Australia and the World Past and Present

AFL coaching has changed dramatically since the mid-1980s. If a coach from 1985 walked into a modern AFL club, they would recognise the game but much of the staffing, analysis and decision-making might seem very different.

In the 1980s, the senior coach was a more solitary figure.

At that time, clubs had a senior coach, perhaps one or two assistants, limited sports science input and little formal statistical analysis.

A coach such as Kevin Sheedy at Essendon or David Parkin at Carlton relied heavily on their own personal observation and football knowledge.

Statistics were generally limited to kicks, handballs, marks and goals.

Most coaching decisions were based on what coaches could see with their own eyes.

The 1990s saw the rise of specialist coaching. Clubs began employing forward coaches, midfield coaches and defensive coaches.

Video review became increasingly important.

Teams began spending significant time analysing opposition structures, individual match-ups, and centre bounce setups.

The game became more system-oriented and less dependent on individual creativity.

Changes continued in the 2000s. Key coaches associated with this time period are Mark Thompson, Alastair Clarkson and Ross Lyon

There were also development coaches, recruiting staff, analysts, sports scientists, strength and conditioning staff and psychologists.

There was a data and sports science explosion.

In the mid-2000s, players began wearing GPS devices that measured distance covered, speed and work rate.

Analysts developed increasingly sophisticated measures. They could now measure territory metrics.

There was a greater focus on opposition analysis.

Analysts tried to identify defensive weaknesses and kick-in tendencies.

What once required intuition increasingly became data-driven.

Football coaching increasingly became coaching-as-management.

Today’s senior coach is often closer to a chief executive than a traditional coach of the 1980s.

The senior coach spends significant time managing staff, coordinating departments and communicating strategy.

Modern coaches know more than ever about opposition tendencies, physical conditioning and injury prevention.

Players are fitter and tactically more disciplined than at any point in AFL history.

The average AFL player now covers more ground and performs more high-intensity running than players of the 1980s.

Has AFL play become overanalysed?

Many former players and coaches think so.

Critics argue that clubs can become obsessed with statistics and tactical minutiae.

Some believe intuition and football instinct have been devalued.

Despite all the technological advances, the most successful clubs over the last 20 years – such as Geelong, Hawthorn and Richmond – have generally emphasised something that cannot easily be measured: culture.

When players and coaches are asked why a premiership was won, they still often talk about trust, leadership, relationships and belief.

Despite the heavy focus on a science-driven approach to football, things more intangible, like team culture, retain their importance.