AFL Coaching Manual - Western Bulldogs Football Club
AFL Coaching Manual - Western Bulldogs Football Club
AFL Coaching Manual - Western Bulldogs Football Club
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Chapter 6<br />
FITNESS FOR<br />
FOOTBALL<br />
The fitness demands of Australian <strong>Football</strong> have changed dramatically<br />
over the past 10 to 15 years as the nature of the game has changed.<br />
The intensity of the game, with its emphasis on running, play on at<br />
all costs and the free interchange of players, has necessitated that greater<br />
consideration be given to the physical conditioning of players.<br />
<strong>Football</strong>ers today may cover more than 15km a game, performing many<br />
short high intensity sprint efforts over distances of between 5m to 30m.<br />
Apart from running, the player must also perform various physical activities<br />
such as kicking, marking, handballing, tackling, bumping and jumping.<br />
These actions and the running nature of the game demand players develop<br />
a number of important fitness attributes.<br />
The following section will assist the coach in planning and implementing<br />
a complete fitness program for the team.<br />
weighty issues: Weights play a<br />
vital part in footballers’ fitness routines,<br />
as Fremantle’s Zac Clarke shows.<br />
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