I think I've found my people.

[mailey85]

Hi all. A little background about me. I was never a sports guy, I was more of an avid video gamer. Being born in Sydney, naturally I grew up with NRL. But it was never really my thing, but I followed along with my family. Anyway fast forward into my adult years, I discovered American Football and fell in love with the sport. Go GMEN. Problem is that sport is a world away. I wanted to experience the feeling of being at a game, to be with people all cheering for their team.
So, I tried to get back into league. I tried for years, following different teams. Mostly QLD clubs. But I just didn't enjoy the game. Constant video refs, rule changes, boofheads, and to be honest it just wasn't for me.

Now being a young lad born in Sydney and currently lives on the QLD/NSW border, AFL isn't particularly huge. I knew about the SUNS mainly from the bus ads and hearing the promos on radio. Occasional hat I'd see. But that was about all the AFL knowledge I had. I knew of Collingwood and Eddie McGuire, I knew about the Lions and Voss and Jonathan Brown and Jason Akermanis but that was really it.

One day a few months back, my Pop had come down from the Sunny Coast, and it had come up in conversation that he grew up a Carlton fan. After he left to head back to the Sunshine Coast, there happened to be a Carlton game on Kayo. It was against West Coast. I watched this kid, this dude kicking goal after goal and I was blown away by the game. I'd never watched one game of AFL in my life. I mean I might have seen a game when I was younger life a grand final from the 90's or something but I never actually watched a game. So this kid, kicked I don't know 8 goals or something and every time the crowd just exploded. He was like a wide receiver catching everything that went his way. His name was the only one I knew. His name? Charlie Curnow

30

Charlie Curnow

Age

27

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.3

3star

K

9.7

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

.

So, the next week I saw a customer at work wearing a Carlton hat. I was one of those ones with the bright orange logo. I told him I watched this kid play, how good the game was. He told me, to watch the 1970 Grand Final and the 1987 Grand Final. And I did. Man it was brutal back then.

That weekend, I watched Carlton beat Collingwood. After that match, a thought hit me. Maybe Carlton would play the Suns? I had no idea how long the season was. And wouldn't you now it? In a few weeks, they would. It would be the last Suns home game of the season. So I bought two tickets. One for me and the other for my flatmate. She too had no idea about the game, but she was more than happy to have an afternoon at the footy.

And boy did I pick a game for my first ever AFL game. The stadium was excellent, no issue getting there or finding my seat. Everyone was friendly. I knew I was meant to be here. And then it happened. The team who only months earlier, whom wasn't in my life and who were also struggling big time on the ladder. Did something they hadn't done in 10 years, they got into the finals. The crowd was nearly 80% Carlton fans. And when Charlie caught that mark in the goal square to secure the final berth, the place erupted. I had found my game, I had found my people. I was home.

Since then, I've been to two more games. The Suns VFL qualifying final and the AFLW Suns v West Coast. And this week I'll go to the Suns VFL prelim at Heritage Bank Stadium. Also booked two more AFLW games there.
You're probably wondering, hey he said he's a Carlton fan, he sure is going to the Suns games a lot. Yeah, I am. I love the game of footy. I want to watch it and do it live. And I'll support the Suns as my second team and if that's not allowed I don't care haha

So, hey thanks for reading all that if you did. That's my story. My plans for the future are, watch the Blues beat Melbourne. Then hope I can score a ticket to see them play at the Gabba.
After that, its to head down to Melbourne next season to see the Blues play at either MCG or Marvel around April (my birthday).
I'm also planning of doing fantasy and tipping. Currently trying my best with AFLW but I'm still learning.

Any suggestions of games I must watch or history of the game I need to know would be greatly appreciated.

Also, one more thing. BALL?? Can someone help me with this bloody Holding the ball rule?

Thank you for reading.

 

[HarryBeef]

Welcome and go Blues!

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Hey mate, welcome. You’ve made the right call, club wise. In terms of Carlton games you must watch, the 1999 Preliminary Final is the top of the tree. You’ll see the best quarter ever played by a footballer!

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Hi all. A little background about me. I was never a sports guy, I was more of an avid video gamer. Being born in Sydney, naturally I grew up with NRL. But it was never really my thing, but I followed along with my family. Anyway fast forward into my adult years, I discovered American Football and fell in love with the sport. Go GMEN. Problem is that sport is a world away. I wanted to experience the feeling of being at a game, to be with people all cheering for their team.
So, I tried to get back into league. I tried for years, following different teams. Mostly QLD clubs. But I just didn't enjoy the game. Constant video refs, rule changes, boofheads, and to be honest it just wasn't for me.

Now being a young lad born in Sydney and currently lives on the QLD/NSW border, AFL isn't particularly huge. I knew about the SUNS mainly from the bus ads and hearing the promos on radio. Occasional hat I'd see. But that was about all the AFL knowledge I had. I knew of Collingwood and Eddie McGuire, I knew about the Lions and Voss and Jonathan Brown and Jason Akermanis but that was really it.

One day a few months back, my Pop had come down from the Sunny Coast, and it had come up in conversation that he grew up a Carlton fan. After he left to head back to the Sunshine Coast, there happened to be a Carlton game on Kayo. It was against West Coast. I watched this kid, this dude kicking goal after goal and I was blown away by the game. I'd never watched one game of AFL in my life. I mean I might have seen a game when I was younger life a grand final from the 90's or something but I never actually watched a game. So this kid, kicked I don't know 8 goals or something and every time the crowd just exploded. He was like a wide receiver catching everything that went his way. His name was the only one I knew. His name? Charlie Curnow.

So, the next week I saw a customer at work wearing a Carlton hat. I was one of those ones with the bright orange logo. I told him I watched this kid play, how good the game was. He told me, to watch the 1970 Grand Final and the 1987 Grand Final. And I did. Man it was brutal back then.

That weekend, I watched Carlton beat Collingwood. After that match, a thought hit me. Maybe Carlton would play the Suns? I had no idea how long the season was. And wouldn't you now it? In a few weeks, they would. It would be the last Suns home game of the season. So I bought two tickets. One for me and the other for my flatmate. She too had no idea about the game, but she was more than happy to have an afternoon at the footy.

And boy did I pick a game for my first ever AFL game. The stadium was excellent, no issue getting there or finding my seat. Everyone was friendly. I knew I was meant to be here. And then it happened. The team who only months earlier, whom wasn't in my life and who were also struggling big time on the ladder. Did something they hadn't done in 10 years, they got into the finals. The crowd was nearly 80% Carlton fans. And when Charlie caught that mark in the goal square to secure the final berth, the place erupted. I had found my game, I had found my people. I was home.

Since then, I've been to two more games. The Suns VFL qualifying final and the AFLW Suns v West Coast. And this week I'll go to the Suns VFL prelim at Heritage Bank Stadium. Also booked two more AFLW games there.
You're probably wondering, hey he said he's a Carlton fan, he sure is going to the Suns games a lot. Yeah, I am. I love the game of footy. I want to watch it and do it live. And I'll support the Suns as my second team and if that's not allowed I don't care haha

So, hey thanks for reading all that if you did. That's my story. My plans for the future are, watch the Blues beat Melbourne. Then hope I can score a ticket to see them play at the Gabba.
After that, its to head down to Melbourne next season to see the Blues play at either MCG or Marvel around April (my birthday).
I'm also planning of doing fantasy and tipping. Currently trying my best with AFLW but I'm still learning.

Any suggestions of games I must watch or history of the game I need to know would be greatly appreciated.

Also, one more thing. BALL?? Can someone help me with this bloody Holding the ball rule?

Thank you for reading.

Welcome mate - love the post. You've fallen in love with the game in a very similar way to how I did (albeit 30 years ago) - hopefully it's an amazing journey. If you do come to Melbourne I recommend picking a game at the MCG against one of Carlton's bigger Melbourne club rivals (such as Collingwood). I think you'll love the experience, the atmosphere and the roar of the crowd. Good time to jump on with Carlton too after a pretty long tough period.

 

[cowboy18]

<snip>

Also, one more thing. BALL?? Can someone help me with this bloody Holding the ball rule?

Thank you for reading.

Enjoy the journey! As for your question above, it's highly context-dependent.

If a player from the other team has the ball and a player from your team tackles them in some way, you should yell out "Baalllll", extending this to "Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll" for when it appears it may actually be holding the ball. If perchance the umpire awards a free kick to your team with a sweeping action of their outstretched arms, it is appropriate to add the suffix "Yeah", so the phrase would be "Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll... yeah". Sometimes the tackle by your team will be deemed illegal, in which case phrases like "ducked into it" can be handy.

However, if a player from your team has possession of the ball and is tackled the key thing is to have righteous indignation if a free kick is awarded against them. You can express your concerns over the awarding of the free kick in multiple ways (no prior opportunity, incorrect tackle (high/low/in the back), they disposed of it, or some combination of these), and if you are at the game it can best be done by pointing animatedly in the direction of where the incident occurred and yelling. On the rare occasions where the player from your team has hatched the ball so obviously that it is a free kick, you can refer to how similar occurrences were not rewarded when your team had the ball. Either way, it's important that any indignation you express is righteous.

One caveat - I've been watching for over 50 years and it's not uncommon for my concerns over travesties levelled at my team by umpires to end up being revealed as good decisions under difficult circumstances a few hours after the game when you see them replayed. It's a real conundrum.

Hope that helps.

 

[mailey85]

Hey mate, welcome. You’ve made the right call, club wise. In terms of Carlton games you must watch, the 1999 Preliminary Final is the top of the tree. You’ll see the best quarter ever played by a footballer!

Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to check it out.

 

[mailey85]

Welcome mate - love the post. You've fallen in love with the game in a very similar way to how I did (albeit 30 years ago) - hopefully it's an amazing journey. If you do come to Melbourne I recommend picking a game at the MCG against one of Carlton's bigger Melbourne club rivals (such as Collingwood). I think you'll love the experience, the atmosphere and the roar of the crowd. Good time to jump on with Carlton too after a pretty long tough period.

Oh I’d love to see the baggers verse the magpies at the mcg. That would be insane. I can only imagine the noise in that place.

 

[mailey85]

Enjoy the journey! As for your question above, it's highly context-dependent.

If a player from the other team has the ball and a player from your team tackles them in some way, you should yell out "Baalllll", extending this to "Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll" for when it appears it may actually be holding the ball. If perchance the umpire awards a free kick to your team with a sweeping action of their outstretched arms, it is appropriate to add the suffix "Yeah", so the phrase would be "Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll... yeah". Sometimes the tackle by your team will be deemed illegal, in which case phrases like "ducked into it" can be handy.

However, if a player from your team has possession of the ball and is tackled the key thing is to have righteous indignation if a free kick is awarded against them. You can express your concerns over the awarding of the free kick in multiple ways (no prior opportunity, incorrect tackle (high/low/in the back), they disposed of it, or some combination of these), and if you are at the game it can best be done by pointing animatedly in the direction of where the incident occurred and yelling. On the rare occasions where the player from your team has hatched the ball so obviously that it is a free kick, you can refer to how similar occurrences were not rewarded when your team had the ball. Either way, it's important that any indignation you express is righteous.

One caveat - I've been watching for over 50 years and it's not uncommon for my concerns over travesties levelled at my team by umpires to end up being revealed as good decisions under difficult circumstances a few hours after the game when you see them replayed. It's a real conundrum.

Hope that helps.

I’m going to have to read and reread this a few times. I think I get it but still unsure haha. Seems that when a player gets tackled from behind its almost always a free kick to the tackler? Because I guess in a way he had prior opportunity then tackled?

 

[cowboy18]

I’m going to have to read and reread this a few times. I think I get it but still unsure haha. Seems that when a player gets tackled from behind its almost always a free kick to the tackler? Because I guess in a way he had prior opportunity then tackled?

Probably more that is a particularly difficult rule to umpire, and one that regularly causes us to take great offence when the decision doesn't go our way!

In short, when you take possession you can be tackled. The tackle has to be legal (not high, not low, not in the back, not starting before you took possession), and if you don't dispose of it correctly once tackled you will be deemed to be holding the ball. However, if you are immediately tackled legally after taking possession and the umpire assesses that you didn't have "prior opportunity" to dispose of the ball, the umpire will call a ball up, creating a stoppage. It can sometimes be a bit rough when you are on the ground, dragging the ball under you is deemed "prior opportunity" the person taking the initiative of winning the ball can get penalised.

I think the biggest challenge is the 360-degree nature of game, where one view creates the impression that a tackle was legal, and another can make it clear that it wasn't. In terms of tackling from behind, if you fall into their back it will be a free against the tackler so players are taught to roll so the players land on their side. And others will throw themselves forward to win a free kick for "in the back" when tackled.

 

[Danw0w]

Usually it is sacrilegious to support a second team, but we make an exception for the expansion sides.

Welcome mate hope you enjoy the finals.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Suns should be your no 1 team, goodness knows they need more fans and Carlton doesn't!

 

[mailey85]

Suns should be your no 1 team, goodness knows they need more fans and Carlton doesn't!

It’ll kind of be 50/50 really. I’ll be at the suns games more so will naturally grow towards them, but being that Carlton have this magic right now around the finals it’s really helping grow that connection with them too. Also, I think it’s proper I pick them because of my pop. He’s been sick of late and getting close to 90, I think it’s a way to honour him and continue it for him.

 

[Canberra Pear]

It’ll kind of be 50/50 really. I’ll be at the suns games more so will naturally grow towards them, but being that Carlton have this magic right now around the finals it’s really helping grow that connection with them too. Also, I think it’s proper I pick them because of my pop. He’s been sick of late and getting close to 90, I think it’s a way to honour him and continue it for him.

The Suns should have a lot of that magic too in the coming years.

You hopped on both teams at the right time.

 

[PerthBoy86]

It’ll kind of be 50/50 really. I’ll be at the suns games more so will naturally grow towards them, but being that Carlton have this magic right now around the finals it’s really helping grow that connection with them too. Also, I think it’s proper I pick them because of my pop. He’s been sick of late and getting close to 90, I think it’s a way to honour him and continue it for him.

Yeah fair enough, Suns are still a small, emerging club. Yeah that's nice, I wouldn't begrudge him seeing another Blues premiership.

 

[mcgarnacle]

Similar here brought up in a League/Union state, but very much a Leaguie.

Aussie Rules is such a dynamic game, no offsides, and the players cover large areas of the field. There’s always something going on. And the culture of football in Melbourne is streets ahead of Sydney. Unfortunately, there’s no temple of football in Sydney the way there is Melbourne. Everything centralised in the CBD helps this. In contrast, League in Sydney is regional, spread out in far flung areas of the metropolitan, from the east (roosters) to the foot of the blue mountains and south-west (panthers and tigers), from the northern beaches (sea eagles) to the south in the shire (sharks), then everything in between (Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Eels).

The great thing about Aussie Rules is how the entire city gets into it. There isn’t any split between class or schools. Rich or poor, you play Aussie Rules in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

Interesting though, I’ve listened to a couple of podcasts interviewing Jarrod Wade (Collingwood High Performance Manager) and Jon Pryor (Wallabies). Both born and bred VICS who didn’t know anything about the rugby codes before working in them. Both said League is a relatively simple game, but this simpleness breeds an intensity and work rate from players that outstrips AFL and Union. League is played for a shorter duration on a smaller field, but the data shows that the work completed per minute is greater. Every player is practically in the play with monstrous contact/wrestle demands. In contrast in AFL, the play is about avoiding contact.

Wade mentioned that he brought stuff from his 7 years in League with the Eels and Rabbitohs back to AFL at Collingwood. In particular, the strength and power work, the higher training loads, and instilling a mentality of toughness and resilience that he says was lacking in AFL. He said NRL players didn't question things, and just got shit done at training whereas AFL players needed coaxing. The Pies performances over the past couple of seasons appear to have benefitted greatly from his approach.

 

[mailey85]

Similar here brought up in a League/Union state, but very much a Leaguie.

Aussie Rules is such a dynamic game, no offsides, and the players cover large areas of the field. There’s always something going on. And the culture of football in Melbourne is streets ahead of Sydney. Unfortunately, there’s no temple of football in Sydney the way there is Melbourne. Everything centralised in the CBD helps this. In contrast, League in Sydney is regional, spread out in far flung areas of the metropolitan, from the east (roosters) to the foot of the blue mountains and south-west (panthers and tigers), from the northern beaches (sea eagles) to the south in the shire (sharks), then everything in between (Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Eels).

The great thing about Aussie Rules is how the entire city gets into it. There isn’t any split between class or schools. Rich or poor, you play Aussie Rules in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

Interesting though, I’ve listened to a couple of podcasts interviewing Jarrod Wade (Collingwood High Performance Manager) and Jon Pryor (Wallabies). Both born and bred VICS who didn’t know anything about the rugby codes before working in them. Both said League is a relatively simple game, but this simpleness breeds an intensity and work rate from players that outstrips AFL and Union. League is played for a shorter duration on a smaller field, but the data shows that the work completed per minute is greater. Every player is practically in the play with monstrous contact/wrestle demands. In contrast in AFL, the play is about avoiding contact.

Wade mentioned that he brought stuff from his 7 years in League with the Eels and Rabbitohs back to AFL at Collingwood. In particular, the strength and power work, the higher training loads, and instilling a mentality of toughness and resilience that he says was lacking in AFL. He said NRL players didn't question things, and just got s**t done at training whereas AFL players needed coaxing. The Pies performances over the past couple of seasons appear to have benefitted greatly from his approach.

What a fascinating take on it. You’re right about the regional dimension to it and the classes of rich or poor. I always grew up knowing union kids were rich kids.

And I never really knew that about league players and their training.

 

[mailey85]

The Suns should have a lot of that magic too in the coming years.

You hopped on both teams at the right time.

Yeah this Damian Hardwick guy? I’m gonna get a membership for suns next year to see all the games so I’m hoping for competitive games with him running it.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Oh I’d love to see the baggers verse the magpies at the mcg. That would be insane. I can only imagine the noise in that place.

It's not only the game at the MCG but the build up. Hit up one of the pubs in Richmond (London Tavern is always great) and soak up the pre-match atmosphere. Nerve-quenching beers and a big hit of protein before the game is a must.

The Royal might be (or might not be) to your taste - just note asking for a jug there might mean something very different.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Hi all. A little background about me. I was never a sports guy, I was more of an avid video gamer. Being born in Sydney, naturally I grew up with NRL. But it was never really my thing, but I followed along with my family. Anyway fast forward into my adult years, I discovered American Football and fell in love with the sport. Go GMEN. Problem is that sport is a world away. I wanted to experience the feeling of being at a game, to be with people all cheering for their team.
So, I tried to get back into league. I tried for years, following different teams. Mostly QLD clubs. But I just didn't enjoy the game. Constant video refs, rule changes, boofheads, and to be honest it just wasn't for me.

Now being a young lad born in Sydney and currently lives on the QLD/NSW border, AFL isn't particularly huge. I knew about the SUNS mainly from the bus ads and hearing the promos on radio. Occasional hat I'd see. But that was about all the AFL knowledge I had. I knew of Collingwood and Eddie McGuire, I knew about the Lions and Voss and Jonathan Brown and Jason Akermanis but that was really it.

One day a few months back, my Pop had come down from the Sunny Coast, and it had come up in conversation that he grew up a Carlton fan. After he left to head back to the Sunshine Coast, there happened to be a Carlton game on Kayo. It was against West Coast. I watched this kid, this dude kicking goal after goal and I was blown away by the game. I'd never watched one game of AFL in my life. I mean I might have seen a game when I was younger life a grand final from the 90's or something but I never actually watched a game. So this kid, kicked I don't know 8 goals or something and every time the crowd just exploded. He was like a wide receiver catching everything that went his way. His name was the only one I knew. His name? Charlie Curnow.

So, the next week I saw a customer at work wearing a Carlton hat. I was one of those ones with the bright orange logo. I told him I watched this kid play, how good the game was. He told me, to watch the 1970 Grand Final and the 1987 Grand Final. And I did. Man it was brutal back then.

That weekend, I watched Carlton beat Collingwood. After that match, a thought hit me. Maybe Carlton would play the Suns? I had no idea how long the season was. And wouldn't you now it? In a few weeks, they would. It would be the last Suns home game of the season. So I bought two tickets. One for me and the other for my flatmate. She too had no idea about the game, but she was more than happy to have an afternoon at the footy.

And boy did I pick a game for my first ever AFL game. The stadium was excellent, no issue getting there or finding my seat. Everyone was friendly. I knew I was meant to be here. And then it happened. The team who only months earlier, whom wasn't in my life and who were also struggling big time on the ladder. Did something they hadn't done in 10 years, they got into the finals. The crowd was nearly 80% Carlton fans. And when Charlie caught that mark in the goal square to secure the final berth, the place erupted. I had found my game, I had found my people. I was home.

Since then, I've been to two more games. The Suns VFL qualifying final and the AFLW Suns v West Coast. And this week I'll go to the Suns VFL prelim at Heritage Bank Stadium. Also booked two more AFLW games there.
You're probably wondering, hey he said he's a Carlton fan, he sure is going to the Suns games a lot. Yeah, I am. I love the game of footy. I want to watch it and do it live. And I'll support the Suns as my second team and if that's not allowed I don't care haha

So, hey thanks for reading all that if you did. That's my story. My plans for the future are, watch the Blues beat Melbourne. Then hope I can score a ticket to see them play at the Gabba.
After that, its to head down to Melbourne next season to see the Blues play at either MCG or Marvel around April (my birthday).
I'm also planning of doing fantasy and tipping. Currently trying my best with AFLW but I'm still learning.

Any suggestions of games I must watch or history of the game I need to know would be greatly appreciated.

Also, one more thing. BALL?? Can someone help me with this bloody Holding the ball rule?

Thank you for reading.

Hope your Pop loved that one mate - epic win.

 

[GenYBlue]

As as Carlton fan with quite the soft spot for the Suns too... welcome!

You picked a good time to join us... to say the last decade has been rough is an understatement!

It's also going to be a great time to be a Suns fan with Damien Hardwick beginning as coach next season.

Hope to see you on the Blues board

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

You have good judgement my friend. Carlton is the greatest footy club in Australia after all. Welcome to the forum my fellow Blue Bagger.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

Suns should be your no 1 team, goodness knows they need more fans and Carlton doesn't!

We can never have enough fans mate. I recommend that our new arrival gives the fantasy footy SFA forum a try.

I'd like to have as many Baggers as possible, in my SFA team the Ophidian Old Boys. There's great fun and banter to be had on the SFA forum imo.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Because of the thread title I thought this was going to be an Ancestry.com thing.

 

[Bjo187]

Similar here brought up in a League/Union state, but very much a Leaguie.

Aussie Rules is such a dynamic game, no offsides, and the players cover large areas of the field. There’s always something going on. And the culture of football in Melbourne is streets ahead of Sydney. Unfortunately, there’s no temple of football in Sydney the way there is Melbourne. Everything centralised in the CBD helps this. In contrast, League in Sydney is regional, spread out in far flung areas of the metropolitan, from the east (roosters) to the foot of the blue mountains and south-west (panthers and tigers), from the northern beaches (sea eagles) to the south in the shire (sharks), then everything in between (Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Eels).

The great thing about Aussie Rules is how the entire city gets into it. There isn’t any split between class or schools. Rich or poor, you play Aussie Rules in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

Interesting though, I’ve listened to a couple of podcasts interviewing Jarrod Wade (Collingwood High Performance Manager) and Jon Pryor (Wallabies). Both born and bred VICS who didn’t know anything about the rugby codes before working in them. Both said League is a relatively simple game, but this simpleness breeds an intensity and work rate from players that outstrips AFL and Union. League is played for a shorter duration on a smaller field, but the data shows that the work completed per minute is greater. Every player is practically in the play with monstrous contact/wrestle demands. In contrast in AFL, the play is about avoiding contact.

Wade mentioned that he brought stuff from his 7 years in League with the Eels and Rabbitohs back to AFL at Collingwood. In particular, the strength and power work, the higher training loads, and instilling a mentality of toughness and resilience that he says was lacking in AFL. He said NRL players didn't question things, and just got s**t done at training whereas AFL players needed coaxing. The Pies performances over the past couple of seasons appear to have benefitted greatly from his approach.

Never would have guessed you are a leaguie with that post .

 

[mcgarnacle]

Never would have guessed you are a leaguie with that post .

Was my diet from a young age. It never leaves you.

I posted the last bit about training to a thread in the Collingwood board. Lots of them agreed with it. Depends what you want to get out of the post!