Athletes Authority ON AIR | Ep. 160 - John Leyden - Head Of Strength North Melbourne FC - How To Manage AFL Players In Years 1-4 In The Gym + How To Understand Your Career Timeline As A Coach

Athletes Authority ON AIR

Today’s episode of Athletes Authority ON AIR is episode 160 with host Jordi Taylor.

Today’s guest is John Leyden, Head of Strength at North Melbourne FC in the AFL. Prior to this, he spend 10 years at the Geelong Cats working his way through the ranks from Intern, to Sports Science, to Academy S&C, Rehab Coordinator and Assistant S&C before taking lead in the head role.

In this episode, John talks us through why he is in Sydney, how experiential PD is different to standard PD or Upskill, why it’s important to get outside of your “bubble”, how he specially structures and programs for the players in years 1-4, what key qualities he’s after for all new recruits, his background as an EP and how that set him up for his career, his time at Geelong and each phase of that 10 year journey, benefits of taking time vs rushing to the top Strength role, how to approach the day to day when the club isn’t winning on game day plus a whole lot more.

This episode has plenty of incredible insights for coaches and allied health looking for an insight into an elite AFL program.

Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

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