“The Bubble”
Inside the Saints in 2010
By David Misson - Elite Performance Manager, St Kilda Football Club

As he considered the end of the 2009 football season, and the devastating Grand Final loss to Geelong, St Kilda head of conditioning David Misson pondered life inside the elite world of an AFL club:

“I honestly believe only those on the inside understand the reality of a year in the life of a football club. That’s not an arrogant statement, more a fact - only those who put in the hours, who sit in every meeting and make the decisions, can possibly understand the ramifications of what happens for two hours each and every weekend between March and, hopefully, September.”

Misson has now detailed that life inside the Saints’ “bubble”. One of the most complete insider’s views of the mechanics of playing a season of League football, The Bubble takes you inside Moorabbin during 12 turbulent months. The Saints played in three Grand Finals over this period, including the historical 2010 draw against Collingwood, but failed to come away with the game’s ultimate prize.

With access available only to someone inside the inner sanctum, The Bubble tells this story, including many behind-the-scenes stories relating to the devastation and grief following the 2009 Grand Final loss to the Cats, plus the injury and rehabilitation of Nick Riewoldt, whose season appeared over after a complex hamstring injury in Round 3.

‘When I walked in, Misso and the docs and physios were there staring at the screen (showing the scan results). There was silence, and I thought, “This can’t be good,”’ Riewoldt said. “I think they were all in shock, really, trying to process what had happened. The muscle was pristine but the tendon had exploded.’

The constant monitoring of playing up to the internal expectations of “Saints Footy” is also addressed, with key insights from St Kilda Coach Ross Lyon.

Wednesday, 4 August
‘We haven’t played Saints footy for at least a month,’ Ross Lyon intoned. ‘The intensity, the hunger, the commitment to structures. Our last four games haven’t been the type of footy we’ve prided ourselves on. We will talk about the opposition at my last meeting but everything we do before then will be about us.’

Ultimately, Misson has written this book for the one reason: to explain the constant challenge of getting 22 fit footballers on the arena each and every week.


“The Bubble” - Inside the Saints in 2010
By David Misson
Published by Weston Media & Communications
RRP $35



About David Misson
David Misson has been at the forefront of preparing elite athletes for nearly 20 years. After working in elite sport for such organisations as the Wallabies, Waratahs, Cricket NSW, North Sydney Bears, Tennis Australia, NSWIS Track and Field and Sydney Swifts Netball, he linked up with the Australian Cricket Team from the period 1998 to 2001. From 2001 he started in AFL and worked with the Sydney Swans until he moved to Melbourne and began his journey with the St Kilda Football Club in 2008.