The Top Tier Footballer

Back with another Top Tier Video 👨‍🏫🏉

Today it’s all about pressing forward and creating the turnover.

This is commonly referred to as rolling up or coming forward, and is a pressing mechanism commonly seen in other ball sports such as soccer and basketball.

It must be completed with speed and intent to see the greatest effect.

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Number 1 question to ask yourself on game day.

A) Can I impact the football?

If yes - do so

If no - what are you doing to then impact the next contest

And if you’re miles off it, how are you positioning yourself to be able to impact a contest later down the offensive or defensive chain.

It all starts with IMPACT!

Ever been stuck up against the boundary and note sure where to go?

Here’s a top tier checklist that you can use on game-day to help find the best option!

Short on time? Travelling? 🧭✈️

Here’s a great 35 minute run you can do to ensure your staying on track with your footy pre-season 💪🏉

Are you running with the right intensity to improve your footy fitness?

The 15:15 Eurofit method is one of the best ways to improve your aerobic capacity, power, and 2km time trial performance!
Here’s how far you should aim to run in 15 seconds, set at 120% of your MAS, based on your 2km time trial:

• Beginner (8:00): 75.0m
• Intermediate (7:30): 80.0m
• Advanced (7:00): 85.7m
• Top Tier (6:30): 92.3m
• Elite (6:00): 100.0m

Set your cones, push yourself, and get to work! These short, supra-maximal efforts are tough but incredibly effective for building footy-specific fitness and smashing your goals.

Tag a teammate who needs this and get after it!

Whilst I love the idea of a Christmas Challenge - it’s also important to do it safely.

Here are some of my guidelines for the session.

1st Timers - repeat on 60s, complete in 30-35s.

Intermediate - repeat on 45s, complete in 25-28s.

Advanced - repeat on 35s, complete in 23-25s

Warnings

1. DO NOT complete these any quicker than 20s - you’ll spike your high speed running numbers, and 3 weeks later be wondering why you’ve done your hammy/calf.

2. If your longest run has been anything less than 8km in the last 2 weeks, then this is probably not the time for you to be giving these a crack.

Best of luck & Merry Christmas - Top Tier 🎅🏉

Great insights from the Sydney Swans Duo here 🦢

Battling it out - working on their contested marking craft - love to see it.

Some key learnings I like to teach for contested marking.

1. Watch the ball

Points 2 & 3 don’t matter if the ball lands next to you. Your number 1 priority should always be the ball and where it is going to land. The early you can do this the better - predict & position - you will then select techniques to match the scenario.

2. Get Side On

I often refer to it like squash - you never want to give your back to your opponent - you just become far too easy to manipulate. A well balanced surfer stance, allows us to stay low, drop our centre of mass and use our feet to apply force into the ground. Remember, a strong base helps for a powerful kinetic chain, use your feet!

3. Get your frames in

If you are a forward you want separation to be able to run/jump at the ball, get your arms out at length, protect the drop zone and then fight like heck to maintain it. Think arms, elbows, shoulders, back - these are the layers you can use to maintain your space.

4. Win or Halve

The old saying, if you can’t win it at-least be in a position to halve it. Scrap, fight, bring it to ground, stay alive.

All in all a great watch 💪🏉

Top Tier Tips & Tricks for Key Defenders 📝

Top Tier Kick In Drill 🏉

Looking for a footy specific running session - then look no further!! Give it a go 💪🏉

Playing up in the NT, I’ve been mixing in a few variations to help manage system stress but to also still keep strength and power ticking over.

The chain squat’s been one of them. It’s a form of accommodating resistance where by the load’s lighter at the bottom in that lengthened position, and heavier towards the top as you move through stronger ranges. By manipulating the force profile, we keep intent high, without also overloading the parts of the lift that can lead to soreness.

Pairing it with a jump straight after gives that potentiation effect, helping you carry the intent from the heavy lift into something more explosive. Good mix when you want to move fast but keep total load in check…

Wanting to have a program that adapts to the seasonal swings of football ? Check our Top Tier Team Training Program that’s currently in our off season phase - links in bio 💪⛓️🚀

Double Diamond HB Drill 💎♦️

Great variation you can do to work on your quick hands 🙌