Coaching to develop 'thinking' Australian football - AFL players

The ideas in this post are based on the 2014 theory-into-practice paper: Informing Game Sense pedagogy with constraints-led theory for coaching in Australian football (availabe here). 

The Core Philosophy: "Thinking Players". The paper argues for a shift from linear "skill-drill" coaching to a non-linear, complex systems approach.

Here is an example

Key Framework

Focus: Using the game as the starting point.

Strategy: Asking questions rather than providing answers.

Skill: Technique meeting the context requirements of the moment of play - a functional solution

Four ideas through which to achieve the philosophy - 

1. Representative Design Practice must "look and feel" like the real game

2. Information-Movement representation Players must move based on what they see (teammates, opponents, ball) rather than a whistle.

3. Manipulation of Constraints/conditions Modify rules (e.g., "no handballs") to force players to find new ways to solve a problem.

4. Guided (Scaffold) player thinking Use the "Freeze & Question" method to help players realise tactical options.

A training session based on the principles in the paper to teach "switching the play". 

Session Plan: The "Switch" Architect

Objective: To develop players' ability to recognise congestion and "exit" to the open side of the ground using a game-representative scenario.

1. The Game Design (Representative Task)

The Setup:

• Area: 60m x 40m.
• Teams: 8 vs. 8 (or 10 vs. 10).
• The "Channels": Divide the field vertically into three long corridors: Left, Centre, and Right.

"Shaping" of the play

To force the "Switch" behaviour without explicitly commanding it, apply these rules:

• The Overload Constraint/Condition: The defending team must always have 2 more players in the channel where the ball is currently located.
• Result: This creates immediate "congestion," making it nearly impossible to score by going straight ahead.
• The Scoring Bonus: A goal is worth 1 point if scored in the same channel the play started in, but worth 5 points if the ball crosses through at least two channels (e.g., Left to Right) before the score.
• Touch Limit: Players in the "congested" zone have only 3 seconds to dispose of the ball (simulating high pressure).

2. The Pedagogy: "Freeze & Question"

During the game, "freeze" the play when a team gets trapped on the boundary. Instead of saying "Switch the ball!", ask:

1. Observation: "Where is all the 'heat' (pressure) right now?"
2. Visualisation: "If we can't go through them, where is the grass most visible?"
3. Execution: "What is the fastest way to get the ball from this 'closed' side to that 'open' side?"

Or

AsK - Identifying the Problem (The "Freeze")

Use these when a team gets "trapped" on the boundary line or in a corner.

1. "What does the 'numbers' situation look like right in front of you compared to the far side of the ground?"
• Goal: To get them to recognize numerical disadvantage (congestion).
2. "If the boundary line is an extra defender, how many 'opponents' are you actually fighting right now?"
• Goal: To realize the sideline is limiting their options.
3. "Where is the 'dark' space (crowded) and where is the 'bright' space (open)?"
• Goal: Simple visual scanning for grass versus jumpers.

Or

Ask - Evaluating Options (The "Strategy")

Use these during a break in play or a huddle.

4. "If we want to get the ball to the opposite side, who is the 'bridge' player we need to use?"
• Goal: Identifying the role of the center-square or "inboard" player.
5. "Why is a slow, high kick to the switch risky compared to a flat, hard one?"
• Goal: Connecting the technical execution to the tactical need for speed.
6. "What cue should a teammate on the open side give to show they are an 'exit' option?"
• Goal: Improving communication and "Information-Movement Coupling."

3. The Practice Progression 

Have a framework to scale-up or scale-down the challenge of the task to meet differing player readiness to learn

Level	Constraint Change	Purpose
Intro	Use a "Joker" player who always plays for the team in possession.	Increases success rate and builds confidence in the lateral kick.
Intermediate	The "Switch" kick must be a specific type (e.g., a low, hard 30m pass).	Focuses on the Technical requirement under tactical pressure.
Advanced	Remove the vertical lines; defense can now "press" however they want.	Tests if players can now recognise the need to switch without visual aids.

Why this works

Non-Linearity: Players learn to "read" the density of the opposition.

• Affordances: The open space on the far side becomes an "affordance" (an opportunity for action) that the player chooses to exploit.
• Coupling: The physical skill of the lateral kick is coupled with the visual cue of a crowded corridor.

Moves from a "Closed" (congested) environment to an "Open" (spaced) environment.

3: Reflection (The "Review")

ASK

Use these at the end of a drill or the session.

7. "When we successfully switched the ball, what did it do to the opposition’s defensive structure?"
• Goal: Understanding that a switch makes the defense work harder and "chase."
8. "How did your decision-making change once we added the 5-point bonus for a switch?"
• Goal: Making them aware of how "Task Constraints" influence their choices.
9. "What was the biggest 'red flag' that told you it was time to stop going forward and start going sideways?"
• Goal: Identifying the specific trigger for a switch (e.g., a wall of 3 defenders).

What do you think of the session?

Thanks for stopping by and reading this post. If you would like to connect with me on a project to do with this blog or any of the other ideas that I have blogged about, you can contact me by the email link available here

Related posts

Play with purpose: Inquiry strategies to develop thinking players here

Play with purpose: sport coaching as deliberate practice here

Informing game sense pedagogy with constraints-led practice here

Game sense coaching and affordance theory here

Sport coaching: when do I work on technique? here

Closed and open practice here

Developing the technical-tactical connection through play with purpose here

The role of play in game learning here

Developing player decision-making here

Making sense of game sense coaching here