FOOTBALL STRATEGY

Huey Football x's and o's

One of my early coaches, let's call him Huey, used to deliver the team strategy on a blackboard in the change rooms.  He'd madly mark x's and o's all over it, along with lines and arrows and squiggles. In five minutes, he'd work himself into a frenzy and we'd be completely lost as to what he was talking about, so we'd politely nod, emit an affirming roar to prove our testosterone content, and head onto the field with our fingers crossed.

This page is supplied in memory of Huey.  As he gave to me, so I give to you.

What can we offer in Football Strategy?

We've been involved in playing ( including a premiership ), captaining, coaching and administrating football.  Even more importantly, we enjoy watching and talking about football!  Occasionally, there's beer involved.

On this page we'll regularly add more information on football strategy.  There won't necessarily be a logical order to our strategy tips yet.  Initially, we'll just write them on the back of beer coasters at the pub and load them to this web site the next morning / afternoon.  We cannot guarantee that the previous evening's genius will be accurately reproduced via this transition.  Bottom line: don't sue us if you don't win the flag. 

So, let's get started...

Football Strategy 1: Have a Strategy.

It sounds dumb and obvious, but so many clubs and teams don't have a strategy.  They spend the season reacting to the strategy of whoever is dominating them in the competition instead of acting on their own strategy.

Just like on the field your first focus should be the ball before your opponent, similarly off the field you should focus first on your strategy, not your opponents.  Your strategy may, however be mindful of your opponents without making them the focus.

You've probably heard it before, but failing to plan is planning to fail.

If you're serious about winning a flag, football running plays and other strategies are a crucial part of your season's preparation and progression.  Have a strategy.

Football Strategy 2:  Start with the End in Mind

Again, it sounds obvious but many teams miss this one, too.  In 26 years of playing, I only had two coaches who, from pre-season, were talking, thinking and acting 'Grand Final Win.'  One of them led us to a premiership.  The other got us into the finals the year after we got the wooden spoon under a different coach. I retired at the end of that year, but he got the team in the Grand Final the following year, won it the year after and the year after...

Start the season thinking, talking and acting 'Premiership.'  Start with the end in mind.

Football Strategy 3:  Appoint the Person to Implement the Strategy

To do this effectively, you need to nominate or acknowledge a leader, usually your coach.  Two common traits of the most effective coaches I've ever seen are:

1. Vision

2. Influence

Vision is an ability to clearly see where the team is, including ability, skill, fitness, discipline, teamwork, as well as an ability to see how good the team can be.  Vision also includes an ability to read the game quickly and see where problems can be fixed.  It may also include some political optical ability ( also known as eyes in the back of the head )!

Influence is the ability to make the transition from 'where the team is' to 'how good it can be.'  Influence includes factors like abilities to relate to a wide range of players, a good understanding of the game, listening skills, communication skills ( commonly misunderstood to be yelling  by many football coaches ), motivational skills ( commonly misunderstood to be yelling expletives by many football coaches ), effective delegation ability and the crucial one: a sense of humour.

Nominate your leader, then fall into line behind your leader.  Appoint the person to implement the strategy.

Off to the pub to contemplate some more for you.... more later

Disclaimer:

This page provides general information for entertainment and is intended only as a basis for further discussion, enquiry and study. The Footy Club disclaims any liability for direct, indirect or consequential loss arising in connection with the use of the contents of this web site or reliance on those contents by any person, whether in its original form or altered in some way by the user ( like being re-transcribed onto your own beer coasters ).

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