AFL Barwon and Geelong Falcons

Sessions

1.5 hour

Duration

6 Weeks

Modules

3 Blocks

  • Development program partnership

    AFL Barwon and the Geelong Falcons have partnered with Rookie Me to bridge the gap between local and representative football in the region, creating a structured pathway for player development and long-term success. This program, as the first step in this initiative, offers an elite environment which builds essential skills and habits, sharpens decision-making, and provides the opportunity to train alongside motivated peers, fostering growth and competition.

    Spread across 3 BLOCKS of education and 6 weeks of training, we will cover Fundamental skill development, including kicking, hand balling and ball handling, then progressing into Game Sense with the 3 Phases of the Game and Game play.

    Complimenting each session will be an online education block used to engage the players and their support networks (parents, guardians) so that they can all have greater understanding of what they are learning then ensure 'purpose driven' training sessions each week.

    This is a great initiative that has been custom built to support the regions talented players born in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Rookie Me is excited to be working with such an innovative group like AFL Barwon and the Geelong Falcons, that genuinely cares about the people that are involved, and finding ways to support them is clearly important. We at Rookie Me pride ourselves on producing quality programs, and we look forward to having a big impact on the Greater Geelong Region and it's talented players.

    Robbie Campbell

    Chief Sports Officer
  • Program Vitals

    Times

    1.5 hour sessions, every Friday for 6 weeks.

    Time:

    Entire Group – 4:30pm - 6:30pm

    Dates:

    February – 14th, 21st and 28th

    March – 7th, 14th and 21st

    Modules

    Three blocks

    Education is power, and gaining a greater understanding of the skills and the game gives you the best chance to impact the game.

    The Football education for this program is spread across three blocks, progressing from the key fundamental skills of Kicking, Hand-balling and Ball Handling, strategic education around the Three Phases of the Game, through to introducing those concepts into game situations.

    Block One:
    • Program Introduction - Wednesday, 12 February.
    • Fundamental Skill - Wednesday, 12 February.
    Block Two:
    • Core Education and Defending - Wednesday, 26 February.
    • Contesting - Wednesday, 5 March.
    • Attacking - Wednesday, 12 March.
    Block Three:
    • Game Play - Wednesday, 19 March.
  • Pre-block

    As the program evolves, to ensure every moment of our face-to-face events are utilised, we take our education digital.

    This will include an online series that will be made available to every player to access prior to each training block.

    We target this form of learning to enhance the players engagement, and be in tune with the training week in week out.

    This is also a strategy to have each players guardian also take an interest in what their player is learning.

Key information

Block by block

Sessions will be focus on skill development and problem solving, and progress to include greater depth of how these skills and problems are presented in game situations.

B1

Fundamentals

Week 1: Introductory skills

Week 2: Kicking, Handballing & Ball Handling

B2

GAME SENSE

Week 3: Defending - THEY HAVE IT

Week 4: Contesting - IN DISPUTE

Week 5: Attacking - WE HAVE IT

B3

Game Play

Week 6: Zone 1 to 3 & Full Gameplay

BLOCK EDUCATION

Resources

PDF Document

FUNdamental 550

rm-resource_funamental-550

Pre training fundamental skill activities that challenge all the key skills of the game from head to toe. Complete with intensity and aim to have the optimum balance of speed and accuracy.

View document

Introduction

Talent Development Program

A quick introduction to the upcoming Rookie Me x AFL Barwon Summer TALENT Development Program. A quick look at:

Meet the Coaches.

Program vitals.

Education blocks.

Rookie Me training mindset.

Block 1

Fundamental Skill

Kicking, Handballing and Ball Handling

Exploring the key points of skill development, specifically looking at the breakdown of KICKING & HANDBALLING:

FUNDAMENTAL 550 - Repetition is KEY.

THE SKILL EQUATION - Technique under pressure.

3 LAYERS OF SKILL - Balance, Set up & Impact.

CORE

Core Education

Understanding Game Sense

Exploring the core education of ‘GAME SENSE’ and understanding how you can see ahead and read the play:

3 PHASES OF THE GAME - We have it, They have it, In dispute.

ZONES - 1, 2 and 3.

WHAT IS NEXT? - Where is the football, my opponent and what is the state of the game?

Block 2

Defending

They Have It

Taking a deeper dive into the first phase of the game, DEFENDING. Understanding how I can help my teammates disrupt the opposition and get the football back:

DISPOSSESS - Tackle, strip and distract.

DENY - Man up, dictate position.

DELAY - Corralling and slowing down the opposition.

Block 2

Contesting

In Dispute

Phase two of the game, contesting. Understanding how I can best position myself and also support my team mate to win the football in a 50/50 contest.

ELECTRICITY - Always play with a spark, bring intensity.

ENGAGE - Awareness of how you can impact a contest, not just winning the ball yourself.

EXTRACT - Body position and technique to gather the football under high physical pressure.

Block 2

Attacking

We have it

Phase three of the game, attacking. Understanding the different ways we can move the football, fast, slow and when we must kick it to a contest.

CHANGING ANGLES - Shifting the defence and attacking east and west, not just north and south.

BALL MOVEMENT - Active and controlled, maintaining possession and understanding different situations require different movement.

POMO - Attacking and defensive positioning when kicking to a contest.

Block 3

Game Play

Zone 1 to 3

Bringing together the whole program for game play. The chance to play games of different shapes and sizes with altering rules to help players implement the strategies and the skills they’ve learnt when defending, contesting and attacking.

ZONE 1 - Congested and contested, small spaces and high pressure to make an impact.

ZONE 2 - Within a kick, leading, changing angles, corralling how do players support their teammates with time and space.

ZONE 3 - More then a kick, reading the play to be in the best position in 2 or 3 possessions.