Training

[tony74]

Bit of rumour mongering going on around the traps. No, Nathan did not train with the main group and hasn't for a few days. He is being managed and brought along slowly. He has felt a bit of soreness and been managed accordingly. Pretty well everything that was leaned overseas has eventuated. There is no time frame for Nathan.
Today was particularly brutal. Very hot and extremely taxing. Hardest I can remember seeing. Couple of casualties with Mav coming off the worst. Heat got to him. Anyone watching ( there were only three ) would have all noticed one standing out and pretty well winning every contest and sprint. And at the end of the session joining in further running and sprint work. JB.

[Bluthy]

Anyone watching ( there were only three ) would have all noticed one standing out and pretty well winning every contest and sprint. And at the end of the session joining in further running and sprint work. JB.

hype hype hype hype hype!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to take a cold bath

[saint-stu]

The JB comment is great to hear! Maybe he realises it's time to get going.

[Con Gorozidis]

I am hopping on the JB bandwagon early. All Aboard !

[White Winmar]

I am hopping on the JB bandwagon early. All Aboard !

[elizabethr]

January Champions.

[mad saint guy]

Cheers, Tony. Looking forward to Josh Battle pushing all of Riewoldt, Bruce, McCartin and Membrey out of the team to clear space for him in the forward line on the back of his outstanding pre season. While being dux in his year 12 group of course

[Devilhead]

We have a new recruit!

[kosifantutti]

JB?
Josh Battle
Josh Bruce
or the other guy?

[elizabethr]

John Beveridge

[SMS]

Time to accept things. Freeman will never make it.
Its really no big deal I mean yes pie fans will give it to us bit so what we have Daniel McKenzie and Jack Billings we'll be right.

We got Long for speed. Im over hoping for freeman to come good. Hes 22 this year ffs and they still talking a year away? Nah its over.

[SaintPav]

Who's Joe Blow?

[SaintPav]

Time to accept things. Freeman will never make it.
Its really no big deal I mean yes pie fans will give it to us bit so what we have Daniel McKenzie and Jack Billings we'll be right.

We got Long for speed. Im over hoping for freeman to come good. Hes 22 this year ffs and they still talking a year away? Nah its over.

You got all that from Tony's post?

Get a grip...

[White Winmar]

Freeman coming good has always been an "icing on the cake" type scenario. In reality, only cost us pick 31 or thereabouts. A gamble worth taking, IMHO. The boy has enormous potential. Even if he doesn't play this year, he's still young enough to make it and have a good career. He was given a three year contract for a reason. They have faith in him. The club is doing everything in its power to get him right. Let them do their thing. We have many other reasons to be cheerful.

[SMS]

Time to accept things. Freeman will never make it.
Its really no big deal I mean yes pie fans will give it to us bit so what we have Daniel McKenzie and Jack Billings we'll be right.

We got Long for speed. Im over hoping for freeman to come good. Hes 22 this year ffs and they still talking a year away? Nah its over.

You got all that from Tony's post?

Get a grip...

And many other things.
Jamie Cox - Freeman doing well but no gaurantees on 2017??? I mean we dont even expect him to play? He now is sore it just all seems too hard. Hes 21 and being treated like an injured 33 year old. I dont see how he can go from so delicate and not playing at highest levels since 2013 into an afl star. Think about it logically. There is no way we wouldve paid 350k pa AND a second round if we expected no footy for two years. No its a failed experiment. Theyll keep trying in 2017 but you watch come october he'll be delisted. But as I said no big deal these things happen and we had to try. It wont matter weve got an abundance of young guns.

[SaintPav]

Time to accept things. Freeman will never make it.
Its really no big deal I mean yes pie fans will give it to us bit so what we have Daniel McKenzie and Jack Billings we'll be right.

We got Long for speed. Im over hoping for freeman to come good. Hes 22 this year ffs and they still talking a year away? Nah its over.

You got all that from Tony's post?

Get a grip...

And many other things.
Jamie Cox - Freeman doing well but no gaurantees on 2017??? I mean we dont even expect him to play? He now is sore it just all seems too hard. Hes 21 and being treated like an injured 33 year old. I dont see how he can go from so delicate and not playing at highest levels since 2013 into an afl star. Think about it logically. There is no way we wouldve paid 350k pa AND a second round if we expected no footy for two years. No its a failed experiment. Theyll keep trying in 2017 but you watch come october he'll be delisted. But as I said no big deal these things happen and we had to try. It wont matter weve got an abundance of young guns.

Nothing is guaranteed but the difference is that you're killing any hope.

I resent being told what to expect or think by anyone.

[axcellence]

And many other things.
Jamie Cox - Freeman doing well but no gaurantees on 2017??? I mean we dont even expect him to play? He now is sore it just all seems too hard. Hes 21 and being treated like an injured 33 year old. I dont see how he can go from so delicate and not playing at highest levels since 2013 into an afl star. Think about it logically. There is no way we wouldve paid 350k pa AND a second round if we expected no footy for two years. No its a failed experiment. Theyll keep trying in 2017 but you watch come october he'll be delisted. But as I said no big deal these things happen and we had to try. It wont matter weve got an abundance of young guns.

I thought when it came out - Cox's statement was odd, and now this. Freeman is at this rate going to take longer than JOM.

Now, I totally agree with you SMS. The odds are now against Freeman making it if he doesn't even debut and spends time on the injury list.

Markworth kept getting injured, X Clarke the same. No shame to it, even the most talented players sometimes don't make it.

[SaintPav]

That's because you're focusing on the no guarantees part of Cox's statement.

Cox also said that Freeman is DOING WELL.

Tony said that it was all going to plan and that his was expected.

Markworth and X both had knee injuries so a totally irrelevant comparison.

[BigMart]

If that's the case...

So much for an incident free pre season. He has been training fully, so for him to pulled out of training there has been an issue, and the club would prefer not to give it any media legs....

If it is 'awareness' in his hammies, I think he has some serious mental demons to overcome, and that will provide as much of an issue as the physical problems he has with his injuries. I watched him at Sandy last year, firstly he was not willing to explode with the footy, and looked to dish it off as soon as he got possesion, secondly he always looked to handball and preferred not to kick. This suggests that he has lost faith in his body and is thinking about getting re-injured.

Now if your fit to play, a game of any sorts, you need to be able to go 100% or you just don't play until you can... He was clearly not going at full speed in any contest, and was castigated for it a few times, and really, he barely touched the footy and struggled with the pace of the game and couldn't keep up.

This from a bloke who was an elite junior, with breakaway speed, and preferred to take the game on and kick, rather than give it off... Very similar to Jack Steven. If anything, he lacked composure, due to the speed in which he played.

His mental demons will be similar to a golfer who is thinking about outcome, rather than process... Ie/ worrying about where the ball's going, rather than concentrating on a tight swing. It happen's regularly when players lose confidence, Steve Finn lost his bowling action a few years ago and was sent home from the ashes tour, Trott lost his nerve and did the same. When a footballer loses confidence in his body, it can really effect his performance... Because a split second hesitation is the difference between winning a contest and not making a contest... And watching him last year, he was second guessing himself.

I seriously hope the boy makes it, he has some real tools... But he must let go of his baggage and just go for it... If his body fails again, so be it.. Then rehab and try again... But in elite sport, you cannot MANAGE performance, because the human element of confidence comes into play. Either he is fit (no excuses) or not fit (not playing)
There should be nothing in between IMO otherwise he will doubt himself and give himself excuses.

[SaintPav]

There is a difference between saying that he has serious issues as you have outlined well and totally writing him off.....

[BigMart]

Did I totally write him off?

[samoht]

Did I totally write him off?

No, you didn't.
I agree, the cotton-wooling/mollycoddling should be over.

Anyway, I think DMac has worked really hard to develop his fitness - and might quickly develop into the second speedster we need in the midfield, to help Steven out.

[yipper]

If that's the case...

So much for an incident free pre season. He has been training fully, so for him to pulled out of training there has been an issue, and the club would prefer not to give it any media legs....

If it is 'awareness' in his hammies, I think he has some serious mental demons to overcome, and that will provide as much of an issue as the physical problems he has with his injuries. I watched him at Sandy last year, firstly he was not willing to explode with the footy, and looked to dish it off as soon as he got possesion, secondly he always looked to handball and preferred not to kick. This suggests that he has lost faith in his body and is thinking about getting re-injured.

Now if your fit to play, a game of any sorts, you need to be able to go 100% or you just don't play until you can... He was clearly not going at full speed in any contest, and was castigated for it a few times, and really, he barely touched the footy and struggled with the pace of the game and couldn't keep up.

This from a bloke who was an elite junior, with breakaway speed, and preferred to take the game on and kick, rather than give it off... Very similar to Jack Steven. If anything, he lacked composure, due to the speed in which he played.

His mental demons will be similar to a golfer who is thinking about outcome, rather than process... Ie/ worrying about where the ball's going, rather than concentrating on a tight swing. It happen's regularly when players lose confidence, Steve Finn lost his bowling action a few years ago and was sent home from the ashes tour, Trott lost his nerve and did the same. When a footballer loses confidence in his body, it can really effect his performance... Because a split second hesitation is the difference between winning a contest and not making a contest... And watching him last year, he was second guessing himself.

I seriously hope the boy makes it, he has some real tools... But he must let go of his baggage and just go for it... If his body fails again, so be it.. Then rehab and try again... But in elite sport, you cannot MANAGE performance, because the human element of confidence comes into play. Either he is fit (no excuses) or not fit (not playing)
There should be nothing in between IMO otherwise he will doubt himself and give himself excuses.

Spot on Marto.

The boy just needs to go for it - he was going flat-out at training in the times I have seen him - and that was impressive. if he is feeling something - then yes, it may just be the bloke on his shoulder doubting him.
This kid can play footy - I really hope he just get out there and trains the house down and play in the pre-season comp. Just have a big crack mate - before it all passes you by. don't worry about the what ifs - just let go.

[MC Gusto]

think you've nailed it Marto

[To the top]

So many experts, so little knowledge.

Freeman is a very valuable commodity for St Kilda FC and as such, no doubt, has the full support of the Club.

No doubt he is being constantly monitored by all the resources available including scanning and decisions are constantly being made in his and the Club's best interests, as they are with all players - and not just in the AFL competition (look at the management of Patrick Cummins - and just as well he was not written off and discarded).

AFL is a professional sport and players are monitored and managed professionally - by professionals.

I have no doubts that Billings played "sore" in 2016 (preferring to kick with his non preferred foot) but I would guess that the assessment was that he could not inflict further damage, so he was played and the remedial "work" was attended post season.

At the end of any season remedial works are attended on a raft of players

I note that a certain tennis player, subject of much criticism, has said he will be available for Davis Cup matches in early February injuries, including his knee, allowing.

Injury is a fact of life - particularly in sport.

As is management of injury.