The Footy Coach: Recent Episodes
Joc
This podcast is for footy coaches across Australia and beyond to be used as a resource to make your footy coaching a success whether you are just starting or have been coaching for years. Enjoy
Episode 110 brings Matt Dowling to the show. He is currently a Development Coach at the Werribee Football Club in the VFL and is only in his mid 20's. During this episode we discuss his key principals for better and more consistent footy, how to thrive in a development coaching role and what that looks like, AFL coach he admires and why, myths and mistakes in training, common coaching mistakes, book and documentary recommendations and much more!
Episode 108 is with Mark Brown, Head Coach of the Murray Bushrangers in the Coates Talent League. During this episode we discuss how he coaches in the Coates Talent League and what he aims to achieve, key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, AFL coach he admires, a player who exceeded expectations, book recommendations and plenty more! Check it out
Adam Read has spent the last 16 years with the Fremantle Football Club. Starting out as a recruiter in 2007 in SA to his current position as a Development Coach, we discuss his journey and the progression he has made to becoming a coach at AFL level and how he did it. We speak about his key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes he see's, AFL coach he admires, a player who exceed expectations, Nat Fyfe's journey to superstardom, book and doco recommendations (there are a few!) and plenty more. Check it out
Jake Bridges is a Facilitator and Partner with Leading Teams, who develop high performing teams and leaders for over 25 years. During this conversation we discuss why great team culture is important, keys to a high performing team and how to achieve that, how to choose your team captains and leadership groups, common coaching mistakes, a player who exceeded expectations (he won 4 premierships!), AFL coach he admires, book recommendations and plenty more! Check it out!
Tickets now available for Gold Coast Coaches Footy Camp, to find out more and/or book your place check out www.thefootycoach.com.au/gccoachesfootycamp
Nathan Bassett is a current assistant coach with the Port Adelaide Football Club, prior to this role he was an assistant at Essendon Football Club. He began his coaching journey as the Senior Coach of Norwood Football Club in the SANFL and won two premierships in 2012 and 2013. He played 215 games for the Adelaide Crows in the AFL from 1998 to 2008 including All Australian Honours in 2006. During this conversation we discuss what his key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, AFL coach he admires, a player who exceeded expectations, what his working week looks like as an assistant coach, books and documentary recommendations and more! Check it out
Kyle Emley is the current Assistant Coach with GWS VFL team and also holds the role of Alternate Formats Project Manager NSW/ACT for the AFL. During this conversation we discuss the game's growth in NSW, what it is like coaching in a non traditional AFL State. We get his insights on how he goes about his coaching from key principals to better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, myths and mistakes in training, book and documentary recommendations and plenty more! Check it out
Nick Rutley is the current Forwards Coach and Head of Development at the Williamstown Football Club in the VFL. Having had numerous roles previously across local senior football, Coates Talent League and AFLW Nick brings great experience and knowledge to the show. During the conversation we discuss the importance of coaching your own team and the development that brings to your coaching, common coaching mistakes, key principals to better and more consistent footy, myths and mistakes in training, AFL coach he admires, players who have exceeded expectations and how, favourite books and documentaries and plenty more! Check it out
For episode 102 we get local legend Mark Stewart of the Corio Football Club who recently played his 600th game! At 50 years old and a teacher he has barely missed a game for over 30 years of senior football for a few local clubs and also stints with Geelong Reserves and West Adelaide in SANFL.
During this conversation we discuss his 600th game, his journey to this point and some of the great stories and memories he has of his record breaking career. Enjoy
Episode 101 brings Trent Dennis-Lane to the guest chair, current Regional Development coach with the Western Jets. We discuss his playing career as a mature age draftee in 2009 with the Sydney Swans, small forward craft, key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, AFL coach he admires, myths and mistakes in training, book and documentary recommendations and pleny more! Check it out
To celebrate episode 100 of the podcast Joc is in the guest chair and tells his story so far, how he got into coaching and how The Footy Coach began. We invited previous guest (#58)Tyson Popplestone to be the host. We hope you enjoy!
Episode 99 is with Adrian Ballantyne, Head Coach of the Hawks Netball Club in the Victorian Netball League. During this episode we discuss the differences between coaching netball compared to coaching football. We get insights into how he develop's his team and players, key principals for better and more consistent performance. Coaches he admires and why, a team that exceeded expectations and how they did it, common coaching mistakes and plenty more!
Episode 98 brings the current Calder Cannons Head Coach Andrew Sturgess to the show. During this episode we discuss his coaching techniques and philosophy and how he aims to coach at his best. Evidence based coaching practices, creating a safe environment, his form of meditation, pre game routines, common coaching mistakes, 3 AFL coaches he admires, book and documentary recommendations and plenty more! Check it out!
In this episode I discuss 6 leadership tips for players which are as follows: 1. Don't seperate yourself from the team 2. Be what you would want to see in a leader 3. Take Responsibility 4. Live your teams values 5. Embrace challenging conversations 6. Seek constant feedback.
Check it out!
In this episode I discuss a 'Must Read' book that I have finally checked out called 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield.
The focus of the book is about doing the work that you were meant to do. To do that kind of work you will face a lot of resistance and it is about pushing back against that and doing it anyway becasue that is who you were meant to be. During this episode I discuss my key take aways from it and how it apply's to coaching and playing footy.
Have a listen and make sure you grab a copy of the book and check it out! You won't regret it.
Paul Griffiths is the current midfield coach for the 2022 Sandringham Dragrons premiers in the NAB League boys competition. Prior to this he has done stints as VFLW Head Coach for Carlton and AFLW line coach, VFL line coach for premiership winning Richmond Tigers (Under Craig McRae) and was a line coaching for Gary Ayres at Port Melbourne. He has also coached extensively at the community level.
During this episode we discuss how he coaches the midfield line group, coaches he admires, a player how exceeded expectations and how, common coaching mistakes, favourite drills, myths and mistakes in training and much more! Check it out!
Jack McLean join's us as a guest this episode as part of our strength and conditioning series. He is the current Strength and Rehab coach at Melbourne Football Club and is the founder of Prepare like a Pro. During this episode we discuss strength and condition for local clubs and youth players, common mistakes with stregth and conditioning programs, a player who exceeded expectations on their athletic and fitness levels and how, book's and documentary recommendations and plenty more. Check it out!
For the first time we have 2 players on the show discussing their respective journeys to the draft. Geelong Falcons 2022 Captain Jhye Clark from Leopold/Queenscliffe Fc and Geelong Falcons Vice Captain Ted Clohesy from St Josephs Fc. Jhye was an All Australian U18 representative, won the MVP for Vic Coutry and also played in the U18 National Championship against Vic Metro. Jhye was the Best and Fairest winner for the Geelong Falcons this year. Ted was a Vic Country player and played in the U18 National Championship Grand Final and finished top 5 in the Best and Fairest at Geelong Falcons, even after an injury caused him to miss a few games. Ted also won the Coaches award and Players award for the Geelong Falcons in 2022.
During this episode we discuss their early days of getting into footy and who they credit with teaching them their basic footy skills. We get their advice for junior players and key focus areas, what their training schedules look like, a successful AFL player they admire and why, what good leadership looks like to them, myths and mistakes in training and plenty more!
Check it out
Our first repeat guest, Christina Polatajko comes back onto the show for the second time (previous EP.46 'How to coach when your team is the underdog'). During this episode we discuss her recent USA Coaching Study Tour and all the amazing insights she gained and key learnings. We also discuss the coaching courses she has undertaken in recent times and discuss her jump up to the AFLW coaching ranks as a development coach for this 2022 season with St Kilda. Enjoy
Junior development of players is a key focus for junior football coaches. To ensure your junior players get developed having them play across all three line groups is paramount. In this episode I discuss why winning is important but not everything, why your 'best players' need to play multiple positions, why your inexperienced players will thrive in new roles, how you can implement these position rotations on game day and overall why it is so important. Check it out
With the offseason is full swing, new coaching roles becoming available and your attention headed towards the new season I thought it would be a great chance to discuss how we can help your coaching with our Membership: An online resource for footy coaches to make your coaching easier and better. Have a listen and check it out!
In this episode I discuss the idea of focusing on your habits and how that can manifest what you want to become more than focusing on your goals/outcomes. When attaching your identity with traits that are aligned with your goals/outcomes and creating habits that reflect those traits is where great results occur. Check this episode out for more.
Liam Cavanagh is the current head coach of the Coburg women's football team. He started this role in 2021 and in 2022 took them all the way to a Grand final. During this chat we discuss the building of his football team and the key things he did well and got right that allowed it to flourish. We discussed his key principals for better and more consistent football, AFL coach he admires, myths and mistakes in training, favourite drills and plenty more. Check it out
Graeme O'Connor is my dad and he recently passed away on 4/9/22. As a family we will all deeply miss him.
For this episode I wanted to share some of his favourite life lessons and saying's that he would constantly drill into my siblings and I along with all the people who worked with him. I hope these lessons can help all those who listen to this episode to achieve new heights.
Thanks
Brenton Sanderson played over 200 AFL games and was the Senior AFL coach of the Adelaide Football Club. He also was an assistant coach winning 3 premierships with Geelong Cats in 07,09 and 2011. During this episode we discuss a whole range of topics to what an average week looks like for a AFL coach, AFL coach he admires, common coaching mistakes, what made Geelong triple premiership team great, myths and mistakes in training and plenty more! Check it out
Paul Dunn is the current Assistant defensive coach at the Northern Bullants in the VFL. Prior to this he coached at community level with Northern Saints and Greenvale, he was an developement coach with Coburg Fc and general assistant coach at Essendon VFL football clubs. During this episode we discuss his journey and key learnings, key principals for better and more consistent footy, AFL coach he admires, AFL player who he felt exceeded expectations and the learnings from that, common coaching mistakes, myths and mistakes in training, favourite drills, book recommendations and plenty more! Check it out
Daniel O'Keefe is the current Senior Coach of the Carlton VFL team. Prior to this role he was an assistant coach in VFL at both Carlton and Geelong. He spent 2 years as the Geelong Falcons Head Coach including winning the 2017 premiership. During this episode we dive into what it takes to get the best out of your young players, key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, AFL coach he admires, 2 favourite drills, myths and mistakes in training and much more. Check it out!
Alan Richardson is the current GM of Football Performance at the reigning premiers in the AFL the Melbourne Demons Football Club.
Previously, he was the Senior Coach of the St Kilda Football Club from 2014 to 2019. He has been an AFL assistant coach at Essendon, Port Adelaide, Carlton, Collingwood and Western Bulldogs Football Clubs. Alan AFL playing career included 114 games at the Collingwood Fc.
During this episode we discuss key reasons behind him playing at the elite AFL level and what he did well as a junior that set him up for success. Key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, player who exceeded expectations, AFL coach he admires, myths and mistakes in training and much more! Check it out!
Sebastian is the current CEO of the Coburg Football Club in the VFL and has been since 2017. During this chat we discuss a whole range of things associated with the role including what it entails, building a sucessful club culture, recruiting staff, hiring coaches, what prepared him well for the role, successful CEO and AFL club he admires, and plenty more! Check it out
Dan Jordan is the current coach at Darley FC in the Ballarat League, having previously being with Essendon Football Club for 7 years and during that time he held a number of coaching positions including VFL head coach and assistant coach AFL team. Dan spent his playing days with East point kicking over 700 goals at average over 6 a game.
During this chat we discuss goal kicking and how to improve it, successful coaches he admires, myths and mistakes in training, key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes and much more. Check it out
Dale Bower has spent over 20 years coaching at a number of community and state level clubs including Williamstown and Box Hill Hawks Fc. He is the current coach of the University Blacks in Melbourne and during this episode we discuss a whole range of coaching topics including how to improve your kicking and why it is important, common coaching mistakes, myths and mistakes in training, his key principals for better and more consistent footy, AFL coach he sees as successful and why and much more! Check it out
Dale Tapping is currently an assistant coach with the Essendon Football Club. Prior to this he was an assistant coach at the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood Football Clubs. He has coached at the elite U18 competition and local level. During this episode we discuss his coaching journey and the importance of taking your time developing as a coach, the challenges he faced as he stepped up the level in which he coached, myths and mistakes in training, AFL coaches he admires, key principals to better and more consistent footy, book and doco recommendations and plenty more!! Enjoy
Sean Wellman is a 2x All Australian defender and premiership player for the bombers in 2000. Having played over 200 games of AFL and coached at 3 AFL clubs in Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and Essendon fc. During this episode we discuss how to play great team defence, key things to get right as a defender, coaching principals, common coaching mistakes, myths and mistakes in training and plenty more! Enjoy
In this episode I discuss the 5 things NOT to do while coaching junior football. Listen to this episode to not fall into these traps and help you become a better junior football coach today! Enjoy
Michael Hartley played 8 seasons in the AFL with Collingwood, Essendon and Hawthorn. During this episode we dive deep into playing a key back position and how to do it well including what makes a forward hard to beat. We discuss the captains and coaches he played with and under and also a player who exceeded his expectations and how they did it! We discuss training, common mistakes of young players and plenty more!! Enjoy
Mat Buck is the current assistant coach at Carltons VFL team. He was previously a development coach at Werribee Fc in the VFL and has coached a number of years as a senior coach and assistant coach with South Warrnambool and Koriot Football Clubs. During this episode we discuss in depth forward line play and roles of key position players and small forwards. We also discuss stoppages and inside midfielders and how to best go about it. Kicking technique, common coaching mistakes, myths and mistakes in training, AFL coaches Mat admires, book and podcast recommendations and plenty more is discussed! Enjoy
Jeff Andrews is the current Director of coaching and list management at Williamstown Fc in the VFL. He has previously been the senior coach in SANFL with Central Districts, senior assistant at Werribee Fc, coached at community level with Macedon Fc and started his coaching with Calder Cannons. Within this episode we discuss his role particular the list management side of things, his key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, training myths and mistakes, senior AFL coach he admires, favourite drills and plenty more! Enjoy
With the new year kicking off and new resolutions a plenty it's that time of year to have a look ahead to the coming footy season and discuss a few things to keep you at your best in 2022. Some key points discussed are around not getting distracted with external noise, keeping your focus on what you can control, goal setting, process vs outcome goals, key features of good goal setting and plenty more! I hope this kicks your year off on the right foot to make it your best one yet. Lets gooo!
It's second time on the show for Tyson Popplestone who was an elite runner and now helps footballers improve their running abilities. During this show we chat about a broad range of topics including 2Km time trials and rookie mistakes to avoid, to recovery steps post training to other random stories and elements of high performance. I hope you enjoy this chat.
In the january school holidays we are putting on 2 Day Football Camps for junior players aged 9-14 both boys and girls. We are doing these camps in 3 locations: Geelong, Melbourne and Sale Gippsland.
For more information and/or to book please visit www.thefootycoach.com.au/camps
Hopefully see you there!
Jarrad Wright is the current senior coach of the South Adelaide Football Club in the SANFL. He previously coached Woodville West Torrens reserves teams to back to back premierships in 2013/14 and has led a community level football club with Henley Sharks to a flag in 2017. As a player he was picked 35th in the 2001 national draft by the Brisbane Lions Football Club before playing in the SANFL with South Adelaide and Woodville West Torrens. During this chat we discuss his junior playing days and what led him to get drafted, Leigh Mathews and the culture at the Brisbane Lions in 2002/03, common coaching mistakes, coach he admires, myths and mistakes in training, a player who exceeded expectations and much more! Enjoy
Tom Perrett is the current assistant coach at Werribee Football Club in the VFL competition. He previously was a senior assistant with the Western Jets in the elite U18 Competition and was an assistant with Vic Metro in 2019. He has also coached at community level football including as senior coach at East Geelong. During this chat we discuss what key habits of good young players look like and key building blocks for success. We also discuss common coaching mistakes, Melbourne Football Clubs recent success (he has been a life long suffering fan..) Key principals for better and more consistent footy, a player who exceeded expectations, top time saving tip, myths and mistakes in training, book recommendations and plenty more! Enjoy
Dale Robinson is the current VFLW Head coach for the Southern Saints Football Club and development coach for the St Kilda AFLW team. Prior to becoming the VFLW head coach she was an assistant coach in the VFLW Team. During this episode we discuss her coaching journey and how she progressed through the coaching ranks, key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, best coaching time saving tip, AFL coach she admires, myths and mistakes in training and a whole heap more! Check it out!
Coaching footy is an incredible role to have. Find out the 10 reason why you should coach footy!
Scott Borlace is currently Head of Development at the Brisbane Lions Football Club. He was the academy and development coach prior to this role with the lions which followed a stint in the SANFL with Norwood Fc as a midfield coach. He played 10 years in the SANFL with Norwood. During this episode we discuss what are the keys to success in a head of development role and how it can be applied to local footy clubs. He discusses his key principals for better and more consistent footy, common coaching mistakes, AFL coach he admires (outside of Chris Fagan who comes up a lot with this question!), a player who exceeded expectations, favourite books and doco's and a heap more! Enjoy
Rob Harding has spent over 10 years in the AFL with a strong focus spent on analysing the opposition and how to strategise accordingly. In this episode we dive deep into how community coaches can benefit from analysing your opposition and how to do it. We also discuss AFL coaches he has worked with and one that he particularly admires and why, a player how he sees exceeded expectations and how, common coaching mistakes to avoid, myths and mistakes in training and plenty more! Enjoy!
Jake Batchelor is the current Senior coach of the Sandringham Zebra's in the VFL and has been a part of the St Kilda Football club since 2019 as an assistant coach. He played 83 games with the mighty Richmond Football Club between 2010 and 2017. During this chat we discuss how he would handle a team loss like what happened in the recent preliminary finals, myths and mistakes in training, common coaching mistakes, key principals for better and more consistent footy, AFL coach he admires and plenty more! Enjoy
Adam Skrobalak has spent the past 7 years as an assistant coach at the St Kilda Football Club, prior to this he coached at NAB U18 elite level with the Western Jets and VFL with Port Melbourne prior to that. Adam has also coached extensively at local level with East Geelong and Torquay Fc’s. During this episode we cover many area's of coaching from myths and mistakes in training, key principals to better and more consistent performance, book and documentary recommendations, common coaching mistakes, AFL coaches he admires and plenty more! Enjoy
Paul Corrigan is the current Head Coach of the Geelong Falcons in the elite NAB U18 competition. Prior to this he spent 6 years as an AFL assistant coach at the Essendon Football Club. He began his coaching journey in the community leagues, most notably with South Barwon Fc where he was a playing coach. Paul also played at the elite level with 53 games at the mighty Geelong Football Club between 1997 and 2001. During this chat we discuss all thing elite junior talent and how to structure a program to get the best out of them, common coaching mistakes, myths and mistakes in training, a player who exceeded expectations in the AFL and how they did it and a heap more! Enjoy
The soon to be confirmed new Senior Coach of the mighty Collingwood Football Club, we thought Craig McRae's episode on The Footy Coach Podcast deserved a re listen. Well done Craig!
Craig McRae played during the Brisbane Lions 3-peat and was an assistant coach during the recent Richmond Tigers dynasty of 3 premierships in 4 years. During this chat, we dissect the similarities between both teams, what made them great and who he thinks was the better team! With 195 games and 232 goals as a player and 14 years coaching in the AFL system, there is a huge amount of takeaways, insights and great stories of his footy journey. We discuss his coaching principals, coaches he admires, story telling for teams, what makes a great captain, book recommendations and plenty more! Enjoy
Christina Polatajko is currently an assistant coach with Hawthorn Fc VFLW team. She is also AFL academy head coach at Diamond Valley College. In this episode we discuss her key principals for better and more consistent footy, what her average week looks like and game day coaching routines, how she handles being the underdog in a game, AFL coaches she admires, a VFL player she believes has exceeded expectations and how they did it. We also get her favourite drills, book recommendations and plenty more!! Enjoy
Guy Morphett is the current assistant coach with the VFL Geelong Cats which he is done since 2020. Prior this he spent 6 years coaching local footy with Euroa, Yay and Leopold Football Clubs. He also played over 200 games of local footy for Euroa in the Goulburn Valley league.
During this episode we discuss what prepared him best to make the transition of coaching local footy to coaching in the VFL and anything he may do differently. We also discuss what an average week looks like for him now, favourite drills, myths and mistakes in training, favourite books and doco's and plenty more! Enjoy
Jimmy House is an assistant coach with the Sandringham Football club in the VFL competition. He has previous coached at community level and throughout this chat we discuss his coaching journey and the key learning's along the way. Other discussion points are his key principals for better and more consistent football, common coaching mistakes, AFL coach he admires, myths and mistakes in training, favourite drills and plenty more! Enjoy
Find out the 4 basic steps to develop your teams culture! Building your teams culture is so crucial to the success of your team and club. Great culture promotes such things as excellence in performance, enjoyment and an inclusive environment for all to take part. Many of the great football clubs we admire at AFL level to community level have great culture and they work at it consistently! In this episode, I take you through the 4 basic steps of developing your teams culture to something you are proud of. Having spent years working in this area I am stoked to chat about it on this podcast. I have previously worked and presented at such organisations as Mercedes Benz, Homesglen Institute, numerous schools and sporting associations. Enjoy
Michael Barlow played 141 games for the Fremantle Dockers and Gold Coast Football Clubs. Mick is now the head coach at the Werribee Football Club where he was drafted as a player back in 2010. In this episode we cover a whole range of topics from his playing days and how he approached entereing into the AFL. Key principals for better and more consistant performance, myths and mistakes in training, AFL coaches he admires and why. We also get documentary recommendations and plenty more! Enjoy
Richie Vandenberg played 145 games for the Hawthorn Fc and was captain between 2005-07. In this episode we cover a whole range of topics from advice he would give to a captain, what his junior coaches did well with him, Clarko and what makes him a great coach, myths and mistakes in training, a player who exceeded expectations and plenty more! Enjoy
Steve Symonds is the current AFLW coach for the Collingwood Fc. He has come from 15-20 years coaching at state level in south australia and local coaching prior to that. In this episode we discuss his journey and key learnings along the way. Training, coaching mistakes and the explosion of womens footy among many things. Enjoy!
Ted Richards is an All Australian defender and Premiership player with the mighty Sydney Swans. He played 261 games for Sydney and Essendon Football Clubs where his career in the AFL began. This episode, we discuss the contrast between when he was 20 and at Essendon struggling to keep his spot in the team to when he was 30 and achieved a premiership medallion. There is plenty of great insights into how he got best out of himself. We also discuss the great players he played with (Hird, Lloyd, Goodes, Franklin to name a few..) and how they went about their football that made them great. We also discuss the legendary coaches he played under (Sheedy, Roos and Longmire) and the common traits they shared. This is a must listen, check it out!!
Matthew Allan played 161 games for the Carlton and Essendon Football clubs. He is a best and fairest winner, All Australian and one to the best ruckman in his era.
During this episode we cover his footy days as a junior and what helped him progress through the ranks, how he prepared for games and the training he did. We discuss coaches he played under (Parkin and Sheedy to name a couple..) and his key principals for better and more consistant footy and plenty more! Enjoy
Rhett McLennan is the current Gippsland Power coach which features in the elite U18 state competition in Victoria. In this episode we discuss the building blocks for coaching talented juniors, key principals for better and more consistant performance, myths and mistakes in training, his favourite drills and plenty more!! Enjoy
Shane Woewodin won the brownlow medal in 2000. He played 200 games, 2 grand final appearances and has gone onto be an AFL assistant coach and senior coach in WAFL.
In this episode we discuss midfield craft and what it takes to be a successful midfielder. What junior coaches did well with him growing up, key principals for better and more consistent, common coaching mistakes, myths and mistakes in training and plenty more! Check it out!
Mathew Stokes is a 2 time premiership player with the mighty Geelong Cats in 2007 and 2011. He played 200 games and kicked over 200 goals. In this episode we discuss small forwards and how to execute that role well. A player he saw who exceeded expectations, myths and mistakes in training, Bomber Thompson and Chris Scott and what made them great coaches and plenty more! Enjoy
Paul Dimattina played 131 games for the mighty Western (Footscray) Bulldogs between 1995 and 2003. He has gone onto coaching local footy with Bentleigh Fc and a number of junior footy teams. This episode we cover a whole range of things including key principals of better and more consistent footy, coaching mistakes, a player he felt exceeded expectations (title of this episode gives a clue..), myths and mistakes in training, favourite books and plenty more! Enjoy
Dennis Armfield played 145 games for the Carlton Football Club and kicked 75 goals. He was drafted as a mature age player at nearly 21 years old having played rugby union until he was 17. In this episode Dennis shares how he transitioned football codes and made it to the elite AFL level. We discuss the coaches he played under including Brett Ratten, Mick Malthouse and what made them a great coach. Also have discussions around the transition from been a player to now a coach with Park Orchards Fc, myths and mistakes in training, books and documentary recommendations and plenty more! Enjoy
Travis Agg is the coaching director at the South Barwon Football Club. In this local legend series episode we discuss the the ins and out of coaching local footy, how some of the best local coaches he has worked with went about it (Dale Amos to name one), myths and mistakes in training, common coaching mistakes and couple insights on Tom Stewart and his journey from playing for South Barwon to been an All Australian defender with Geelong Cats. Enjoy
I am excited to announce The Footy Coach Membership is Now Available!!
By joining The Footy Coach membership, you will instantly get access to numerous videos, skills and drills, bonus insights and favourite drills from the AFL’s best, access to exclusive membership forums and invitations to special meet ups with other members. Put simply, you will become a better coach, save time and enjoy coaching footy more.
To find out more and/or join simply go to www.thefootycoach.com.au/membership
I hope to see you inside the members area soon.
Cheers
Joc
Josh Fraser was the number 1 draft pick in the 1999 draft where we played over 200 games for the Collingwood Football Club and the Gold Coast Suns. Since 2014 he has been a coach in the AFL with the Gold Coast Suns and moved to the Carlton Football Club in 2016 to be a development coach and is the current coach of the Northern Bullants Fc. This episode we cover a lot of ground including his junior footy and how that set him up to be the #1 Pick. His coaching principals for better and more consistant performance, myths and mistakes in training, who he sees as a successful coach, a player that exceeded expectations and how they did it, favourite books and doco's and plenty more! Enjoy
John Buchanan was the head coach of the Australian Cricket team during its most dominant era which included world record 16 test wins in a row, 21 ODI wins in a row, 2 world cup victories and a 70% winning percentage across all forms of cricket.
In this episode we dive into his key principals for better and more consistant performance, what made Steve Waugh and Ricky Pointing great leaders and players (couple good stories here too..), Justin Langer and his progression to be the current Head Coach of the Australian Cricket Team. We also cover things like coaching mistakes, training myths, key foundations for successful team, book recommendations and more. Enjoy
Another installment of our local legend series brings us Rob Popplestone. ‘Poppy’ played the majority of his local footy with the Traralgon Football Club in Gippsland followed by a stint in the SANFL. We discuss what it was like in the 80’s playing lcoal footy, the atmosphere, bringing the towns together for game day and how he went about it. There is a strong link to SA footy and his experience their in the SANFL and the great players of that era. Best part of the chat is just hearing some great stories and yarns about those days and poppy knows how to tell them well. Enjoy
John Quinn was Essendon Fc high performance manager between 1998-2008 (which included the 2000 premiership). He has since been the Sports and Science Manager at GWS, the director of GWS academy, he is a clinical exercise physiologist and a current track and field coach with olympic athletes. He was also an olympic track and field coach at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
In this episode we discuss:
- preseason programs
- myths and mistakes for strength and conditioning
- Pre game routines
- in season training loads
- injury prevention
- identifying athletic talent
- must read books
And more! Enjoy
This weeks guest is not the usual footy guest we get on here, but he has had a huge impact on footy. He has hosted a number of high profile shows including Footy Classified and The Footy Show, owner of SEN radio, CEO of croc media and more!
We recorded this episode a while back as part of my Leadership and High Performing Teams business podcast. I chat with him about how he goes about it, how he managed to climb the business ranks and become a central figure in the great game we love in Australian Rules Football. Enjoy
Brendon Lade is a Premiership player, 2x All Australian and best and fairest winner at the Port Adelaide Football Club. He has been an AFL assistant coach at Richmond Fc, Port Adelaide Fc and St Kilda Fc where he currently is the forward line and team offence coach. Throughout this episode we dive into his coaching principals, insights into training, how his team brought down the mighty lions in 2004, overcoming major setbacks and a heap more! Plenty in here to help your coaching and playing! Enjoy
Paul Barnard was a part of the 2000 bomber team that is regarded by many as having the greatest single season of any AFL team. A season average winning margin of 51 points, 24 wins, only 1 loss and a ten goal winning grand final margin saw this team reached heights not seen before or since. Paul Barnard kicked 4 goals for the bombers in the grand final.
This episode we dive deep into that great team and its key traits, we discuss Kevin Sheedy and his coaching. We discuss how Paul got into the AFL as 21yo and how he got the best out of himself. As a local coach for the Essendon Doutta Stars we discuss his pre game routines, his keys to better and more consistent football, preseason focus, myths and mistakes of local coaches and a heap more. Enjoy
Jared Rivers played 194 games of AFL football for both Melbourne (03-12) and Geelong Fc (13-15). In 2004, he was the AFL rising star winner. Post football he was an assistant coach at Collingwood Fc and coached their VFL side between 2017-2019. In 2020, he was an assistant coach at North Melbourne before moving on to be the Head Coach at Collegians Fc in the VAFA. In this episode, we get great insights from a coach who has coached in the AFL and now has first hand experience back in community football. We cover a whole range of things from his junior days in SA and how he managed to get drafted, coaches he admires, coaching mistakes, key principals for better and more consistent football, books and documentary recommendations and plenty more! Enjoy
Craig McRae played during the Brisbane Lions 3-peat and was an assistant coach during the recent Richmond Tigers dynasty of 3 premierships in 4 years. During this chat, we dissect the similarities between both teams, what made them great and who he thinks was the better team!
With 195 games and 232 goals as a player and 14 years coaching in the AFL system, there is a huge amount of takeaways, insights and great stories of his footy journey. We discuss his coaching principals, coaches he admires, story telling for teams, what makes a great captain, book recommendations and plenty more! Enjoy
Paul Roos in an AFL legend, with a playing and coaching career not matched by many. His playing accolades include 7x All Australians, 5x Best and Fairest for Fitzroy, Fitzroy Team of the Century and the Leigh Mathews MVP award in 1986. As a Coach, he broke a 72 year flag drought by coaching the Swans to the Premiership in 2005, which he then followed up with a Grand Final appearance in 2006. He also had a coaching stint at the Melbourne Demons from 2014 to 2016.
This episode is full of great insights and tips for both coaches and players to implement into your game. We have an in depth chat about Roosy’s thoughts on defence and what makes a great defender, defence non-negotiables, his pre game routine, key principals to better and more consistent footy, coaches he admires, preseason training thoughts, favourite drills and skills, book recommendations and heaps more! An absolute must listen. Enjoy
Harmit Singh is our 3rd edition to our local legend series - local coaches giving us their insights on how they went about it, what worked for them and how we can adopt these insights into our own coaching. Harmit was Vermont Fc head coach from 2017 to 2020 winning the 2018 and 2019 flags. He was also an assistant coach in AFLW with Collingwood prior to that.
This episode we discuss his passion for been a local footy coach, key traits of good coaches, training myths, preseason thoughts, book recommendations and more! Enjoy
John Barker is the current Stoppages Coach for the Carlton Football club, and has been at the club as an Assistant Coach since 2011. In 2015, he was the interim Senior Coach for half the season. Prior to this, he had coaching stints at St Kilda and Hawthorn. He played 168 games for both Fitzroy and Hawthorn and kicked 127 goals.
In this episode, we have an in-depth chat about stoppages and how you can improve your teams performance in that area. We also discuss his views on how to produce better and more consistent footy, coaches he admires, favourite drills, book recommendations and a stack more. Enjoy
NOTE: Apologies, there are a couple instances of audio issues in the 2nd half.
Mick McGuane is a premiership player for the Collingwood Fc in 1990,2x Best and fairest winner, All Australian and represented Victoria 4 times. He currently coaches Keilor Fc and has won 3 flags with them. This episode we dive into his coaching and playing days and his insights on a whole range of topics including key principals for better and more consistent footy, coaches he admires, common coaching mistakes, favourite drills, book recommendations and a heap more! Enjoy
Lisa Alexander is the former Australian Diamonds Head Coach, a position which she held for a decade. Her winning record of over 81% is outstanding, including a World Cup victory in 2015 and a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
We discuss in this episode key behaviours of successful coaches, common coaching mistakes, how to maximise assistant coaches, key principals for better and more consistent team performance and plenty more!
Lisa has publicly noted her desire to be the first female Senior Coach in the AFL men's competition.
Enjoy.
Jacob Surjan (Surj) is the current Senior Coach at North Adelaide Football Club who are in the SANFL Grand Final this coming weekend Sunday 18th October!
He played 121games for Port Adelaide, was Vice Captain in 2010 and was an assistant coach at Port Adelaide from 2012 to 2017. We discuss his views on playing defence, how to play as a small defender against the likes of Cyril Rioli and Eddie Betts, training advice, coaching mistakes, coaches he admires and a heap more! Enjoy
Mark Neeld is the former Senior Coach of the Melbourne Football Club. He was an assistant coach at Essendon Fc and Collingwood Fc (including the 2010 flag). He had local beginnings with Ocean Grove Fc winning 4 flags in a row from 2000-2003. He played 74 AFL games of footy with Geelong and Richmond football clubs.
This episode we dive into training myths and mistakes, coaches he views as successful, key principals for better and more consistent footy, players exceeding expectations, books and doco's and a heap more! Enjoy
Note: Apologies, back up audio used later in episode.
Dale Amos is the current assistant coach at the Carlton Fc. He started his senior coaching with South Barwon Fc in the Geelong Football League where his team won 3 flags in a row from 2005-07 before joining the Geelong cats in 2008. As an assistant coach at the cats he was involved in the 09 and 11 premiership winning teams. During this episode we discuss his views and insights on all things training, favourite drills, choosing captains, coaches he viewed as successful, how failure has shaped his coaching, common coaching mistakes, player who he viewed has exceeded expectations and a heap more! Enjoy
Second episode of the local legend series brings us Luke Morgan who has recently been the player/coach at Wangaratta and Benella Football Clubs in Ovens & Murray Football league and Goulburn Valley football league respectively. Prior to these coaching roles, he played 3 seasons at the Northern Bullants in the VFL, and played in a couple grand finals during that time. He was also a co captain for the Murray Bushrangers and took part in the 07 GF in the elite U18 competition here in Victoria. This episode we dive into what it takes to be successful as a player coach, keys to having a successful community club, how to deal with a range of different individuals who make up your team, training plans, favourite drills and plenty more! Great to get a first hand look at what it takes a community level and Luke gives us another great look at it within this chat. Enjoy
Damian Carroll has spent the past 10 years at the Hawthorn Football club. He was an assistant coach during the 2014 and 2015 premierships, VFL premiership coach in 2013, and most recently Head of Development. He has also coached at Gippsland Power in the elite TAC cup under 18 competition, and as a player coach for Bon Beach Fc at local level. As a player he had a long and successful VFL career winning 3 premiership with Springvale and made the VFL team of the decade in the 90's. With this vast experience at a range of footy levels he gives listeners a unique insight into what it takes to be a successful coach and player. We discuss his coaching principals, coaching mistakes, training methods, favourite drills, mentors, what factors made the hawks dynasty occur and a lot more! Enjoy
Collingwood legend Anthony Rocca played 242 Games and kicked 415 goals and joins us for this episode. For a decade he was the go to player in the pies forward line and had a legendary long kick that was almost unrivalled. In this episode we dive into how you can coach and improve your long goal kicking and set shots. His favourite training drills, principals for better footy and improvement, how he would approach taking over a new team and more! Lots of takeaways from this episode to implement into your own team and game. Enjoy
Tim Clarke is the current Gold Coast assistant coach, prior to this role he was assistant coach at the Carlton Fc and Richmond Football club under Damien Hardwick.
So much to take away from a current assistant coach in the AFL ranks, his coaching principals for better footy, training methods, mentors, things to avoid as a coach and much more! Plenty to implement into your own coaching and club. Enjoy
Dave Farrell is the senior coach at the South Barwon Fc in the Geelong Football League. This is the first of our local legend episodes where we will chat with high level community coaches and gain their insights into coaching and what it takes to be successful at a community level. Dave has extensive coaching experience with a couple of stints at the Geelong Falcons in the TAC cup competition along with coaching roles at Leopold and St Albans football clubs.
Coaching principals, training methods, favourite drills and skills are all a part of this episode. Enjoy
Mick Malthouse coaching career is legendary: He is the AFL games record holder for games coached with 718, won 3 premierships, coached at four AFL clubs and also was a premiership player with the Richmond Tigers in 1980. He has done it all.
This episode he shares his insights into great leaders and producing high performing teams. How he achieved success and so much more! Plenty here to takeaway and implement into your teams and clubs! This episode we are also joined by David Buttifant. This is a must listen episode for all coaches and players. Enjoy
Having gone through a number of mental health issues and incidents through his 192 games playing AFL football for St Kilda and Fremantle FC, Heath Black was diagnosed with Bipolar type 2 and adult ADHD type 6 in 2011. From that point on he has dedicated himself to helping others with mental illness and has become a beacon of light for many. Mental heath is at the forefront for the football community during difficult times, particularly when you don't have your footy club support like it has in been in years gone by due to Covid-19. I hope this episode with Heath can give you some tools, strategies and tips as a coach and player to help you through these tough times.
Tim Ferguson is a facilitator at Leading teams. This episode we discuss great leadership and what it looks like, how to improve the performance of your team and build the right culture and more! Plenty of great advice and insights to implement into your club and improve your football team! Enjoy
Gary Ayres is a 5 time premiership player, 3 time All Australian and Best and Fairest winner.
His Coached over 10 years in the AFL at the Geelong Fc and Adelaide Fc. In 1995 he coached the Geelong Fc to the grand final.
Since 2008 he has been the Head coach at Port Melbourne Fc, where he has won 2 premierships, including a perfect season in 2011 winning all 21 games.
Areas of discussion include how to perform in big games, key coaching principals for better and more consistent football, recommended coaching resources and his 3 favourite coaching drills.
You're guaranteed to improve your coaching by listening to this. Enjoy
Tyson is an expert running coach, having competed at national level for a number of years as an elite distance runner including competing at the world university cross country. He has combined his passion for running with football to help players run better and more consistently throughout the season. This episode our discussion includes; running myths and mistakes of current coaches and players, training programs during preseason, in season and finals; Key principals to train by.
This episode will the first step towards better footy running.
Enjoy
David Buttifant is one of the guru's of football performance in the AFL. His 11 seasons at the Collingwood FC where they featured in 4 GF's and won the 2010 premiership is testament to his success. He also had stints at North Melbourne Fc and Carlton Fc. In 2000 he was a part of the Sydney Olympics with the Australian swim team. In this episode we cover a range of topics including players achieving peak performance, building reliance, gaining awareness, nutrition, fitness and more! Plenty to apply to your own football team. Enjoy
Gary Buckenara is a 4time Premiership player for the Hawthorn FC and also a part of their Team of the Century. This episode we dive deep into his playing days, the years he spend as the recruiting manager for the Hawthorn Fc during their dynasty period of 08,13-15 premierships and the type of players he looked for to achieve that success. So many lessons to take from this episode and apply to your own club and team. Enjoy
2x Premierships, Norm Smith, 3x All Australian, 4x Best and Fairest, 378 games, 575 Goals and a member of the Essendon's Team of the Century.
This episode we share Simon's insights into his success. What makes a good leader, how to produce a high performing team and so much more. Enjoy
Western Bulldogs Team of the Century player, 7 time victorian team representative, All Australian and Best and fairest winner, he did it all as a player. He then went onto have a very success coaching career which included assistant coaching stints at Richmond, Melbourne, North Melbourne, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs. This episode, Brian shares so many insights into coaching and what makes a good coach. Lessons he learnt from Mick Malthouse and advice for community coaches across the country. Enjoy