Hypothetical #2: At the start of 2021...

[mjp]

...

The "SOFT CAP" on footy department spending is slashed by 1/3rd (down to $6million'ish)..and we have decisions to make. Assistant coaches, development coaches, massage therapists, yoga instructors, HP managers, video analysts...

We need to find "the one thing" to invest in that will:

- Provide us with a competitive advantage on game day.
- Provide us with a competitive advantage with regards attracting free agents.

All bets are off...we can do WHATEVER we want. Is our focus to be cranking up our footy department and doubling down on coaching mentors and 1-on-1 services, mental health services, physical recovery (cryo chambers, float tanks), creating a wellness/mindfulness centre with yoga, meditation etc, amping up the video to provide 3d modelling (and interactive vr systems for game sim)...the floor is yours...make a difference. The decks have been cleared due to the virus and everyone is starting again...and we don't want to be like everyone else...so our focus is...

[soupman]

In b4 we still have the same coaching panel for the 17th year in a row.

On the flipside to save money (admittedly not a lot, I don't think they are paid much) could we drastically reduce our scouting crew. Obviously Power and the new guy stay in their roles, but if as rumoured we go down to 35 on the list that means no rookies and no draft picks after 40. With a FA/Academy pick basically every year meaning maybe 1 live draft pick can we justify employing and paying a bunch of guys to come up with a shortlist of players we won't use?

I would suggest with the smaller list sizes it may be more imperative than ever to have a good medical crew, the complete lack of depth at any club means injuries could hit hard and quickly. I don't think this will attract players, North have been fantastic in this area and have only managed to secure second tier free agents, but it could be a huge advantage on field.

[bulldogtragic]

In b4 we still have the same coaching panel for the 17th year in a row.

On the flipside to save money (admittedly not a lot, I don't think they are paid much) could we drastically reduce our scouting crew. Obviously Power and the new guy stay in their roles, but if as rumoured we go down to 35 on the list that means no rookies and no draft picks after 40. With a FA/Academy pick basically every year meaning maybe 1 live draft pick can we justify employing and paying a bunch of guys to come up with a shortlist of players we won't use?

I would suggest with the smaller list sizes it may be more imperative than ever to have a good medical crew, the complete lack of depth at any club means injuries could hit hard and quickly. I don't think this will attract players, North have been fantastic in this area and have only managed to secure second tier free agents, but it could be a huge advantage on field.

Especially if the minimum list changes are only 2 per year. With Bevo’s generous loyalty to players, we are probably looking at 2 players a year. If F/S (Macca, West x 2, Darcy etc) accounted for on average 1 selection, that’s just - player who might be a former player rehired on form at reserve level. If that’s the case, then the team is in for a big cut.

[boydogs]

A coach like Beveridge that creates purpose and meaning to what we're doing becomes important

[Mofra]

Sav Rocca

plus

Unlimited shots on goal (the sports scientists can GAGF when it comes to goal kicking).

Everything else can fit under our existing structures, albeit with fewer staff. My reasons are:

Exhibit A: Levi Casbault. If I said he's an excellent kick for goal, you'd laugh. But he is (now). Sav turned his accuracy around from below average to above average, late in his career, over the course of a single pre-season. It's an achievement I rate highly and for all the fancy approaches to footy, kicking the goals with the chances you have is still the best way to win most games of football.

Exhibit B: Ben Brown. He takes a truckload of set shots, yes even the "easy" ones 30m directly in front. North do not restrict his goal kicking practice when he reaches his "load limit" according to the sports scientists. You can call him weird-looking, one dimensional, etc - we're read all the criticisms, but the fact is he's kicked more goals than any other player in the competition over the past 3 years.

Goals are good, really good. If we're going to stack the side with more marking ability than any other side in the competition in the F50 (our real "USP"), make that marking ability count.

[GVGjr]

Great suggestion Mofra. If I was an isolated footballer, especially if I was forward, I'd be working on goal kicking as part of my exercise regime.

The results will come if you do the work

[mjp]

Great suggestion Mofra. If I was an isolated footballer, especially if I was forward, I'd be working on goal kicking as part of my exercise regime.

If you were an isolated footballer you would be playing a lot of 2k. And completing a pretty rudimentary gym routine. And doing a bit of running. The results might come if you do the work but not too many of them think about things in that context. And they already think that they ARE good kicks at goal so why worry about practicing.

Good club culture gets players to do this stuff...bad culture MAKES them do it and they half-arse it and become resentful.

I don't mind the idea of establishing a CLEAR player mentoring system and having some true SME's (you pick the categories - obviously goal-kicking has been chosen as one) in place who are readily accessible...but if that is to be the focus and there is a 30% drop in the soft cap then something has to give. What??

I still think medical and recovery is the way to go and - in terms of player retention + attracting free agents, being known as 'the best' for medical and recovery would go a long way to getting players across the line. Everyone is about the 'UMMMMMMMMMM' these days - it is all about being mindful and 'balanced'. I would be really doubling down on this stuff and winding back on the S+C side of things.

Cryo chambers in...versa climbers out.

[Twodogs]

Sav Rocca

plus

Unlimited shots on goal (the sports scientists can GAGF when it comes to goal kicking).

Everything else can fit under our existing structures, albeit with fewer staff. My reasons are:

Exhibit A: Levi Casbault. If I said he's an excellent kick for goal, you'd laugh. But he is (now). Sav turned his accuracy around from below average to above average, late in his career, over the course of a single pre-season. It's an achievement I rate highly and for all the fancy approaches to footy, kicking the goals with the chances you have is still the best way to win most games of football.

Exhibit B: Ben Brown. He takes a truckload of set shots, yes even the "easy" ones 30m directly in front. North do not restrict his goal kicking practice when he reaches his "load limit" according to the sports scientists. You can call him weird-looking, one dimensional, etc - we're read all the criticisms, but the fact is he's kicked more goals than any other player in the competition over the past 3 years.

Goals are good, really good. If we're going to stack the side with more marking ability than any other side in the competition in the F50 (our real "USP"), make that marking ability count.

I've said it before and I will say it again. The conversion from a shocking kick to a reliable kick is a very simple thing to do-give me our worst kick for 15 minutes and I will change him around. It's all technique. Walk back, take a breath and run in a straight line as you kick. There are two other things (head over the ball when it hits your foot and DON"T LIFT YOUR *!*!*!*!ING HEAD.

In technique it's pretty similar to driving a golf ball off the tee and how many footballers don't play golf?

[GVGjr]

I've said it before and I will say it again. The conversion from a shocking kick to a reliable kick is a very simple thing to do-give me our worst kick for 15 minutes and I will change him around. It's all technique. Walk back, take a breath and run in a straight line as you kick. There are two other things (head over the ball when it hits your foot and DON"T LIFT YOUR *!*!*!*!ING HEAD.

In technique it's pretty similar to driving a golf ball off the tee and how many footballers don't play golf?

The ball drop is all too important as well but if your head is over the ball it should eliminate or reduce those errors

Have a look at the way Akermanis kicked the ball when on the run and with a set shot. The ball drop was very different but he was very effective with it

[Mofra]

The ball drop is all too important as well but if your head is over the ball it should eliminate or reduce those errors

Have a look at the way Akermanis kicked the ball when on the run and with a set shot. The ball drop was very different but he was very effective with it

Lockett had the best ball drop I'd seen when kicking for goal.

I've heard of senior and assistant coaches complaint that players were being stopped from goalkicking practice due to training loads!
Ben Brown has to kick 20 goals in a row after training before he leaves the track.

There are some occasions where actual football training needs to take precedence over numbers in a spreadsheet.

[bornadog]

The ball drop is all too important as well but if your head is over the ball it should eliminate or reduce those errors

Have a look at the way Akermanis kicked the ball when on the run and with a set shot. The ball drop was very different but he was very effective with it

I think generally current day footballers are a brilliant kick of the ball and far better than the past. Goal kicking hasn't improved, only because lots of shots at goal are taken when the player is fatigued.

Players these days are fitter, run faster and cover a lot more distance than the past. Look at some old footage of games and you will see the difference.

[Twodogs]

The ball drop is all too important as well but if your head is over the ball it should eliminate or reduce those errors

Have a look at the way Akermanis kicked the ball when on the run and with a set shot. The ball drop was very different but he was very effective with it

Yep I forgot to mention the most important bit! Ball drop is all important

[GVGjr]

Lockett had the best ball drop I'd seen when kicking for goal.

I've heard of senior and assistant coaches complaint that players were being stopped from goalkicking practice due to training loads!
Ben Brown has to kick 20 goals in a row after training before he leaves the track.

There are some occasions where actual football training needs to take precedence over numbers in a spreadsheet.

Perfect action wasn't it?

[Twodogs]

Lockett had the best ball drop I'd seen when kicking for goal.

Simon Beasley's was pretty good. I think that the Pieman was THE most accurate set shot I have seen. You look at the three times he kicked 12-they were all 12.3 or 12.4. If one of our current players had 16 scoring shots in a game you just know that the goal/behind ratio would be 8.7 or 10.5.

[Twodogs]

Jason Dunstall's was pretty good too.