Football: Coaches benefit from visit

Experienced former AFL assistant coach Michael Broadbridge’s visit to Albany was a popular one, with local coaches benefitting from two sessions with the current head of football at Aquinas College.

Picture by Cameron Newbold: Local coach Joe Galantino, former AFL assistant coach Michael Broadbridge and Great Southern Coaches Club president Adam Scott.

Great Southern Football Development manager Brent Sheridan believes the visit was a chance for local coaches to learn from the best.

“Michael is a very experienced coach at the highest level,” Sheridan said.

“He passed on some great knowledge about footy and the elements of coaching and his generic coaching philosophies.”

Broadbridge took a practical session with the Great Southern Storm and the Railways juniors on Wednesday afternoon, while also highlighting key areas of the training session to local coaches in attendance.

Broadbridge also spoke at a dinner at Motel Le Grande attended by about 30 coaches and run by the Great Southern Coaches Club and the Great Southern Football Development Council.

“His training session with the kids was not rocket science,” Sheridan said.

“But he got the kids to take the onus of their training on themselves. It was a bit left of centre the session but was all about trying to improve the kids’ development.”

During his speech at the dinner, the former Collingwood, Fremantle and West Coast assistant coach covered a range of topics in relation to football and athlete development.

“He spoke about his experiences, his philosophies and his coaching,” Sheridan added.

“There was also discussion about athlete development and how to deliver it in the program you run while also keeping a view towards team goals.”

Sheridan praised the Department of Sport and Recreation for their involvement with the coaches club.

He hoped this would not be the last high level coach to visit the region.

cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com