Lets not travel halfway across the world during pre season..

[Doska#6]

I just want to say that, I am proud of what we have achieved this year as a club considering all the injuries and suspensions to key players. Dawes, Anthony, Brown, Mccarthy etc. Gives you good reason to feel positive about the future.

If we recruit well and get our key players back on the ground there is no reason why we can't take the next step in the next couple years.

I know we have big sponsors abroad:
But one thing that gives me the shits is us traveling overseas every bloody year during preseason. I work in the fitness industry and training above sea level, does reep benefits because you end up lowering your resting heat rate there, by making the heart stronger.The heart doesn't have the same amount of oxygen to pump blood through the body when training above sea level, so there for when your back on sea level it makes you recover quicker during a game. But this will work for the first half of the season, during the season the players are basically recovering and not training at the same intensity, so there for the resting heart rate will probably go up and the players will plateau as we do in the middle of every season.

You can train that way here simply by doing running drills exercises and sports specific movements that are similar to a game of football. So you train the body with the same wear and tear it will go through in a game.

We have the best facilities in the league yet we fly half way across the world to train on a mountain? I don't get the point. This has a lot to do with our inconsistent flat performances, that we go through during the queens birthday period every year. We don't play football above sea level so why train that way, when it's clear that for the last three seasons we have plateaued in the middle of the year.

Building up your recovery can simply be done at the Lexus Center with the right programs in place, with out the tiring long flights. Dale Thomas for example huffs and puffs, a great player, needs a bigger engine. His the perfect example, his done a couple pre seasons on the mountain and yet struggles to run out a game. To get Dale Thomas fit and firing is as simple as doing intervals on a treadmill. I know we would have A grade fitness coaches but I'm just giving you my point of view.

But skill level is another thing. That is something for the coaching staff to address, but all in all, lets hope that our young players can hit the right weight training program in the off season put on the muscle that they need to take the next step and hold there own against the mature bodies.


But the hours our players spend traveling up and down does take its toll.

[Northern Pie]

After the financial success of the club in the last 12 months I would say they will be looking forward to a training camp in Shep!

Cheers

[Alec. J. Hidell]

Maybe "traveling half way across the world" got us into the finals.
Maybe if we stayed at home, we might have missed the finals.

[Pricey_1981]

the overseas travelling for preseason has run its course. If you think just reaching the semis or prelim is worth going to Arizona then im amazed.

[Ant85]

So long as we stick to one overseas destination and not three (US, South Africa, UAE), I'm happy.

[ktszyu1]

Yeah I agree. But from memory aren't we playing a pre-season match in Ireland or something? I'm pretty sure after the Dubai match I remember reading that.

[Kingswood]

im happy for them to do it again, obviously it didnt go perfect last time but you'd hope they learn from that and if they go again obviously there must be some benefit that we may not be seeing

[Alec. J. Hidell]

[HAL]

Do you have any idea what I am talking about? I lost my train of thought.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

Let's not try and pretend we know a thing about elite athletes and how they should be trained. Hell, you don't win the GF you could find fault with how many steps you take to cross Brunton Ave. Give me a break

[quinny]

its funny i was actually thinking about starting the same thread.

i wonder if it contributes to fatigue by being in foreign environments (away from one's own bed, and home life) for 3 to 4 weeks right before a season begins.

i suppose without being part off the squad we arent really privvy to player attitudes, but if the players came back absolutely drained, i would consider scratching it...

[Mr. Chairman]

frankiboy, kingswood and frank stone are the gatekeepers of sense on nick msgboard.

also pietillidie is the forum version of one of those english guards with the fluffy hats.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

cheers M.C, enjoy your dry, cryptic responses

[johnybravo87]

it always amazes me that people think they know better than the experts. david buttifant (our head of conditioning) is a leader in his field and is extremley highly regarded in the exercise science fraternity. he was one of the main men involved in athlete preparation for the sydney 2000 games. If he and the club believe that we get even 0.01% advantage by going to arizona, south africa, or where they want then i would support it.

people always complain that we are a powerhouse off the field but not one on it. well the one way of turning into an on field powerhouse is by using every bit of off field advantage in the hope that all the 0.01% things we do add up over the course of a year to get us an extra win or two.

we have the money...so use it to our advantage!

[Alec. J. Hidell]