When the Australian national rugby team found they were not winning many kick offs as receivers, the then Head Coach, Eddie Jones, turned to Aussie Rules football (the Australian Football League). The rugby training methods he adopted significantly improved the percentage of kick offs his team won cleanly.
Aussie Rules football rivals rugby union and rugby league in popularity in Australia. In its simplest form, it requires players to kick and catch a ball slightly smaller than a rugby ball. The style of catching a high ball is different to that coached in rugby.
Tips for catching position
Keep your eyes on the ball at all times.
Line your body up with the flight of the ball.
Jump off one foot, swinging the other knee up to gain maximum height.
Meet the ball slightly in front of your head and with your arms extended (the so-called "long arms" position).
The "W" grip rugby tip
Get you hands into the "W" position.
Ensure your fingers are outstretched with your thumbs almost together.
This will allow you to catch the ball firmly with your fingers.
Use great footwork and leg drive to break through defences while ensuring support players are on hand to take a quick pass beyond the initial contact.
Get the ball carrier to run the right angles to attack the gap between defenders, smash through the tackle and then offload to their support players. The support players will learn the best lines to receive the offload. MORE
Use this power pass exercise to work on both passing and passing out of the contact. The variability of how the attacker is held back increases the learning outcomes as players face new passing challenges. MORE
Don’t teach falling over. Teach the players to bounce themselves and therefore the ball off the ground and back into the game. It reduces the fear of falling by making the players embrace the ground as part of a skill for continuity. MORE
A good catch starts the whole movement for a better pass. It creates time on the ball, which means the ball carrier can pass more accurately and, if necessary, more quickly. Here’s a individual training idea you can encourage your players to use away from your sessions. MORE