In the old days, under Burge, I'd have expected our players to look a bit underdone at times all through the early to mid season, and at other times flat. When the Tiges would look lead legged during a season proper game we'd put that down to them being loaded and a bit lactic. We don't get the measurements of what the players are running/lifting but there are indicators of high workload off the park. Flatness. Running it out in game.
We'd call this flat lead-legged period of a game being Burged.
After the byes Burge would famously have us running through brick walls for crucial games. But as we approach the finals we would look steady rather than explosive and Hardwick would put the cue in the rack half way through the last quarter of every game. Working off the park and conserving energy/risk on it. Clinical stuff. Note how rare the ten goal win. Cue in the rack. Burge and Hardwick managing load and exposure.
That's typical of how peak Burge operated. How does Meehan's work compare?
We have been in the *smile* for most of the year. And our crocks are older than ever. Meehan has left them burly until now. They point blank look fat.
We have't been able to give our crocks games off. I think Dion missed one. What we've done instead is give them soft roles. Cotchin HFF. Even Dion HFF. Martin FF. Of course they're more value in the middle but they can't sustain a season with that work load and exposure. They're too old. So we manage them.
Caesar has told us about Shai. We managed something with him too for most of the season. We're managing a *smile* load of injury/geriatricity. Maybe Graham too.
Right now this Meehan looks to be handling our fitness/soundness/explosiveness much as Burge would have. Maybe going a couple of weeks earlier. We look okay.
We had to pull out all stops to win the two road games so I won't be surprised if we flatten out this week. Even with our stars much older we have to win clinically anyway.
This is not Phoney Season. The big city football is underway. It's Meehan time. A bit of luck would be handy. (The other kind of luck.)
