Tweet
'Tired' Saints cancel training
4:37:43 PM Wed 2 June, 2004
Paul Gough
Sportal
Is this the first sign that the all-conquering Saints are feeling the pinch in 2004?
That was the question that was raised by coach Grant Thomas' shock decision to call off training at Moorabbin on Wednesday afternoon, just moments before the session was about to begin.
Thomas soon explained the decision was based on a previously unknown internal scoring system which measures the "physical and mental well-being" of his players - which revealed that as a group they were in fact tired.
So quickly was the decision taken that it caught not only the spectators that had gathered to watch training at a freezing Moorabbin by surprise but also some of the players.
In fact senior players Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill, Jason Blake, Heath Black and Stephen Powell were already on the training track and reacted with surprise when they were quickly ushered inside by assistant coach Terry Daniher.
Within minutes Thomas had come outside to reveal that instead of training, the Saints' players would do some indoor work and then the whole group would be off to see a movie.
Thomas revealed that for the past three years each player every day has had to fill in a chart rating how they were feeling from one (being the best) to five (being the worst) in seven separate categories - which he did not reveal.
The score of each player was then divided into an average across the group and if that average was above 18, then that meant the players as a group were feeling below-par.
"We get the scores on the guys every day and the scores were a little bit higher today which was a bit unusual," he said.
Thomas said the usual average score for the group was around 16 while a score of seven (the best) would mean "the guys are on top of the world" and a score of 35 (the worst) would mean "they probably wouldn't be here.?
"I suppose it?s news (that the Saints' own internal scoring system revealed the players are tired), we weren't anticipating it would be news but I guess it is."
The Saints are coming off a club record 10 successive wins to start the season to put them three games clear at the top of the ladder but face a tough game against Sydney in Sydney on Sunday.
However Thomas said he was not concerned by the revelation his players as a group were starting to feel tired, believing he knew the reason for it and that it would not last.
"They did four hours of clinics yesterday and that can be taxing standing around on the end of a couple of hard weeks so they are feeling the pinch a bit and we are guided by that."
"But we will keep them fresh and see what happens."
Compare that to our training session as reported by Lizz in another thread, this is the week. Come on AFL tribunal give us Barry.
DST
4:37:43 PM Wed 2 June, 2004
Paul Gough
Sportal
Is this the first sign that the all-conquering Saints are feeling the pinch in 2004?
That was the question that was raised by coach Grant Thomas' shock decision to call off training at Moorabbin on Wednesday afternoon, just moments before the session was about to begin.
Thomas soon explained the decision was based on a previously unknown internal scoring system which measures the "physical and mental well-being" of his players - which revealed that as a group they were in fact tired.
So quickly was the decision taken that it caught not only the spectators that had gathered to watch training at a freezing Moorabbin by surprise but also some of the players.
In fact senior players Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill, Jason Blake, Heath Black and Stephen Powell were already on the training track and reacted with surprise when they were quickly ushered inside by assistant coach Terry Daniher.
Within minutes Thomas had come outside to reveal that instead of training, the Saints' players would do some indoor work and then the whole group would be off to see a movie.
Thomas revealed that for the past three years each player every day has had to fill in a chart rating how they were feeling from one (being the best) to five (being the worst) in seven separate categories - which he did not reveal.
The score of each player was then divided into an average across the group and if that average was above 18, then that meant the players as a group were feeling below-par.
"We get the scores on the guys every day and the scores were a little bit higher today which was a bit unusual," he said.
Thomas said the usual average score for the group was around 16 while a score of seven (the best) would mean "the guys are on top of the world" and a score of 35 (the worst) would mean "they probably wouldn't be here.?
"I suppose it?s news (that the Saints' own internal scoring system revealed the players are tired), we weren't anticipating it would be news but I guess it is."
The Saints are coming off a club record 10 successive wins to start the season to put them three games clear at the top of the ladder but face a tough game against Sydney in Sydney on Sunday.
However Thomas said he was not concerned by the revelation his players as a group were starting to feel tired, believing he knew the reason for it and that it would not last.
"They did four hours of clinics yesterday and that can be taxing standing around on the end of a couple of hard weeks so they are feeling the pinch a bit and we are guided by that."
"But we will keep them fresh and see what happens."
Compare that to our training session as reported by Lizz in another thread, this is the week. Come on AFL tribunal give us Barry.
DST
Comment