NAB AFL WA National Academy: Camp 1 Monday, December 17, 2018 - 11:35 AM - by Elliot Raiter

?Some of Western Australia’s brightest talents were on display last week during the first NAB AFL WA National Academy Camp at Subiaco Oval.

The expanded NAB AFL Academy Program sees 150 players engaged in high performance camps conducted across five talent regions; Vic Country, Vic Metro, South Australia, Western Australia and Allies (New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory). 

The program engaged players to live like an AFL footballer for the week, with the West Coast Eagles allowing the contingent of youngsters to move into their facilities.

Throughout the camp players were required to attend seminars based around being a professional, screenings and fitness testing as well as training sessions conducted by Peter Sumich and his coaching staff.

Sumich believed the week was incredibly beneficial for all the players, leaning on the specific training and unique opportunities that the camp generated.

“Overall for the week we will train twice,” Sumich said. “A couple of craft sessions where for 45 minutes they can just concentrate on a couple of areas of improvement, whether it’s kicking, ground ball or conditioning.”

“On top of that we are doing some testing at the netball centre – 2km time trial. Plenty of lecture theatre activities which included leadership and mental imagery.”

“It has been a really busy week for the boys but an enjoyable one.”

The main message throughout the camp was for the athletes to embrace the idea of being an AFL player, concentrating on all the aspects that make up being a professional athlete.

“Hopefully the players embrace what it takes to be an AFL Player and the learnings associated,” Sumich claimed.

“We had Brady Rawlings from West Coast come in and explain what they are looking for in a player to recruit.”

“Hopefully they learn and understand what it takes.”

The second NAB AFL WA Academy camp will take place in late January.