Rosa finds ways to extend his career
Leslie ready for biggest game of life High-flying Crows break the mould
A LIGHTER and smarter Matt Rosa has changed his approach to football after more than a decade in the AFL in a bid to stay on the field and increase his longevity in the game.
The Gold Coast Suns wingman says he is already feeling the positive effects of a new big-picture mentality that has enabled him to make improvements to his game in his 13th season in the AFL.
Rosa, 30, has traditionally pushed himself to his limits in every training session to enormous success through most of his career and then matched it on game day.
But as he enters the twilight of his career after suffering multiple hamstring problems and a stress fracture in his foot at the end of last year, Rosa has adopted a new plan to remain at his peak for as long as possible.
“I took a different approach this year,” Rosa said after playing 15 games in his first year at the Suns in 2016.
“I spoke with fitness guys at the end of last year and we spoke about maybe playing a couple of kilograms lighter – which I’m doing – to help with the stress I’m putting on my body.
“I have backed off my workload over the pre-season a lot too.
“I’m traditionally someone who likes to max out every session but we are probably a lot smarter about my program.
“I’m coming off a stress fracture in my foot from the end of last season so I was probably forced to do a lot less but the body is definitely feeling good at the moment and hopefully the new plan of attack will keep me on the park for longer periods this year.” TAYLOR Walker may not even know the name of his opponent today but Suns defender Jack Leslie isn’t losing any sleep about the match-up.
Leslie, playing in his ninth AFL game, will lock horns with powerhouse Adelaide skipper Walker at Metricon Stadium.
Walker is coming off a fivegoal haul against the Bombers last week.
With key defenders Rory Thompson (ankle) and Steven May (hamstring) on the sidelines, 21-year-old Leslie has been thrown into the hot-seat.
“It is probably the biggest game of my career but it is more of an opportunity, I reckon, to show I can hold down a key position,’’ he said.
“I have worked hard on my
Rosa has gone from a playing weight of 86kg last year to 83kg this year as part of the changes as he prepares to play in Gold Coast’s Round 5 game against the Adelaide Crows at Metricon Stadium today.
The former West Coast player said it was tough to change his ways but it was something that had already helped him through the first four rounds of 2017.
“It was hard getting my head around it mentally,” Rosa said.
“It is hard to change habits but I’ve got my head around it now and I’m feeling great. I feel like I’m covering the ground well.”
Rosa has excelled on the wing thanks to the Suns’ ability to win the contested ball in recent weeks.
The need to win the midfield battle against an in-form Crows team will be even greater as the Suns try to protect a backline that is without tall defenders Steven May and Rory Thompson.
“We have to make sure as a midfield group that we have elite pressure on the ball and we make those forward 50m entries for them as scrappy as possible,” Rosa said.
“If we can get our hands on the footy it makes life easier for both our forward and backlines.
“We will focus on the way we want to play and we think that will give us a great chance.” positioning and trying to play to my strengths, I’m pretty quick and I feel like I read the play pretty well, so I feel like if I can hold my position I can get the job done.
“I don’t really think about the actual opponent too much.
“I’ve been through some of edits and identified some areas that suit my game style that might be detrimental to him.’’
While Leslie’s comments may suggest a player brimming with confidence, he is far from a brash young upstart.
Instead, he says his selfbelief is a new-found thing that stems from the attention the coaching staff have shown him over the past year.
The depth of the Suns defensive stocks were an area of concern over summer and were exposed when Sam Day suffered a season-ending injury in the opening JLT Series game against Brisbane.
Coach Rodney Eade used Leslie in key defensive roles throughout the rest of the preseason and has faith in him being able to do the job today. DON Pyke has built the highest-scoring Crows team in club history. Defence is still a work in progress.
Unbeaten Adelaide have lifted their scoring average this season to 128 while hitting or breaking the notable 100-point barrier in all four games, a theme that is expected to continue against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium today.
This 128-point average is two goals better than last season’s rewrite of the club record in Pyke’s first season as coach – and five goals sounder than the 2015 group he inherited.
But the Crows also have conceded an average of 88 points to their four opponents this season, conceding an extra goal on last year’s results.
How much of this is a sign of a new focus from most AFL coaches to attacking themes? Does it point to the Crows having shifted, as rival clubs conclude, to backing their imposing attack to always outscore rivals?
Pyke is prepared to accept the game is changing again – Suns B: Harbrow, Leslie, Joyce. HB: Lemmens, Kolodjashnij, Saad. C: Swallow, Ablett, Rosa. HF: Lyons, Lynch, Sexton. F: Matera, Wright, Martin. Foll: Witts, Hall, Barlow. Int: Fiorini, Miller, Ah Chee, Bowes. Emer: Lonergan, Brooksby, Scheer.
Crows B: Laird, Hartigan, Brown. HB: Lever, Talia, Douglas. C: Mackay, Crouch, Smith. HF: Knight, Otten, Atkins. F: Cameron, Walker, Betts. Foll: Jacobs, Sloane, Milera. Int: Crouch, Hampton, Lynch, Menzel. Emer: Beech, Wigg, O’Brien.
The Suns conceded 12 first-half goals and trailed by 53 points at the main break in Round 9 last year before losing by 75 as Taylor Walker bagged five goals.
Gold Coast have never beaten the Adelaide Crows with the average losing margin sitting at 55 points.
A Suns team with a depleted backline have to win the battle in the middle against a Crows team that averages the highest contested possessions (157.5) in the AFL.
Jarrod Harbrow. Together with Adam Saad, the duo will most likely be given the task of silencing Coleman Medal leader Eddie Betts who kicked six goals against Essendon last week. but not the thought he is creating a throwback to the Malcolm Blight era at Geelong where attack was the only concept in the playbook.
“We want to be a side that is strong in all the phases – and our defensive action is important because it starts our ability to get the ball,” Pyke said.
“Our scoring is a result of the work we are doing at the contest – and our defence.”
Adelaide’s defence faces a reshuffle today to cover the loss of Jake Kelly (eye) with Pyke nominating David Mackay and 200-game midfielder Richard Douglas working more often at half-back.
He also has swingman Andy Otten to make the return to defence if needed.