Coach Gunny

21/09/2026

AFL players grappling, contact safety and decision making under pressure. 13+ young men and women to 18s.

Two signed up already. Coach Gunny

Many know that I am not good at talking myself up but key people remember I was a little ahead of the game here.

Always learning!

14/09/2026

Footy that's not just 'footy' for Term 4

Gunny's Off-Season 8 is a small-group development squad for young footballers heading into the U13–U15 age groups who want to become stronger, more athletic, more confident and better prepared for footy. There's a strong Rugby League flavour, particularly around contact and the physical demands of...

19/03/2026

"If you don’t have attention, you don’t have learning."

Dear coaches, teachers and caring adults,

Most sessions lose athletes in the first few minutes.

Players stand around.
They wait.
The coach talks.

I have spent more than 30 years coaching athletes and mentoring coaches.

I take a different approach. You have to "hook ’em in" first. Thus:

Start with movement.
Start with interaction.
Start with the game.

Once athletes are engaged, learning can begin.

This is the next article (of eight) in the series: Hook ’Em In! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the series which near enough is my coaching model.

https://www.craiggunn.org/resources/lm24z36arl2rwg3rxwa9ezmw4wl333

How do you start your sessions?

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

Cheers Craig (Gunny)

Why engagement must come before instruction

18/03/2026

Most players are told what to do. Very few are taught how to see the game.

Dear adults, coaches and teachers,

I have spent more than 30 years coaching athletes and mentoring coaches.

One question I repeat often is a simple: “What do you notice?”

Instead of constant instruction, players begin to recognise:

• space

• pressure

• timing

• opportunity

They start to understand the game for themselves.

This is the second article in the current series: What Do You Notice?

https://www.craiggunn.org/resources/s357j2cml6bsyp6jl4nwhh57sj54fr

What do your players actually notice during training?

Yours in learning, Craig (Gunny)

Helping athletes develop awareness of the game. Many coaches spend most of the session telling athletes what to do . They explain mistakes. They give corrections. They provide (many) sets of instructions. And, many also position themselves as the fountain of all knowledge. But great players

17/03/2026

Dear adults, learners, teachers and coaches,

Since 1991 I have spent years coaching athletes and mentoring coaches.

I'm starting to share more of my thinking again.

This is the first in a short series:

"Coaching is Teaching!"

I would love to hear what others think.

Yours in learning,

Craig Gunn (Gunny)

https://www.craiggunn.org/resources/tlttbap484tee9bh2z22m2rgt6swl4

Why great coaching environments create better learning.

05/03/2026

Grassroots coaches dilemna,

'Herding cats'?

Outside the technical and tactical, when will we begin teaching Volunteers HOW to coach again?

Like 'engaging' a group???

Just got my first booking grassroots coaches on supporting gals RL 13s, 15s, 17s. It's that time club presidents.

But I find the same for u5s, u8s (in vision) all the way to elite coaches. needs support

Learn from Aussie type . 'Operational' pedagogy is very underrated (US academic Judith Rink).

Contact me and make a booking. Any sport. Any code. Any context.

Learning, Gunny

PS. The best advice really I can give even to 'elite' coaches (outside of filming yourself) is to go and watch a good primary school PE teacher.

Learner engagement requires us never to forget the art of operational pedagogy.

Got about a million more tips of course, within here are a few of Gunny's.

Semi pro and professional coaches contact me.

Outside the technical and tactical, when will we begin teaching Volunteers HOW to coach again? The best advice really I can give even to 'elite' coaches (ou...

04/03/2026

Peers who move or teach movement, the grassroots coach's dilemna...

You've been handed your child's team's coaching job....What now??!!

Coach Gunny gives you his No. 1 'no-brainer' to get you started on your journey!

Enjoy, share, AND please subscribe to and like 'Gunn Engagement' YouTube Channel and social pages.

Learning, Gunny

You've been handed your child's team's coaching job....What now??!! Coach Gunny gives you his No. 1 'no-brainer' to get you started on your journey! Enjoy, ...

03/03/2026

AFL Tackling, Leverage, Contact Preparation Drills - 2018 - Coach Gunny

A very different environment for tackling and contact in AFL and the women's game has closer combat quarters.

Certainly different from Rugby League and Union.

Thus I found best success around confidence and competence in breaking it all down to absolute basics.

Get in touch anytime.

Coach Gunny - Gunn Engagement - I am back coaching for the first time since pre-COVID

www.craiggunn.org

https://youtu.be/ttbxjrQoaB4?si=otGexsLEfG6JpT7D

Coach Gunny is a Brisbane Australia based educator, who specialises in coaching coaches, schools, PE teachers and businesses to first engage the unique learners before them.

24/02/2026

Peers who move - former, former athletes!!! etc

Come have some fun and fitness.

Sandgate, 4017, Queensland Australia - Get in Touch

Featuring former: Met Nth Rugby Union Captain 1992 (featuring future Wallaby); St Rita's College Tennis Champion 1990; Nudgee College Bench Press Competition 3rd place 1990

Reclaim past glory!

Learning, Gunny Coach Gunny

I made this amazing video with CapCut. Open the link to try it out: capcut.com/tools/desktop-video-editor

16/02/2026

Peers who run,

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The introduction to my newest course is attached.

DM me for more details or if you want a 50% discount.

Watch daily for more teasers.

Launches next Monday 23/2/26 5pm Queensland Australian time.

Experienced coach.

Gunny (current L2 Athletics Australia coach etc)

HYROX is the new popular variation of hybrid performance events like CrossFit, Spartan, Dekka and the like. This is the introductory video of 3 hour, 3 modu...