Vic community coaches get tips from the top

A group of community football coaches from metropolitan Melbourne leagues will enter season 2021 armed with tips from the one of the game’s elite level leaders after meeting St Kilda’s Brett Ratten at RSEA Park on Wednesday.

Ratten, who is entering his second full season as senior coach of the Saints after guiding the team to their first AFL finals series in nearly a decade last year, met with coaches from local clubs who are about to lead their teams having missed all of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to spending time with Ratten, these community coaches and all coaches across the country have the opportunity to build their knowledge and hear from all 18 AFL senior coaches by participating in the CoachAFL Webinar Series, currently underway as part of the AAMI Community Camps.

Ratten was part of the session held on Wednesday evening and there are three webinars scheduled for next week, all involving senior AFL coaches. The series is free and those interested can register at: https://coach.afl/2021-aami-community-camp-coaching-webinar-series.

The 2021 community football season in Victoria is not far away and looms as critically important for all clubs, leagues and players after the entire 2020 season was wiped out across the state.

The coaches who met with Ratten this week all face challenges getting their teams and clubs back up and running, but there is a lot of excitement about the game returning at a community level.

Kris Thompson, Senior Coach – Springvale Districts:

“Having footy back gives everyone involved a sense of belonging. We went out to Bunyip in country Victoria and played a practice match in February on a Sunday, and there were hundreds of people there, because they haven’t had footy there and all of our supporters haven’t had footy either.

That practice match showed how keen everyone is to get back into footy.”

Jason McGrath, President and Junior Coach - Highett FC:

“I can’t say how happy I am to be right at the point again where we can get out on the park. Especially junior kids, there’s a whole group that have never experienced junior football, and they were so close to their first games.

Training has been fantastic. Kids have got big smiles on their faces and are loving kicking the ball around.

Today was awesome. I think Brett (Ratten) really understand where we’re at, from his time in grassroots footy. Genuinely sounds like he cares about the direction of the game, and it was a real pleasure to meet him.”

Bek Dee, Under 18 Girls Coach - St.Bede’s/Mentone Tigers:

“Footy is an amazing game and something that brings us all together, and we really missed that in 2020. We could have our Zoom sessions and all that, but it’s just not the same, as being able to get out there and be a part of something.

As a female coach, I really look up to a lot of men in our football community because they have so much to give to us. I think it’s great that we can listen to someone who’s been coaching in both aspects – community and elite – and that he can give us some tips or anything that I can grab and take back to my girls and help to make them better footballers. It’s great to have that opportunity to meet and speak with Brett.”

Marcus Kleinert, Senior Coach – Endeavour Hills Women’s:

“It’s been great to finally reconnect as a group and have something like footy to look forward to through the week and on weekends, which was sorely missed in 2020.

The growth of women’s footy has been amazing. The seven years I’ve been involved there’s a lot more local clubs, junior numbers are huge, and there’s finally that pathway to take girls all the way through. It’s been exciting to see it happen and it’s great to be involved.”

Register for the webinars at: https://coach.afl/2021-aami-community-camp-coaching-webinar-series