Season 11 of the Hyundai A-League may have recently concluded for the Newcastle Jets, but the club’s sights are already well and truly set on continued growth and improvement in season 12 of the competition.
A Jets football department delegation led by Head Coach Scott Miller paid a visit to the AFL’s Western Bulldogs on Friday to garner ideas and inspiration from Footscray-based footy club.
Western Bulldogs currently occupy third place on the AFL standings, and are widely respected in Australian sporting circles for their resourcefulness, ingenuity and professionalism.
The visit to the Bulldogs’ Whitten Oval training facility just a day before the club’s round 5 clash with Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium provided Miller, Football Manger Nicholas Deluca, and Head Physiotherapist Justin Dougherty, with the opportunity to engage with some of the finest minds in their field in the AFL.
While the Jets trio were able to observe the last training session before today’s match, they each held individual discussions with representatives from their areas, with Miller having the opportunity to meet with his Western Bulldogs equivalent Luke Beveridge.
The opportunity for the Jets football department delegation to visit Western Bulldogs came about through Miller’s school friend Ashley Hansen who is the club’s Victorian Football League (VFL) Head Coach, and a former AFL player.
Miller was thankful that Western Bulldogs provided the opportunity for the Jets to connect with a leading AFL club.
“It is a vital component of any coach to remain progressive in their development,” Miller said. “Visiting Western Bulldogs provided me with great insights into an AFL environment, some of which can be transferred into our development at the Jets.”
“It was very interesting discussing coaching with Luke [Beveridge] in particular, and learning about the challenges that he faces in the AFL.”
“I thank Luke and everybody involved with the Western Bulldogs for their time, especially considering the timing of our visit was just one day before the club’s game against Brisbane,” Miller concluded.
