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The Coon Dog
27-03-2008, 02:53 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.

ledge
27-03-2008, 03:12 PM
The anomally game, hey if your sides smacking the opposition you arent going to change it much, but if you are copping the smacking you will be trying to change everything to stop it, not really a strange anomally, thinking that would happen in all one sided games.
As for our game we only won because we happened to be in front at the last second, if it went 5 min before we were done.
I dont think amount of interchanges make that much difference unless in hot weather, next week could be other way round, just depends on sides, match ups and game plan.
As in a lot of stats they mean bugger all, as is said in cricket and quoted all through my cricket career , doesnt matter how you scored a century , you got it.
As many have heard shit gets wickets! Its true a lot of the times.
Greg chappell, he is batting well but just getting out!

hujsh
27-03-2008, 04:11 PM
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.

"We have devised a sophisticated, algorithmic formula. That is relayed to Mick and he determines all the rotations."

Did this bit catch anyone else's attention?

The Coon Dog
27-03-2008, 04:20 PM
Did this bit catch anyone else's attention?

Yeah, I thought I'd wait & see what mjp's take on it was.

Sockeye Salmon
27-03-2008, 04:25 PM
Did this bit catch anyone else's attention?

That's a lot of letters to spell W-A-N-K.

ledge
27-03-2008, 05:40 PM
Biggest load of crap i have heard out of Collingwood since Eddie last opened his mouth. Algorithmic? wasnt he the vice president in America once?

Mantis
27-03-2008, 09:18 PM
"We have devised a sophisticated, algorithmic formula. That is relayed to Mick and he determines all the rotations."



Did the nerd on Numb3rs help them devise this?

hujsh
27-03-2008, 10:50 PM
What happens to the formula when a player is injured is is just playing crap.

The Dogfather
28-03-2008, 03:19 PM
Something interesting I noticed from Sunday's game stats was that we had no players play 100% of the game while Adelaide had 3 or 4 who played the whole game without a spell.

hujsh
28-03-2008, 03:24 PM
Something interesting I noticed from Sunday's game stats was that we had no players play 100% of the game while Adelaide had 3 or 4 who played the whole game without a spell.

We did have guys like Shaggy and Morris play about 97%

mjp
28-03-2008, 03:46 PM
I cannot even conceive how you could make 110 changes in a game, let alone how you would do it via some kind of mathematical formulae. In fact, the only way you could do it is to tell the players that if they run within 50m of the bench, to keep running and get off.

It is basically a change every single minute of the game...even assuming like for like 'storm-trooper' type footballers, I cannot see how you can do this.

That said, props to the Collingwood guys for pulling it off. They sure did run over Fremantle.

hujsh
28-03-2008, 03:54 PM
I cannot even conceive how you could make 110 changes in a game, let alone how you would do it via some kind of mathematical formulae. In fact, the only way you could do it is to tell the players that if they run within 50m of the bench, to keep running and get off.

It is basically a change every single minute of the game...even assuming like for like 'storm-trooper' type footballers, I cannot see how you can do this.

That said, props to the Collingwood guys for pulling it off. They sure did run over Fremantle.

They'll literally need a revolving door.

Players won't even watch the football, they'll just run to their position and back.

It's like Armageddon. :eek:

Mofra
28-03-2008, 05:52 PM
Did this bit catch anyone else's attention?

That's a lot of letters to spell W-A-N-K.

Why? Sports science is advancing at a rapid rate - Sydney are now using a program developed by top Soccer clubs that uses a massive amount of data to determine how hard you can push a player until a soft-tissue injury occurs. Reports are last pre-season the system predicted an injury, the type, and was close to the exact time it occurred (mis-communicated kept the player on the ground when he was due top come to the bench).

I hope Eade isn't this scepitcal about sports science, otherwise we've just wasted a few million.

hujsh
28-03-2008, 08:08 PM
Why? Sports science is advancing at a rapid rate - Sydney are now using a program developed by top Soccer clubs that uses a massive amount of data to determine how hard you can push a player until a soft-tissue injury occurs. Reports are last pre-season the system predicted an injury, the type, and was close to the exact time it occurred (mis-communicated kept the player on the ground when he was due top come to the bench).

I hope Eade isn't this scepitcal about sports science, otherwise we've just wasted a few million.

But the idea that an uncontrollable unpredictable event like football can use a set formula to me seem a bit off. Does this formula allow you to drag a player who has done something stupid? When there is an injury can the formula still work?

It's hard to say too much without seeing the formula but feels like it has too many doubts surrounding it.