St Kilda Football Club is delighted to unveil a new and innovative Football Department structure which will focus on player development and welfare.
The Saints Player Academy is unique to the AFL and is based upon a highly successful academy models developed by top European football clubs.
The Saints Player Academy will be resourced with four full-time staff and will utilise the state-of-the-art facility at the Linen House Centre Frankston.
The soon to be appointed Academy Director will be supported by three full-time development coaches responsible for;
- Leadership and Welfare;
- Skill Acquisition; and
- Senior Coach of Sandringham FC.
The new coaching structure, overseen by St Kilda’s Head of Football Chris Pelchen, will have two complementary programs. The “AFL program” will be led by Senior Coach Scott Watters and the “Academy Program” by a soon to be appointed Academy Director. The Senior Coach and Academy Director will work closely with one another to create an elite sporting environment to foster player development.
All listed players will undertake the majority of the traditional AFL Program while the Academy Program will be provided to a floating number of players depending on whether they are in line for selection for the AFL or VFL teams that week.
Months in the planning, the Saints Player Academy has the full support of Senior Coach Scott Watters who is excited by this cutting edge approach of the Club towards intensive player development.
“No other Club in the AFL has looked at player development in this way and I truly believe it will give us a competitive advantage moving forward.
“Whilst it’s a first for the AFL, you just need to look at the long term benefits of similar programmes run by the top English Premier League clubs. The introduction of such a program into our football structure will be of real benefit over time.”
In another initiative, the St Kilda FC and the Sandringham FC will appoint the Sandringham senior coach.
Head of Football Chris Pelchen has said that this move will strengthen the Club’s talent pathway and strengthen the alignment with Sandringham Football Club.
“St Kilda has identified the need to provide designated resources to player development and welfare.”
“The introduction of a well-structured and resourced Player Academy is an important move by the Club to ensure our talent pathways are as effective as possible,” explained Saints’ Head of Football Chris Pelchen.
“We see Sandringham FC playing an important role in a Saints footballer’s pathway to the AFL, hence the importance of ensuring that a coaching structure provides the professional resources to fulfill both Clubs' objectives of success,” concluded Pelchen.
