Coaching made easy in 2025

Aspiring coaches in South Australia will now have greater flexibility in their learning under significant changes to coaching accreditation in 2025.

Under the changes to be implemented by the AFL and SANFL, male and female coaches of all abilities will have the power to choose what they learn and how they learn.

The key adjustments are expected to further fuel the growth of female coaches in South Australia, following an outstanding increase of 25 per cent in 2024.

Of the 3471 registered coaches across SA in 2024, a record 311 were female, underlining the effectiveness of SANFL’s female coaching strategy.

Whilst also receiving free accreditation in 2025, coaches – from local to elite – will be recognised under a new points-based system with five new accreditation categories – Registered, Registered Accredited, Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Through a diverse range of education options, coaches can now select their preferred learning methods to obtain their desired level of accreditation.

Face-to face workshops, online modules, practical coaching, mentoring, microlearning and on-the-job training are among the electives available to aspiring coaches.

”We’re really excited about the new AFL Coach Development framework,” SANFL State Coaching Manager Dave Reynolds said.

”It will encourage more coaches to become self-directed and lifelong learners by allowing them to choose what they want to learn and how they want to learn it.

”This will provide our sport with even better coaches, improve the player experience and positively impact player enjoyment, development, and retention.”

All coaches actively accredited since 2019 will have their history and achievements recognised in the new system when they register and update their accreditation for 2025.

Together with the ongoing success of SANFL’s Female Coaching Academy, a Female Level 2 coaching accreditation course was introduced in 2024, providing the ideal environment for women to learn and network with their peers.

Another coaching benchmark was also set in SA this year, with as many as 81 per cent of Community Football Clubs now appointing a Club Coach Coordinator to assist with guiding, supporting and educating coaches of all abilities within their football club.

AFL Executive General Manager of Game Development, Rob Auld, said releasing the new coach accreditation platform would help support coaches and give them the best environment to succeed regardless of their level.

“We’re incredibly proud to roll out our new coach accreditation which will benefit thousands of coaches around the country and support them as they strive to be the best leaders they can be,” Auld said.

“We’ve been developing the new framework for the last 18 months to modernise our entire approach to coach education, with its focus now on continuous learning and giving coaches the opportunity to access ways to upskill and gain recognition throughout the year – giving them the chance to learn at their own pace.

“Previously, AFL coach education has centred around skill development, winning, and advancing through accreditation levels, but we’ve now transformed this to reflect the dynamic nature of our game and make sure we’re providing the best tools and learning environment.”

* Improved player experience – Participant-focused coaching curriculum supporting all coaches to create positive and rewarding experiences for more than 380,000 local footballers

* Five distinct accreditation types: Registered, Registered Accredited, Bronze, Silver, and Gold

* Bespoke learning opportunities: Tailored to your coaching environment to ensure a more diverse and relevant learning experience – engage in workshops, microlearning or on-the-job training

* Flexibility in learning: Coaches will have the freedom to choose how and when they want to learn, making it a truly personalised ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ experience

* Ongoing development: The new framework advocates annual learning to ensure continual growth for coaches

* Recognition of achievements: Earn badges and points that celebrate your learning and achievements