Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?
It's Stuart Waitley. Thanks for listening to the podcast. In this episode, The Eye of the Coach with Adam Simpson, the latest footy news with Sam Edmunds, Strategy 2026 with Brenton Sanderson, and Know Your History, the Neil Danaher edition with Shannon Gill. You can get in touch at any time. Waitley at sen.com.au. Thanks for listening. Enjoy.
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Thursday morning. This is your town. This is your station. This is Waitley. Good morning. Salute to State of Origin. For much of the night, Game 1 looked like it might have been a lemon, but it produced a thrilling climax and an all-time highlight to complete an all-time comeback. James Tedesco's hangar giving New South Wales the series lead before it comes to Melbourne in three weeks.
It is the duel in rugby league's crown because of its capacity to deliver time after time. I wasn't sure whether I'd go to the MCG on June 17. I will now. I will now. The AFL landscape is in the grip of the mega James Heard campaign, a phenomenon the likes of which I can't recall. Michael Long stepped forth last night in a rare public statement beseeching the Bombers to install Heard as coach.
The Redemptionists have this rolling with precision and momentum. If I was at Essendon, I'd immediately commission research to accurately measure the sentiments of the membership base. Any public polling is skewed by those who don't barrack for the bombers and seem vehemently against the herd uprising. And I'll say this all year long, it doesn't matter what those on the outside think.
This is a matter for the Essendon faithful. If I was taking a stab from what we'd see, I'd say it runs better than 80% to have Heard finish the story. It might serve Essendon well to fully understand where those numbers lie. We'll hear from interim coach Dean Solomon before this hour is done.
Given Neil Danaher's passing and the Inbroglio surrounding Essendon, it's been hard to have a clear view of what comes next. When my tips were due yesterday, I barely even knew who was playing. So we'll rectify that this morning with Adam Simpson and Brenton Sanderson, the strategy session from 10. There's a few credibility testers on the fixture. The Bulldogs and Collingwood looks like that.
Melbourne versus Giants has a certain air to it. Even more so Brisbane and Fremantle, the perfectly timed high point of round 12. Tonight's starting point is intriguing. Is St Kilda improving to the extent of taking a scalp or destined to live the season unable to beat the teams that really matter? And Hawthorne's night, well that centres around the return of Jack Gunston and Will Day.
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Chapter 2: How did the State of Origin game unfold?
We need to improve our footy. We did a lot of things right, but we thought our contest side of us, we basically got beaten in a contest more than we'd like. So, yeah, we'll get to work on that. We want to bring the best version of ourselves. I think you look at the competition and it's so even and we see... You know, the Saints there in front against Freo in the last quarter in Perth.
They're playing some really good footy. And, you know, we know that the Saints are a side that historically, and Ross' sides are historically really difficult to play against. So being able to create enough threat and enough scoreboard pressure on them is going to be important for us. But by the same token, they've proven that they can score really well.
And I think the potency that they've got with the way that they're playing at the moment has been first class. So we need to perform well tomorrow night.
Sam Mitchell and Ross Lyon setting us up for what's in store on Thursday Night Footy. The eye of the coach is our starting point, Adam Simpson. Hello to you, Simmo. Morning, Gerard. It's been a big week, hasn't it?
It has.
Were you watching Origin?
I was, yeah. Jeez, they handled the ball well. That ball's got the dimples in it, hasn't it? And maybe not in the air, but I don't see a fumble. Do you see a fumble in the last 20? When the game was right on. Um, I didn't see a fumble and we saw a few, I don't quite understand all the, when you get a second crack at it with another five or six tackles, I don't understand.
I don't, I don't know why that happens. I'm not quite sure, but they look like it was a matter of time. And, but that, the way that... Mark, we call it a mark. It was just, it was brilliant finish and the crowd and the rain.
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Chapter 3: What is the significance of James Heard's coaching campaign?
It was just a great day.
And a send off as well. There are those who are bluing about the send off. That's not really our territory on our field. We'll leave that to Vossi to debate the send off. But the fears are at the end is added to by the fact that it was raining and Tedesco's charging down, leaps up. Over the fullback who sort of drops the ball into his own hands.
And look, this is not disrespectful at all, but it's okay to be a yobbo in the crowd too. That's what it looked like. You can just do what you want in terms of the involvement and the music. I could hear the music. I like some of the songs that they were playing and they're living on a prayer. Bon Jovi popped up in the last set. So I don't know. I just felt like they do it really well.
And it's, and yeah, the, the crowd in the, in the rain, it was just a good, good spectacle. It does deliver time after time.
All right, tonight, before we delve into everything else, give us a little teaser for Thursday night footy. We'll be together at Marvel.
It's crept up on us, hasn't it, this tonight? So it's looking at the two games of coming off. I mean, the Saints over there, does it matter? These days coming home from Perth, I think it still does. It's still a big trip. And they threw the kitchen sink at Fremantle. They just got outnumbered in the front half. I think Freo had 27 turnovers in their front half. Saints couldn't get it out.
The last quarter was a bit of a flex from Freo. They kicked five goals from that one particular area, those turnovers. And that's what Ross, in his grumpy press conference, spoke about. And then Hawthorne win in the wet in Tassie. A completely different game than what we're going to get tonight. So... Yeah, I don't know.
It feels like the Saints need a big scout, but I don't feel like it's going to be tonight. You never know. You never know. Some of the Saints supporters I've spoken to aren't too confident is what I'm hearing.
Natural pessimists.
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Chapter 4: How are the upcoming AFL games analyzed?
I think they lost two in a row before that and the draw. Are they back on track? So looking forward to it.
And Will Day's return. So this has the potential to be the next phase of Hawthorne's season. He has been the gaping hole in their midfield, which we already thought was one short even with him there. So 65% of game time in the VFL, it was a carefully crafted plan to have him ready and to have him back. And that's the way they have executed it.
And don't be surprised if he doesn't play on ball. He might be that fifth, the old sub sort of feel about it all, and he might be a different role because I reckon he'd be an exceptional outside player as much as a good halfback, even wing, pinch hit on ball when need to, maybe break glass, the game's on the line type of stuff.
So there'll be definitely a plan the next two or three weeks on how they bring him back into the game without just chucking him straight in the middle. They'll do something that's a little bit different, I would suspect.
All right. So that it's Thursday night footy. We'll go deep with Brenton Sanderson. Roof closed too. As well. Yes. Yeah.
You know, every now and then when it's wet day, it's okay to be at Marvel.
Actually, that's not one of our games with Sandoz. So that's, that, that, that's our little look at, um, at Thursday night footy.
Sure. Culture check. This is the Brisbane Lions. Well, it's difficult to tell with what's happening because not many of us have been through the back-to-back, let's get the three-peat done. So asking anyone for advice, anyone outside of Clarko, Lee Matthews. Lee Matthews is intimately involved.
It's hard to be really critical or to have the advice of, oh, this is what they should do because the journey they've been on, and obviously they lost one as well along the way, the journey they've been on, it's really difficult to say they need to drop people. The loyalty that you get after one flag, let alone two, And I don't think they've got a lot available in the reserves at the moment.
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Chapter 5: What coaching strategies does Chris Scott need to implement for Geelong's success?
And I just think one more thing, and I talk about it always with Geelong, Stewart in particular, someone's got to go to him. So I've just said three players. You probably can't run with three players, but Carlton have got to ensure that Geelong's intercept defenders aren't controlling the air in this game. So, yeah, I think they can. I think they've found a little bit of confidence.
It's a challenging coaching opportunity here for Chris Scott because this is a team that's obviously got an interim coach and they're playing with a lot more freedom. So these are the ones that you need that sort of coaching ability to be able to make sure the Geelong boys stay super focused when preparing for this one. So it could be a danger game. How does Chris Scott address that?
Yeah, well, I guess he's got to ensure contest standards remain. system and role execution paramount for Chris Scott and his team. And I think if I was Chris Scott, and I think he does this really well, I'd highlight the pressure metrics and the indicators. I'd make sure they get the pressure game right. I'd also grab the leaders.
I'd grab Geelong's leaders and just make sure they maybe focus on three or four players each, maybe five players each. that they just keep reconfirming with those boys that, you know, during the game, are you switched on? Are you ready? You know, stay focused. But yeah, if you're Chris Scott, you'd focus on probably Carlton's two or three real strong points.
Chapter 6: How does the pressure of external expectations affect a coach's performance?
focus on the first 15 minutes of the game, you know, you've got to get away to a really good start. But I think, you know, Chris Scott's excellent at this. You know, Geelong rarely do struggle against the lower sides because Scott, he constantly reframes games around system execution, contest integrity, and he always backs in his defensive structure. And I know...
The listeners will say they had that bad loss against Port Adelaide earlier in the year. But Scotty's been in this situation for so long. He's had the ability to be able to focus this team so well for games that potentially could produce to be a danger. Right. How do you see it? I still think the Cats will be too strong. They're in such good form at the moment.
It's probably one of those games that, as I said, it might be an ugly start. Both sides going toe-to-toe. If Geelong can weather the 15-minute storm at the start, I reckon they'll find a way to win. It was probably four to six goals, I reckon, for the Cats. But, yeah, you have to admire what the coaches and the players have turned this around at Carlton. It's been fun to watch.
Brenton Sanderson with our strategy session. We're going deep on the Brisbane Lions and Fremantle next. For City Power, Melbourne's weather partly cloudy at top of 16.
Chapter 7: What are the key challenges faced by Brisbane in their recent games?
City Power working in all conditions to keep your power connected. Essential as. Want to have your say? Ring Gerard on 1300 736 736. Now back to Waitley. The feature game of round 12 is Saturday twilight at the Gabba. It's the Brisbane Lions who appear to be teetering against Fremantle who are on a record 10 game winning streak for the Dockers.
Sando, the narrative around this, well, the Lions have invited all the, all the cliched questions around hunger and exhaustion and they're all real. How does a coach handle the external noise when you're trying to get the team back on track? Yeah, just for a second, I wanted to focus on that a little bit because I think part of it is real and there's an argument for that.
And there's definitely an argument against it. Like why do you have to drop off after three or four years of sort of being ā and I think that's what we call ā the industry calls the premiership window is it feels like you've got three to four years where you're at your absolute peak. And the potential there to win premierships is a real one.
And then for whatever reason, and there is lots of reasons, while it does drop off a little bit. So yeah, there is that genuine long running belief in the AFL that you can only really stay up for three or four years before that sort of burnout or complacency almost inevitably arrives. I think you're right, Gerard.
It's sort of built around, like when you're contending for premierships every year, there has to be an emotional fatigue. There has to be, you know, eventual physical wear and tear because you go so deep in September each year. Sides watch you closer than any other side.
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Chapter 8: How do injuries impact team dynamics and performance in the AFL?
So is that sort of, almost tactical predictability about how you play. And then I want to, the mental element, you know, is there a decline in motivation after being up for so long? So, so part of that, I think emotional fatigue is real because as I said, you play longer seasons, you face that constant scrutiny every week from everyone that's trying to
break down how you play and how to beat you. And then let's not forget as well, every week you are every opponent's grand final. Like everyone sets you to beat last year's premiership team. And I guess you just get used to living in this real high pressure environment of being the target that everyone's chasing. So inevitably it feels like the urgency just dulls a little bit.
And that emotional edge potentially softens. And that hunger, that hunger just subtly changes a little bit too. So I don't know. It sounds crazy. I think you can get mentally tired from having sustained excellence. I just think it's something that is real.
Yeah.
But I also think the counter argument is really powerful as well, because I think the really great sporting organizations have the ability to be able to just keep evolving and just keep, and not every club gets it right either, but there's different opportunities to build your list, to change your tactical identity.
But if your culture's great, if you keep regenerating the list, if you've got really strong leadership programs internally where the young players can step into leadership roles, I think you can sustain the success for longer than that three to four years. But I also do think, Gerard, when people say, They've lost their hunger. I want to challenge that because, like, this is really important.
Elite footballers, they rarely stop caring. And it's just not correct to say the hunger is lost. It's just I think this time of year, and Brisbane went through this a bit last year as well, You're just waiting for September. You just want September to come. And that's when that emotional freshness returns, it feels like.
So, yeah, I just think the capacity to be able to continue to play at that high same level constantly, just over and over and over. Yeah, I think the motivation is different for Brisbane. I think before success... It was like, can we win? Like, can, can we win a premiership? Um, that's really cool.
Cause that's, that, that's the unknown, but then when you win and then you win again, it's like, can we maintain this? And that's, um, that's actually a very different pressure to like, can, can we win it to, can we sustain it? So yeah. I mean, I think the very best dynasties we've seen in the AFL over the last sort of 25 years, they've been three, four, five years because it's just so hard.
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