Week 4 - Australian Rules Football
Skill focus: Kicking for goal, handling, kicking, marking and handballing
Session equipment
1 Australian Rules Football per 2 students (many of the activities in the School Sport Australian Rules Football program require every player to have a ball, therefore similar shaped balls can be used to ensure maximum participation).
30 markers
Bibs/braids to differentiate teams
Download the Australian Rules Football - Week 4 task card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Lesson preparation
The aim of the game is all about kicking goals. That means kicking the ball through the tall inner sticks (the goalposts) to score six points. If the ball goes between a goalpost and either of the smaller outer sticks, then a behind, worth one point, is scored. The team that finishes with the highest total of overall goals and behinds is the winner.
Forwards are the only players permitted to score points and only from their team's scoring zone.
Main teaching points for kicking a goal:
Line up the ball with a target behind the goal.
Have your head bent slightly over the ball. Hold the ball over the thigh of the kicking leg.
Guide the ball down with one hand – same side as the kicking leg.
Point your toes at the target behind the goal– see the ball hit the foot.
Follow through straight towards the goal.
Fast start - Defensive demons
Equipment
8 markers to set out playing area
Activity set-up
Set out the playing area (approximately 25m x 25m).
How to play
Students work in pairs, while one is the designated attacker and the other is the defender.
Both students start one metre apart and facing each other.
When a nominated player says ‘go’ (players take turns), the attacker must attempt to get past the defender without being tagged to score a point.
Allow 30 seconds, then players swap roles.
Select card to download
Skill development games
Activity 1 - 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 complete.
Six points for a goal and one point for a behind.
Score as individuals or as pairs.
Activity 2 - 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 up, 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 3 - Pairs passing
Equipment: One Australian Rules Football per pair, 2 markers per pair
How to play: Players form pairs. To begin the game, they handball a football to each other three times between a gate then move to other gates to repeat the activity – continue for 30 seconds. Encourage control of the football and accuracy of the pass. Pairs score a point for each gate they handball a ball through.
In pairs, players set up gates within the playing area.
To begin the game, pairs handball the football three times to each other, then run with the ball to a free gate and repeat the activity.
Continue for 30 seconds until the teacher calls, ‘STOP!’
The teacher asks ‘How many gates can your pair handball between in 30 seconds?’
Repeat the activity with pairs trying to beat their own score.
Activity 4 - Round the bend
Equipment: 4 - 6 Australian Rules footballs, 8 marker cones, 6 to set up a 15 x 10m playing area and 2 for the 'bonus goals'.
How to play: On a pre-decided signal, two attackers with a ball and one defender enter the playing area from opposite ends. The attacking pair attempt to score points by progressing the ball down the field without losing possession.
Organise players into attackers and defenders on opposite sides of the playing area.
Attackers are in pairs with one football between them.
On the signal 'go', two attackers and one defender enter from opposite ends of the playing area.
The defender attempts to tag the player in possession of the ball or intercept the ball to end the attacking players’ turn.
The aim for the attacking players is to carry the ball over the goal line or handball it through the bonus goals.
Points are awarded to the attacking players as follows:
Six points = handball the ball through the bonus goals
One point = carry the ball over the goal line.
Teaching tip
Encourage students to call ‘time out’ for attacking and defending players to huddle and create strategies.
Choose a student to say "go" to signal attacking and defending players to enter the playing area.
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: Modified Australian Rules Football
Equipment: One Australian Rules football per game, 12 marker cones per game to mark out a 30m x 70m playing area, bibs or sashes to distinguish between teams
How to play: Two teams compete against each other in a modified game of Australian Rules Football using modified rules. All players are to remain in their zone throughout the game.
Players in each team are given positions — three backs, three centres, three forwards and interchange players.
Backs, centres and forwards start in their designated zones and remain in these zones during the game.
Teacher should change student positions throughout the game to give all players the opportunity to score.
Interchange players remain behind the boundary line and can replace players on the field on the teacher's signal.
Scoring
Goal = 6 points (between centre markers)
Behind = 1 point (between goal and outside markers)
Teaching tips
Read pages 7 - 12 of the Playing for Life Australian Football manual to support understanding and teaching of rules.
Encourage players to call for the ball.
Reflection
TAG
Ask students to form pairs with a student from their team.
Inform students they are going to give feedback to their partner using 'TAG'.
Tell your partner something they did well in today's session.
Ask your partner the question: How could we have worked together to score more goals?
Give your partner some feedback on a skill or tactic they could focus on during next weeks session.
