Week 3 - Australian Rules Football
Skill focus: Marking, kicking, handballing and evasion
Session equipment
1 Australian Rules Football per 2 students (or similar)
30 markers
Bibs/braids to differentiate teams
Download the Australian Rules Football - Week 3 task card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Lesson preparation
Taking a mark
A mark is taken when a player catches or takes control of the football after it has been kicked by another player. The ball must not touch the ground or be touched by another player during the period when it is in the air. In this sport program, a mark is taken irrespective of the distance the ball has travelled and there is no contact between players.
When a player is awarded a mark or free kick, an opposing player may stand at the position on the playing surface where the mark or free kick was awarded, known as ‘the mark’.
Main teaching points for taking a mark
Eyes must be focused on the ball all the way from the player’s shoe to their hands.
The player’s body should be positioned in line with the flight of the ball. The player should move forward to meet the ball, never wait for it to come to them.
View the short explanatory video before the session to understand how to take a mark correctly in Australian Rules Football. Teacher may also choose to show this clip to students.
Fast start - Football treasure
Equipment
30 Australian Rule Footballs (or similar), as the treasure
4 bibs or sashes to identify the players who are the 'protectors of the treasure'.
marker cones
One large hoop
Activity set-up
Organise students into groups of 3 – 4 and select one group who are the ‘protectors of the treasure’.
Set up a large circular playing (25 students = a circle with diameter of 25m) area using the 8 markers.
Place large hoop in centre of circle and place footballs in hoop. This is the treasure.
How to play: Teams try to collect the most balls from the treasure (hoop) before ‘Time!’ is called or before they are tagged by one of the ‘protectors of the treasure’.
When the teacher calls “go”, one player from each group attempts to steal one ball at a time and pass it back to their group.
Players tagged by one of the ‘protectors’ must stop and return their ball to the ‘treasure’.
When all the balls in the centre are gone, players may attempt to take a ball from other groups, but must return it to the centre hoop if tagged by one of the ‘protectors'.
Skill development games
Modelled teaching
Explain to students they will be practising the drop punt kick and taking a mark throughout the circuit stations.
Explicitly model taking a mark to students. Use teaching points at the beginning of this page and points modelled in the explanatory video during your instruction.
Activity 1 - Interceptor
Equipment: 1 football per player
How to play: In pairs, players kick or pass a ball to one another. Opponents between the players attempt to intercept the ball. Players change roles frequently. Play in groups of four.
Organise players into groups of four with two interceptors and two kickers.
The kickers try to keep possession of the ball by kicking into their zones.
The interceptors try to touch or mark the ball between the kicking zones.
When ‘Time!’ is called players rotate roles. Alternatively, every time an interceptor touches or marks the ball in the middle zone, they swap places with the kicker.
Activity 2 - Kick to kick
Equipment: 1 football per pair, 4 marker cones per pair
How to play: In pairs, players take it in turns to kick a football, trying to make it land in their partner’s marked area.
Form pairs of similar ability.
Pairs collect marker cones and decide/ test how far apart they will place them.
Players kick the ball to land inside their partner’s area. Score one point for each ball that lands inside that area.
Player with the highest score when the time at the station is up wins.
Activity 3 - Space kicks
Equipment: 3 - 4 Australian Rules footballs, 4 cones to make a 5 x 5 metre target square, 2 markers for point A and point B (see image for set-up)
Forming teams: Students divide themselves into two groups using finger jousting.
How to play: Players count how many kicks they can land in a designated space in a set period of time. Players can earn bonus points for running into the space to mark another player’s kick.
Players are split into two even teams — half at position A and the other half at position B.
To begin the game, the player at position A kicks a ball trying to make it land in a 5 metre by 5 metre space. After the kick they run to line up at position B.
The player at marker B either runs and marks the kicked ball or gathers it after it bounces. They then run to the back of the line at position A with the ball.
When time at the station is complete, individuals add up their scores for kicks and marks.
Scoring:
6 points = ball lands inside the space after a kick
1 point = ball lands outside the space, then rolls into the space
6 points = for a player who marks the ball.
Activity 4 - Goal kicking
Equipment: 1 Australian Rules Football per pair and 10 to 12 marker cones per group to define goal posts and kicking positions.
How to play: Pairs stand on opposite sides of goal posts and aim for a goal while kicking to their partner. Players have an equal number of kicks from different positions.
Pairs face each other on opposite sides of goals. Each player uses their partner as a target and kicks for a goal.
When one player kicks, their partner marks or retrieves the ball.
After each partner has had a kick, they move to a different position and repeat the activity.
Pairs total their scores when time at the station is finished.
Six points for a goal and one point for a behind.
Score as individuals or as pairs.
Modified small-sided games
It's time for competition!
Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the 'Australian Rules Football draw' as a guide to organise the competition, across the 4 sessions try to ensure each team has a fair number of games.
Allocate 3 points for a win, 2 points for a drawer and 1 point for a loss for each game played. Record results and points in the School sport program results spreadsheet.
Remember, to give students an update of the leader board each week.
Game - Coast to coast
Equipment: One Australian Rules football per game, 8 marker cones per game to mark out a 20m x 50m playing area, bibs or sashes to distinguish between teams
How to play: The attacking team try to move a football from one end of the field to the other using a handball or punt kick (coast to coast) to score a point, while the team defending try to intercept it. The football must be touched by a team member in each zone.
Captains of each team toss a coin to choose ends and to decide the team that begins the game.
Teacher organises both teams so that there are 3 players in each zone - 3 forwards, 3 centres and 3 backs. The forwards of each team are in the third closest to the goal-line they are aiming for, centres in the middle third and backs in the third of the goal-line their team is defending.
Play starts with the ball either handballed or kicked into the first zone by an attacking player, from behind a goal line.
The ball must be touched by a player in each zone.
A point is scored when an end zone player (a forward) runs over the goal line to receive the ball from another player in the same zone.
Continue play back to the other end.
If a defender tags a player in possession of the ball, or intercepts the ball, the ball must be passed to the nearest attacking player to continue playing the game in the same direction.
Teaching tip: To maintain flow of the game, the coach may choose to call, ‘Play on!’ if an inexperienced player ‘throws’ the football when attempting to handball.
Reflection
2 stars and a wish
Ask students - what are 2 things you feel you did well today?
What are you going to try and improve on next week?
Students can answer reflection questions as a whole class, small group or in pairs.
