SA Footy

Reece Homfray @ Messenger Press wrote:
School’s in for the Roosters


Rhys Archard with North Adelaide youngsters Cameron
Moore and Blake Sanders. Picture: Luke Hemer

CHILDREN as young as five will be groomed as future League footballers under a new program developed by North Adelaide Football Club.

The Roosters are set to launch the SANFL’s first ``football school’’ next year to deliver clinics and elite coaching to juniors in their zone.

It is also hoped the program will be implemented in local schools as part of the curriculum.

The program is headed by reigning Magarey Medallist Rhys Archard, and juniors will receive one-on-one coaching from former AFL players Cain Ackland and Damon White, as well as Heath Younie, Clint Alleway and James Allan.

``Ideally we would be getting League footballers out of it,’’ North Adelaide football operations manager James Moore said.

``It’s to give children the opportunity to play Aussie Rules Footy all year round, and to get the best out of the kids.’’

Club boss Glenn Elliott was behind the idea to create the North Adelaide Football School, which will start with holiday clinics for children aged five and up in January, April and July.

More specific training - known as elite coaching - will be delivered to juniors aged 11-15 as part of an eight-week course throughout the year.

Archard said the program would focus on diet, fitness and skills, to prepare juniors for life as an SANFL or AFL footballer.

``It’s a guide to what’s required and what they should be doing if they want to get there,’’ he said.

``Glenn (Elliott) has a good analogy about juniors training for the 2016 Olympics now - that’s how we’re looking at it.’’

It is hoped 120 juniors will go through the elite coaching course next year. Moore said the club had invested a ``considerable amount of funds’’ in the school but would not reveal the exact amount.

He said the program was more about developing juniors than making money and it was not expected to post a profit for at least three years.

For more information, or to enrol in the North Adelaide Football School, visit the club’s website http://www.nafc.com.au

SJABC wrote:Did North not run Holiday footy clinics before ?

Wedgie wrote:I'm hoping that someone can run one this comprehensive south if the city in the near future for my youngster to attend. Any chance Central could it though instead of South or Glenelg please?

Dogwatcher wrote:Gee this Glenelg-North rivalry is funny to sit back and watch.

am Bays wrote:I just wish Drebin was back to make things really interesting...

Got to say I find his posts far less offensive than the dribble from a few on here. At least he knows what he's talking about.

kookas wrote:I think Henley High School and Sacred Heart have a course where you can study Football and all aspects of it and it goes to your SACE score.