Can we be better than the Cats????

[saintsRrising]

Well what a difference a year makes....

The Cats overcame faced their weaknesses.....and then did something about it.

While some say that were lucky to have an injury free year & won the flag as a result....luck had very very little to do with it. Also it is myth that they had an injury free year as they did not field their best 22 for the GF. Now yes they did have a low injury rate year...but not "injury free".

First on injuries...go back in time and you will see that the Cats appointed a new Club Doc fresh from 2 years of working in the cashed up elite sports medical work of the Premier League in the UK. The Cats gave him his head and he was allowed to completely restructure the Cat's medical, conditioning and fitness departments. All this was up and running in time for the Cat's last pre-season. So science rather than luck was at play in the Cat's low injury rate in 2007.

Coaching wise the club told the head coach to concentrate on coaching rather than player matters and appointed Neil Balme without any input from Thompson. He was told of Balme's appointment after it was done and dusted.

Player wise the pussy cats were said to often go missing...enter Ray McLean to work on player empowerment and self-belief...and most importantly in the players taking more responsibility to achieve.. Ray was first used in AFL by Stan Alves in 97...and the Swans in their Premiership Year.

Team structure wise....the Cat's backline was good, their midfield ran deep but lacked class, their forward line was hot and cold often lacking key marking targets, rucks were good when they got on the park.

Self belief and discipline worked wonders for Mooney and Ottens, solving both their ruck problem and marking key forwards at the same time. The wild boy Johnno was largely tamed and turned into a much more consistent player.

The ordinary looking but deep cats midfield was supercharged by transforming Ablett from a small forward into a midfielder, deft drafting of the gifted Selwood who bloomed early, Ling in to an transforming Ling into tagger who won plenty of his own ball......this all probably assisting Bartel to bloom.

The Cats team was able to muster talent on every line and with many goal scoring options. Chapman was always damaging up forward, but was now only one of many forwards...smalls, mediums and talls.

If the Cat's had any luck...it could be said that it was by doing many things well in a year when many of their opponents did many things wrong. But IMO opinion, that is not luck but reaping the benefit of doing things better than your opponents.


In the above their are many lessons for the saints...and some we have already well heeded and acted on.

Now I am not saying that the saints should mimic the Cat's exactly....nor am I advocating adoption of their game plan.

But yes to be successful the Saints have to do MANY things well....both on field and off.

Our players have to stand up and face their demons as outlined by Roo at our B&F. The players themselves must take greater responsibility to achieve.

Coaches have to make the best out of our players, to work hard at our weaknesses and use imagination to structure the team up in a manner that best advantages our talent.

Off field the conditioning and medical guys have to play their part.

For to win a flag you have to get most things right, and do them right week in week out.

So can we can we be better than the Cats????

I believe that we can be.

But will we be?....ah that is the real question and we will have to wait and see...




At both teams best>>>>

Backline.
The Cat's backline is better defensively, but offensively the Saints can have a point of difference with the run and bounce of Gram, the precise kicking of BJ and the star quality of S Fisher.

Forwards

The small forwards of the Cat's are superior, but this balanced by the Saints have superior talls. The addition of Schneider helps a great deal....as will being able to play Kosi as a permanent forward. If only X and Fiora were more accurate at goal?

Mids

The Saints mids have many question marks. Will Ball be back near his best? Can Armo or Geary emerge? Can Harvey play well for one more year? Will Fiora continue on with his good form? Can Baker come back from being a marked man? Can Birrs improve and will Dempster be able to take some rotations including as a tagger. If it is left to Hayes, Dal and Joey it will not be enough.

If many of those question marks have positive answers then we could havea very very good midfield. But it could easily go awry/

Rucks

An interesting one here...a fit King/Gardi combination is arguably superior to Ottens/Blake. But can G&K deliver week in week out. If not then there is a big gulf in stepping down to Rix....Kosi may be drawn away from the forward line.......




So yes we enter 2008 full of excitement, full of anticipation, full of promise....but yes also full of question marks.

[St DAC]

We've always matched up well with the Cats over the past 5 or so years. Last year they took it to another level and clearly passed us; they were assisted by several of their GOP's having career years in the same season, and having few significant injuries over the course of the year. In effect the planets aligned for them and they won a flag, but also their best team contained no passengers at all.

If we have that sort of fortune there is no reason we can't be successful as they were, but we need to have our best team available for much of the year, and we need our lesser players to have solid years.

[Bernard Shakey]

We will be premiers. QED!

[bigcarl]

if we can get off to a flyer like 2004 we'll be hard to stop.

that was when bummer thompson famously remarked he felt that st kilda's young players were no better than geelong's (or words to that effect)

i didn't believe him at the time because we were travelling so well but history has made me reconsider

player for player i believe we have the talent to match them

the rest is down to injury luck, self-belief and, as the OP said, a gameplan that plays to our particular strengths

If it (the midfield) is left to Hayes, Dal and Joey it will not be enough.

This is a worry of mine as well and it is where the coaching staff will have to think a bit laterally.

for instance, as armooo and others have suggested, add gram, gilbert or baker (when he becomes available) to the rotation and see whether that provides the spark that was missing last year.

If only X and Fiora were more accurate at goal?

they aren't (or haven't been thus far) so it might be pointless playing them in goal-kicking roles. they might be better on wing or half back

bj or gilbert at half-forward would have the advantage of providing a strong marking target to take some of the pressure off roo.

[Quixote]

Tell ya in 14 weeks

[Quixote]

if we can get off to a flyer like 2004 we'll be hard to stop.

that was when bummer thompson famously remarked he felt that st kilda's young players were no better than geelong's (or words to that effect)

i didn't believe him at the time because we were travelling so well but history has made me reconsider

player for player i believe we have the talent to match them

the rest is down to injury luck, self-belief and, as the OP said, a gameplan that plays to our particular strengths

If it (the midfield) is left to Hayes, Dal and Joey it will not be enough.

This is a worry of mine as well and it is where the coaching staff will have to think a bit laterally. for instance, as armoo and others have suggested, add gilbert and gram to the rotation and see whether that provides the spark that was missing last year.

BigCarl - Succinct and clear post. Spot on.

[hAyES]

Of course we can, but it's unlikely. If Geelong play the same way they did last year it's going to be almost impossible to beat them.

[Otiman]

Of course we can, but it's unlikely. If Geelong play the same way they did last year it's going to be almost impossible to beat them.

I'm sure Geelong's game plan has been watched by 15 head coaches and their staff, and picked to pieces as to how it can be replicated and/or beaten. This sort of thing happens every year, teams have to adapt or be circumvented.

[Life Long Saint]

that was when bummer thompson famously remarked he felt that st kilda's young players were no better than geelong's (or words to that effect)

i didn't believe him at the time because we were travelling so well but history has made me reconsider

I still believe that our top line young players are better than theirs. They have us in the quality of their depth players.

Riewoldt, Kosi, Ball, Dal Santo, S Fisher, Goddard, Maguire and Montagna would waltz into any team's starting 18.

We have turned a number of players over since then to try and improve the quality of our depth. Additions like King, Schneider, Gardiner(s) and Dempster will help that.

If we have to play guys like Rix, Blake and Jones for a lot of games we will not be a serious contender. I know these guys try their hardest and go hard at every contest but they are not skilled enough to be in our best 22.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

it comes down to the effort

gabblet was an average player befor he put in the extra effort to lift his game this year , the reason Geelong were so dominant last year was their lack of passengers every player was givingit their all there were no half efforts little of the soft attempted tackles and as much as it sickens me to say they played with more heart then we did . we have a good team but a team with the potential stars we have is not going to achive anything unless they pull the finger out and do the hard yards , not just get the speckie grab or have a dominant qtr but have a consistant run of decent efforts and attempts , i think the problem with our club is we have tagged our good players with the star tag too early players like goose kosi gilbo joey gram chips milne have to show they can consistantly show good performances for us to be a real threat not just the odd super game every other week . thats where Geelong have the wood over us . now im gunna put my rose colured glassed back on and say we can beat anyteam in the comp on any givin day provided we have a fully fit team working together

[saintsRrising]

it comes down to the effort

and say we can beat anyteam in the comp on any givin day provided we have a fully fit team working together

Good post...

But how often to we hear that phrase about the Saints.. "we can beat anyteam in the comp on any givin day"....and is that not reflective of where we are at??


That we have to basically think of the sainst winning against quality opponents on "our day".....


What we need is to develop into a consistently good team that grinds out good game after good game.....through hard work and professional efforts as opposed to flashes of brilliance.

[hAyES]

that was when bummer thompson famously remarked he felt that st kilda's young players were no better than geelong's (or words to that effect)

i didn't believe him at the time because we were travelling so well but history has made me reconsider

I still believe that our top line young players are better than theirs. They have us in the quality of their depth players.

Riewoldt, Kosi, Ball, Dal Santo, S Fisher, Goddard, Maguire and Montagna would waltz into any team's starting 18.

We have turned a number of players over since then to try and improve the quality of our depth. Additions like King, Schneider, Gardiner(s) and Dempster will help that.

If we have to play guys like Rix, Blake and Jones for a lot of games we will not be a serious contender. I know these guys try their hardest and go hard at every contest but they are not skilled enough to be in our best 22.

Good post. Completely agree, particularly with the bolded part. Players as bad as Blake, Rix and Jones wouldn't sniff a game at Geelong. Trying hard can only take you so far and no players show that more than those 3.

[evertonfc]

I still believe that our top line young players are better than theirs. They have us in the quality of their depth players.

Riewoldt, Kosi, Ball, Dal Santo, S Fisher, Goddard, Maguire and Montagna would waltz into any team's starting 18.

We have turned a number of players over since then to try and improve the quality of our depth. Additions like King, Schneider, Gardiner(s) and Dempster will help that.

If we have to play guys like Rix, Blake and Jones for a lot of games we will not be a serious contender. I know these guys try their hardest and go hard at every contest but they are not skilled enough to be in our best 22.

Good post. Completely agree, particularly with the bolded part. Players as bad as Blake, Rix and Jones wouldn't sniff a game at Geelong. Trying hard can only take you so far and no players show that more than those 3.

Spot on guys.

Our top level can keep up with the best with them, but our depth is pretty sketchy.

A lot of clubs *do* lack depth, so we're not alone there, but our injury problems have previously exposed the fact that we've only had 30-35 AFL standard players on our list. Too many project players and guys who simply weren't up to it really did hurt when the injuries began to mount.

I think we've got a lot better depth this year - the new recruits will help - but if injuries force us to reach into the depths of our list (Blake/Rix/Jones/Howard) consistently, then it's hard to see us competing for a top four berth.

[rodgerfox]

now im gunna put my rose colured glassed back on and say we can beat anyteam in the comp on any givin day provided we have a fully fit team working together

That was true up until last year.

The style of play we introduced in 07 makes me think this is no longer the case.

[StSteven]

What excellent and objective posts. It is my belief that the main reason the Cats passed us was the Cook, Co0sta, Thompson trio (team). People laughed at Cook's review and most scoffed at Cats for not having the "guts" to sack Thompson. Cook kept a clear head and undertook an objective review of the clubs position. They identified their weaknesses, (fitness, leadership, coach's role and gameplan) and fixed them as identified above.

Their list was the same as the one that we were favourably compared to except for Selwood (which was a very clever pick up).

The changes above worked for them.

Sadly while this was going on we had rifts between the board, coach and President and the whole club suffered.

The clubs situations are and were different but the key to our comeback will have been the settling of the board, the new staff and medical approach.

Let's hope that we can catch up to the Cats as the rivalry is very exciting and also more pleasurable than the old school, Carlton, Essendon Collingwood etc rivalry.

Roll on 2008!!! Can't wait.

[rodgerfox]

What excellent and objective posts. It is my belief that the main reason the Cats passed us was the Cook, Co0sta, Thompson trio (team). People laughed at Cook's review and most scoffed at Cats for not having the "guts" to sack Thompson. Cook kept a clear head and undertook an objective review of the clubs position. They identified their weaknesses, (fitness, leadership, coach's role and gameplan) and fixed them as identified above.

All the 'weaknesses' they addressed were 'addressed' by having the same players actually on the park.

No magical reviews or rabbit's out of hats - simply having players on the park and fit.

Leadership, midfield, forward line, depth etc. All instantly fixed when Ottens, Ablett, Harley etc. etc. etc. were actually able to play each week.

[saintsRrising]

All the 'weaknesses' they addressed were 'addressed' by having the same players actually on the park.

No magical reviews or rabbit's out of hats - simply having players on the park and fit.

.

Certainly no magical reviews....but it was far far far from a matter from simply having players on the park.


While at Moorabbin we adopted the approach of saying it was only bad luck and that the wheel would turn , over at the cattery they took a pragmatic business review of their operations and put in place science rather than just hope.

So it was not "magic"...but approriate analysis and then aplication.

Their conditioning and medical staff changes started occuring well before GT left our building.

Leadership, midfield, forward line, depth etc. All instantly fixed when Ottens, Ablett, Harley etc. etc. etc. were actually able to play each week.

Again you miss the point....how did the players ALL get on the park? How did they achive this? Why did the saint's not achieve it?

The Cat's completely overahauled their conditioning and medical department.

On Leadership....all the cats players I have seen interviewed on this have a common voice that over the pre-seas that hard words were said and realities faced.

They looked in each over in the eyes and committed to work harder and play at a higher level. This was not achieved by just getting the players on the park.....but by geting them on the park AND by getting then comitted to deliver more.

Thompson interviewed prior to Balme arriving was bitter and scathhing....wereas during 2007 he was interviewed on the change and was glowing about the change admitting that it was the best thing that could have happened.


The previous regime at St Kilda were incompent in their mangement of the conditioning of the players. Their poor record is there for all to see.

This was not bad luck or a lack of magical, but was due to incompetence.

The Cats won there flag not by being lucky, but through good decision making, obtaining the right staff and working as a team at a high level.

[saintsRrising]

So how did the Cats manage to get all their players on the park??

some say they were lucky.

I am not one of them.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/articles/20 ... 39104.html

Cats get it working off-field to boost on-field success
Dr Peter Brukner | September 17, 2007

WHILE most of the credit for the improved Geelong performance this year should go to the players and coach, the six new staff to arrive in the past 18 months has been significant.

NEIL BALME
Collingwood sacked its football manager at the end of last season, probably as a victim of the "we had a bad season, someone has to go" mentality common in elite sport, so it was no surprise when Balme was snapped up by the Cats. His football experience and knowledge are widely recognised and his people skills valued. The infamous Geelong review at the end of last season had recognised that the peripheral matters related to his position as senior coach had distracted Mark Thompson from his main task — coaching. Balme, who was senior coach at Melbourne before his Collingwood job, has taken a considerable load off Thompson's shoulders, allowing him to concentrate on coaching.
STEPHEN HOCKING
Hocking played 199 games for Geelong between 1984 and 1994 then ran a successful framing business. He was lured back to the Cats in February last year as high-performance manager and now goes under the title of assistant football manager.
He has responsibility for the medical and fitness staff, has a match-day role in the coach's box and liaises closely with the coaching staff. Understated and publicity-shy, Geelong insiders say that Hocking has loads of common sense and a great insight into what makes a football club tick. All agree he has had a great influence.

CHRIS BRADSHAW
When long-serving, highly respected club doctor Hugh Seward decided it was time to hang up his stethoscope after 25 years, he embarked on a search to ensure that Geelong secured the best possible person to succeed him in this important role. His search took him to London and Fulham soccer club where former Richmond club doctor Bradshaw was coming to the end of a two-year stint as the Premier League club's head doctor. Bradshaw was the perfect person to draw all aspects of the club's medical, rehabilitation and conditioning staff together with his infectious enthusiasm, in addition to his vast knowledge and experience as an international athlete and Olympic team doctor.
Bradshaw arrived in May last year and by year's end had surrounded himself with professionals of high quality.
He now co-ordinates a support team that is skilled, knowledgeable and, most importantly, communicates and works well together.

DUNCAN KELLAWAY
Kellaway played 180 games at Richmond from 1993-2004. He was widely admired as a player of enormous courage and one who got the most out of his natural ability. During his career he also acquired a physiotherapy degree and now joins the experienced Nick Ames as one of Geelong's two physiotherapists. Added to his physio role, Kellaway is a match-day runner, which enables him to use both his football experience and academic knowledge as he plays a part in injury rehabilitation. His football background ensures plenty of respect from the Geelong players, a number of whom experienced at close quarters his competitiveness on the football field.
PAUL HAINES
Eyebrows were raised when the prized position as head fitness coach at Geelong was given at the end of last season to a 25-year-old former amateur footballer from Adelaide. Haines had been the assistant fitness coach at Adelaide, supposedly hand-picked by Neil Craig out of Adelaide University's sports science department and groomed for bigger and better things by the Adelaide coach and his fitness guru Stephen Schwerdt. His is now regarded as an inspired appointment. His enthusiasm, knowledge and feel for footy have earned him respect and there is no doubt that the general fitness level has improved significantly.
DEAN ROBINSON
The final piece of the jigsaw puzzle was the appointment of Robinson — poached from Manly rugby league club — as head of rehabilitation. A qualified physiotherapist with a special interest in conditioning, Robinson has developed the Cats' agility and speed using techniques widely used in rugby league but previously not part of the traditional AFL conditioning program. The sight of Geelong players in rugby-style grappling and wrestling bouts seemed out of place at an AFL club but have brought significant improvements.
With salary caps and the draft system, the main opportunity for clubs to gain an advantage over their rivals is in their support staff. Over the past 18 months Geelong has identified its deficiencies and made several excellent appointments to key support positions.

While it is important to get the right people in place it is even more important that those people work well as a team. There can be no big egos among support staff and Geelong has a group together who fit that mould. As a result, no one should be surprised by their success.

.




and..

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 22,00.html
Geelong turns to young blood

Chip Le Grand | October 27, 2006
GEELONG has embarked on a youth policy of a different kind, appointing a 25-year-old sports science wunderkind to serve as the head fitness coach of a new-look training services department to be unveiled next week.

Former Adelaide assistant fitness coach Paul Haines, who first walked into West Lakes as a 20-year-old university student and research volunteer, effectively replaces Loris Bertolacci, the 52-year-old fitness and conditioning guru suing the club for breach of contract.
Haines will be joined by Dean Robinson, a strength and conditioning expert and qualified physiotherapist from rugby league club Manly Sea Eagles who has pioneered the use of GPS tracking equipment in the NRL.

The precise division of duties between Haines and Robinson, 32, will be decided when the new team is assembled at Skilled Stadium to plan the Cats' pre-season campaign.

The training services department will be managed by former Geelong player Steven Hocking, with club doctor Chris Bradshaw, recruited last year from English premiership club Fulham, also playing a key role.

Haines' elevation to head fitness coach at an AFL club marks a meteoric rise for the University of South Australia graduate and former amateur footballer. Bertolacci brought more than 20 years' experience in elite sport to Geelong, including work with Essendon.

"Paul has come up through the ranks and had a good grounding," said Adelaide head fitness coach Stephen Schwerdt, Haines' mentor at the Crows.

"From an age perspective, there are probably not many guys that young who do the job but I don't think that will be a factor. He is a pretty capable sort of guy," Schwerdt said.

"The thing that appealed to a lot of outside people is that he has a pretty good feel for footy. He did a lot of footy work with our guys as well, in rehab and individually. He has a pretty good knowledge and working with (Adelaide senior coach) Neil Craig, he has had a good education. He has also got great people skills. Our playing group fed off his energy. He is a bit infectious about how he goes about things."

A fresh face and new enthusiasm will be warmly welcomed at Geelong.

John Quinn, Essendon's head fitness coach since 1999, described the Geelong job as a "big responsibility" for someone of Haines' age.

"He is very young but sometimes you have to throw people into the job and they rise to it," Quinn said.

"If someone comes into the job as the head fitness coach at the age of 25 that is a big responsibility and a big job to be able to deal with players and coaching staff who are older and more experienced."

Schwerdt predicted Haines would quickly earn the respect of the Geelong players.

"The one thing I was so impressed with was his ability to work with our older guys," he said. "I watched him doing rehab with Mark Ricciuto and Ben Hart and Andrew McLeod. When he first arrived at the club at age 20 or 21 he treated those guys just like he treated the younger guys and they respected how he went about doing it.

"I have got no issues with him dealing with the older guys at Geelong. I have got a lot of confidence in him."

St Kilda has meanwhile confirmed that its own training services had survived the fall-out from Grant Thomas' sacking and would continue under a new name.

Saints chief executive Archie Fraser said Craig Starcevich would continue to manage the soon-to-be-renamed department, with Andy Weller and Shaun McMahon retained as rehabilitation and strength and conditioning coaches. The club also plans to strengthen its sports science base by hiring AFL research board member Ross Smith as a consultant.

[rodgerfox]

All the 'weaknesses' they addressed were 'addressed' by having the same players actually on the park.

No magical reviews or rabbit's out of hats - simply having players on the park and fit.

.

Certainly no magical reviews....but it was far far far from a matter from simply having players on the park.


While at Moorabbin we adopted the approach of saying it was only bad luck and that the wheel would turn , over at the cattery they took a pragmatic business review of their operations and put in place science rather than just hope.

So it was not "magic"...but approriate analysis and then aplication.

Their conditioning and medical staff changes started occuring well before GT left our building.

Leadership, midfield, forward line, depth etc. All instantly fixed when Ottens, Ablett, Harley etc. etc. etc. were actually able to play each week.

Again you miss the point....how did the players ALL get on the park? How did they achive this? Why did the saint's not achieve it?

The Cat's completely overahauled their conditioning and medical department.

On Leadership....all the cats players I have seen interviewed on this have a common voice that over the pre-seas that hard words were said and realities faced.

They looked in each over in the eyes and committed to work harder and play at a higher level. This was not achieved by just getting the players on the park.....but by geting them on the park AND by getting then comitted to deliver more.

Thompson interviewed prior to Balme arriving was bitter and scathhing....wereas during 2007 he was interviewed on the change and was glowing about the change admitting that it was the best thing that could have happened.


The previous regime at St Kilda were incompent in their mangement of the conditioning of the players. Their poor record is there for all to see.

This was not bad luck or a lack of magical, but was due to incompetence.

The Cats won there flag not by being lucky, but through good decision making, obtaining the right staff and working as a team at a high level.

And once again SRS at his best. Wait to see who wins the flag, then sprout garbage about the 'science' and 'tactics' involved.

Just follow the leader and jump at shadows.

What is more ridiculous about your incessant rantings, is that you start 1000 threads a week and post about 9000 words in each one. It's embarrassing.

The 'previous regime' headhunted twice, yes twice, whom they considered to be the best in the business in regards to fitness and injury management.

The 'previous regime' addressed percieved weaknesses such as defence, leadership and fitness. They introduced means to improve leadership, recruit key defenders, and twice headhunted the best in the business in regards to fitness. At one point they implemented a unique course designed to prevent injuries by teaching players how to land properly. At the time it was considered way ahead of it's time. They also sought the best advice from the best fitness people abroad and took the entire list across to teach the benefits of quality ahead of quantity from some of the best athletes in the world. They introduced the concept of looking your teammates in the eye and telling them where they stood.

What Geelong did, was no different to what we did, and what every other club has done and continues to do. They got lucky.

Your suggestion that we neglected these areas and Geelong were somehow brilliant in addressing them whilst we were asleep at the wheel are completely false. Not surprising from you though. Wrong again.

We didn't get it right clearly, as we've had the worst injuries in the league for 3 years straight. However the suggestion that we missed these areas is simply stupid.

Were Sydney negligent in their fitness management last year when Goodes and Hall among others couldn't get fit?

[rodgerfox]

So how did the Cats mange to get all their players on the park??

some say they were lucky.

I am not one of them.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/articles/20 ... 39104.html

Cats get it working off-field to boost on-field success
Dr Peter Brukner | September 17, 2007

Hang on hang on.

It took one pre-season for the Cats to get their fitness and injury situation right?

One single pre-season?

Yet when we fell apart at the seams last year, it was 'Ross needs a couple of pre-seasons to get them right'??

Also, I thought changing fitness staff was the problem? Too much incontinuity in the fitness staff.

Yet Geelong get 6 new guys in at once, they get the entire list injury free in a 3 month period and they're geniuses?

You've got to be kidding.

That 9000 word post has really just shot your theory in the foot.

6 brand new fitness guys get the entire list fit in 3 months - yet our own new 'fitness guru' tells us it takes 3 pre-seaons to get it right??

After reading that article you just posted, it's clear that they were luckier than most would have thought.

[saintsRrising]

And once again SRS at his best. Wait to see who wins the flag, then sprout garbage about the 'science' and 'tactics' involved.

The only flaw with your theory Rodg is I have not changed what I have said over several seasons.

I said straight after the loss to the swans that the No1 thing the Saints needed to do was to fix our medical and player conditioning side.

Something which has only been done in late 2007....mainly through RL's pushing.

[saintsRrising]

Hang on hang on.

It took one pre-season for the Cats to get their fitness and injury situation right?

.

No Rodge.. It is not when the Coach arrives,,,,but when aconditioning person who knows what they are on about arrives.

Bradshaw arrived in May 2006 and by year's end had surrounded himself with professionals of high quality.

Our new guy started in late 2007. Perhaps you may be starting to note a difference n the fitness of our list???? Our guy has stated that he will do better over time which seems quite reasonable to me.

[saintsRrising]

The 'previous regime' headhunted twice, yes twice, whom they considered to be the best in the business in regards to fitness and injury management.

Making appointments counts for naught if you select the wrong people.

Starch may well have been good. Trouble was he never moved down from Queensland and his wife made him resign. So we never really had him.

As to the dud GT hired before that!!!!!!

[plugger66]

The 'previous regime' headhunted twice, yes twice, whom they considered to be the best in the business in regards to fitness and injury management.

Making appointments counts for naught if you select the wrong people.

Starch may well have been good. Trouble was he never moved down from Queensland and his wife made him resign. So we never really had him.

As to the dud GT hired before that!!!!!!

That dud has been at storm for 2 years now so he aint doing to bad. Maybe we just have injury prone players. We will soon find out but I wouldnt get excited yet. The soft tissue injuries in pre season have been Schneider, Hayes, Ferg, Harvs, X and probably one or two others.

[saintsRrising]

Your suggestion that we neglected these areas and Geelong were somehow brilliant in addressing them whilst we were asleep at the wheel are completely false. Not surprising from you though. Wrong again.

We didn't get it right clearly, as we've had the worst injuries in the league for 3 years straight. However the suggestion that we missed these areas is simply stupid.

GT knew we had a problem and tried to do something about it.

What I have said is that GT was incompetent in managing it...

His best was simply not good enough.

As to whether Geelong where brillaint or not....

Lets compare their injury rate to the Saints...call it what you will...what I call it is a mucj lower injury rate than the saints.


like us they did not prevent freak instanace...eagn borkoe his foot and missed the GF...Lonegan lost a kidney and misseda season and is now coming back.

But they substantially lessened the rtae of controllable injuries...whereas at the Saints soft tissue injuries remained out of control.