Category: Training/Coaching Articles

Looks like I’m back for another year of doing this and to be honest, I can’t watch a game anymore without looking out for this type of stuff. This is from today’s pre-season game between the Swans and Giants in a 2 part video, with a sprinkle of Brisbane on the end of the 2nd...

Yet another study showing the player development superiorities associated with training with a games-based focus (constraints-led approach, ecological dynamics etc). If you’re still using more then 1 cone drill for more then 10% of your total training session then I really don’t know what to tell you at this point as this about the 10th...

If you’re as listener of SEN then you might have come across this interview (Garry and Tim from Tuesday 11th of Feb from the 64min mark) with new Sydney Swans head coach Dean Cox during the week – my ears immediately pricked up being a Sydney supporter. During the interview he was asked if, when...

Here’s another 4 training activities that I’ve used with my women’s football team so far during pre-season training. 3v3 SQUARE This us another small sided game similar to the 2v2 from 1 of these earlier posts where players have specific starting positions and it’s about both teams being able to solve the problem any different...

I read a study summary on kicking assessment which led me to this older study on Aussie Rules Football specifically titled “The Development of a Field Based-Kicking Assessment to Evaluate Australian Football Proficiency”. It challenges the current kicking test used at the AFL Draft Combine and provides an evidence-based alternative assessment. I posted about this...

We’ll all head down to footy training tonight and I bet we see a lot of this: A lap Some dynamic stretching in lanes Some strides in lanes Some handball in lanes Some kicking in lanes All linear in nature and all geared towards warming up the physical component of football, just 1 of the...

I think we’re all well-aware of the collective excellence of the All-Blacks culture on and off the field and I picked up this book from the op-shop a little while ago and here are my notes from it with PLENTY of takeaways for individuals and teams alike. Only by knowing yourself can you become an...

Traditional skill acquisition practices goes something like this, using kicking as an example: 1 – Stationary kicking to a stationary target 2 – Cone-to-cone kicking drills 3 – Games There might be some game-based practice somewhere between stages 2 and 3, but it’s still not as prevalent as it should be so let’s get to...

These notes come from Soccer coach Bernat Mosquera who has some great threads on his Twitter page and is definitely worth a follow. Giving feedback/correcting mistakes also act as major constraints for player performance because what a coach says to a player will then also dictate where they look, what they look for and that...

My new team I’m in charge of is a rebooted team but is essentially a start-up with no carry over of players from the initial team from pre-Covid. We have solid numbers but a lot of beginners at football but we’re still aiming to grade ourselves into division 2 if we possibly can, otherwise division...