Talking Split S3 Ep7: Essendon Football Club Physical Performance Manager Justin Crow
Jun 8, 2018
Justin Crow, Physical Performance Manager at Essendon Football Club who leads physio, conditioning and athlete development. He talks about building a high-performance culture, blending data and intuition in decision-making, long-term player development versus short-term wins, talent ID and why basketballers convert well to AFL. Conversations also cover routines, wellness checks and coaching alignment.
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Episode notes
Broader Sporting Base Matters
- Multi-sport backgrounds and fundamental movement skills make athletes more robust to injury and adaptable.
- Broad early development beats early over-specialisation for long-term athletic potential.
Be Patient With Late Transfers
- Expect skill acquisition for late-transfer athletes to take two to three years and be patient with that timeline.
- Prioritise aerobic capacity and running ability when assessing basketball-to-AFL transitions.
Tall Players Mature Later
- Taller athletes tend to physically mature later and often peak in their mid-20s due to growth plate timelines.
- Recruitment and development plans should account for late physical maturation in taller players.