You Can Still Improve This Season

It’s now July and we’re pretty smack bang in the middle of the season. The weather has really taken a turn for the worse down here in Melbourne which can really have a big effect on training numbers and thus team performance.

We don’t rest on our laurels down here at Aussie Rules Training so here’s some tips on how you can still end up being a better player by the end of this season, even if you started late, had an injury or just couldn’t get near it.

Sprint to the Hat

You hear it every training session but I bet you never do it. Sprinting right through to the hat, especially during full ground drills teaches to push up and get to the next contest. It enables you to get more touches during training and a game and if your fitness is a little behind for any reason, it’s a no brainer then.

Run Your Arse Off During Games

There is no replicating game running at training no matter how hard you try. The unpredictability of a game versus training (kick to this cone who marks and handballs to this bloke) is what sets this type of running apart. Training drills only go forwards and there’s no turning back for a turn over or missed possession. Back in 2009 I couldn’t train and got my only fix from a game so I made sure I ran as much as I could during them even if meant I had to drag myself for a breather. It’s not like you’ll never get back on and if you can’t breathe then what value are you on the ground then really?

So run those wings, run for no reward and run just to keep your opponent guessing and moving, especially in the forward line. As a backman there’s nothing better than a forward who just stands there because you know exactly where the ball is coming from and where it’s going to be kicked to next.

Get In Early and Leave Late

The difference between a B grade and A grade player is work rate. More times than not they’ll have similar traits in regards to fitness and ball getting abilities but it is he that does more work that will excel. I think we have all heard the Gary Ablett Jr story from 2005 or 2006 where his teammates told him he didn’t work hard enough and he could be anything and now he’s getting 40 touches a game. And he got it all from improved work rate.

So do an extra session during the week. Get to training early and get some skill work in. Stay late and get some tempo runs in. You will not be a lesser player for doing it but the pay offs can be great.

Don’t Wait For Your Turn at Training

During drills, don’t wait for your turn. Just be an extra runner with who is about to go and chances are you’ll get a handball or a touch from a missed kick or mark. The one’s that wait back can wait their turn and that’s probably what they do Saturdays. Be in every drill all the time.

Try Things You Can’t Do

Can you kick opposite foot? Can you handball opposite hand? More importantly when you are on your opposite side at training, do you try and use it or do you square up and get on your good side?

Unfortunately during a game you don’t have this luxury of time so why not practice it in a pressure free environment at training. It’s better than looking ordinary from getting a holding the ball during a game that results in a game. It’s actually amazing how many AFL players can’t kick on their opposite side really.

Other things you can try are stab passes keeping the ball low, kicking after 2 or 3 steps, handballing out in front so the player doesn’t have to rotate or over stretch to get the ball and marking out in front with 1 grab.

Ask Your Coach What He Wants You to Improve On

There’s nothing like some tough love and honesty! Your coach will not give you a barrelling for asking this question and your standing with him actually increase because no one is asking this question. They’re happy just making the same mistakes every week.

If you’re not clear on what he wants then ask for clarification and maybe to show you some examples of what he wants you to do.

Progress Your Kicking and Marking

The point of training is to try and improve your game. What I see a lot of at footy clubs is the same blokes making the same mistakes over and over again, especially with basic skills such as kicking and marking.

They are easy skills to perform as we've been doing the since we first picked up a footy, but why are some blokes better then others? Because the train with purpose and that purpose is to try and train under game situations in regards to speed and quality of execution.

At training it's pretty easy to do a slow to medium lead and just let the ball fall into your hands for a chest mark and it's also pretty easy to just jog into a kick and pop on top of the other guys head because there is no body chasing you as you kick and there is no one around to spoil your teammate as he goes for the mark.

Fast forward to a Saturday and you're caught with the ball before you even know you had it and whatever kicks you do have are not effective and pretty much set up the opposition's run back into the half of the ground.

By progressing your kicking and marking at training, you can inject a bit of game simulated training. Now I understand that we aren't all Nathan Buckley-like kicks or Travis Cloke-type marks (and I'm not even a Collingwood supporter) and constantly trying to do the 50m spear pass that doesn't reach higher then a meter off the ground can result in some pretty dodgy kicks which can decrease the overall team training quality and it can also wreck havoc with your confidence so try these progressions for kicking and marking at your next training session.

Kicking

Progression 1 - run at about 50% keeping the flight of the ball relatively low to the distance you need to kick and use about 70% of your kicking power. Repeat this progression on your next kick. If both kicks are successful then move to progression 2.

Progression 2 - run at about 65% keeping the flight of the ball relatively low to the distance you need to kick and use about 80% of your kicking power. Repeat this progression on your next kick. If both kicks are successful then move to progression 2.

Progression 3 - run at about 80% keep the ball relatively low to the distance you need to kick and use about 90% of your kicking power. Repeat this progression on your next kick. If both kicks are successful then move to progression 2.

Progression 4 -  run at about 95% keep the flight of the ball relatively low to the distance you need to kick and use about 100% of your kicking power. 

Marking

Progression 1 - lead up at about 70% and mark the ball on your chest.

Progression 2 - lead up at about 80% and mark the ball in your hands with bent arms.

Progression 3 - lead up at about 90% and mark the ball in your hands with straight arms.

Progression 4 - lead up at 100% and mark the ball in your hands with straight arms.

For both skills, only progress once you perform and complete each skill 2 times in a row. If you progress to a higher level skill and you miss the first attempt then try again. If you fail again then drop back to the previous progression and get your confidence going again and try again.

Obviously these can be subject to who's kicking to you and who you're kicking too but it will hold true for the most part.

Actually implementing these will improve your performance and while everyone is slowing down form a tough season, you’ll only be getting better.