The impact of hub life

We are now starting to hear tidbits of how different players dealt with hub life compared to others, as we also analyse the club lists and who performed well or not last season and why.

Some players excelled, or at the very least embraced the opportunity. Cody Weightman for one couldn't wipe off his smile that he was now a professional athlete, living in a sunny resort, being in an elite environment with his heroes. Jaidyn Stephenson on the other hand at the Pies, had a miserable time.

Other posters have alluded to Josh Schache's potential PTSD for having to return to live in Queensland when he spent years trying to escape, and the possible impact on his season.

We are seeing suggestions that Dunks may not have been happy with the training dedication of JJ and Bruce, but can we not appreciate how challenging it might be for those two in particular as first time parents having infants in a confined space within the hub? The lack of sleep, partners who couldn't wait to hand off a grizzly baby, or going stir-crazy in a hotel room. Gary Rohan dealt with his challenges differently by having extra one-on-one physio sessions whilst leaving his wife and child back in Victoria.

The driven dedicated trainers would have found it difficult being around those who need to escape the football bubble at every opportunity to stay sane. And of course anyone who would otherwise have been playing VFL never had a genuine opportunity to push for selection by simply playing well in the twos. Mentally that's a great challenge thrust upon the rookies and those on the fringe.

I can't imagine how hard it must have been for Lin Jong (when injured again) was in this surreal resort hub unable to play, but with family locked down back in Melbourne.

So as we move forward, how do the Bulldogs or indeed any club really measure how hub life impacted individuals and how they will fare next year and beyond? Did clubs factor this in with their list management and trading decisions? With Jong, Schache and Bruce, clearly with seasons they'd all rather not have, we've kept them on planning that they will improve and play a role in 2021. Collingwood thought the opposite with Stephenson.

Who of the Bulldogs will be in a much better place just by being home and will be improved players as a result?

Josh Bruce for sure. I suspect JJ will as well, he'll come back to Melbourne to sort his business dealings out and be more settled with his little one.

The biggest one for me will be junior guys who are developing that need VFL time to work on their craft - Sweet and Weightman the main two.

I wasn't aware that JJ and Bruce had been singled out by the Dunkley camp or at least implicated by and by........

What additional business dealings does JJ have?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jeemak

I wasn't aware that JJ and Bruce had been singled out by the Dunkley camp or at least implicated by and by........

What additional business dealings does JJ have?

---

Some juice bar in South Yarra/Prahran somewhere. Might be closed permanently now though.

I can tell you now, 100% certain, that Dunkley had no issues with JJ and training. Unless they had some other personal issues away from the coaches, but I have it on good authority that JJ is totally professional when it comes to preparation and training.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bornadog

I can tell you now, 100% certain, that Dunkley had no issues with JJ and training. Unless they had some other personal issues away from the coaches, but I have it on good authority that JJ is totally professional when it comes to preparation and training.

---

Yeah seems to me this was made up by asking "ok who didn’t have a great season? Bruce and JJ had some nightmare fumbles. Yeah Josh isn’t happy with the efforts of those guys".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bornadog

I can tell you now, 100% certain, that Dunkley had no issues with JJ and training. Unless they had some other personal issues away from the coaches, but I have it on good authority that JJ is totally professional when it comes to preparation and training.

---

Even this season? JJ body shape changed 2019 v 2020.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by azabob

Even this season? JJ body shape changed 2019 v 2020.

---

JJ and Bruce had dad bods.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by azabob

Even this season? JJ body shape changed 2019 v 2020.

---

I asked about this season, so yes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bornadog

I can tell you now, 100% certain, that Dunkley had no issues with JJ and training. Unless they had some other personal issues away from the coaches, but I have it on good authority that JJ is totally professional when it comes to preparation and training.

---

If the Bigfooty post was indeed Andrew Dunkley, I fail to see how he would arrive at those conclusions unless it was passed on via Josh.
For a young guy like Dunkley, who seems 100% preparation and leave no stone unturned, maybe it was even slight dropoffs that potentially caught his ire.

Having lived it like I am sure a huge chunk of this forum, I am not sure how anyone could be 100% of their normal capabilities while remaining a supportive, present parent to a newborn.

I remember a work colleague looking like warmed up death after the birth of his first. He was literally grey for weeks and looked like he was an extra in a B-grade zombie flick. I didn't really understand how he could look so terrible till my first came along.