20 Jumpers in 20 days: #6
St. George AFC has undertaken a large number of activities designed to maximise the transition of players from junior AFL clubs through to senior AFL and through to St. George AFC in particular.
The club’s key approach is to give as many junior players exposure to the people, coaches, players, facilities,and game day experience of St. George AFC as possible, making the transition from junior to senior football as easy as possible.
The strategies that St. George AFC has implemented are as follows:
1. ST. GEORGE ACADEMY
Created in 2013 St. George invited each of the junior clubs in the Sydney South zone to send six of their best U16 players, that were not in the Swans Academy, to train at St. George once a month under the direction of St. George coaches.
28 players were nominated over the course of the 6 month program, with attendances averaging at 22 for each session.
Coaches involved included Jason Saddington and Mick Keys.
The final session of the year included a game vs Knox Grammar, which really allowed
the squad to bond together strongly as a competitive team and implement what they
had been taught.
An additional benefit was 16 St. George Academy players making the Sydney South GSJ squad which went through that tournament undefeated.
A dedicated Facebook page was set up for the Academy players & parents to
communicate AFL news and information, post session photos, and aide communication between players.
St. George Academy training singlets were provided to all players.
In 2014, the Academy program again went ahead, but included players from both U17 and U15 age groups.
This increased the number of nominated players to 42, with attendance averaging 32
per session.
Once again the U17s played Knox in the final game of the season to further bond the
boys together, as well as give them the full St. George game day experience including
ice baths and pre and post‐game weigh‐ins.
2. U17 JUNIOR SQUADS TRAINING AT ST. GEORGE
In 2014 each of the five clubs with U17 squads were invited to train with the U19s for a night.
This allowed the boys & junior coaches to learn new training drills, meet the St. George coaches and players, view the club rooms, and experience a typical St. George training night.
3. U17S PLAYING U19S AT ST. GEORGE
Over the course of the 2014 season, including practice matches, 17 different junior club U17 players were called up to play one or more games for St. George AFC U19s.
4. PRESENTATION AT JUNIOR CLUB END OF SEASON PRESENTATION EVENTS
In 2013, St. George AFC Vice President and Academy Coordinator Andrew Wynn attended the end of season Presentation Nights for each of the five clubs in the Sydney South competition.
As there was no actual transition from U16s at the end of that year due to the extension to U17s, St. George still presented the benefits of continuing their AFL careers post Junior Football.
Andrew Wynn will attend all the junior club events at the end of 2014.
5. SYDNEY SOUTH GSJ REPRESENTATIVE TEAM COACHES
St. George AFC has ensured it is involved in the coaching of the U16/U17 GSJ Representative team for the last two years.
2013: U16 Head coach – Derek Waters (St. George U18s coach).
2014: U17 Assistant Coach – Alexander Wynn (Current St. George Player)
6. ST. GEORGE AFC PROVIDING A COACH FOR PENSHURST U17s
At the request of Penshurst JAFC, St. George was able to find a coach for their U17 team from within the St. George playing group.
This player, Dom Killworth, has just announced that he will coach that team again in 2015.
7. BACK TO ST. GEORGE DAY
As part of the annual ‘Back To St. George Day’ which brings past St. George players back to the club, St. George organised for 2 of the local junior U17 clubs, Miranda & Penshurst, to play the curtain raiser before the day’s senior games.
Additionally, Bangor, Cronulla, and Penshurst junior clubs provide some Auskickers to play before the Premier Division game on the day.
Not only did these games add to the colour of the day, but further reinforced what a
professional and community orientated club St. George AFC is.
8. OTHER INITIATIVES
November 2013 – St. George AFC hosted a meeting of all the junior club presidents to help them to transition to Sunday football.
December 2012 – A special presentation for all the parents of new juniors joining St. George for the 2013 season was held to explain how the club operates & how the club would look after & develop their sons.
This session will be repeated in December 2014 for the parents of new players coming to the club in 2015 February 2014 – St. George invited all junior U17 players to come to St. George pre-season training, of which eight junior players attended.
February 2014 – Players from the junior clubs were invited to attend St. George training in February when Swans players Nick Smith and Rhyce Shaw visited the club.
