Should the team be going to Colorado again?

[WinnersOnly]

Should the club be going to Colorado again? Has the team shown an improvement in fitness and injury management as a result of the program? Is it worth the expenditure and logistical issues with going across to Colorado again?

I can understand the benefits in team moral and giving the kids opportunities - but I would rather see that extra expenditure spent on the club forming it's own VFL team. Clubs like Geelong etc have shown the benefits in this and they are one club in particular who don't see the need to have expensive training programs overseas.

How can the club justify the costs when in 2013 it is clear we have one of the worst team fitness levels in the competition. Our inability to run out a full game and our 4th quarters fade outs are testament to that. Watters has been blaming the number of kids in the team - but I question that it is actually a very poor fitness base that is causing the team issues.

In any event I maintain that the club would be far more advanced with putting the expenditure into developing their VFL team !

[plugger66]

Has the team shown an improvement in fitness and injury management as a result of the program? Is it worth the expenditure and logistical issues with going across to Colorado again?

I can understand the benefits in team moral and giving the kids opportunities - but I would rather see that extra expenditure spent on the club forming it's own VFL team. Clubs like Geelong etc have shown the benefits in this and they are one club in particular who don't see the need to have expensive training programs overseas.

How can the club justify the costs when in 2013 it is clear we have one of the worst team fitness levels in the competition. Our inability to run out a full game and our 4th quarters fade outs are testament to that. Watters has been blaming the number of kids in the team - but I question that it is actually a very poor fitness base that is causing the team issues.

In any event maintain that the club would be far more advanced with putting the expenditure into developing their VFL team !

I reckon the trip to Colorado would be about one tenth of what it would cost for us to set up and own reserves side and thats before they get 4 or more people at 25K a hit to go and watch and join in the training. That off sets it even more and also maybe the players and sponsors chip in as well.

[WinnersOnly]

It would be worth seeing the expenditure breakdowns Plugger - but a stand alone VFL team would still hold far more benefits

[mad saint guy]

I think these trips are probably worthwhile, though largely from a team bonding/camaraderie building perspective. I think the London/China trips in the GT era really brought the playing group together and the club would be hoping the Colorado camps do the same. However I do agree that the fitness elements are very sketchy - younger and more inexperienced teams than us are running out games better, I suspect altitude training benefits are negligible and that our fitness staff are duds.

[saint6]

[quote="plugger66"
I reckon the trip to Colorado would be about one tenth of what it would cost for us to set up and own reserves side and thats before they get 4 or more people at 25K a hit to go and watch and join in the training. That off sets it even more and also maybe the players and sponsors chip in as well.[/quote]

Not sure that four or more people actually go along on the trip for that price. Remember we are not collingwood and dont have that many wealthy supporters who can afford the trip. Pretty sure there were only a couple of supporters that went along last year.

Initially the price was 25000 last year and then dropped to 16000 as time got closer.

[plugger66]

It would be worth seeing the expenditure breakdowns Plugger - but a stand alone VFL team would still hold far more benefits

It would but it would also cost about 3 or 4 million for initial set ups. i know the club got 100k off 4 supporters who went on the trip last year. Not sure if the players chipped in but I think some sponsors did if i remember rightly.

[thejiggingsaint]

No. There are plenty of places here in Australia that would serve the purpose of any overseas trip. (Only my humble opinion of course)
Back at the end of 2011 Mrs Jigging and I did the Overland track in Tassie from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair and I remember thinking to myself then what a wonderful way to prepare the side for the coming season. Obviously 40-odd blokes would be a bit unwieldy to all go together, but it could be staggered by groups of ten-twelve departing over four days. Believe me, that track is CHALLENGING! Just a thought folks!

[stinger]

yes, of course they should...high altitude training over a number of years has proven beneficial with a number of clubs.....

[plugger66]

yes, of course they should...high altitude training over a number of years has proven beneficial with a number of clubs.....

Like Geelong.

[thejiggingsaint]

Agree to disagree on the idea.

[Jacks Back]

NO!

Just run up and down the sand dunes at Portsea back beach. That'll get them nice and fit.

[stinger]

Agree to disagree on the idea.

fine with me, old chap....

[st_Trav_ofWA]

meh its a team bonding experiance , the players get a kick out of it and theres a fair bit of learning done from it ... i have no problem with it

[Scollop]

I know...maybe we can ask the rest of the competition to just give us an even break and ease up on us in our last quarters (like Port Adelaide did...thanks for that Port...thanks for making us look fit in the second half) and also can other teams take a leaf out of Collingwoods book and ease up on the expansion sides in last quarters. It's good for the footy spectacle isn't it?

Actually, I've also been thinking; should the team turn up to Skilled Stadium this week?

Should the Saints team bother trying to win for the rest of this year or any home and away games in 2014?

Should the supporters stop buying memberships that pay for these wasteful Colorado trips? I mean there's some pretty good running tracks in the yarra ranges aren't there?

[Eastern]

meh its a team bonding experiance , the players get a kick out of it and theres a fair bit of learning done from it ... i have no problem with it

Agreed. And if my memory serves me correctly, the players paid for a fair whack of the trip out of their own pockets last year. If those arrangements are the same this year, I'm even more for it !!

[tony74]

The club put in less than 5% for the trip last year. This year they are budgeting on 0 input. We have some very wealthy supporters who wish to remain anonymous. The benefits of the high altitude training are cumulative and are in the best interests of the new brigade coming through. And ASADA don't interfere.

[thejiggingsaint]

Upon reading that post from tony74 I'll back-pedal on the reservations I expressed earlier regarding this. If it's close to zero cost-wise to the club then of course we should go! (disagree to disagree with you now stinger old bean )

[stinger]

Upon reading that post from tony74 I'll back-pedal on the reservations I expressed earlier regarding this. If it's close to zero cost-wise to the club then of course we should go! (disagree to disagree with you now stinger old bean )

clearly you have the right to do so, old chum......

[stinger]

The club put in less than 5% for the trip last year. This year they are budgeting on 0 input. We have some very wealthy supporters who wish to remain anonymous. The benefits of the high altitude training are cumulative and are in the best interests of the new brigade coming through. And ASADA don't interfere.

[Eastern]

Upon reading that post from tony74 I'll back-pedal on the reservations I expressed earlier regarding this. If it's close to zero cost-wise to the club then of course we should go! (disagree to disagree with you now stinger old bean )

Disagree to disagree????????????????

Have you been into the Irish Whiskey? Or Mrs Jigging's cooking sherry? !!

[Heidelberg_Saint]

Only if the $A holds. I wonder we'll still be off to Colorado if $A dips sub .80??

[thejiggingsaint]

[quote="Eastern"][quote="thejiggingsaint"]Upon reading that post from tony74 I'll back-pedal on the reservations I expressed earlier regarding this. If it's close to zero cost-wise to the club then of course we should go! (disagree to disagree with you now stinger old bean )[/quote]

Disagree to disagree????????????????

Have you been into the Irish Whiskey? Or Mrs Jigging's cooking sherry? !![/quote]
A bit of both Eastern old chap!

[dragit]

Pretty commonly accepted that high altitude training takes a number of years to show results… so only a complete nuffy would point to this year as a reason not to continue with it...

[SainterK]

The club put in less than 5% for the trip last year. This year they are budgeting on 0 input. We have some very wealthy supporters who wish to remain anonymous. The benefits of the high altitude training are cumulative and are in the best interests of the new brigade coming through. And ASADA don't interfere.

I sent in a letter with $1 to help out

[WinnersOnly]

Pretty commonly accepted that high altitude training takes a number of years to show results… so only a complete nuffy would point to this year as a reason not to continue with it...

Yeah more common results shown from teams with stand alone VFL sides have follow on AFL success eg Geelong, Pies Swans only a complete motard would overlook that 'dragit'.