Resting Players over Pre Seasons to further Careers in Footy

[No More]

With rumours abounding that Rance may be given the option of having a holiday next season before coming back to play for another 4 or 5 years, do people think that some players should be given more time off in order to elongate careers. For example, Brett Deledio looks like someone now who could probably do with maybe getting 6 months away at the end of this season - coming back in say March next year doing a 12 week preseason during the first half of the year and coming back to play the last half of the year and hopefully finals (In effect that would be a 12 to 14 week season next year for Deledio). Giving some of our players this type of break may elongate their careers, maybe by giving 1 or 2 key players a year some time away we can get them to play longer at the back end of their careers.

Do people see this type of thing happening with players now as footy gets harder and more difficult to play?

[Zlatan]

we should manage them like soccer clubs

resting key players etc.

[WilliamPowell]

Other clubs have done it with veteran players = shorter pre-seasons

Geelong did it and they won a premeisership in Scott's first season

[Zlatan]

instead we play our best guys with injuries

 

[bojangles17]

Is that the rumour going around ?

[Rodgerramjet]

Is that the rumour going around ?

I bloody hope not

[Hard Roar Tiger]

All Blacks have taken a sabbatical - Ritchie McCaw and Dan Carter in recent times. Not sure how it's working out but it isn't unprecedented in elite sport

[lamington]

I think the risk is whilst you get the player's body right, they might lose their touch or mental sharpness in reading the play. I think someone who could do with a break the most is actually Ivan as he has to carry the ruck burden pretty much solo all the time.

[TigerMonk]

I think the risk is whilst you get the player's body right, they might lose their touch or mental sharpness in reading the play. I think someone who could do with a break the most is actually Ivan as he has to carry the ruck burden pretty much solo all the time.

Having time off does affect the reading of the game. Rarely do you see a player who is not playing for long periods recapture their best form.

[Penelope]

when players miss long peroids of time ( full season/12 months) due to injury. often it will take them a further 12 months after resuming to get back to the standard they were before being injured.

a part of this may be due to loss of conditioning due to the injury, which could be argued would not be the case with a self imposed lay off, but i doubt anyone wanting a break from the game would be training to the same intensity they would be if still playing.