Complete lack of match fitness

[Impatient Sainter]

There are no way this team are fit enough! You could see even in the 2nd quarter there were far too many players not running out the 1/4. The clubs fitnessed staff have had an absolute shocker in the off season. Our lack of run and fitness affects so many aspects of our game.

[Goose is king]

I’m putting it out there. Suck s*** you weak bastards.

[aaron82]

Alarm bells had to be ringing when Hannebery took out the Christmas time trial.

I text my old man halfway through the 2nd quarter that we are done. You could see the lack of ability to get to contest and skill errors under fatigue increase.

I’ve lost count this year even in wins like the north game where our game plan 2nd halves or late in quarters is to all push down deep and kick it as close to the line as possible, make it congested with heaps of stoppages and boundary throw ins. The result going into the last quarter was almost inevitable

[Enrico_Misso]

Does lack of fitness explain missing targets, missing goals, kicking to contests, kicking to an empty forward line, putting teammates under pressure?

[samuraisaint]

Does lack of fitness explain missing targets, missing goals, kicking to contests, kicking to an empty forward line, putting teammates under pressure?

It can , yes.

Remember what Vince Lombardi said - Fatigue makes cowards of us all.

[aaron82]

Yes it does. Lack of fitness will see an increase with injuries & errors under duress. Players as the game increases use the ball with less clarity, almost like you’ve been on the beers. I know this first hand with my sport cricket, I’m the king of the 25 each week with a brain fade dismissal all down to being unfit

[carn_sainter]

Fitness and ticker. We badly lack both.

[Teflon]

Alarm bells had to be ringing when Hannebery took out the Christmas time trial.

I text my old man halfway through the 2nd quarter that we are done. You could see the lack of ability to get to contest and skill errors under fatigue increase.

I’ve lost count this year even in wins like the north game where our game plan 2nd halves or late in quarters is to all push down deep and kick it as close to the line as possible, make it congested with heaps of stoppages and boundary throw ins. The result going into the last quarter was almost inevitable

Good call - I just can’t believe how bad we fumbled ...looked like we were out in our feet??
Let’s face it some players look fat....where is Coffield or Hunter Clarke definition?? Higgins looks portly Dougal (in fairness was under siege in last) looks like he was going to pass out....slowly walked the ball out to 30 then did his usual bomb to a pa k before hunching over....
Apparently players left in pre season to do a lot for themselves...very short days put in....party time at Saints!!!
We are really a professional club...

[Shaggy]

We have the fitness but not the endurance for the game plan.

We need to change our recruitment criteria or game plan going forward.

[Teflon]

We have the fitness but not the endurance for the game plan.

We need to change our recruitment criteria or game plan going forward.

We have faded in multiple second halves now how can you say we have the fitness????
Clearly don’t

[Wayne42]

Alarm bells had to be ringing when Hannebery took out the Christmas time trial.

I text my old man halfway through the 2nd quarter that we are done. You could see the lack of ability to get to contest and skill errors under fatigue increase.

I’ve lost count this year even in wins like the north game where our game plan 2nd halves or late in quarters is to all push down deep and kick it as close to the line as possible, make it congested with heaps of stoppages and boundary throw ins. The result going into the last quarter was almost inevitable

Good call - I just can’t believe how bad we fumbled ...looked like we were out in our feet??
Let’s face it some players look fat....where is Coffield or Hunter Clarke definition?? Higgins looks portly Dougal (in fairness was under siege in last) looks like he was going to pass out....slowly walked the ball out to 30 then did his usual bomb to a pa k before hunching over....
Apparently players left in pre season to do a lot for themselves...very short days put in....party time at Saints!!!

Is the saints disco back ?

[Shaggy]

We have the fitness but not the endurance for the game plan.

We need to change our recruitment criteria or game plan going forward.

We have faded in multiple second halves now how can you say we have the fitness????
Clearly don’t

We do not have the players with the endurance to run the game plan. That is different to fitness.

[Teflon]

We have the fitness but not the endurance for the game plan.

We need to change our recruitment criteria or game plan going forward.

We have faded in multiple second halves now how can you say we have the fitness????
Clearly don’t

We do not have the players with the endurance to run the game plan. That is different to fitness.

What game plan is that?????
I see zero structure up forward and we can’t get the ball out of defence so what’s the plan there???
I think we’ve started making excuses again....we are not fit

[SaintPav]

It didn’t seem to be a problem last week.

[Teflon]

It didn’t seem to be a problem last week.

Ratten just said in his presser games go for 4 quarters and we’ve stopped a few times this year so it’s real
Nth we stopped let a big lead slip
Dees 17 in front late second (we actually looked good against them) just stopped
Crows tonight
We just looked second to the ball slow and tired late ....Crows full of run

[SaintPav]

It didn’t seem to be a problem last week.

Ratten just said in his presser games go for 4 quarters and we’ve stopped a few times this year so it’s real
Nth we stopped let a big lead slip
Dees 17 in front late second (we actually looked good against them) just stopped
Crows tonight
We just looked second to the ball slow and tired late ....Crows full of run

I don’t know if it’s just a fitness issue.

How can anyone know with any certainty.

Lack of skill and talent is a bigger problem if you ask me.

[Teflon]

It didn’t seem to be a problem last week.

Ratten just said in his presser games go for 4 quarters and we’ve stopped a few times this year so it’s real
Nth we stopped let a big lead slip
Dees 17 in front late second (we actually looked good against them) just stopped
Crows tonight
We just looked second to the ball slow and tired late ....Crows full of run

I don’t know if it’s just a fitness issue.

How can anyone know with any certainty.

Lack of skill and talent is a bigger problem if you ask me.

Dont disagree
Also going off what I’ve read from seasoned ITKs elsewhere that have said multiple times now a very relaxed “player lead” preseason was run very different to last year where Ratten was more hands on
Lade took this years ...
Anyway multiple problems in this mystery I agree

[B.M]

So Ratten oversaw this ‘relaxed’ pre season and was OK with it?

It is my understanding the fitness staff are responsible for the strength and conditioning of the playing group.

The senior coaching staff are responsible for game plan and execution

Development coaches look after skill development

Tony Brown and Ben Robbins look after welfare

The football manager oversees all areas of the footy program

Allen, Rath, O Shaugnessy and Roughead are specialist coaches or advisors

[cwrcyn]

We are definitely ranked last in the competition for fitness. I can't see any way of disputing that. It was apparent in round 2 and it's still apparent now. We were like slugs in the second half. Common theme for the year

[Scollop]

The football manager oversees all areas of the footy program

OK good. That's another reason to sack the COO