Kicking in Australian Football – past to present

Abstract

David has been the High-performance Coach at Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the past eight years and has extensive practical experience in the applications of biomechanics, skill development and game analysis/analytics interventions within an elite professional sport environment. David will explore transition from the application of a reductionist scientific paradigm to one driven by behaviour change. Content will include: Initial attempts to understand kicking skill – application of a purely biomechanical model; Problems with this approach – time for a re-think?; What is being acquired – what is the expertise advantage, what are we coaching?; What does the training environment look like - lessons from the game?; Integration of principles of biomechanics, motor control, game analysis, and psychology in coaching.