afl football
coaches immersion
built for community football
The Bulldogs Coaches Immersion is a practical, one-session professional development experience designed specifically for community football coaches.
Across five focused hours, you’ll learn directly from AFL & AFLW coaches and staff on the key areas that actually shift performance at local level – from leadership and communication, to training design, game-day craft and teaching through vision.
More than just ‘drills and magnets'
This immersion is built around real coaching problems you face every week: motivating players, balancing male and female programs, planning purposeful training, and turning game plans into behaviours on the field. You’ll walk away with practical frameworks, session templates and activities you can plug straight into your next training night.
Built for coaches of all demographics
Coaches will have the chance to split into male and female football streams, so you can dive into the specific communication, engagement and tactical considerations that matter in your context while still sharing ideas as a whole group.
Who's it for: Coaches involved in community, school or talent League football from adolescents to seniors
Inclusions: Workshops, practical field sessions, light dinner and refreshments, learning materials & 150 AFL Coach Accreditation points
COURSE INFORMATION
QUALIFICATION
150 COACH ACCREDITATION POINTS
start date
FEBRUARY 2027 - TO BE CONFIRMED
duration
5 HOURS
REGISTRATION COST
TO BE CONFIRMED
delivery
IN-PERSON, THEORY & PRACTICAL
LOCATION
MISSION WHITTEN OVAL
COURSE STRUCTURE + topics
leadership & communication for modern coaches
At its core, coaching is leadership. This session explores the coach’s role as a leader in the community: building relationships, setting standards, communicating with clarity and empathy, and shaping environments where players and volunteers can thrive.
Gender Specific Coaching Workshops
Coaches will take part in targeted, context-specific workshops focused on coaching young men or young women, aligned to their primary coaching environment.
Each session explores key developmental, behavioural and psychosocial considerations, before translating these into practical, football-specific teaching including, tactical trends, spacing, contest work, and ball movement.
Planning Effective Training
Learn how to structure an effective training session: timings, flow, drill selection, and intensity. We’ll also unpack how to build purposeful training blocks across pre-season and in-season, so your program is aligned to your game plan rather than a random collection of drills.
skill development & line craft
A practical rotation on the indoor field, focusing on core skill progressions, positional craft and simple coaching cues that drive better execution under pressure.
Tactics & Game Simulation
On-field scenarios and small-sided games that reflect real match situations. Learn how to design games that teach your game plan, encourage decision-making and reinforce contest, spacing and ball movement principles.
Game Vision & Analysis
See how to use simple tools and match vision to teach players more effectively. We’ll cover what to show, how to frame clips, and how to deliver messages so players understand and act on them in game
coaches & presenters...
2027 guest speaker and facilitator line-up is still be confrimed, but will include a mix of coaches and experts that bring their extensive experience and industry insights to the jam-packed half-day immersion.
Previous presenters include:
Tamara hyett
AFLW Head Coach
matt egan
General Manager - Coaching & Performance
brendon Lade
AFL Midfield Coach & AFLW Director of Coaching