New direction for Trinity Football from 2024


Trinity College exists in a unique football landscape, enjoying exposure to an expansive and diverse range of opportunities for our students. These include school-based competitions in the SAAS, Statewide Knockout and SANFL Schools competitions, as well as established leagues including the BLG, Adelaide Plains, Adelaide Hills and SANFL.
Trinity has outstanding facilities, including multiple outdoor and indoor training spaces, STARplex gym and pool, classrooms, theatres, 360 projection rooms and much more. At our core is wanting to do all we can to ensure Trinity students can thrive in their chosen sport. There are elements of College football which are very positive, especially being able to compete at First XVIII level. We have always respected community football and seek to have an even stronger relationship with local clubs. In 2024, we will make the most significant structural change in the College’s history to even better meet player needs. While the First and Second XVIII’s will remain a mix of weekend and midweek football, all other grades will move to midweek.
We believe a structural and coaching emphasis change can ensure Trinity can become the pre-eminent school for football development and community partnerships. We have the ability to make Trinity a truly remarkable football program.
The College has long wrestled with having students compete for the College and doing what we can to get players back to club competitions as often as we can. We now want to take this one step further.
The College has consulted a number of key stakeholders, and with the goal of constructing the best-possible football experience for students, we have devised a program that considers the following:
• Student at the centre of the program, including individual development and wellbeing
• SANFL and high-performance pathways
• A program that delivers on identified but currently underdelivered high performance competencies
• Long-term, coordinated football development
• Academies to cater for physical, skill and game awareness shortcomings
• Participation and high performance streams
The College has engaged some very knowledgeable and influential people as well as experienced staff to help develop our prototype program. These include SANFL Pathways Coach and Talent Developer Heath Younie, CDFC SANFL League Coach Paul Thomas, TC Football Coordinator George Gregory (Multiple SANFL Volunteer of the Year winner), SANFL Premiership player and Trinity College JS teacher Luke Habel, Trinity Director of Sport Rupert Sapwell.

From Heath Younie, SANFL Pathways Coach and Talent Developer:
_“Players who are part of the Trinity College Football program/academy will be exposed to a unique opportunity where they can combine school and club football more effectively.
The program will cater for all levels of participation, focusing on holistic individual development for each player. The program will encompass building skill fundamentals, game understanding, physical preparation, and the importance of player well-being and be designed by leading experts in each of these fields.”_

The resultant consultation and planning process has identified some core opportunities and strengths.
Creation of a Trinity Internal competition for R-9 students
• An ability to host an internal, mid-week (Wednesday afternoon) competition up to Year 9, in which ALL eligible students will participate
• The internal competitions will run in Term 2 only, leaving a lighter schedule in Term 3 for other football commitments
• Subsequent removal of Saturday clashes for students in R-10
• Consequently more football for Trinity students in R-9 (Wednesday and weekend club)
• The competition structure will be school-of-origin in Years 2/3/4, Years 5/6, Years 7/8/9. All games will be played on Wednesday, with practices on Monday
• Students selected in All-Trinity teams for knockout will train in separate academy programs parallel to school-team practices.
Creation of a Year 9/10 High Performance Academy
• An Academy and Statewide knockout program for higher-level Year 9/10 students
• Holistic elite performance program encompassing skills, physical development, wellbeing, habit formation
• Knockout and ‘friendly’ midweek matches only
Creation of a long-term athlete development program at Trinity College
• A core skill focus that prepares Trinity footballers for greater success
• An Athlete wellbeing focus, including sleep, time management and habit formation
• Physical development (This has been identified by the SANFL as a clear opportunity for advancement)
Senior football to remain ‘as-is’ in the SAAS competition
• The Senior SAAS competition will remain as the pinnacle of Trinity football and will continue to be played on Saturday afternoon, with mid-week games wherever possible. The split here is usually 5-6 weekend and 5-6 weekday matches.
• Opportunities such as the Adelaide Oval Grand Final match
• Appointment of 1st 18 Coach with Senior SANFL experience TBA
Girls football to access extra ‘academy’ opportunities, whilst maintaining midweek competition structure.

From Paul Thomas:
As the Senior Coach of SANFL club Central Districts and also a parent of a Trinity footballer, I see this pathway exceeding what local clubs and the College can offer alone… In 2014 and 2015 I was the Lead Teacher in the Henley High School football program I saw firsthand the speed in which this type of pathway can excel young footballers toward team and individual accolades. It is imperative, in my opinion, that local clubs, the College and families embrace this opportunity and continue to work together to keep producing the highest quality young footballers we can to enable them to live out a dream of being drafted to the AFL or AFLW.

The College is very excited about the new direction of the program, which allows Trinity footballers access to the complete range of experiences and opportunities. We believe it situates the program at a significant competitive advantage when it comes to complementing and augmenting existing football structures in our region, and, with full commitment from all stakeholders, springboard Trinity football into an exciting new era.

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