New Senior Assistant or High Altitude Training?

[bornadog]

Geelong target coach over high-altitude

GEELONG has declared it would rather spend money on a new assistant coach, than shell out $1 million to join the overseas high-altitude craze.

The Cats hinted they may be on the look-out for a senior assistant to replace Brenton Sanderson, who took the top coaching job at Adelaide in September.

And citing the heavy costs of sending an entire squad of players abroad for a specialised program, Geelong said it would rather spend its money on its football department.

Cats chief executive Brian Cook said while the club wanted to continue to be innovative, they had to consider their priorities.

“It’s more about, if you’ve got to pick between a couple of very good assistant coaches or bringing your leadership academy up to a certain level, versus altitude training, we make a decision," Cook told specialist sports radio SEN.

“We can’t do everything.

“Because we don’t turn over - we turn over 48 million - but there’s some clubs turning over up to 70 or 80 million.

“So we just haven’t got the dollars.”

Cook said there was no scientific evidence that proved the expeditions to mountainous regions for low-oxygen conditioning offered any short-term benefits, declaring it was only worth committing to over the space of half a decade.

"If you're going to genuinely commit to altitude training, because it has an accumulated effect over time, you need to commit to a five-year program," he said.

"It's no use going to Arizona for one year, you really need to do it for five years.

"So if you're going to commit to it properly, you're going to commit to something like a million dollars.

"I don't think there is any research around the world that actually says altitude training improves your performance by "x" amount of per cent.

"It's not that defined yet."

Geelong sent a group of its young players to Falls Creek in Victoria’s ski fields and the club is considering installing a climate room at Kardinia Park.

Cook admitted the club had heavily debated following the likes of Collingwood, Brisbane and Gold Coast in sending players to altitude training camps in the Arizona.

“It was debated at length by the football department and amongst the coaches and the sports scientists and the medical staff, all three got together and probably had three or four meetings on it,” Cook said.

“It’s become such a big thing and we at the moment are I think number two or three at football expenditure amongst AFL clubs, so we’re very high up there at the moment.

“And so it’s not as though we’re not spending a lot in that area, we really are now, whereas maybe 10 years ago we weren’t.”

[The Doctor]

Brian Cook is the best administrator in the AFL.

I'd go with whatever he says!

[boydogs]

Didn't North players pay their way to Utah? Surely the opportunity for travel overseas could coax some money out of the players pockets to mix business with pleasure

[ledge]

Why do it if its going to take 5 years to make any difference, you lose 5 players a year thats pretty much half a list turn over.
Your sending players that it will be of no benefit unless they play 150 games.

[westdog54]

Why do it if its going to take 5 years to make any difference, you lose 5 players a year thats pretty much half a list turn over.
Your sending players that it will be of no benefit unless they play 150 games.

Which says to me that the best time to do it is when you've got a list made up of predominantly younger players.

[ledge]

Which says to me that the best time to do it is when you've got a list made up of predominantly younger players.

Probably the best time to do it is never, wont benefit until they have played around 150 games and how many will you have left that have done it for 5 years?
Wasting a lot of money on over 70% of your list for maybe 3 to 4 players?

[AndrewP6]

Another coach easily the better option IMO.

[GVGjr]

Another coach easily the better option IMO.

Same here.

[Greystache]

Another coach easily the better option IMO.

Agree totally. These high altitude trips are just a gimmick for teams with lots of money to appear to gain an slight advantage.

[bornadog]

Agree totally. These high altitude trips are just a gimmick for teams with lots of money to appear to gain an slight advantage.

I wonder where the money came from when we went over to Arizona a couple of seasons ago.

[Remi Moses]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't there high altitude at places like Falls Creek?
Just an excuse for some to flex their financial muscles .

[bornadog]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't there high altitude at places like Falls Creek?
Just an excuse for some to flex their financial muscles .

Its also the training facilities. Last year you may recall, we went to Queenstown where there is the high altitude and also training facilities.

[strebla]

Much prefer the senior assistant as he will be available all year round and I don't think there is advantage to all this high altitude stuff exept for team bonding.

[bornadog]

Much prefer the senior assistant as he will be available all year round and I don't think there is advantage to all this high altitude stuff exept for team bonding.

You can team bond in Hong Kong

[mjp]

If the players believe that going to Arizona is a benefit, then it is.

If they believe having an extra coach is a benefit, then it is.

Cook is smart in that he is selling the whole 'we think there is a better way, do you see? do you see?' message to his playing group via the media. North are smart because they made the players effectively pay for their own pre-season camp on the basis of 'benefit' and I think because they shelled out their hard-earned for it they will maximise the value.