COACHING / TRAINING ARTICLES DIRECTORY

Earlier this week I made a training drills directory page to make it easier to navigate and to be able to search the copious amount of content on here so I thought I'd do the same for the coaching/training articles section.

Again I've added a little bit to each post to sort of categorise what type of article it is for all 80+ of them and I'll update this page as I more articles to the site - go silly!

1. DO WE NEED SHORTER PRE-SEASONS? (coaching)
2. MITCH ROBINSON ON HOW TO PLAY THE WING POSITION (tactical)
3. GAME CHANGER MACRO MOMENTS (book notes)
4. GAME CHANGER TRAINING (book notes)
5. GAME CHANGER TEAM DEFENSE (book notes)
6. GAME CHANGER 4 CO-ACTIVES (book notes)
7. GAME CHANGER TEAM/CLUB CULTURE (book notes)
8. GAME CHANGER PHYSICAL CO-ACTIVE (book notes)
9. GAME CHANGER PSYCHOLOGICAL CO-ACTIVE (book notes)
10. GAME CHANGER STRESS/FATIGUE (book notes)
11. GAME CHANGER TRAINING DRILLS + SPACE + RATING PLAYERS (book notes)
12. HOW I WOULD COACH A WOMEN'S FOOTBALL TEAM (women's football)
13. 5 THINGS TO GET RID OF FROM YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS (coaching)
14. GAME CHANGER GAME STYLE + GAME DAY + MORE (book notes)
15. 5 THINGS TO ADD INTO YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS (coaching)
16. THE PROCESS PART 1 DEVELOPING A WINNING MODEL (book notes)
17. THE PROCESS PART 2 GAME MODEL + GAME PRINCIPLES (book notes)
18. THE PROCESS PART 3 DEFENSE + TRANSITION OFFENSE (book notes)
19. THE PROCESS PART 4 OFFENSE + TRANSITION DEFENSE (book notes)
20. THE PROCESS PART 5 MACRO + MICRO MOMENTS (book notes)
21. THE PROCESS PART 6 GAME MODEL AND TECHNICAL MODEL (book notes)
22. THE PROCESS PART 7 PSYCHOLOGICAL + PHYSICAL CO-ACTIVES (book notes)
23. THE PROCESS PART 8 PLAYER HEALTH + PREPARING THE TEAM (book notes)
24. THE PROCESS PART 9 MORPHCYCLES + USING GAMES (book notes)
25. COACHING MAVERICKS (coaching)
26. ADVICE FOR ALL JUNIOR COACHES (Kobe Bryant week)
27. 10 TIPS FOR IMPROVING CLUB CULTURE (culture)
28. RIP KOBE BRYANT (Kobe Bryant week)
29. KOBE BRYANT MAMBA MENTALITY (book notes)
30. JUNIOR COACH (Kobe Bryant week)
31. MAMBA MINDSET (Kobe Bryant week)
32. THE MAN (Kobe Bryant week)
33. GAME PLAN VIDEO PART 1 STARTING POSITIONS (coaching)
34. FIXING JUNIOR FOOTBALL IT'S JUTS NOT ABOUT FOOTBALL (junior football)
35. 10 MORE TIPS FOR IMPROVING CLUB CULTURE (culture)
36. TACTICAL INSIGHTS INTO AFLW (tactical)
37. COACHING AMATEuR WOMEN'S FOOTBALLERS (women's football)
38. FEMALE FOOTBALLER ACL'S REVISITED (women's football)
39. MORE ON FEMALE ACL INJURIES (women's football)
40. DON'T MISTAKE ACTVITY FOR ACHIEVEMENT - ARE GPS READINSG NECCESARY? (training)
41. 10 SECRETS OF FOOTY PART 1 (training)
42. FOOTY SECRET #1 SPEED DEVELOPMENT (training)
43. FOOTY SECRET #2 LOSE WEIGHT THE EASY WAY (nutrition)
44. FOOTY SECRET #3 HYPERARCH MECHANISM (training)
45. FOOTY SECRET #4 BE ACTIVATED (warm up)
46. FOOTY SECRET #5 IMPROVE VISION TO IMPROVE DECISION MAKING (training)
47. FOOTY SECRET #6 OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BODY (skill development)
48. FOOTY SECRET #7 WATCH/STUDY THE GAME (tactical)
49. FOOTY SECRET #8 CLEAN HANDS (skill development)
50. FOOTY SECRET #9 DEVELOP A GAME MODEL (coaching)
51. FOOTY SECRET #10 DECISION MAKING DURING CHAOS (decision making)
52. FOOTY POST COVID-19 PART 1 (covid-19)
53. FOOTY POST COVID-19 PART 2 (covid-19)
54. DECISION MAKING EMAIL + TRAINING STAGE 2 RESTRICTIONS (covid-19)
55. INCREASING THE AFL DRAFT AGE PART 1 (junior football)
56. INCREASING THE AFL DRAFT AGE PART 2 (junior football)
57. THE FIRST WEEK OF TRAINING POST COVID-19 (covid-19)
58. THE NEW RULES OF COACHING PART 1 COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT (coaching)
59. THE NEW RULES OF COACHING PART 2 PLAYER/ENVIRONMENT CENTERED APPROACH (coaching)
60. THE NEW RULES OF COACHING PART 3 INTRODUCING NEW TRAINING DRILLS (coaching)
61. THE NEW RULES OF COACHING PART 4 GAMES (coaching)
62. THE PROCESS LEVEL II PART 1 (book notes)
63. THE PROCESS LEVEL II PART 2 (book notes)
64. THE PROCESS LEVEL II PART 3 (book notes)
65. THE PROCESS LEVEL II PART 4 (book notes)
66. INDIVIDUAL TACTICS v TEAM TACTICS (tactical)
67. STEP 1 IN DEVELOPING YOUR VERY OWN GAME MODEL (coaching)
68. 1 LINE COACHING GEMS FROM ALL SPORTS (coaching)
69. WAS THIS ESSENDON GOAL A PRODUCT OF POOR JUNIOR COACHING LANGUAGE? (coaching/junior football)
70. FOOTY FOCUS ONLINE COURSE (junior coaching)
71. FOOTY FOCUS COURSE IN DETAIL (junior coaching)
72. THE TEENAGE BRAIN AND HOW YOU CAN COACH THEM (junior football/coaching)
73. FOOTY FOCUS COURSE WEEK 1 (junior football/coaching)
74. QUITE EYE THE CURE FOR GOAL KICKING WOES (psychology)
75. THE KICKING MECHANICS RABBIT HOLE (skill development)
76. KICKING MECHANICS KINOGRAM (skill development)
77. KICKING CONTEXT PROGRESSION (skill development)
78. MY BIGGEST FOOTBALL FAN #RIP DAD (personal)
79. JAMES WORPEL/SAM MITCHEL FILM SESSION (coaching)
80. DEVELOP YOUR OWN GAME MODEL COURSE (coaching)
81. 5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A GAME MODEL (coaching)
82. 4 THINGS I LEARNED FROM THE ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN COACHING FUNDAMENTAL AFL SKILLS COURSE (course notes)
83. GAME MODEL – TRAINING THE MICRO MOMENTS + 6 VIDEOS (coaching)
84. COACHING LANGUAGE (coaching)
85. PLAYER MOTIVATION + OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS (article notes)
86. RESTRUCTURING JUNIOR FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT/TRAINING (junior coaching)
87. 4 LEVELS OFSKILL ACQUISITION (article notes)
88. ONE ON ONE FOOTBALL COACHING
89. SKILL ACQUISITION TWITTER THREAD (notes)
90. USING A DIGITAL VIDEO GAMES APPROACH TO JUNIOR SPORT (article notes)
91. WANT TO GET DRAFTED? HERE'S HOW (course notes)
92. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: HOW TO CHALLENGE YOUR PLAYERS (graph notes)
93. GAME DAY PART 1: PRE-GAME (coaching)
94. GAME DAY PART 2: IN-GAME (coaching)
95. GAME DAY PART 3: POST-GAME (coaching)
96. PSYCHOLOGICAL CO-ACTIVE PART 1 (grand final week)
97. PSYCHOLOGICAL CO-ACTIVE PART 2 (grand final week)
98. LENGTHEN THE GROUND - GRAND FINAL VISION (Richmond FC)
99. HOW NOT TO DEFEND DUSTIN MARTIN - GRAND FINAL VISION
100. GAME SENSE COACHING APPROACH TO AFL BOOK REVIEW
101. 10 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE AFL SPORTSREADY GAME PLANS COURSE PART 1
102. 10 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE AFL SPORTSREADY GAME PLANS COURSE PART 2
103. 10 STEPS TO DEVELOPING TRAINING DRILLS THROUGH YOUR GAME MODEL
104. TRAINING ON THE EDGE (skill development)
105. 1ST TRAINING SESSION BACK – FULL LAY OUT (coaching)
106. TACTICAL COACHING CHECKLIST (coaching)
107. INTRODUCING/TEACHING TACTICS (coaching/tactical)
108. WHY TACTICS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF COACHING (2 PART VIDEO) (tactical)
109. WHY TACTICS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF COACHING (PART 2) (tactical)
110. SO WHEN CAN I USE CONE-TO-CONE DRILLS? (coaching)
111. PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY (THE RICHMOND METHOD) (psychological)
112. 25 COACHING TIPS FROM 25 COACHES (coaching)
113. DECISION MAKING PART 1 (decision making)
114. DECISION MAKING PART 2 (decision making)
115. GAME INTELLIGENCE PART 1 (coaching/tactical/decision making/psychological)
116. GAME INTELLIGENCE PART 2 (coaching/tactical/decision making/psychological)

4 THINGS I LEARNED FROM THE ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN COACHING FUNDAMENTAL AFL SKILLS COURSE

3 weeks or so ago I took part in a course run by AFL Sportsready on the coaching fundamentals of AFL skills.

It was presented by Austin Stubs over at AFLHP Coaching who has worked at pretty much every level of football you can imagine, including the AFL, last employed at Essendon FC before the Covid cuts.

Here are 4 things I picked up from the course and have put to immediate use.

1. ABILITY v SKILL

If you're into doing player ratings of some description then you first need to know what you're dealing with in regards to that actual player and what they're natural attributes are versus what can actually be developed, so it's important to know the difference between ability and skill.

Ability

• Inherited Traits
• Hand Eye Coordination
• Reaction Time
• Strength/Energy System Qualities (strength, power, speed, endurance, flexibility etc)

Skill

• Developed with Practice
• Game Specific Sporting Actions
• Decision Making

All things can be improved with a consistency of long term training but that's rarely seen at the local/amateur level so you need to decide the balance on raising the floor (building weaknesses) v raising the roof (enhancing strengths even further).

2. STABILITY OF ENVIRONMENT

This can broken down into types of play:

Closed play is where the player with the ball is free to do what they want with the ball with zero constraints on them such as time, space or pressure.

An example of this is when a player takes a mark and goes back for their kick - they have no physical pressure on them as they perform the skill, they have all the space they need to execute the skill and they have ample time to do it in.

Open play is when the player with the ball is in a continuous motion so if the player above kicks to a short option who then turns and plays on immediately.

From playing on this player now has increased the physical pressure that can be applied as they now can be tackled, the options up the field become less stable as the time required to find the right option and execute the skill has now been decreased.

Simply using these 2 terms can help you greatly in the development of training scenarios around each type of play.

3. STAGES OF LEARNING

There are 3 stages of learning:

Cognitive

• Understand/Develop Basic Movement Patterns

Associative

• Refine Movement Patterns/Associate Environmental Cues

Autonomous

• Automatic

A general but not quite correct way to look at them are beginner, intermediate and advanced stages of development but again it's important to know where each player sits to determine what drills you use for certain players.

The days of using the same drill for every player on your list at the same time HAS to go as it's a major time waster as you're only adequately challenging a fraction of your playing list in any 1 drill.

4. ADDING SKILLS

This was probably the biggest thing for me as I it's something I recognised was missing from my own game years ago.

It specifically involves adding an extra skill, or movement, to something you already have to make it more effective.

It might be something like being able to handle the ball in your opposite hand to open options both sides of you versus 1 side, it might taking extra time to nail down the specifics of your team's game model so you can improve your positions and the ability to receive ball in time and space or simply adding a side step your repertoire to shake free a defender coming at you again allowing for more time, space and technical execution of the next disposal.

If the course comes around for a round 2, which I think it has already has (?), then I strongly suggest taking it up for coaches of all levels, grades and abilities.

TRAINING DRILLS DIRECTORY

I reached my 50th post in my training drills section the other dayso I thought I would make a directory page that's a bit easier to navigate.

Some posts have up to 8 drills in 1 so the total number is closer 80 odd.

I've ordered them on the directory page in the order that I've posted them but I 've also added a small descriptive bit to each drill link that tells you a bit more about the drill.

1. STRAIGHTENING UP KICKING DRILL (solo skill)
2. HANDBALL TOUCHES (partner skill)
3. KICK TO KICK WITH PURPOSE (small group skill)
4. RONDO TRAINING DRILL (small sided game + team training)
5. TEACH ANYONE TO KICK TRAINING DRILL/S (solo skill)
6. EVASION/DECISION MAKING TRAINING DRILL (small group decision making)
7. KICKING DECISION MAKING TRAINING DRILL (medium group decision making)
8. CLARKO’S CLUSTER SMALL SIDED GAME PROGRESSION (team tactics)
9. TEAM WARM UP WITH BALLS DRILL (team training)
10. PROGRESSIVE PRESSURE RONDO DRILL (small sided game+ team training)
11. CORNER, OFFENSE, DEFENSE DRILL (small sided game + team training)
12. STRAIGHTENING UP KICKING PART 2 (solo skill)
13. 4 GOAL SMALL SIDED GAME (small sided game + team training)
14. KICK FROM THE MIDDLE DRILL (small group skill)
15. 4 TEAM RONDO (small sided game + team training)
16. SPECIFIC SKILL DRILLS (SYDNEY SWANS)
17. SMALL SIDED FULL GROUND DRILL (team training scenario)
18. 3v3v3 POSSESSION (small sided game team training)
19. 3 TEAM GAME TRAINING DRILL (small sided game team training)
20. STRAIGHTENING UP KICKING PART 3 (solo skill)
21. SWITCH ON WARM UP (team training)
22. AWAY LEAD + SQUARE UP KICK DRILL (skill rehearsal cone drill)
23. GAME PLAN VIDEO PART 1 – STARTING POSITIONING (team tactics)
24. GAME PLAN VIDEO PART 2 – MIDS/WINGS STOPPAGE CLEARANCE (team tactics)
25. GAME PLAN VIDEO PART 3 – FORWARDS (team tactics)
26. GAME PLAN VIDEO PART 4 – BACKLINE + TRANSITION OFFENSE (team tactics)
27. 6 GROUP 1-2 TRAINING DRILL (team training scenario)
28. PASSING DRILLS PART 1 (skill rehearsal cone drills)
29. PASSING DRILLS PART 2 (8 MORE!!) (skill rehearsal cone drills)
30. PASSING DRILLS PART 3 (6 MORE!!) (skill rehersal cone drills)
31. PASSING DRILLS PART 4 (4 MORE!!) (skill rehersal cone drills)
32. PASSING DRILLS PART 5 (3 MORE!!) (skill rehersal cone drills)
33. SPIRAL DRILL + 10 TRAINING POINTS FROM IT (team training scenario)
34. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 3 PLAYER 2 HANDBALL DRILL (small group game)
35. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 3 PLAYER PUSH BACK KICK (small group game)
36. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 4v1 + CONE TOUCH (small group game)
37. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 6 PLAYER SCAN + KICK (small group scenario)
38. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 3v2 OUTSIDE KICK (small group skill)
39. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 4v4+2 (medium group scenario)
40. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 5v2 RONDO (small group game)
41. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – 6 LEVEL GAME (medium group game)
42. COVID 19 SPECIFIC RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS – BRAIN TRAIN (small group skill)
43. YOUTH FOOTBALL COACH REQUEST - BALL MOVEMENT DRILL/S (team tactics)
44. BALL MOVEMENT DRILLS PART 2 (team tactics)
45. SYDNEY SWANS FAKE KICK OUT TACTIC
46. COVID-19 RESTRICTION SPECIFIC DRILLS - WHISTLE SWITCH KICK (small group reaction)
47. POSSESSION + COMPACT DEFENSE TRAINING DRILL (medium group tactics)
48. GOAL KICKING KINGS TRAINING DRILL (small group game)
49. KICKING WITH CONTEXT TRAINING SCENARIOS (6 VIDEOS) (small group decision making)
50. 3v3 KICK TO KICK TRAINING DRILL (small group decision making)
51. ZONE KICK OUT + TRANSITION TRAINING DRILL (team training tactics)
52. 1 STEP RELEASE KICK LAYER
53. THE LEARNING PROCESS
54. 3 TEAM 4v2
55. 4v1 RONDO (7 LAYERS)
56. FORWARDS RUNNING PATTERNS
57. MIXED SQUARES (3 DRILLS)
58. KEEPING DEFENSIVE SHAPE TRAINING DRILL (team tactics)
59. TRAINING ON THE EDGE – KICK DEVELOPMENT (small group skill)
60. TRAINING ON THE EDGE- DECISION MAKING (small group decision making)
61. TRAINING ON THE EDGE – PSYCHOLOGICAL CO-ACTIVE (team tactics)
62. 1ST TRAINING SESSION BACK – WARM UP, KICKING DEVELOPMENT, DEFENSE (team training)
63. 1ST TRAINING SESSION BACK – LINE WORK (MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS/BACKS) (team training)
64. 1ST TRAINING SESSION BACK – GAMES (team training)
65. GAME SIMULATION ONLY SESSION (team training)
66. 3 GAME COMBO TRAINING DRILL (team training)

 

ZONE KICKOUT + TRANSITION TRAINING DRILL

Players Required: 20 (9/side + 2 extra's)

Balls Required: 1/group

Space Required: 70m to goal line

Drill Level: Moderate

Here it is...

If you would like acces to this training drill and plenty more than register for a level 3 membership at https://aussierulestraining.com/membership-account/membership-levels/.

5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A GAME MODEL

#1 - PRINCIPLES OVER SITUATIONAL PLAY

A game model at its most basic level contains 3 "moments" being game, macro and micro moments.

These 3 types of moments involve the time of the moment, the location of the moment and what your team can control in those moments.

A lot of current game plans involve situational play like stoppages, kick outs and zone defenses, that require individual skill and ability to execute adequately where the game model looks more closely at principles of team play that every player of any ability can perform repeatedly.

It favours system over ability but ability can make the game model that much more potent.

#2 - FULL TEAM COHESIVENESS

A champion team will always beat a team of champions...

When the game model is laid out for every player to learn then it is clear of what the roles are in each of the game moments and their macro and micro-moments.

When everyone knows their role as well as everyone else's this team builds a level of team cohesiveness rarely seen at the local/amateur level because everyone is capable of fulfilling their role in the game model, as mentioned above.

This builds a high amount of trust between each and every player on the team which negate the wide varying abilities and fitness levels of each team member.

You've got to build that trust somewhere and with local/amateur players all playing for various reasons, this is probably the easiest way to unite all those different motivations for a common cause.

#3 - COMMON TEAM LANGUAGE

Going back to local/amateur teams all having players of various abilities and backgrounds, the use of language is constantly overlooked.

At any 1 time at a footy club, you could have 4 - 5 "groups" of players in the 1 team with some coming from the same clubs before you're, some having played division 1/2 football and others relatively new to the game or your more social footballers.

This means that what each player knows and how they express that can be done 22 different ways in a single team, and then the coach on top of that.

Simply instructing your players to "go harder" will mean 22 different things to 22 different players leaving at best only a fraction of your team actually knowing what you mean.

The game model introduces and reinforces a common language that all players and coaches will use at training and during games that will improve communication, especially in the heat of games, dramatically.

#4 - IMPROVED DECISION MAKING

The game model lays out what everyone should be doing at any 1 time which reduces player uncertainty during games, essentially making their decision with the ball for them before they even have to make it.

All that's left to do from there is to actually collect the ball which you can do better now because you've been given time and space from already knowing what your decision is once you get the ball.

Once the game model has been mastered then players will be able to get creative around it, finding multiple ways of solving the same problem which no team can then defend against.

#5 - ENHANCES COACHING EFFECTIVNESS AND EFFICIENCY

I was sent a game plan the other day that was about 20 pages long with about 10 different diagrams of all different situational play scenario's that all players were expected to know inside and out.

Too much information equals too much thinking during games equals "BAAALLLLL!!!"

On top of that it makes it very hard for the coach to give feedback, which needs to brief, when there are so many intricate details to go over.

I've been developing a game model with a local junior coach here in Melbourne this week and we've managed to get everything in a single diagram on 1 single page.

Anything you put together as a coach has to be implementable by every single player in your team, not just the top 10, for sustained success.

If a game model sounds like something that would take your coaching to whole new level in 2021, and it will, then check out this link.

PLAYER ASSESSMENT ESSENTIALS

A query was posted in one of the many coaching Facebook pages I'm in asking about individual game review/feedback templates so I thought I'd have a crack at one quickly.

Now where 99% of these types of things (assessments) look at the end result, my style is looking at the process of how you got there.

Why I hear the ether ask?

Because there a hundreds of variables that can dictate skill level and thus output on any given day some of which is luck, opposition and weather conditions but if you land yourself in an elimination final with the umpires against you against a team you haven't beaten all year on a shitty August Saturday in Melbourne, then what's worked for you in perforct conditions will not work for you today and the processes you use to build your results during the season is all that you're left with.

I also think that player assessments of any sort are more about pinpointing weakness then strengths which I'm not big on either - especially at local and junior levels of football.

I would make them available for sure but only to those who want them as they'll respond to them better then those who don't want to be rated, but are anyway, causing all sorts of psychological stress that they carry with them in games and at training.

So as always I will base the assessment on the 4 co-actives of sport:

1. Physical
2. Psychological
3. Tactical
4. Technical

So as not to make this information too dense to the player you need to ask questions that will hopefully provide answers and thus data, you can use going forward.

You could track attendance but what if that kid has a part time job, does 2 other sports and a heap of homework?

A coach will never say anything negative towards them about those types of things but they do affect 1 aspect of the assessment so what else can you do with that data with that player - or is it just not worth taking?

Here's what I'd ask for each co-active.

PHYSICAL

1. How did you feel pre-game? (take pre-game if possible)
2. How do you feel in game? (take in-game if possible, half or 3/4 time)
3. What was your personal rate of perceived exertion for the full game? (take straight after game)
4. How do you feel post game? (take about an hour post-game)

PSYCHOLOGICAL

1. Rate your sleep quality of the past 3 nights (take pre-game)
2. Rate your stress level away from football for the past 3 - 4 days (take pre-game)
3. Rate your in game stress levels (take straight after game)
4. How stable were your stress levels during the entire game? (take about an hour post-game)

TACTICAL

1. Were you able to stick the coaches/teams game model and give examples of how and when?
2. How effectively were you able to play your specific role/s during the game and give examples of how and when?
3. Were you able to get to dangerous positions both offensively and defensively and give examples of how and when?
4. Did you beat your man on the day and provide examples of how and when?
5. Were you effective in communicating with your teammates throughout the game and provide examples of how?

TECHNICAL

1. Grade your skill level and decision making during closed skill game play and provides examples of when.
2. Grade your skill level and decision making during open skill game play and provide examples of when.
3. Grade your skill level and decision making during non-pressured game play and provide examples of when.
4. Grade your skill level and decision making during pressured game play and provide examples of when.

Hopefully you've noticed that I have used a player-centered approach over a coach-centered approach which by providing ownership of the process to the player in question will encourage more honest answers and not just answers the player thinks the coach wants to here.

Getting back to the negative connotation of assessments mentioned above, coach only assessments actually give you nothing to work with because the assessment requirements are probably subjective to the coach themselves (kicking skill, handballing skill, work rate etc) and plus if I was given assessment without being able to have any input I'd get a bit defensive and non-compliant myself, let alone as a 17 year old (which happened too don't worry about that!).

DEVELOP YOUR OWN GAME MODEL COURSE

WHAT

Developing your own game model is the next frontier in coaching at all levels and is something developed to make your coaching, especially in under-resourced conditions, a lot easier to implement, resulting in greater player compliance and thus team results.

I have developed this off the back of my readings of Fergus Connolly and his Game Changer and The Process Books who has worked in the AFL system in the past.

WHY

It’s more than a book full of game plans based on specific scenarios from games as it is based more on principles, so players of all abilities and experience can follow them, providing the team cohesion usually lacking at local/amateur/junior level.

Once completed you can then use it to guide you through what to train and how to train it, what stats you need to take to ensure the game model is being followed as best as it could be and you even hand it out to your senior playing group for everyone to get to know so there’s no excuses for cohesive breakdowns.

Creativity is born out of knowing the team’s structure thoroughly and without it, you simply have 22 players playing 22 different ways.

HOW

3 x 1on1 Zoom sessions plus homework, to be completed between Zoom sessions.

Each 1on 1 session will you and I gradually developing your game model based on the information you put together and present between each Zoom catch up.

I’m only there to guide you through the process and maybe add an idea or 2, this will be your game model that’s developed, not mine, and something you can use and build on once you have the foundations laid down.

WHO

This course is aimed at local/amateur coaches of any age group, grade and experience of male or female teams.

Those not currently coaching but maybe looking towards that path in the near future will also get plenty out of this course as well.

COST

$100 for the entire course.

With time on our hands, especially here in Victoria, and the need for far better coaching from next season onwards with huge cuts in league salary caps, you are in the perfect to put this together and have it ready and raring to go for pre-season 2021.

If you’re interested in this course or have any questions on it then email Troy at aussierulestraining@gmail.com.

JAMES WORPEL / SAM MITCHELL FILM SESSION

This video came up on my Twitter feed today showing some film session insight between James Worpel and Sam Mitchell after the Hawks/Sydney game a couple of weeks back.

It shows a non-complicated and controlled way of giving direct feedback to a player in a 1-on-1 setting, something not used enough in local/amateur football circles for various reasons but I would suggest the suggest one is not really knowing how to go about it.

The Master and His Protégé. 👨‍🏫

Gain true inner sanctum access as James Worpel goes through his review with Sam Mitchell. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IIuIz1b1zV

— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) August 8, 2020

Here are my thoughts from the video in order from when they occurred.

DON'T TELL YOUR PLAYERS, ASK THEM

Noone see's the exact same thing so it's important to ask them what they saw, why they did this, what are you thinking at this point and coaching to what actually happened rather then what you want to happen.

I actually posted a blog on this last year (part 1 + part 2)on when I went through a similar process with one of my teammates after a one of our games but without the footage which makes it a bit tougher but it also gave me far more insight on why he did what he did.

THE GPS DISCUSSION

This was intriguing to me as I thought with all the sports science at AFL level that this would have been left in the dark ages but Mitchell asks "How did you feel?" and Worpel responds with "Best I've felt all year". Mitchell then asks "What did you do differently last week?" and Worpel says "Extra". Mitchell finishes by saying "That's what happens...".

Now without the correct context but doing 1 week of "extra's" does not physiologically show up in 4 days time, adaptation does not work that quick unfortunately but it can work just as effectively psychologically whether you really needed the extra work or not, knowing that you've done the work and you can handle whatever workload comes your way.

But if he needed extra work then why didn't the fitness staff give him that work anyway? Oh the rabbitt hole...

THE SPIN MOVE

In the AFLHP Fundamental Skills course I did the other week included a section on what is called "adding skills".

This refers to say, you have just collected the ball and have an opposition player right at you straight away and to avoid getting tackled you just slam the ball on the boot.

To make this more effective and advantageous for you and your team, what skill could you add to this scenario to do that?

You could add a side step to avoid them all together or being able to kick both the sides of the body to use whatever angle the opposition player has given you.

We've had a bloke play for our 2's spasmodically over the years who has a Rugby background and thus has the deadly side step they all have and I've always said to him I don't have that so it's definitely a skill I can add to my game even at this point of my career.

WHAT'S YOUR NEXT INVOLVEMENT

One of the biggest and not-even-thought-of pitfalls of cone to cone drills is that you are where you need to be all the time but on game days that is rarely the case - you need to know how to get there before you can actually be there.

This means you need to create scenarios/situations at training where this needs to happen.

THE KEEP YOUR FEET PART

Mitchell asks Worpel that is the not keeping your feet something he needs to remind of him of and that reminds me of something I read not long ago where you should ask your players if there is anything they specifically want you, as coach, to do or ask before, during and after games that will assist in them maintaining their performance and if it's good enough for Sam Mitchell then it's good enough for me!

BACK YOURSELF

If you get through the contest then go!

MAKE IT LIGHT HEARTED

It's not really a feedback rather than a discussion is it?

Even in the what of battle Mitchell always played with a smile and that will carry through his coaching career by the looks of it the way he keeps this light and jovial ("you cost us a goal, he, he").

RATHER THEN JUST WORKING FOR THE SAKE OF WORKING

Doing a bit of a reverse from the GPS point above he actually applauded Worpel for sort of strategically resting and not just working for the sake of working which is great advice - if you're caught out of position and can't impact the play immediately then similar to the next involvement point above, how can turn this into an advantage?

DON'T WASTE DISTANCE

Mitchell says something along the lines of "If you didn't go back behind the mark where could you have gotten the ball to" which I assume is another 20 - 25m deeper which could be the difference between a goal and a nothing if you get the ball around half forward - definitely something a coach needs to tell his players and train for to make it happen on game day.

VIDEO YOUR OWN GAMES IF YOU CAN

I know that all senior leagues in metropolitan Melbourne now record all their games and make them available to all clubs but if you can get a video camera and someone to handle it then I would definitely encourage all teams to video their games, and ressies as possible.

Watching the senior games back from last year that I played here showed me how different things can look when you're right there with the ball and what they can look like from somewhere else on the ground or even from a coaching/spectator viewpoint.

MY BIGGEST FOOTBALL FAN #RIP DAD

Saturday's ago we got a call from my brother back home that Warrnambool that Dad had taken himself into hospital and was to undergo surgery for a bowel obstruction which we thought was a pretty routine sort of a thing for a hospital to perform.

4 - 5 hrs later the doctors knew there was nothing they could do and at midday Sunday we all got the call that whenever we decide to turn the machines off that he would drift away in his sleep.

I grew up with 3 older brothers, 4 and half years apart from oldest to youngest.

Mum and dad separated when I was 5 and a half but dad was always around with his specific role from then on to drive all us boys (and later a younger sister), to and from all sport and work shifts.

In 1988 I went down to training with my brothers not really to train or anything but just to tag along and Ray Harrington asked me to join in training with the under 14's, the youngest team available to play for at the time even though I was 7 and a half and no more than 25kgs at the time.

In the 90's basketball hit it big in Australia including our house so the old man required for a few more sporting trips with all 4 of us boys taking it up at the Tinhouse in Warrnambool.

So at 1 time the old man would drive 4 boys to and from footy training 2/week on potentially different nights, basketball 1 a week each, to and from work (3 out of 4 of us boys worked at Maccas on the other side of town at the same time for a short period) on all different days of the weeks plus the odd indoor cricket game as well.

Dad would take us where we wanted no questions asked at his own financial and personal expense and was fitting that one of my brothers said at his funeral last Friday that there was definitely times he forwent feeding himself to make sure we had boots, shoes, shorted etc as well as he having enough petrol to do so.

We obviously took this for granted as kids.

At some point, and the earliest record we have is in 1991 although I'm sure it could go back as far 1989/1990 he started to take out football stats each game we played.

I can't place it personally but I was always big into reading the player stats in the paper such as Greg Williams' kicks and handballs (usually 35 - 40 per game), Justin Madden's hit outs (45 - 50 per game) and my personal fave, the old school full forwards stat line of 8 kicks, 7 marks, 1 handball and 6 goals and 2 behinds.

I'm thinking I put him onto it but it's too long ago to remember now.

In the good old days some Saturday's would look like this:

8am: Pick Up

9am: Under 14's

10:00am: Under 16's

10:30am: Under 18's

12pm - Reserves

2pm: Seniors

6pm: Home time with Ollie Trollies and the VFL around-the-grounds on the radio!

At certain points of time there would have been 1 of us playing in each grade on these days with juniors sometimes playing away from the seniors/ressies/u18's and he'd drive us from 1 to the other.

It was a mammoth day only made easier when lower junior grades started and junior footy moved to Sunday's but still that just meant that it was 2 days choc-a-blockwith footy, not 1.

It was a huge task that fed and solidified out love of footy that continues to today.

We all received plenty of messages from those we played with at Dennington mentioning his constant appearance at games and his aforementioned stat taking which became a bit of a talking point straight after games and of which I'll post a few of later this week.

I've always thought of trying to get him up to Melbourne to watch one last game of mine before I retire (if that ever happens) but he hated coming up to the city and it never happened which I'm now sad about.

Instead I'm trying to get my 3 other broken down brothers to suit up for an over 35's game next season as I don't think we've ever played a game in the 1 side ever but we'll see how that goes with 1 living in Newcastle.

To my #1 football fan, Dad, I love you.