No I think the kids today get great coaching from coaches that have all been trained by the AFL. But it is system style coaching. Whoever is in charge of AFL Community Coaching sets the agenda and what is taught in the Coaching course. The other thing is that it is all non-contact until they are over 12 years of age which I think is very silly. The sort of contact in Aussie rules junior footy is very small and the tackles are tame at the best of times. They get more roughhouse in the school yard then they ever would on an Aussie Rules Oval. If it were Rugby League or Union I would say yes there needs to be a protection of kids until they reach 15 to 16 as their brains are just developing and are susceptible to injury. The chance of a knock to the head at junior level in AFL is very minute but in NRL and RU it is very high.

I think the AFL Coaching Course is quite basic or was when I inquired and didn't take in stuff around different conditions. It was a general coaching course dedicated to teaching the basics to kids such as ball hold, ball drop, handball, goal kicking etc.