The Coon Dog
27-03-2008, 03:53 PM
Interesting article from FoxSports (http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23438160-23211,00.html)
BRISBANE are well prepared for an attempt by Collingwood to run them off their legs by breaking the 100-interchange rotation barrier when the teams meet at the Gabba on Friday night.
In a game plan implemented by Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse towards the end of last season, the Pies have embarked on a style of play now labelled throughout the competition as "player readiness".
Lions coach Leigh Matthews has been well drilled about Collingwood's game plan by former Magpies assistant coach Adrian Fletcher, who left the Lexus Centre at the end of last season to join Brisbane in a similar role.
The Lions used the bench less than any other club last year with an average 51 interchange rotations, but Matthews said he would increase that considerably this season.
Last week, Brisbane lost to West Coast in hot conditions in Perth when they rotated their players just 57 times to the Eagles' 78, but Matthews admitted to being hamstrung in the final term.
"We made 21 interchanges in the third term, but with Jed Adcock (ankle) out of action early and another two or three struggling with fitness, we could only manage eight in the final quarter," Matthews said.
"I'm well aware that it is one of Collingwood's strengths. But I believe now, that every coach will be trying to have 70-plus interchanges, simply for the speed and energy required by the players."
Club football departments use the term "player readiness" for keeping running players as fresh and rested as possible using a high number of interchange rotations.
It also involves as many as 14 players being trained up and ready to be used as midfielders when called on.
Collingwood said that their escalation in bench use coincided with the introduction of improved sports science, including a mathematical formula to better measure player workload and fatigue on match days.
Magpies sports science director David Buttifant said: "We have done a fair bit of research into this, looking at trends of the game and how to sustain intensity and velocity.
"From that, we were able to prescribe a better indicator which Mick uses every week.
"We have devised a sophisticated, algorithmic formula. That is relayed to Mick and he determines all the rotations."
But a Collingwood source said the Magpies' coaching staff came to the realisation late last year that its regulation midfield was not good enough to successfully compete with the best in the competition.
To combat clubs such as West Coast, which boasted outstanding midfielders Chris Judd, Daniel Kerr, Ben Cousins, Michael Braun, Matt Priddis, Tyson Stenglein and company, "player readiness" was devised.
The rest of the competition became aware of the tactic, especially during last year's finals series.
Between rounds one and 19 last season, Malthouse oversaw an average of 58 interchanges a match. In Collingwood's last six games, including its three finals, it averaged 88 rotations off the bench.
The Magpies hold the record for the most interchanges in a match. They made 95 against Sydney in last year's second elimination final, then a week later made 101 against West Coast in the second semi-final, which went into extra time.
Rival forward scouts noticed in the off-season that a number of Collingwood players were being trained differently, with the obvious conclusion that they were being prepared to play roles in the midfield.
This became particularly evident in the Pies' final practice match of the pre-season, against Hawthorn, when Malthouse used the interchange bench a massive 110 times.
Against the Dockers last weekend, Paul Medhurst, Rhyce Shaw, Heath Shaw, Leon Davis, Chris Egan, and Marty Clarke - not noted as regular onball players - all took on the extra responsibilities of rotating midfielders.
Collingwood, which had a restricted bench after key forward Sean Rusling went off with a major shoulder injury in the first half, made 89 interchanges. They may have hit a record 100 had they not been limited by Rusling's absence.
Collingwood ran over the Dockers in the final quarter by using their bench 25 times more than Fremantle.
The Western Bulldogs also used their bench 20 times more than Adelaide in their narrow win over the Crows on Sunday.
And Essendon finished over the top of North Melbourne on Monday when they made 86 interchanges, compared to the Kangaroos' 61.
The only anomaly in last week's opening round was in Hawthorn's 104-point thrashing of Melbourne. The Hawks used their bench 25 times less than the Demons, but the result was well and truly decided by quarter-time.
BRISBANE are well prepared for an attempt by Collingwood to run them off their legs by breaking the 100-interchange rotation barrier when the teams meet at the Gabba on Friday night.
In a game plan implemented by Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse towards the end of last season, the Pies have embarked on a style of play now labelled throughout the competition as "player readiness".
Lions coach Leigh Matthews has been well drilled about Collingwood's game plan by former Magpies assistant coach Adrian Fletcher, who left the Lexus Centre at the end of last season to join Brisbane in a similar role.
The Lions used the bench less than any other club last year with an average 51 interchange rotations, but Matthews said he would increase that considerably this season.
Last week, Brisbane lost to West Coast in hot conditions in Perth when they rotated their players just 57 times to the Eagles' 78, but Matthews admitted to being hamstrung in the final term.
"We made 21 interchanges in the third term, but with Jed Adcock (ankle) out of action early and another two or three struggling with fitness, we could only manage eight in the final quarter," Matthews said.
"I'm well aware that it is one of Collingwood's strengths. But I believe now, that every coach will be trying to have 70-plus interchanges, simply for the speed and energy required by the players."
Club football departments use the term "player readiness" for keeping running players as fresh and rested as possible using a high number of interchange rotations.
It also involves as many as 14 players being trained up and ready to be used as midfielders when called on.
Collingwood said that their escalation in bench use coincided with the introduction of improved sports science, including a mathematical formula to better measure player workload and fatigue on match days.
Magpies sports science director David Buttifant said: "We have done a fair bit of research into this, looking at trends of the game and how to sustain intensity and velocity.
"From that, we were able to prescribe a better indicator which Mick uses every week.
"We have devised a sophisticated, algorithmic formula. That is relayed to Mick and he determines all the rotations."
But a Collingwood source said the Magpies' coaching staff came to the realisation late last year that its regulation midfield was not good enough to successfully compete with the best in the competition.
To combat clubs such as West Coast, which boasted outstanding midfielders Chris Judd, Daniel Kerr, Ben Cousins, Michael Braun, Matt Priddis, Tyson Stenglein and company, "player readiness" was devised.
The rest of the competition became aware of the tactic, especially during last year's finals series.
Between rounds one and 19 last season, Malthouse oversaw an average of 58 interchanges a match. In Collingwood's last six games, including its three finals, it averaged 88 rotations off the bench.
The Magpies hold the record for the most interchanges in a match. They made 95 against Sydney in last year's second elimination final, then a week later made 101 against West Coast in the second semi-final, which went into extra time.
Rival forward scouts noticed in the off-season that a number of Collingwood players were being trained differently, with the obvious conclusion that they were being prepared to play roles in the midfield.
This became particularly evident in the Pies' final practice match of the pre-season, against Hawthorn, when Malthouse used the interchange bench a massive 110 times.
Against the Dockers last weekend, Paul Medhurst, Rhyce Shaw, Heath Shaw, Leon Davis, Chris Egan, and Marty Clarke - not noted as regular onball players - all took on the extra responsibilities of rotating midfielders.
Collingwood, which had a restricted bench after key forward Sean Rusling went off with a major shoulder injury in the first half, made 89 interchanges. They may have hit a record 100 had they not been limited by Rusling's absence.
Collingwood ran over the Dockers in the final quarter by using their bench 25 times more than Fremantle.
The Western Bulldogs also used their bench 20 times more than Adelaide in their narrow win over the Crows on Sunday.
And Essendon finished over the top of North Melbourne on Monday when they made 86 interchanges, compared to the Kangaroos' 61.
The only anomaly in last week's opening round was in Hawthorn's 104-point thrashing of Melbourne. The Hawks used their bench 25 times less than the Demons, but the result was well and truly decided by quarter-time.