Pakenham Football Club received the ultimate day-in-the-life-of experience with St Kilda Football Club at the Linen House Centre during the week.
The Lions were crowned the 2015 FOX FOOTY Community Club of the Year and as part of the prize, 40 club members attended a full day of training at the Linen House Centre facility.
The lucky club members received a personalised tour of the facility, joined in on an opposition analysis meeting and participated in an AFL-standard training session, all hosted by Senior Coach Alan Richardson and his coaching staff.
Through the combined efforts of assistant coaches Aaron Hamill, Rohan Welsh and Adam Kingsley, the group were taken through the coaches' weekly and match-day operations that effectively train the St Kilda playing group.
A specific area that the coaches focus on developing during the week is the players’ ‘craft’, this portion of training is often shaped around specific player skills and knowledge of the opposition.
Pakenham Lions were able to work on their craft with the coaches, practicing their body work and ground balls just as the team would throughout the week.
The training session was capped off with Assistant Coach Lindsay Gilby’s skills challenge – a dribble kick from the boundary line – with 18-year-old Jesse Pantorno taking out the overall prize for his goals despite usually residing in Pakenham’s back line.
Stepping outside of the daily routine of the Saints, the Pakenham lions were treated to a Q and A with Senior Coach Alan Richardson.
Understanding that coaches of local leagues have much less access to players than that of the AFL, Richardson was able to recall his time coaching at East Burwood Football Club to provide some pointers to the Pakenham FC group.
“We hope that by giving the Pakenham Football Club behind-the-scenes access, they’re able to take away some insights that can be applied to their own training and operations. Having an understanding of the culture and professionalism of an AFL club is really beneficial to anyone looking to play or coach at an elite level,” Richardson said.
Senior Coach of Pakenham Football Club Steve O’Bryan said the Saints’ simple approach to coaching was a key learning that he could take away.
“It’s really interesting to see how much work goes in during the week,” O’Bryan told saints.com.au.
“The way that they deliver their instructions is really succinct and specific of what they want to get out of their players. I think it keeps it simple and it’s easy for the players to follow.”
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