And here's the summary.....
Summary
Q. You're getting excited; you're back in preseason training after the Christmas break; that means the preseason games aren't too far away. Even training wise you'd be getting game specific. It's getting close.
Absolutely. The Christmas break - that's the hurdle. Once you get past that it seems like footy again. Before that it's just torture - it's all running, weights, boxing and all the hard stuff. We're now back to match simulation and getting right into it.
Q. You haven't played since Port Adelaide in round 22. Amazing game that with it being Cousins last game. Real high quality game of footy. How long does that seem when you start getting yourself into January and as you said all that preseason up to his point. Does it feel like almost a year ago?
It's an eternity. It's the worst thing about round 22. You've got to wait 6 months to redeem yourself. My last game was round 20 against Carlton so it's even longer. Don't even know what it feels like to play footy at this stage. I feel like a cricketer. That round 22 was an exciting game to watch. A lot of things we'd been working on throughout the year came together at various points that day. It certainly showed a lot of promise and gave us optimism going into the preseason.
Q. Do players love preseason? I mean by that an opportunity to get fit; be with your mates; nice weather. The pressure is probably off a little bit. You haven't got that game result at the end of each week. How do players attack preseason?
It's a good question. It changes as you evolve throughout your career. When you first arrive preseason is the most terrifying thing in the world. Everything is new and everything is hard. Everyone is bigger and fitter than you and you're just terrified to get out of bed in the morning. It's exciting because you're there with your mates. But as you get older you go yeah I've done a tan time trial before; I've done this boxing session before; I've done whatever it is. It becomes less daunting and as you say a more relaxing time of the year because although you are training hard the media and the people don't really know what you are doing and don't care. You're looking forward to a game that's not going to happen for another two months so your not too stressed about another preparation as long as you are fit and healthy. It is a good time of the year; Generally the sun is out but not in Melbourne at the moment. Fun on the weekends and have BBQs with the boys as everyone is together. It's like being back at school again.
Q. We all understand team ethos is paramount in sport and in particular footy. I reckon that preseason phase one thing I would always challenge myself was the victory was in beating yourself because no one else can do the work. Is that fair to say?
You could shy away. Obviously the coaches and fitness staff are all over you but if you wanted to lag to back of pack in the running you could; if you didn't want to the extra session you could. There's one thing in footy when it comes to the preseasons if you don't do the work you won't get a go. You've got to put in the hard yards.
Q. How's your body?
Not too bad. I'm fit and I'm strong. I'm just coming over a bit of hamstring tendonitis. I haven't been training with main group but I went down to the tan [yesterday] to do a couple of runs which is "fun" for me. I'm on track.
Q. When are you back in group training?
We're hoping by end of the month which gives me time to get my conditioning right for opening rounds. Any longer than that and I might have to miss a couple. But I'm on track.
Q. You're one of the elite runners at Richmond playing in the midfield. Matty White was the man who won the tan trial the other day. You'd be up there wouldn't you in the top 3 or 4?
That's my track mate. He took it this time because I wasn't there. Usually he's flat. Usually he sits on my tail when we run the good times together. We ran a 12 and a half not last preseason or maybe it was last preseason but anyway Matty seems to lose his confidence when I'm not there but he ran a good time. I think it was low 13. Patty Contin was another. I think he came second [sic] now he's fit and healthy and lost a bit of weight.
Q. That's one thing you can bring out in training - the internal competitiveness between two individuals. Obviously you and White have got that in a working relationship?
Even in the gym you've got one going on the bench press with Nathan Foley. Other guys will be in the pool swimming. It's fine to train by yourself but it adds another element. You've got another competitive beast trying to steal your spot later on in the year but it's all in jest and good fun.
Q. Nathan Foley how is he going?
He's fit and healthy as he's been for a while. They have had the leash on him as he's been training but he's back in the group mixing it up and he's fit and strong.
Q. He's an important player to you?
Absolutely. He adds that dynamic we probably be lacked last year. That speed factor that probably other teams have.
He's a line breaker
Absolutely. We're a strong body midfield and hard running but he adds that extra element of speed.
Q. Talking about midfield, and obviously it's such an important part of the game now with structures and stoppage control so important; midfield set-ups between the arcs, defensive 50 and forward 50, in an ideal world with everyone fit and healthy to the Richmond supporters out there round 1, what is your engineroom and who is the best 3 midfielders who are going to start in the centre square?
Good question. Well Nathan Foley when we get him back has got to be in there - experience and speed. You need a big strong body - you'd take either Cotchin or Martin. And then it's probably me or Grigg as a defensive midfielder. I'd like to put myself in there as I've been there a bit longer and am in the leadership group and stuff. That gives us that balance of speed, toughness to win the footy and hardball get to get it out, and obviously someone to keep an eye on the oppostion as well.
Q. So is that the reason as to why you've added Grigg to your list to play another extension of say you?
He can be both in or out. He plays similar elements in his game which are similar to mine and he's also a better outside player than I. He has got both sides so he can roll back to half back. A bit of flexibility especially with these new rules so it's paramount to have there sorts of players. Dustin as well is an extremely good inside player and a great kick. Tucky can come in as a pinch-hitter to get some quick instant clearances which he does so well. So we've got quite a bit of variety we can use through there.
Q. Can I ask about Trent Cotchin. Along with Nathan Foley frustrating with injuries over the past couple of years. He is absolutely the cream on top of the cake if you can get his body 100% right. What's his preseason been like because he's been nursed through the last couple of years?
In probably his second year he trained very hard over the break and to his own deteriment his achilles flared up and that hurt him the following year. He wasn't able to settle that down because he trained hard which is kind of ironic. Since then they have always kept a good eye on what he is doing. They limit his load a little bit. It's frustrating as he's got one of those bodies that doesn't take too long to get fit but if he pushes it too hard it wears him out. So he's done the same this year but this is the most volume he's had without pushing himself too far and he's looking fit.
Q. It's interesting looking at limiting loads for guys through the midfield like Cotchin but now due to game rules they may have to extend their time on the ground. So how are the match committee and sports science staff at Richmond getting that balance right because I'd envisage there'd be plenty of discussion going behind closed walls asking what is going to best suit our team? Does Jackson spend some time 80% through the midfield, 10% deep forward, deep back as I'd assume you wouldn't going to a running forward role high because you're running as much as midfielders anyway. So how are you going to deal with that?
I know the fitness staff are all over it. Everything we do. I wore a GPS in every game last year so did other players.
Q. What would you run?
In a big game ran 17km and 15km in the smaller ones. It's usual in between that. I know Ben Nason had a 17km game as a half-forward. He's like a whippet and runs, runs and runs. But the half-forwards usually tend to run like that and the half-backs as well. So there is a very limited place to hide players in regards to resting them and it will be interesting to see. I'm trying to lighten my body a little bit so I can run further without needing a break. We've trained to run these short bursts efforts over the last few years where you'd come on for 6 minutes, run hard and then have a 2 minute rest as it's all about recovery. Now it's heading back to what it was when I was growing up where you're out there for 15 minutes and don't quite hit those maximum levels but you've still got to be fit enough to be a dynamic player out there.
Q. I think part of that too Jacko is for you and your adjustment this year as opposed to last year and the year before these rules going into the game where it was very hard to tag I would've thought based on having a defensive mindset to play on a Dane Swan for example because he's on and off the ground so much. Does that mean you trail him on and off the ground as well. I think there'll be an added advantage to the run-with player this year as the player they are assigned to will be on the ground for longer.
Yeah because it was in that '09 season that I was able to lock down on players and have my best season doing that. Even then it was hard coming on and off all the time if the player was having a good game. Even last year it took a step again with the rotations. To actually run with a player for that time was a kind of a waste. 3 minutes and they'd duck off while he's on for 4 and then I would have to go off to find them and then they'd be back on. It's like a big puzzle. So now I think this will play into my hands but when it comes to a battle of attrition it's going to come down to who is fitter is the one who gets the result.
Q. You say you might have to lose some weight and get leaner to get fitter because it seems to be the pattern of a lot of clubs that a lot of the elite midfielders have over this preseason because of the changing of the rules. So without giving away too many secrets how much would you run say last year and the last couple of years? Do you have some of the data of you actually running?
Yeah it's about 15 to 17 km depending on the ground and the type of game. Some games are high stoppages whereas against the bulldogs you're charging up and down the ground. I think I pushed 18.5km once maybe. I'm not even the highest guy. As I said Ben Nason won it a couple of times. We have a competition where the data comes up. So yeah it is high kilometres. I was already playing 75-80% last year with high rotations. I would only come off for a minute or two at a time. So we trained our bodies to come off, recover and come back on quickly. So now we don't have that although we'll be on the ground longer say 90% it may be a lower distance as we'll have to run slower. It'll be the same with other players. You'll end up resting in a pocket probably longer than you would on the bench. It's harder to rotate players between midfield and forward line every two minutes. It'll be more like 6 minutes.
And that's a reason why players will lose a couple of kilos off their frame so they can stay on the ground 90% of the time, run longer and cover more ground. If you're 92-93kg you'll drop down to 90kg
It's funny watching those shows like the big loser where they are 120kgs and they lose 4 kgs and feel the difference. We're all muscle so when the body loses a couple of kilos your body says oh thank you for that. You feel more agile and quicker.
