Two Coaches & a Coffee Darren Burgess & Jason Weber

Could shortening AFL games be the key to reducing player injuries? Tune in as Darren and I dissect the current AFL injury epidemic, weighing the merits of a controversial proposal to decrease game time. Amid the intense physical demands akin to those in NFL, we examine the surge in load-related injuries and concussions, and the potential impact of shorter games. Pivotal to our debate is the conundrum performance coaches face juggling athlete well-being and public judgement, illustrated by a p...

Sipping a gin from Western Australia, I couldn't help but think of the glamor versus the reality of work travel, a theme that surfaces throughout our chat. Co-host Darren Burgess joins me, fresh from a Singaporean encounter, to dissect both the visible and behind-the-scenes intricacies of sports—ranging from player performance to the holistic methods shaping modern sports medicine. As we unpack the delicate matter of Connor Rozee's hamstring injury and the subsequent decisions made by Port Ad...

Can shunning the weight room actually shield athletes from injury, or does it rob them of peak performance? Newcastle's Anthony Gordon seems to think so, but this episode digs deeper into the complex world of strength training in professional sports. We tackle the debate head-on, contrasting Gordon's weightlifting aversion with insights from industry giants like Chelsea's former manager, who champion a more natural approach to fitness. Expect a rigorous examination of strength training's role...

Dive into the world of athletic excellence with Darren and I as we dissect the nuanced science of periodization in athletic training. We discuss the dynamic interplay between competitive sports schedules and strategic training adaptations. We'll uncover how the preordained sports calendar can both facilitate and hinder an athlete's journey to peak performance, especially in the grueling run-up to an AFL season. Darren's firsthand experiences bring to light the tough decisions surrounding de-l...

Ever wondered who's really at the helm when it comes to managing the wellbeing of top-tier athletes? Alongside the esteemed Darren Burgess, we peel back the curtain on the behind-the-scenes drama and the intricate tapestry of responsibilities that high-performance teams juggle in the AFL. Facing a storm of injuries and public scrutiny, we candidly share the heat that comes with the territory and argue the case for broader accountability, extending from the locker room to the coach's clipboard...

Darren and Jason explore the delicate dance between peak conditioning and injury prevention, taking cues from Giannis Antetokounmpo's calf scare, shedding light on the deceptive nature of low-intensity activities. We discuss on the critical speeds that place undue stress on an athlete's calf musculature, and understand why knowing each athlete's response to training is foundational for crafting injury prevention strategies. There is also discussion on Notre Dame University's partnership with ...