Australian Football Specialist Program
The Comet Bay College Australian Football Specialist Program, approved by the Department of Education, is designed to be a consistent learning program for Years 7 to 12.
The program provides students with ongoing development in the skills and attributes needed to play Australian Rules Football at the highest level.
Students are exposed to specialist coaching and study and practice offensive and defensive skills, advanced strategies and tactics and work towards the level of conditioning required, while practising both umpiring and coaching roles.
The Western Australian Football Commission has labelled the Comet Bay College Australian Football Specialist Program as the “Benchmark” of school Specialist Programs in WA.
The Program is a consistent learning program over years 7, 8, 9, 10 and into Upper School. The Program is a Department of Education Approved Specialist Sports Program (ASSP), the first to be founded in the Peel Region. Students are able to apply to become a member of the program from any location – school boundaries do not apply to the Program members. This Program is designed to provide students with ongoing development in the skills and attributes needed to play Australian Football with a focus on each student working at achieving their potential as footballers.
Students are exposed to specialist coaching while studying and practicing offensive and defensive skills, advanced strategies and tactics. Each student works towards the level of conditioning required to play top level Football, and also gain valuable experience in both umpiring and coaching roles.
Find Your Way Through
Students focus on goal setting and have regular individual reviews to assess their development within the program, with assistance given to reach each selected goal.
The Comet Bay College Australian Football Specialist Program invites talented players to participate each year through trials.
Australian Football Specialist Program Intake Process
STEP 1: Trial Registration
Registrations for our Australian Football Specialist Program Trials traditionally open in Term 3 of each year. A link is released here on our website, and registrations are only possible via this online process. Late Registrations are not possible.
STEP 2: Trial Participation
Shortly after the registration process closes (approximately 4 days), all applicants are emailed a designated trial timeslot for the day. The trials are conducted at Comet Bay College during which each students’ skills are assessed. The selection process is detailed, and the selectors’ decision is final. All applicants are advised via email of the outcome of their trial session. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of students involved, individual feedback cannot be provided to each student not offered a position.
STEP 3: Offer of Placement
Students who are successful in their trial are advised via email. Approximately 1 week after notification, a Football Specialist Program Enrolment Pack containing all relevant information regarding enrolment in the program for the following year is posted out. The pack includes information regarding uniform purchase, upcoming information sessions and more.
STEP 4: Acceptance of Placement in the Program
Upon receipt of all relevant documents as provided within the Enrolment Pack, the student’s enrolment will be processed, submission of the Enrolment Pack serves as acceptance of the offer of placement in the program.
A deposit is required at the time of acceptance to secure placement in the program, with the full cost payable prior to students commencing the program each year.
For ALL enquiries regarding the Australian Football Specialist Program, please contact the Program Coordinator, Steve Thomson via email: stephen.thomson@education.wa.edu.au
***REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2025 INTAKE – Boys and Girls***
Trial registrations are NOW OPEN for current Year 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 students for 2025.
Girls Trials Registration:
Trials for the 2025 GIRLS PROGRAM will be held – Friday 6 September 2024
GIRLS – CLOSED
TRIAL REGISTRATIONS CLOSE – Wednesday 28 August 2024 (at 3.00pm).
Boys Trials Registration:
Trials for the 2025 BOYS PROGRAM will be held – Thursday 12 September 2024
BOYS – CLOSED
TRIAL REGISTRATIONS CLOSE – Friday 30 August 2024 (at 3.00pm).
By continuing with the registration process you acknowledge and accept the following:
- Registrations lodged/received after the cut-off are not accepted.
- Comet Bay College does not accept liability for personal computer or device malfunctions, use of incompatible browsers, lost correspondence or applications that arrive after the closing date.
- PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER THE SAME CHILD MORE THAN ONCE as this slows down the Administrative process.
- ALL communication to families will be via email only.
- The selection of students for the program is always a very difficult task with the number of skilled applicants applying annually at a very high number. Each decision made on the selection or otherwise for each individual is carefully considered, in what is a very detailed process and as such, selection decisions are final.
- Individual feedback cannot be provided to students not offered a position in the program due to the high volume of students trialling, resources required and the nature of this selection process.
Please direct ALL enquiries regarding the Australian Football Specialist Program, to the Program Coordinator, Steve Thomson via email: stephen.thomson@education.wa.edu.au
Coaching Staff
All teaching/coaching staff with the Comet Bay College Australian Football Specialist Program are qualified Level 2 and 3 Coaches with a range of WAFL playing and coaching experience. Each member of the teaching/coaching staff live locally and has a commitment to the development of young footballers and quality community members, whilst also being committed to the long-term success of the program.
Teaching staff regularly attend students’ community football matches to record observations and provide players feedback according to set goals.
Pre-Season Camps, Regional Tours and Melbourne Tours
Throughout the course of the program all players are exposed to a number of camp/tour activities. In Year 7, 8 and 9 players take part in a Pre-season Camps at a range of venues including: Point Walter Camp, Nanga Bush Camp, and Ern Halliday Camp.
On camp students take part in detailed fitness testing for analysis, practical and theoretical components of fitness training, skill drills and team building/leadership development sessions. The students also take part in goal setting exercises with an information evening about pathways in the Australian Rules Football system.
In the Year 10 program players take part in an annual tour to various regional centres. On tour the students play a series of matches, experience “traveling for football” and take in all the cultural and historical aspects of the region.
Year 11 and 12 has all senior students heading to Melbourne to experience Australian Football’s “birthplace”. Students “on tour” in Melbourne are a part of the crowd at “Friday Night Football” whilst also viewing AFL matches on Saturday and Sunday and also take part in an MCG tour, visit the National Sports Museum, Shrine of Remembrance and partake in many other experiences.
Facilities
Facilities at the Comet Bay College Australian Football Specialist Program are state of the art and are the benchmark for school football programs. The program has a dedicated fitness gymnasium and players lounge, with weights conditioning, boxing, and sports science facilities.
Students have the use of heart-rate monitors with computer graphing of work output during training sessions, GPS systems, whilst frequently undergoing fitness and conditioning tests to identify strengths and work on weaknesses. Students are frequently filmed in games, training activities and for remedial purposes in correcting skill errors or for further enhancing player skill technique.
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The Program
The Australian Football Specialist Program has a significant focus on goal setting and each participant has regular individual one-on-one reviews to assess their development within the program. Students are given regular assistance to reach each selected goal.
The students in the program learn and train in state of the art facilities at Comet Bay College using the latest technology and equipment designed for use in playing and training in Australian Rules Football. Program players have exclusive access to a fully equipped training gym including boxing, weight lifting and various sports science tools designed to maximize the results of each student.
The Program has strong formal links with the Fremantle Football Club and Peel Thunder Football Club and are the only school program in WA with this level of support. The Program also regularly liaises with the West Australian Football Commission.
Each of these formal links will provide the students with further opportunities in their development as footballers, students and young men.
The program is designed so that it does not clash with community football teams, WAFL Club Development Programs, or WA Representation Pathway Programs. Instead, the program is designed to further enhance the speed and effectiveness of player development by focusing on individual and team skills in a smaller group environment.
Due to our strong, formal relationship with the Fremantle Football Club and Peel Thunder, our players are regularly exposed to AFL and WAFL coaching staff. This is an experience that students will always remember and more importantly, learn from.
The quality of coaching skills program players are exposed to is evident in the fact that all staff are also employed in coaching roles for Peel Thunder Football Club in either Head Coach or an Assistant Coaching capacity for the Development Squad Academy Program, WAFL Colts system and NAB WA Talent Academy.
