuring some black with the red and white.

[markp]

Gold....

[Enrico_Misso]

RL singled him out at the AGM.
He talked about our new game plan of generating forward pressure.
And saw Schneider and C Jones as two of the facilitators of that.

Sounds like Milne is on the way out.

[plugger66]

RL singled him out at the AGM.
He talked about our new game plan of generating forward pressure.
And saw Schneider and C Jones as two of the facilitators of that.

Sounds like Milne is on the way out.

Not the way I see it. Milne is a goalkicker. cj will never be a goalkicker.

[fingers]

RL singled him out at the AGM.
He talked about our new game plan of generating forward pressure.
And saw Schneider and C Jones as two of the facilitators of that.

Sounds like Milne is on the way out.

Not the way I see it. Milne is a goalkicker. cj will never be a goalkicker.

+1

[bigcarl]

RL singled him out at the AGM.
He talked about our new game plan of generating forward pressure.
And saw Schneider and C Jones as two of the facilitators of that.

Sounds like Milne is on the way out.

Not the way I see it. Milne is a goalkicker. cj will never be a goalkicker.

and goals are what we need more of. imo milne's place shouldn't be under threat.

he's a proven goal-kicker. we already know that if he plays every game this season he'll kick more than 30 goals this season as a small forward.

i can't be sure that cj can do that.

i like him as a player but it will take a couple of bags of goals to convince me that he should be anywhere near the forward line.

[Oh When the Saints]

Credit to Rohan Connolly for a very good article ... interview was good and a great piece ...

Schneider was a big part of Sydney's renowned durability, missing only two games in the past two seasons, and while he concedes luck does play a part in runs with injury, it's not the whole story.

"With Dave, the little things are pretty big here, like recovery, he said.

"After games, we've spent two or three days on the beaches, the ice baths, getting massage and physio.

"And we've got three physios now, just to make sure everyone can get that extra bit, so you're not feeling sore going into a training session."

Luck plays a part but it's not the whole story.

Spend the money, do the little things and ensure that luck is the only variable.

"He lets his emotions go at times when he gets over-excited, but I reckon that's good. He can spit the dummy, but it's always behind closed doors, and he knows when to give the boys a rev up and when they need a bit of a break as well."

Interesting insight into RL. People criticised him at times for not showing enough emotion in public and for coming across as lacking in passion. There was a post last year about him putting the players to sleep I believe.

Clearly not the case, and he's clearly very passionate and dedicated to his job and success at our club ...

[RBnW]

Great article, he looked so good last week for a first up run.... also a some good inside stuff on Ross the Boss..... I think he could get very fired up if he needed to.... Adam will be very useful for us this year cant wait to see him in the midfield bursting forward.....his ability to hit a target in traffic is something to see.......maybe we will see it tonight
King to Hayes....handball to Schnider one bounce, breaks a tackle and then puts on the chest of Rooeee 25 out......Goal.....

[devil saint]

I love Schneider! He is such an asset to our club. What a steal!

[Solar]

fantastic interview, one of rohan's best so far.

Really interesting parts about the coach, I love the fact that we see one thing in public yet ross and the whole club in general are keeping so much indoors. The professionalism of the place has gone up a few cogs over preseason.

I think schneider comes under the heading of "will be better for the move". Has lost a lot of weight and was moving off the wing very very well. For mine if he keeps this up it would give us the opportunity to play him as a running half forward and slot a hard tackling CJ or leading charlie into the forward line. Great flexibility and the likes of fiora must be struggling to hold his spot currently.

[Washedup]

and goals are what we need more of. imo milne's place shouldn't be under threat

Thank god that it was GT that was exited out otherwise Milne would have been playing for the Bombers against us last week

[Otiman]

Seeing him run off the wing in Q2 against essendon last week was absolutely magical. Opposition sides won't give him that kind of latitude anymore, he basically moved as he pleased and got the ball from well timed runs across the back of packs. He could teach Fiora a few things.

[saintsRrising]

I think you will find that Milne will play much more asa FP in 2008...and asa crumber to Kosi..


Schneider and Jones to play further up the ground.

Schneider likely to be a goal kicking mid...something we have lacked.

Jones to play HF and supporting the midfield with his pace and tackling. Pace is something that our midfield has lacked.



RL has looked at our team...and has gone out and gained players that we have lacked.


He hasa vision for what he believesa team needs to be...in structure and in how it needs to play.

No Jones may not make it....but the reason he is at the club is that RL saw a niche that needed to be filled.

Schneider will make it....of that I have no doubt...and he complements perfectly what we already had.
RL has been vey active in addressing our weakness.

The former coach may have said that he values good ruckman..but the current coach values them enough to actually get them to the club.

Weaknesses addressed
Ruckman; King ,Gardiner and McEvoy &VR for the future
Goal kicking mid: Schneider
Medium forward: Charlie
More tagging options; Attard, Dempster

Aging midfield: Armo, Schneider, Birss, Geary, Eddy

And Jones with his pace....is being tried to bring more pace and aggression to our midfield and forward mix. He may not make it....but if he does his dash and x factor will an exitement to our midfield mix.

Now the above players are not all stars.....but they address our weaknesses and builda much better balanced list.



The only real lack now would seem to be our next FB (though Gilbert and Miles are options) but you cannot address everying in only two years from a list badly out of balance.

[LTN16]

One of the better Articles i've read.

I hope the Schneiderman has a good year for the Saints.

[stinger]

Credit to Rohan Connolly for a very good article ... interview was good and a great piece ...

yep....beat me too it....credit where credit is due....

[Huzzad]

Great article. Also a new one there this morning: http://news.realfooty.com.au/former-swa ... -1y62.html

Decent read too