how to train like an AFL player
How to Train Like an AFL Player: Building the Physical Attributes That Win Premierships
AFL training looks nothing like what most people imagine. It’s not just running for fitness, nor is it purely strength and power work. Elite AFL athletes develop a specific, integrated set of physical attributes that, combined, enable them to dominate for four quarters at professional intensity. Speed, strength, power, change-of-direction ability, repeated sprint capacity, core stability, and explosive movement — all developed systematically and tested regularly.
If you’re a junior footballer aspiring toward state selection or beyond, a club player wanting to compete at a higher level, or simply someone who wants to understand what separates elite AFL athletes from good ones, the training approach matters enormously. It’s not about training more. It’s about training specifically for the demands of Australian Rules Football.
Here at Acceleration Australia, we’ve trained countless AFL athletes over 25 years — juniors through to professional level. We’ve observed what separates athletes who make representative teams from those who plateau. We’ve learned what training actually changes on-field performance versus what athletes do because it feels intense or because tradition says so. The gap between those two things is substantial.
What AFL Athletes Actually Demand From Their Bodies
Australian Rules Football is one of sport’s most physically demanding codes. A professional AFL player covers 10-12 kilometres per match, with explosive bursts interspersed throughout. They jump, sprint, decelerate, change direction, absorb contact, and repeat these movements for 80 minutes or more. The variety of physical demands is staggering.
Speed in multiple contexts. Straight-line sprinting matters in AFL, but only in specific scenarios. More often, athletes need explosive acceleration over 5-10 metres to break away from opponents or chase down loose ball. They need rapid change-of-direction ability to evade defenders in congested space. They need the ability to maintain speed while fatigued in the fourth quarter. These are three distinct speed qualities, each requiring specific training. An AFL athlete who’s fast in a straight line but can’t change direction quickly under game fatigue will be less valuable than one who excels at multiple speed contexts.
Explosive lower body power. Jump contests, explosive burst acceleration, the ability to generate force quickly when initiating movement — these all depend on lower body power. A footballer who can’t jump high loses many contests. One who can’t accelerate explosively gets separated from the ball or opposition. Lower body power development is non-negotiable in elite AFL training.
Resilience through contact. AFL involves high-speed contact. Players get tackled, hit while in the air, and pushed during contested situations. This requires comprehensive strength, particularly in the trunk and lower body, to absorb contact and maintain stability. Athletes who are strong handle contact better, recover faster, and get injured less frequently. This is distinctly different from pure strength training — it’s about building resilience that translates to match contact.
Sustained intensity across quarters. An AFL player who’s quick early but slows significantly in the fourth quarter has a limited ceiling. Maintaining speed, strength, and explosive power through fatigue is critical. This requires specific anaerobic conditioning — the ability to maintain high-intensity efforts when energy systems are depleted. It’s not the same as aerobic fitness (running distance) or strength (lifting heavy). It’s a specific quality that AFL demands.
Multi-directional agility and balance. Football isn’t a sport where athletes move in straight lines. It’s constant change of direction, balance while being pushed, and agility in congested space. Training multi-directional movement, teaching athletes to maintain balance when fatigued, and developing lower body stability translates directly to match performance. An athlete with pure straight-line speed but poor multi-directional agility won’t dominate AFL.
Core stability and rotational power. Kicking, handballing, and twisting to evade defenders all depend on core strength and rotational power. A footballer with weak core stability compensates with excessive hip or shoulder movement, which reduces power and increases injury risk. Core development is foundational to AFL training.
Understanding these demands changes training approach. Generic fitness training doesn’t address them specifically. AFL-specific training targets these exact qualities because they determine match performance.
Testing: The Foundation of Smart AFL Training
How do you know whether your AFL training is actually working? Most players train, assume improvement is happening, and hope it translates to better match performance. Without testing, this assumption is guesswork.
We see this pattern consistently: a player trains hard for months, feels stronger and faster, then gets tested and discovers their vertical jump hasn’t improved significantly, or their 20-metre sprint time is unchanged, or their change-of-direction ability hasn’t shifted. The feeling of improvement doesn’t match measured improvement. This is why testing is non-negotiable in smart AFL training.
At Acceleration Australia, every AFL athlete beginning training starts with a Performance Testing Session that measures the physical qualities determining match performance: 20-metre sprint with acceleration phase analysis (revealing whether improvement comes from explosive first-step quickness or top-end speed), pro-shuttle testing for change-of-direction ability, vertical jump for lower body explosive power, medicine ball throw for upper body power and core rotational strength, and functional movement screening that identifies mechanical issues or flexibility limitations.
This baseline testing reveals where the athlete sits objectively. Testing shows an athlete with weaker vertical jump that power development should be prioritised. Another with poor change-of-direction scores gets agility-specific training emphasis. One showing mechanical issues gets movement quality coaching before high-intensity training. Without testing, these individualisations don’t happen. Programming becomes generic, and progress slows.
Throughout AFL training blocks, re-testing happens regularly. Mid-block testing (typically 4-5 weeks in) shows whether the training stimulus is producing expected improvements. If it is, the approach continues. If not, programming adjusts immediately. End-of-block testing (typically 8-12 weeks in) measures total development and informs the next training phase.
Most AFL clubs and training programs don’t systematically test athletes this way. Testing costs time and coaching expertise. Re-testing and programming adjustment based on results requires commitment. But this testing foundation is precisely why athletes who train with systematic testing progress noticeably faster than those who don’t. The data guides training direction. Assumption doesn’t.
Why Testing Is Foundational to AFL Training Success:
- Baseline reveals current capacity across all AFL-relevant physical qualities — subjective feeling is unreliable; testing establishes objective starting point for acceleration, change-of-direction, power, and movement quality
- Mid-block testing enables rapid adjustment — if training stimulus isn’t producing expected improvement in specific qualities, programming changes immediately rather than continuing ineffective approaches
- End-of-block testing demonstrates actual improvement — the athlete knows exactly what improved and by how much, proving training worked and building confidence for competition
- Re-testing creates accountability — if progress stalls, testing reveals it immediately and prompts coaching adjustment; without testing, stalled progress goes unnoticed
- Objective measurement prevents overtraining — testing data shows whether an athlete is improving or just fatiguing, enabling coaching to maintain intensity while preventing injury and burnout
The Four Physical Pillars of AFL Training
Training like an AFL player means developing four distinct physical qualities and integrating them into match-ready athleticism.
Pillar One: Speed and Acceleration Development. AFL speed training emphasises explosive first-step quickness and acceleration over the first 10 metres because that’s where most valuable speed separates happens in football. Sprinting beyond 20 metres is less critical than explosive burst acceleration. This phase typically involves resisted acceleration training (sprints with parachutes or sleds), plyometric work that develops explosive leg power, and acceleration mechanics coaching that improves force application efficiency. Players often think speed training means running fast. It actually means learning to apply force explosively through the ground and accelerate rapidly from standing positions.
Pillar Two: Strength and Resilience Building. AFL athletes need comprehensive strength to handle match contact, absorb tackles without losing position, and maintain stability during explosive movements. This isn’t pure maximum strength (lifting the heaviest loads possible). It’s functional strength that transfers to match movements: single-leg strength that mimics unilateral football movements, core strength that stabilises during collision, posterior chain strength that powers jumping and sprinting. Strength training in AFL development uses heavier loads (building maximum strength foundation) combined with functional movement patterns that translate directly to match demands.
Pillar Three: Power and Explosive Ability. Power is strength applied explosively. A player can be strong but not powerful if they can’t express that strength quickly. Power development includes plyometric training (jumping, bounding, explosive medicine ball work), explosive resistance training (power cleans, explosive squats), and jumping mechanics coaching. Vertical jump is the testing measure, but power training develops explosive ability across all movements. A player with developed power jumps higher, accelerates faster, and expresses explosive effort more consistently when fatigued.
Pillar Four: Agility, Change-of-Direction, and Repeated Sprint Ability. AFL is constant change of direction and repeated explosive efforts. Agility training develops the ability to change direction explosively while maintaining balance. This includes footwork drills, multi-directional sprint work, and landing mechanics training that teaches athletes to decelerate and redirect without injury. Repeated sprint training develops the ability to maintain speed and power output across multiple sprints with brief recovery periods — exactly what AFL demands across four quarters. Pro-shuttle testing measures change-of-direction ability. The ability to maintain sprinting power when fatigued is developed through specific anaerobic conditioning.
These four pillars are trained simultaneously but with different emphasis depending on the training phase. Pre-season might emphasise all four equally. In-season might reduce intensity while maintaining patterns. Off-season might emphasise specific areas where the athlete showed weakness during competition.
How AFL Training Progresses Through the Season
Training like an AFL player means programming varies throughout the year based on competition demands. Off-season training emphasises development. Pre-season emphasises preparation. In-season emphasises maintenance while competing.
Off-season (typically 8-12 weeks post-competition). This is when substantial physical development happens. Training frequency increases (typically 3-4 sessions per week). Intensity increases because recovery isn’t compromised by match fatigue. Emphasis is on developing the physical qualities that will be expressed during competition. Strength and power development receive primary focus. Speed development continues. By the end of off-season training, athletes should show measurable improvement across all testing metrics — faster sprints, improved vertical jump, better change-of-direction times, enhanced movement quality.
Pre-season (typically 6-8 weeks before competition begins). Training shifts from pure development toward match preparation. Intensity remains high, but training becomes more sport-specific. Explosive movements are trained in football-specific contexts. Conditioning work mimics match fatigue patterns. Recovery emphasis increases because match competition is approaching. By end of pre-season, athletes should maintain the physical development achieved in off-season while adding the sport-specific expression required for match performance.
In-season (throughout competition). Training frequency typically reduces (often 1-2 sessions per week) because match competition is the primary stimulus. Intensity remains high, but volume decreases to prevent overload. Sessions maintain the physical qualities developed in off-season and pre-season. Game fatigue recovery receives emphasis. Training becomes more about maintenance and managing overall physical load than about substantial new development. Maintenance training doesn’t add new capacity, but it preserves the capacity developed earlier in the year.
This periodisation is critical. Athletes who train at pre-season intensity throughout the year get injured or burnt out. Those who don’t push hard enough in off-season plateau. Those who don’t maintain in-season lose the physical advantage they built. Smart AFL training varies intensity and focus throughout the year based on competitive demands.
Common AFL Training Mistakes (And How Proper Training Avoids Them)
Most AFL athletes train with good intention but sometimes misguided approach. Understanding common mistakes prevents wasted training and injury.
Prioritising distance running over explosiveness. Many club programs include long-distance running because fitness is assumed to matter. In AFL, repeated sprint ability matters more than pure aerobic fitness. An athlete with excellent sprint speed but moderate aerobic fitness will likely outperform one with excellent aerobic fitness but moderate sprint speed. AFL-specific conditioning emphasises repeated explosive efforts with brief recovery periods, not extended distance running. Proper AFL training includes explosive work that maintains power output across repeated efforts rather than general aerobic conditioning.
Neglecting single-leg strength and stability. Football is fundamentally a single-leg sport — athletes jump on one leg, sprint and decelerate on alternating legs, maintain balance while being pushed. Many strength programs emphasise bilateral (two-legged) movements like squats. While bilateral strength matters, single-leg stability and strength are critical for injury prevention and match performance. AFL training must include deliberate single-leg strengthening.
Doing plyometrics without adequate strength foundation. Jumping, bounding, and explosive movements amplify movement pattern errors and injury risk without adequate strength foundation. Athletes need sufficient leg strength before high-intensity plyometric training. Proper AFL training builds strength foundation first, then adds plyometric training systematically.
Assuming more training is better. Some players train constantly, assuming more equals better results. In reality, overtraining without adequate recovery leads to fatigue, decreased performance, and increased injury risk. Smart AFL training has appropriate rest days, manages overall load, and prioritises recovery as much as training stimulus.
Neglecting movement quality and flexibility. Powerful movements performed with poor mechanics create injury risk. Poor flexibility restricts range of motion and causes compensatory patterns. AFL training must include movement quality coaching and flexibility development. Players should be able to move correctly before moving explosively.
Training without direction or measurement. Some players train hard without clear objectives or progress measurement. Smart AFL training has specific goals, programming designed to achieve them, and regular testing to verify progress. Without measurement and direction, training becomes effort without efficiency.
How to Train Like an AFL Player: The Acceleration Australia Approach
We’ve trained AFL athletes throughout Brisbane and Queensland for 25 years. Juniors developing toward state selection, senior club players competing at higher levels, and professional AFL athletes have all trained with our team. This experience informs how we approach AFL-specific training.
Training like an AFL player, the way we’ve learned to do it, begins with understanding the specific physical demands of the code. Then it requires systematic development of those specific qualities. Then it requires testing to ensure training is actually producing improvement. Then it requires continued adjustment based on testing results.
Every AFL athlete we work with begins with baseline testing. We measure 20-metre sprint with acceleration phase analysis, pro-shuttle for change-of-direction, vertical jump for lower body power, medicine ball throw for upper body power and core rotation, and movement screening. This baseline reveals where the athlete sits objectively across the physical qualities determining AFL performance.
Programming is AFL-specific and individualised. Rather than applying a generic “AFL training program,” we build programs specific to the athlete’s testing results, their age and development stage, their position (if applicable), and their goals. A junior full-forward develops differently than a midfield prospect. Programming reflects these differences.
Training develops the four physical pillars systematically. Speed development, strength building, power training, and agility development happen simultaneously, but with emphasis adjusted based on testing baseline and training phase. Off-season emphasises development. Pre-season emphasises sport-specific expression. In-season emphasises maintenance.
Re-testing guides adjustment. Mid-block and end-of-block testing shows whether training is producing expected improvements. If progress is happening, we continue the approach. If not, we adjust immediately. This prevents wasted training phases and ensures time is spent on approaches that work.
Small-group training with high-ratio coaching. We maintain a 1:3 coach-to-athlete ratio in all AFL training sessions. This ensures each athlete receives substantial coaching attention. Coaches observe movement mechanics in detail, correct form in real time, and provide individualised feedback. This level of attention is critical because AFL-specific training done with poor mechanics increases injury risk rather than improving performance.
Our coaches hold degrees in Sports Science or Exercise Physiology. Many are accredited with the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association. They understand AFL’s specific demands, how bodies adapt to training stimulus, and how to develop athletes appropriately for their maturity and experience level.
We run AFL-specific training at our Brisbane and Gold Coast centres. Brisbane Central (Auchenflower), Brisbane East (Sleeman Sports Complex), Brisbane North (Sandgate), Brisbane South (Browns Plains), and Gold Coast (Southport) all offer AFL training. For athletes unable to access physical centres, AFL-specific training programs are available online through our AccelerWare platform with video coaching check-ins and testing result tracking.
If you want to train like an AFL player — whether you’re a junior with selection aspirations, a club player wanting a competitive edge, or simply someone who respects what elite AFL athletes do physically — we’d welcome the opportunity to work with you. Training like an AFL player starts with understanding the demands and testing your current capacity. From there, we build a program specific to you. You train consistently, typically 2-3 times per week. Weeks in, we re-test and measure your progress. That’s how you actually train like an AFL player.
From Training to Match Performance
The goal isn’t just training like an AFL player. It’s developing the physical capacity that shows up on game day — the speed that creates separation, the strength that handles contact, the power that wins contests, the agility that evades defenders, the resilience that maintains intensity in the fourth quarter.
This transformation happens through systematic development. Test your baseline. Build the four physical pillars through structured programming. Re-test to measure progress. Compete. Continue developing in the off-season. Return with greater capacity than before.
The athletes showing up to clubs noticeably faster, stronger, and more explosive than they were before the off-season are the ones who trained systematically. They approached training like an AFL player means training with specific goals, addressing the physical qualities that actually matter in football, and measuring progress. They didn’t assume. They measured.
At Acceleration Australia, we’ve guided many athletes into this systematic approach. The transformation is noticeable — both in testing data and in what teammates and coaches observe when they return to their clubs. Speed improves measurably. Strength and resilience develop. Power output increases. And that translates directly to improved on-field performance.
Training like an AFL player is achievable. It’s not mysterious. It’s not genetic. It’s systematic development of the physical qualities football demands, measured regularly to ensure you’re actually improving, and adjusted continuously based on what testing shows. If you’re serious about developing those qualities — whether for representative selection, club competition, or personal improvement — the approach is the same: test, train specifically, re-test, and adjust.
Come in for a baseline testing session. Find out exactly where your current capacity sits across speed, power, change-of-direction, and movement quality. Let our coaches build a program specific to your situation. Train consistently. See your improvement measured. That’s training like an AFL player done right.
