Managing our over 30's players?

[BulldogBelle]

Plenty has been said in the media of late regarding our over 30’s players. A few perhaps may be rested at various intervals throughout the season to have them fresh come finals time, which I am hoping we will play a major part in!

If you had the power to make the decisions at the WB - What are some ideas or strategies that you would put in place that you feel would impact positively on the management of our over 30’s players?

[boydogs]

Nice thread BB. You could argue we didn't do this well last year. I think when they are out of form is a good time to give them a break - the lack of form could be a sign of fatigue, and the reduced output at that time will lessen the impact on the side of having them out.

I prefer this approach to the 'let's drop them all when we play the weak sides' approach which cost us a game and almost top 4 last year IMO

[Mantis]

I prefer this approach to the 'let's drop them all when we play the weak sides' approach which cost us a game and almost top 4 last year IMO

Which game are you referring to with this comment?

[boydogs]

Which game are you referring to with this comment?

West Coast. I seem to remember a forward line of Hill, Stack and Addison in the preceding Freo game yet we still won, which I think made us complacent coming in to the West Coast game, when we took a quarter and a half to realise it wasn't going to just happen for us.

Resting them all at the same time against the weaker sides sends a dangerous message IMO. I reckon West Coast would have been very keen to show that they are not to be taken lightly, and our guys were probably going through the motions a little having pencilled it in.

[Mantis]

West Coast. I seem to remember a forward line of Hill, Stack and Addison in the preceding Freo game yet we still won, which I think made us complacent coming in to the West Coast game, when we took a quarter and a half to realise it wasn't going to just happen for us.

Resting them all at the same time against the weaker sides sends a dangerous message IMO. I reckon West Coast would have been very keen to show that they are not to be taken lightly, and our guys were probably going through the motions a little having pencilled it in.

Between the Fremantle and West Coast game we made the one change, Picken had a rest and we brought Easton Wood in. Picken was 'rested' as he was feeling the pinch in his debut year and it was thought that as he didn't have a 'tagging' role he could have a well earned break in the lead up to the finals.. This change didn't cost us the game.

What probably did was our inability to kick straight. You say that we took 1 & 1/2 quarters to get going, but in this time we had kicked something like 0.10 which makes it bloody hard to win a game of footy.

Anyway back to the thread at hand.... In a perfect with injuries playing no part I would have Aker playing about 18 games in the regular season, Johnson maybe one or two more and Hudson should also be given a rest when it suits. We have a bit more depth this year so I think we should try and use it.

[GVGjr]

Plenty has been said in the media of late regarding our over 30’s players. A few perhaps may be rested at various intervals throughout the season to have them fresh come finals time, which I am hoping we will play a major part in!

If you had the power to make the decisions at the WB - What are some ideas or strategies that you would put in place that you feel would impact positively on the management of our over 30’s players?

The strategy we had last year where we were supposed to rest the senior guys for the interstate games was a good one but in the end we never quite stuck to the plan. Very hard not to field your best side I suspect.

I would look at resting some of the running brigade like Johnson, Akermanis and Eagleton from interstate games if we can.

Other than that, plan a rest during the season for the older guys.

[boydogs]

Anyway back to the thread at hand.... In a perfect with injuries playing no part I would have Aker playing about 18 games in the regular season, Johnson maybe one or two more and Hudson should also be given a rest when it suits. We have a bit more depth this year so I think we should try and use it.

I don't disagree, but when does it suit?

[Mantis]

I don't disagree, but when does it suit?

When we play a team with a relatively poor ruck division or in a game where we will be heavily favoured to win.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

I'm not sure if resting anybody is a good idea (Unless they have an injury), as winning form shouldn't be underestimated. That said the team of fitness advisors should have the full say in it and not have it based on form. If they are building the teams fitness levels and working on the peak and lows they should have free run to make the call.

Wouldn't that give Rocket something to work on.

All that said is their any good examples of teams that do it or have done it well? as none come to mind at this point.

If anyone has played what are your thoughts as I would think to say to a fully fit Jonno have a rest he wouldn't listen anyway.

The biggest plus is that you could blood a few young kids with out them ending up like Zac Dawson against Rocka.

[Swoop]

You only need to look at Akermanis' past two seasons finals performances to see that managing players over 30 is important. Perhaps players like Johnson who is a freak doesn't need a rest but I would suggest even this year father time may slightly catch up to him, it is important we manage their loads throughout the season even if it's not missing games perhaps reducing their game time in matches would also be an alternative.

[boydogs]

When we play a team with a relatively poor ruck division or in a game where we will be heavily favoured to win.

Nothing to do with the form of the player, the timing (e.g. just before finals, every 5th week) or the form of a potential replacement?

I disagree with the logic of resting players when you don't think the opposition are good enough to take advantage - there is nothing better to get a side going than seeing their opponent field a B-team

I also get the sense you are referring only to Hudson in your response. When do we rest Aker, Johnno, Eagle, Hall? All at the same time against the bottom 4 teams/bottom 8 interstate sides at home?


I'm not sure if resting anybody is a good idea (Unless they have an injury), as winning form shouldn't be underestimated. That said the team of fitness advisors should have the full say in it and not have it based on form. If they are building the teams fitness levels and working on the peak and lows they should have free run to make the call.

Wouldn't that give Rocket something to work on.

All that said is their any good examples of teams that do it or have done it well? as none come to mind at this point.

If anyone has played what are your thoughts as I would think to say to a fully fit Jonno have a rest he wouldn't listen anyway.

The biggest plus is that you could blood a few young kids with out them ending up like Zac Dawson against Rocka.

You could argue Geelong and the Saints did it well last year. Packed up after about round 18, then still came out and won their first finals and prelim finals

This may be a part of our strategy, but you pretty much need top 2 sewn up to do it, and it is risky to flirt with form that close to finals

I think we just need to drop them when they are not playing their best. Eagleton last year a good example. You would not have lost much, if anything, by giving someone else a run in his place. Hahn, Aker & Huddo IIRC all had parts of the year last year where they struggled, Johnno not so much but that may indicate he is not as needing of a rest as the others.


You only need to look at Akermanis' past two seasons finals performances to see that managing players over 30 is important. Perhaps players like Johnson who is a freak doesn't need a rest but I would suggest even this year father time may slightly catch up to him, it is important we manage their loads throughout the season even if it's not missing games perhaps reducing their game time in matches would also be an alternative.

I don't much like the reduced game time suggestion, it will make it harder for our midfielders to compete with the opposition who are on full bench rotation. Resting them forward could be an option, but Eagle and Huddo are not great forwards and Aker, Johnno and Hall play there already

[Mantis]

Nothing to do with the form of the player, the timing (e.g. just before finals, every 5th week) or the form of a potential replacement?

Of course these factors (and others) should be taken into account when deciding when to rest players. As Swoop has mentioned I just don't want to be in the position we were last year with Aker who looked flat in the finals after a long season.


I disagree with the logic of resting players when you don't think the opposition are good enough to take advantage - there is nothing better to get a side going than seeing their opponent field a B-team

I can't see how resting 1, possibly 2 players means you are fielding a B-grade team, especially when we have a strong squad of players.


I also get the sense you are referring only to Hudson in your response. When do we rest Aker, Johnno, Eagle, Hall? All at the same time against the bottom 4 teams/bottom 8 interstate sides at home?



I was referring to Hudson with the initial response and the rest of the older guys with the second part.

Perhaps we might just go down the path of resting any of the older guys whenever they are feeling the pinch regardless of the opposition, because if we can't put in a good performance without these guys it doesn't say much of the rest of the group.

[ledge]

Resting isnt that what the bench is for?

If they have any sort of injury dont play them.
If they dont suit the match ups then dont play them.
I might be a bit old fashioned but playing a partly injured player or a fully fit kid who is capable of holding his own answers its own question.

I believe in finding the right training and preperation for all players because everyone is different but resting players for games they are supposed to be employed to play?
Sorry but resting for the case of resting is rubbish, these blokes want to play the game!
I played the game for 15 years if i was told i was going to be rested i would have cracked it, all that hard work to say nah mate have a rest? :)

[boydogs]

Perhaps we might just go down the path of resting any of the older guys whenever they are feeling the pinch regardless of the opposition, because if we can't put in a good performance without these guys it doesn't say much of the rest of the group.

This is closer to my line of thinking. Natural selection should take care of the timing - if they are getting fatigued to the point where it is affecting their performances, time for a break.

Anyone aware of any comments from Eade on his thoughts on this for the 2010 season?

[Go_Dogs]

You only need to look at Akermanis' past two seasons finals performances to see that managing players over 30 is important.

Spot on.

As much as they are our older statesmen, we really need guys like Johnson, Akermanis, Hall, Eagleton and Hudson running around feeling great at the business end of the season. They are our experienced players who know what it takes to get over the line in finals, and know that their time to win the flag as Bulldogs players is running out.

I'd be quite happy to have a top 4 spot sewn up early so we can give a few players a break heading into September, and also manage older players over the course of the season. A 3-5 week soft tissue injury at any stage after the first five or so rounds could make it very hard for any of the older blokes to get back. So prevention is the key.

[MrMahatma]

This is closer to my line of thinking. Natural selection should take care of the timing - if they are getting fatigued to the point where it is affecting their performances, time for a break.

Anyone aware of any comments from Eade on his thoughts on this for the 2010 season?
But what if 'fatigue' only hits them the first week of September?

Surely we'd be better off giving them a week or two rest leading into the finals than have them burn out just at the business end of the season.

[boydogs]

But what if 'fatigue' only hits them the first week of September?

Surely we'd be better off giving them a week or two rest leading into the finals than have them burn out just at the business end of the season.

Yeah fair point. I'm not adverse to resting them 'every now and then', I just think resting them all at once against a weaker opponent or for an interstate game so that they don't have to travel is asking for it.

The things I saw last year with Eagle and Hahn giving us 2/3rds of not much and not being rested and the approach to the Fremantle/West Coast games are what I don't want to repeat, some have argued that Aker did just as you said last year aswell.