Our development program

[Vicky Park]

There's a terrific article by Emma Quayle in The Age today about our development program. Also provides insight into Davoren and what he does. Its so good and insightful, it deserves a thread of its own.

Its titled 'How to build an AFL footballer', and starts with this:

'It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a team of people to turn a teenage draftee into a fully formed AFL footballer. "It's collaborative," says Bill Davoren, Collingwood's high-performance manager: there's the coaches, the welfare manager, the doctor, the physios, the nutritionist and the rest.

"There's no one person in this building saying, this is the definitive pathway for this particular player. It's discussed, negotiated. It fluctuates. It's never done independently," Davoren said.'

See more here.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/how-to-build-an-afl-footballer-20160229-gn66qg.html

 

[Anzacday]

There's a terrific article by Emma Quayle in The Age today about our development program. Also provides insight into Davoren and what he does. Its so good and insightful, it deserves a thread of its own.

Its titled 'How to build an AFL footballer', and starts with this:

'It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a team of people to turn a teenage draftee into a fully formed AFL footballer. "It's collaborative," says Bill Davoren, Collingwood's high-performance manager: there's the coaches, the welfare manager, the doctor, the physios, the nutritionist and the rest.

"There's no one person in this building saying, this is the definitive pathway for this particular player. It's discussed, negotiated. It fluctuates. It's never done independently," Davoren said.'

See more here.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/how-to-build-an-afl-footballer-20160229-gn66qg.html

And for those who can't access it...
How to build an AFL footballer

Magpie evolution: (right to left) Brayden Sier, Darcy Moore, Jonathan Marsh and Brodie Grundy Photo: Shannon Collins, Collingwood Media Photo: Shannon Collins

It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a team of people to turn a teenage draftee into a fully formed AFL footballer. "It's collaborative," says Bill Davoren, Collingwood's high-performance manager: there's the coaches, the welfare manager, the doctor, the physios, the nutritionist and the rest.

"There's no one person in this building saying, this is the definitive pathway for this particular player. It's discussed, negotiated. It fluctuates. It's never done independently," Davoren said.

At Collingwood, the process of developing a player starts after the drafts, when key members of the football department are comprehensively briefed by the recruiting department on each of the players they have chosen. What is their training background like? Their injury history? Their family background, their education level, their maturity level. More information will come from the sports psychologist. "We go through all of that and we get to know them before we get to know them, if that makes sense," said assistant coach Steve Grace. "It helps us learn how to coach them."

Year one: it's all about the fundamentals for the Magpies' top draftee Brayden Sier Photo: Shannon Collins

Then, the work starts, and it takes just a few days for Davoren to see the annual realisation - that this is the boy's job, now - start to sink in. Each player has individual needs, is starting from a unique spot and will progress at different rates, but some rules are made for all. By the time a player reaches the end of his first pre-season there are things the club wants them to be, and be able to do.

They want him to have developed good off-field habits, habits they will continue to hone in their first year so that by the time a new batch of kids comes in, he can be a role model. In his second summer they want him to have had a good glimpse of the full training without doing all of it, and to understand enough of the game plan that the fundamental philosophies are lodged in his head and he can identify what they can do within it. That understanding and immersement will increase again in year three, by their fourth pre-season it is hoped they are driving the group.

"People talk about compliance and buy in and ownership, and they're so different. A first-year player might comply without truly understanding something, but someone who understands and has ownership will drive the standards," said Grace. "The sooner that happens, the better for the whole group because those players start to put pressure on the older players, not just in terms of position, but influence. It says a lot about the health of your program if your third and fourth year players are the centre of influence instead of the older players and are driving what needs to be done."

Year two: emerging forward Darcy Moore will be a role model to new draftees Photo: Shannon Collins

But back to the beginning. As Grace and Davoren see it, the first pre-season is about learning the right habits and putting things in place; Grace calls it the scaffolding. Davoren will look further into each draftee's training history, and the medical and physio teams will take a closer look at their bodies, highlighting any imbalances that need attention. The boys who have never done much weight training will learn basic techniques, and the conditioning team will take a good look at how they move. Some players might get a small look at what a full day of the program looks like; (they typically do about 60 per cent), and they all learn what "prehab" or injury prevention looks like.

"We'll look at how they move, what their aerobic capacity is like, where they're at in the gym. But the big thing for me is where are they at psychologically and socially? Because they come in at different maturity levels," said Davoren. "There's a lot of conversations in the first pre-season about habits: what are the decisions and choices you're going to have? And that might be as simple as, when I arrive for the day, what do I do? Check in with the physios, talk to the doc, record all your wellbeing data, make sure it's accurate feedback, and make that a routine."

There are other things to get used to. What to eat, and when. Some draftees' diets need a significant overhaul. How to hydrate properly, before and after sessions. How spending much of their day off on their feet might not help them recover well from the week's training. How if they go out with mates they should do so with a plan: how many drinks will they have, and how will they get home? How good sleep doesn't simply mean lots of it. "The young fellas can tend to go home, crash on the couch, sleep for three hours, not get back to sleep until midnight and then wake up feeling tired," Grace said. "They come in scratching their heads, thinking why am I so tired?"

Year three: Jonathon Marsh should be able to direct other players on the track Photo: Shannon Collins

Alertness is important. Before Christmas, the new players are taught the fundamentals of the game plan: the key defensive and offensive principles. That happens mostly in small meetings: each player has a "duty of care" coach who looks after him in a football sense, and is also across the other things going on in his life. They can study more of it with their coach, watching vision or using an app the club has developed, but they are generally taught the more intricate parts of it in game simulation sessions, by the other players: helping teach their teammates what to do in certain scenarios is something that helps the second, third and fourth-year players continue their own development as leaders, as they simultaneously form stronger ideas of what they want to work on as individuals.

Collingwood's coaches favour strength-based coaching. "I think the biggest flaws in some programs can be the fact that you don't allow the players to shine. They come in and it's easy to feel inhibited. It's a vast sea they're looking at, trying to pick out the small islands they can jump on to," Grace said. "I think it's important to keep asking them: why are you here? You got drafted for a reason, so let's make those things weapons while continuing to work away systematically at your 'room for improvements'. As they move through, each player will start working out his own action plan - strengths, RFIs, short-term needs, long-term needs. They generate more of that as time goes on. Over those first few years you want them to be firm and to keep adding to their games, becoming aware of those things, not limiting themselves and starting to push others."

You don't know what you don't know. But once you do know it, you need to keep adding to it, as demand and expectation increases. At the end of their first pre-season there is one thing the draftees must let go of: their naivete. In their second year, depending on where they are at, they might get a bigger taste of the full pre-season program. In their third year, some might do almost all of it. Davoren has had fourth-year players in his office this summer, with some very clear ideas on what they want to add to their game, debating the coach on aspects of their program.

Year four: Brodie Grundy is ready to be a "centre of influence" Photo: Shannon Collins

"They work their way through the system, they get the fundamentals down and then it's how do I take the next step?" Davoren said. "There's still a lot of education and long conversations about what they want and what they need to do, but they start to gain knowledge of what they're doing what they're doing so they ask better questions and they challenge you. They're all different and and they'll develop in their own ways, but by the end of year one you can see them starting to grow."



YEAR ONE

Have the conditioning staff work out physiological capabilities, which influences how much of the training program they can participate in.
Learn what to eat, when to eat it, how to hydrate and how much sleep to get.
Learn social life balance: when to say yes/now; how to go out with a plan.
Work out what sort of living arrangements work best for them
Start to think about what they would like do outside football, for balance. Most first-year players complete the AFL Players Association Apprenticeship program, which teaches basic life skills.
Work with a "duty of care" coach, who keeps close watch on all aspects of their development. At Collingwood, all first-year players are matched with VFL coach Dale Tapping.
Get the footy fundamentals in place, start thinking about how to turn strengths into weapons and attack areas that need improvement.
Pre-Christmas, learn the basic offensive and defensive game plan principles. Learn the more complicated elements (stoppage structures etc) on the ground during training.
Get a brief look, now and then, at what a full day of the pre-season program is like, depending on where the player is at physically and emotionally.
Get through the pre-season healthy, able to train and play.
Learn about "prehab" and injury prevention techniques.
Learn basic lifting techniques in the gym.
Build endurance.
Get used to "the grind" of being a professional athlete all day, every day.
Learn to identify how their body is feeling and what they need to report to the doctor/physio/conditioning staff and coaches.



YEAR TWO

Have the off-field fundamentals in place and be able to act as a role model to the new draftees.
Move on to a new duty of care coach, who is most likely also their line coach.
Know the fundamentals of the game plan. Be able to better understand and identify how to exploit the opposition tactically, using their individual capabilities.
Be able to identify things on the track and point things out to younger players.
Play a bigger role in developing their own "action plan": strengths, RFIs (room for improvement), short-term needs and long-term needs. Start to think about what they need and want to add to their game.
Get to a point where they don't need to be shown how to do things.
Have clearer direction off-field re: interests, future career plans, work/life balance.
Get a slightly bigger look at the full pre-season program, depending on where they are at physically and emotionally. Still be closely tracked, with occasional intervention/backing off.



YEAR THREE

Be driving off-field preparation standards.
Be adding even more to their individual action plan.
Become even more demanding on the track as the game plan becomes further entrenched. Be able to direct other players.
Move beyond worrying about "survival" to thinking of ways to really help the team.
Have greater exposure to the full pre-season program as demands, expectations and challenges rise. The advanced players will be getting close to doing the full program.
Be more organised re off-field study, work placements, post football ambition.



YEAR FOUR

Drive standards in a way that influences not only younger players, but the entire list. Be the group's "centre of influence" and hold others accountable.
Become even more of a director on the training track and able to make demands of both younger and older players.
Have more "ownership" of their careers - ideas on the sort of player they want and need to be, and what they want their program to include and focus on.
With greater understanding of the program, be asking more questions and challenging coaches.
Have an even stronger work/life balance.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

How good is Emma...pure quality

 

[Vicky Park]

Some Collingwood IP on display here. A template for a development program? Would have to be pretty much the same at all clubs, surely? It would come down to how good the clubs are at implementing it, and the character and attitude of the players put through the program. It doesn't always work!

 

[left at home]

fantastic article give a very good insight to what the club is trying to achieve collectively and individually with each person

 

[WatsamattaU]

The list looks pretty generic, I think all clubs have a similar system for young players there are still some interesting ideas.

 

[Dynamics]

I love you Emma Quayle. Best writer at either Melbourne paper.

Incidentally, I wasn't aware that most players go through a life skills program with the AFLPA. It sounds like it would probably be a positive for quite a few players. I don't know what the content matter is or how it relates to their home life... As a parent, if my son made the AFL I would be disappointed in myself if he felt there was a lot of content in there that he hasn't already discussed with his parents. Totally get the stuff specific to being a high profile pro athlete, dealing with the media etc. But not basic life skills. Anyone know more about what they teach?

 

[Dynamics]

The list looks pretty generic, I think all clubs have a similar system for young players there are still some interesting ideas.

It would be nice if they told us the specifics of the game plan

 

[DinoSoar]

The most interesting points I took out of the article was the level of individualisation and support for each new player, and how their load is carefully managed/calibrated and increases over the years up to year 4. It illustrates the point that most of us have NFI when it comes to the inner workings of a professional sporting environment and the reasons behind player x, player y or player z seemingly not out training with the rest of the group.

 

[Vicky Park]

Also of interest is that first year players are 'matched' to Dale Tapping, as their coach/mentor, and get to watch some of the pre-season training without actually participating in it all.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

Its interesting to see the Leading Teams philosophy really kicks in at year 4

 

[good4footy]

The most interesting points I took out of the article was the level of individualisation and support for each new player, and how their load is carefully managed/calibrated and increases over the years up to year 4. It illustrates the point that most of us have NFI when it comes to the inner workings of a professional sporting environment and the reasons behind player x, player y or player z seemingly not out training with the rest of the group.

.....or why they are not bring selected or played in a particular position- to the angst of some on here who know better.

 

[PicaBoo]

Fantastic article. 3-4 yrs between getting into the system and become established players. Good to see Marsh getting a mention. His path and development has been far from ideal.
Can we expect Grundy to make a play for the leadership group next year?

 

[Ketchup]

#sackdeloreon

 

[PicaBoo]

Its interesting to see the Leading Teams philosophy really kicks in at year 4

Buckley tenure started with Leading Teams. So we should see the first results of that coming through this year ? Apart from delisting/trading those who didn't bought into that. Can we see Adams as a direct result of that development program?

 

[The Dawes]

What is apparent is that every player is given the opportunity to realise their potential.

If a player doesn't make the grade I don't think you can blame the club's developmental process.

 

[sirlothie]

It's absolutely amazing how far its all come in the past 20 odd years.

 

[Harry O]

A bit soft by Emma not to query the Reid re injury with Davoren. Good article otherwise

 

[Baltimore Jack]

A bit soft by Emma not to query the Reid re injury with Davoren. Good article otherwise

What injury would that be?
BTW, how is Treloar going? Still won't play a game this year?

 

[sirlothie]

A bit soft by Emma not to query the Reid re injury with Davoren. Good article otherwise

It's not a news piece, it's a feature.

 

[Dynamics]

A bit soft by Emma not to query the Reid re injury with Davoren. Good article otherwise

You're kidding, right?

 

[Bay Pie]

How do posters think guys like Thomas, Shaw & Beams would have liked this little tidbit ? Wouldn't have been fond of youngsters driving standards and being called out for it when they don't, especially Shaw.

YEAR FOUR

* Drive standards in a way that influences not only younger players, but the entire list. Be the group's "centre of influence" and hold others accountable.
* Become even more of a director on the training track and able to make demands of both younger and older players.

It's a PLAYER driven culture. Players are accountable to their teammates. Players call each other out. Some players of the past just didn't like it and blamed the coach, instead of the playing group that now had a voice.

 

[Leviathan Pie]

Really good yarn, yet again from Quayle.

Enjoyed it.

 

[PicaBoo]

How do posters think guys like Thomas, Shaw & Beams would have liked this little tidbit ? Wouldn't have been fond of youngsters driving standards and being called out for it when they don't, especially Shaw.

YEAR FOUR

* Drive standards in a way that influences not only younger players, but the entire list. Be the group's "centre of influence" and hold others accountable.
* Become even more of a director on the training track and able to make demands of both younger and older players.

It's a PLAYER driven culture. Players are accountable to their teammates. Players call each other out. Some players of the past just didn't like it and blamed the coach, instead of the playing group that now had a voice.

Ratpack wouldn't have any of that. Add to that group Seedsman & Freeman.

 

[Wooljay]

A bit soft by Emma not to query the Reid re injury with Davoren. Good article otherwise

If you were writing a feature piece on cats, why would you talk about dogs.