WEST Coast took the unusual step of closing its pre-season training sessions in the month leading up to Christmas, but senior assistant coach Peter Sumich says there is nothing game plan-related the club is trying to hide.
In fact, after a coaching restructure at the end of 2008 led to a strategy shift, Sumich says this time around there is very little the Eagles are aiming to modify.
"We haven't really changed too much from last year and you’ll see that," he told afl.com.au.
"There really wasn't too much involved with game plans while they were closed sessions.
"Without trying to hide anything, we just did it for concentration - we didn't want people everywhere.
"The whole team and the staff are concentrating on the session and nothing else - that was the major reason."
While new game plans and positional changes are points of interest for opposition clubs, Sumich said AFL intelligence wasn't necessarily all that valuable at this stage.
"You can get a false sense of security," he said.
"We can go and look at Fremantle and see that they're running well. Well we're running well. What does that all mean?
"We might be training the house down while Hawthorn are training the house down. Come round one I don't think it means a lot."
Nonetheless, the move appears to have paid off for West Coast, with Sumich praising the players for a faultless start to their summer program.
He said Scott Selwood, Bradd Dalziell, Josh Kennedy, Quinten Lynch, Tom Swift, Chris Masten and Andrew Embley had been the standouts.
Off the track, Sumich said it was the time of year assistant coaches discuss positional changes and Mitch Brown, the star of the 2009 pre-season, was at the top of their list.
"We haven't really decided [where he'll play]," Sumich said of the key position player, who is suited at both ends of the ground.
"That's going to be a talking point for the NAB Cup and going forward, whether he plays forward or back.
"It depends on team balance and where he's needed. If he's needed back I think I'll see that."
UPDATE:
West Coast will field six vice-captains under a revised leadership structure announced on Sunday.
Five players have been promoted to join ruckman Dean Cox, who served as deputy last seson: Adam Selwood, Beau Waters, Matt Priddis, Josh Kennedy and Shannon Hurn.
Darren Glass will return as Eagles captain for the third successive year.
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