Students in the Bendigo’s Athlete Development Program learnt what it takes to forge a career in football when former AFL footballer and Freo great, Michael Barlow, visited BSSC this morning to lead a training and Q & A session.
Barlow, who is currently the coach of Werribee in the VFL, ran a series of training drills in the BSSC gym, focussing on ways of finding the footy more often, moving your opponent off the ball, and making the most of three-on-two situations.
In the Q & A session that followed, Barlow talked students through his pathway from school and local football (including missing out on an Under-15 representative side), to the VFL and finally being drafted by Fremantle as a 21-year-old rookie and playing 141 AFL games, including the 2013 Grand Final.
“You’ll be confronted with a lot of adversity in sport and in life,” he told students. “You have to keep committing to be the best version of yourself.”
