NEW COACHES MAKING AFL EXPERIENCE COUNT
FOOTY season is just around the corner and with his first pre-season as Bond University director of AFL well under way, Andy Lovell has seen enough to be excited about the Bull Sharks’ prospects in 2023.
A past player for Melbourne and West Coast, Lovell’s post-playing days led him to become a highly-accredited coach for teams in the AFL, WAFL and the VFL.
Joining a university football club was a change of direction for Lovell who set out to introduce some AFLlevel game education and tactical preparation to the program while maintaining a focus on individual development.
“My biggest goal for this year is really just growth and improvement within each individual player and collectively as a club,” Lovell said.
“Results take care of themselves in the end, and I feel like we have a wonderful platform to build upon.
“So I’m keen to add my own thoughts and experience to the way we play.”
At the back-end of 2022 in support of Lovell’s aspiration for development, the Bull Sharks put together a top-tier coaching staff of three former AFL players – Lovell and former Brisbane Lions greats Matthew Kennedy and Shaun Hart – in newly created roles.
“Our whole coaching staff have an enormous amount of experience so I’m really excited to see the growth within each player this season,” Lovell said.
“Particularly for the girls, they’ve never had a strength and conditioning coach before.
“So having Matthew Kennedy on board this year to get them to a higher level of fitness will be a great step in leading us through a successful season.”
As the AFL teams head into their fourth week of training, there is great anticipation for the season ahead.
Lovell’s first impressions of the club have left him pleasantly surprised with the level of dedication and engagement of each player.
“The enthusiasm within the club is just outstanding and the professionalism I have been really impressed with,” he said.
“Everyone’s thirst for knowledge and desire to improve has really stood out and I think that’s one of the motivating factors for me as well as our whole coaching staff.”