Surviving the Death Zone - inside football

saintly · Post: # 784785Post **saintly** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 3:06pm

http://www.insidefootballonline.com/shaw.html
Surviving the Death Zone - Robert Shaw
The Saints are not unbeatable for this yearâ€™s premiership but their rivals had better start training now.

ON Mt Everest the area above Camp 4 is called the â€œdeath zoneâ€

matrix · Post: # 784786Post **matrix** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 3:10pm

i picked up the copy that was in my newsagents not 15 mins ago (chocco was on the front)
i thought we are 17 and zip, when is the cover gonna be about us and NO ONE else, as we do deserve it.

looks like the next issue might be the one??

saint75 · Post: # 784794Post **saint75** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 3:40pm

It is all good and well having half an idea of how we go about it, but to actually implement it is another thing. You will see a lot try over the pre season, but a coach can't and won't completely change a game plan mid/end of season.

Before you say that Neil Craig did with Adelaide, I will stop you there. He had already been practising some of the changes he implemented after the first 4-6 rounds and when they come up against us, they were still left wanting....

Interestingly enough, Hawthorn won the Grand Final last year, but no one tried to implement in full the 'clarko cluster'.

The key is not to copy a game plan, you have to be original in your thinking and have the players to pull off your plan. A lot of teams currently in the comp would have to have a major player clean out and recruit the players needed to implement our game plan. That is how Ross has gone about it over the last 2+ years. He had a plan and it has evolved with a fair amount of tinkering along the way. His recruiting over the last 2 years is a prime example.

Munga · Post: # 784801Post **Munga** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 4:01pm

Why haven't Geelong had the same articles about how to dismantle them?? Or have I missed them in the last three years?

Moods · Post: # 784803Post **Moods** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 4:06pm

I love articles like that. The author obviously knows his stuff, and explains why we are so good. I would hazard to guess that every AFL club is aware of all of this and has been trying to break us down for the past 12 weeks.

As saint75 said, it's taken us years to perfect this style of play. Clubs aren't going to start copying us 5 weeks out from the finals. Clubs attempted zoning at the start of the year in the pre-season and look where it got them?Almost all of them have reverted back to their own game style now.

plugger66 · Post: # 784805Post **plugger66** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 4:08pm

Munga wrote:Why haven't Geelong had the same articles about how to dismantle them?? Or have I missed them in the last three years?

My guess is Geelong have had plenty. Anyway who cares just shows hpw well we are going.

st.byron · Post: # 784807Post **st.byron** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 4:12pm

Saintly, who wrote that article?

saintly · Post: # 784808Post **saintly** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 4:16pm

st.byron wrote:Saintly, who wrote that article?

robert shaw.

i will edit the post and add that in.

markp · Post: # 784817Post **markp** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 4:43pm

It's nothing oppo coaches wouldn't already know.... and as we've seen no one knows how to beat it, or is able to.... and there is a big difference.

'The Death Zone' sounds kinda tough!

SENsei · Post: # 784827Post **SENsei** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 5:04pm

The Death Zone on the Death Valley. The Saints Cauloseum.

Agree with Mark. Knowing something and doing something about it are two different things.

BringBackMadDog · Wed 29 Jul 2009 5:05pm

Our playing style is only one factor of our success. Even if sides work us out, and I'm sure the top 4 have watched hours of video from all angles, they still have to match us on desire, toughness, skill and overall talent.

Its one thing to say that they know how we play and try to mimic it but our game style takes a crap load of mental and physical strength, something that we have loads of, in fact if you look at our least naturally talented players such as CJ, Mini, Zac, Dempster, Bakes, Max. These guys lead the way in mental and physical toughness. This is what will get us over the line

saintbrat · Post: # 784851Post **saintbrat** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 5:49pm

matrixcutter wrote:i picked up the copy that was in my newsagents not 15 mins ago (chocco was on the front)
i thought we are 17 and zip, when is the cover gonna be about us and NO ONE else, as we do deserve it.

looks like the next issue might be the one??

this weeks cover to go with the article above- little bit of photoshopping gone on with the wrist bands

stinger · Post: # 784855Post **stinger** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 6:01pm

matrixcutter wrote:i picked up the copy that was in my newsagents not 15 mins ago (chocco was on the front)
i thought we are 17 and zip, when is the cover gonna be about us and NO ONE else, as we do deserve it.

looks like the next issue might be the one??

get last week's did you...mine has bj kossi and milne..i think....on the cover....

oops...didn't see above post.....

....no chocco there but....

desertsaint · Wed 29 Jul 2009 7:21pm

Moods wrote: it's taken us years to perfect this style of play.

the good news is that we haven't perfected it yet -just getting darn close!

AlpineStars · Wed 29 Jul 2009 9:16pm

Don't be fooled it is not just the game plan that wins us games it is our players who have taken huge steps in the last year. Yes we have a good game plan but if Freo had it would they be 17-0? I don't think so.
Gilbert, Jones, Milne, Gardener, Roo, Hayes, Joey, BG, Zac, Blake, Snieder, Mcqualter, Dal are all in career best form.

Devilhead · Post: # 784958Post **Devilhead** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 11:35pm

It seems the only team that can beat St Kilda is ........................... St Kilda

Luckily we don't play ourselves

AP Erebus · Post: # 785000Post **AP Erebus** » Thu 30 Jul 2009 2:09am

AlpineStars wrote:Don't be fooled it is not just the game plan that wins us games it is our players who have taken huge steps in the last year. Yes we have a good game plan but if Freo had it would they be 17-0? I don't think so.
Gilbert, Jones, Milne, Gardener, Roo, Hayes, Joey, BG, Zac, Blake, Snieder, Mcqualter, Dal are all in career best form.

This is spot on.

Gameplan is one thing, having the personel playing it correctly, fit and in-form is where it's at.

aussiejones · Thu 30 Jul 2009 2:51pm

At the risk of repeating ... I think they are playing for each other more .....

Perhaps against the WB it was a bit of a training run , but , they all combined and trusted each other to run past , back up etc with no major spearhead / star . Keeping a group together as we have been able to seems to result in confidence in each other .. sharing the ball etc.

The WB game was to be a real test against no3 ......but they were outplayed , out tackled and started fumbling . Eade must have been shattered.

Just my view

ace · Post: # 785327Post **ace** » Thu 30 Jul 2009 8:33pm

aussiejones wrote:At the risk of repeating ... I think they are playing for each other more .....

Perhaps against the WB it was a bit of a training run , but , they all combined and trusted each other to run past , back up etc with no major spearhead / star . Keeping a group together as we have been able to seems to result in confidence in each other .. sharing the ball etc.

The WB game was to be a real test against no3 ......but they were outplayed , out tackled and started fumbling . Eade must have been shattered.

Just my view

Craig and Eade must be silently hoping they don't make the Grand Final.
After the last 2 weeks, they wont want to see their game plans humiliated to a nationwide even worldwide audience again.
Better to be honourable losers in the prelims.