PLAYER RESOURCES

The ability to kick an Australian Rules football is the most fundamental skill of the game.

The kicking skills of the very best Aussie Rules footballers can be simply amazing to watch. Using either leg they can kick a ball with a high degree of precision to a fast moving team mate or though a set of goals that can be as much as 60 metres away, and often whilst highly fatigued or moving at high speed themselves in order to avoid the defensive pressure of a chasing opponent. 

​

But - as you might expect with such a skilled task - there's more to kicking the ball than simply banging it onto your boot and hoping for the best!

​

Check out this video if you'd like some tips on how to improve your 'Aussie Rules' kicking skills, but remember that practice makes perfect so feel free to come along to training and give it a go for yourself!  

Aussie rules players can't throw the ball to one another - they either have to kick or handball the ball to their team mate - so being able to handball effectively is an essential skill to master as it is often a critical component of both attacking and defensive passages of play.  

​

As with most sporting skills the art of effective handballing is best developed with a bit of practice.

The videos below will help get you started, but we look forward to seeing you down at training where we'll happily help you start putting the theory into practice.

The term 'marking' refers to the situation wherein a player has caught the ball after it has been kicked by another player, thus earning the player who has taken the mark the right to briefly possess the ball and dispose of it without being subjected defensive tackling pressure of an opponent.

There are different types of marks (chest marks, overhead marks, and 'out in front' marks), and they can take place in both an offensive and defensive context within the game.  

Additionally, a towering overhead 'hanger' of a mark is also one of the most spectacular and crowd pleasing aspects of Australian Rules football, so if you're ready to 'fly for a 'speccy' of your own check out the videos below for some useful tips and information, and come on down to training to join in the fun!

'Spoiling' refers to the art of punching the ball away from an opponent who is attempting to take a mark.

​​

It's an important defensive skill that should be mastered by all players because irrespective of whether your team is in attacking or defensive mode there will inevitably be crucial one on one marking contests between individual players that will require a one player to properly execute a defensive spoil on the other.

​

But be careful! An incorrect method of spoiling will see the umpire award a free kick against you, thus gifting your opponent possession of the ball.

Check out the short video below for further tips on the art of defensive spoiling.

Smothering is a great defensive skill whereby a player blocks the travel of the ball as or just after it is kicked by an opponent. 

​

Like everything else in 'Aussie Rules' there's a knack to smothering effectively, but when it is done properly at a critical time in a game it is one of the most team lifting actions an individual player can carry out.

​

Check out the advice on the video below, and become one of the most well respected players on your team.

One of the most attractive features of Australian Rules football is that it is a fast, free flowing game.

One of the things that makes it so is the fact that a player in possession of the football can run wherever and as far as they like, just as long as they bounce the ball on the ground every 15 metres (or - the weather makes bouncing difficult - touch the ball to the ground).

​

But beware! If a player runs too far (i.e. greater than 15 metres) without bouncing the ball the umpire will pay a free kick to the opposition, and bouncing the ball when you are running at full speed is a skill in and of itself, and thus is very worthwhile practising at training. 

​

Check out the videos below to help get yourself bouncing along like a kangaroo!

(Sorry...I just couldn't help myself)

Shepherding is the art of using your body to block the ability of an opponent to tackle a team mate of yours who may be in possession of the ball (or in the act of trying to gain possession of the ball if it is in open play).

Shepherding is essentially a team orientated action. You're effectively trying to 'protect' your team mate, or 'buy them the time' they need to gather the ball and then dispose of it effectively without having to deal with the immediate attacking pressure of a player from the opposing team.

But there are rules that must be followed, so have look at the video below to get an idea of how shepherding works in the game of Australian Rules football. 

Bumping is part of the physical DNA of Australian Rules football, and a timely bump can change the course of a passage of play. 

That said, it's really important that bumps are executed in a fair and proper way in order to minimise the risk of injury to any player involved.

​

With that in mind the video found below offers some great insights with regards to how to bump an opponent in a fair and safe manner, and is a great place to start for anyone looking to 'up skill' themselves in this aspect of Australian Rules football.

'Spreading' is the term used to describe the way the players of the team in possession of the ball separate to create passing options for one another when attempting to move the ball down the ground. Check out the video below for some ideas on how to train it.