Community embraces Demon coaching

While Melbourne coach Dean Bailey barked instructions to the young Demons players as they worked the ball from one end of Casey Fields to the other, Melbourne Football Manager Chris Connolly and AFL Victoria Development Manager Mark Wheeler were hosting over 100 community football coaches from the southern and eastern regions of Melbourne.

This community “Coach the Coaches” session, a joint initiative between the Melbourne Football Club and the Australian Football Coaches Association enabled local coaches to watch at close quarters a mixture of full ground drills and specialist training activities performed by the Demons in preparation for the 2009 season.

Assistant coach Kelly O’Donnell provided an overview and commentary on the drills and skills session explaining why certain activities were being conducted and to answer coach’s questions on how to develop their own specific skill drills. Senior players Brad Miller and Cale Morton demonstrated their kicking skills with O’Donnell explaining that coaches need to have their players practicing the variety of kicks used in the game including switching the play, set shots for goal and kicking to a team mates advantage.

At the end of the training session the coaches listened to Dean Bailey outline his coaching philosophies, which included fun, “getting excited” and maintaining a high level of encouragement for all involved in the team. He stated that the Demons had extensively reviewed their 2008 season and were now better prepared with some key training focuses on kicking and decision making. At Melbourne enormous importance has been placed on developing leadership through behaviours for players and coaches. Bailey then handed over the session to his other assistants who provided a greater insight into their roles. Forwards coach Josh Mahoney presented  measurements he is using – inside 50’s, efficiency rates and accuracy – to measure the effectiveness of the forward structure, while Sean Wellman made it quite clear that “it is not just the back six who are responsible for defence”. Mark Williams was looking for pressure, work rate and spirit in the mid field.

The Melbourne “Coach the Coaches” session kick started the Australian Football Coaches Association seminars which are conducted throughout Victoria by AFL Victoria’s team of Development Managers.