Our Coaches
High Peformance Coaching
Professional Level Experience
Developed by professionals with previous employment in both the professional and community football levels. Our coaches have bachelors and further education in exercise sports science, business and skill acquisition coaching.
Austin Stubbs
DIRECTOR OF AFHP COACHING & DEVELOPMENT
Austin Stubbs is an experienced Australian rules football coach with a strong background in skill acquisition, football analytics, and coach education. Over the past 12 years, Austin has built a reputation in these areas. He works with coaches nation wide, offering insights and practical guidance to elevate their understanding of the game. He has worked with hundreds of coaches and many community football clubs through consulting and education facilitation.
Austin’s career spans both community and elite-level football. He has coached at the Western Bulldogs AFLW/VFLW as a Line and Development Coach, in the VFL as the Head of Strategy and Development, and Essendon Football Club as an opposition analyst. His primary focus at Essendon was opposition analysis, with contributions to skill acquisition and coaching strategy.
In addition to his hands-on coaching experience, Austin has made significant contributions to coach education. He is a presenter at the AFL Level 3 Coaching Accreditation and has designed and facilitated various coach development courses and content in partnership with AFL Victoria, AFL SportsReady and the AFL Coaches Association (AFLCA).
Austin’s commitment to professional development is evident in his continuous pursuit of education, having completed the AFLCA Next Coach Program, AFL Level 3 accreditation, a Diploma of Business, and various AFL SportsReady courses.
Through his work with coaches and clubs nationwide, Austin has become a trusted resource for tactical and analytical support, empowering coaches to enhance their skills and improve player development. He is passionate about making football education accessible to everyone, whether at the grassroots or elite level.
Ross Celano
High performance manager
Ross has 16+ years experience as a football player, including a dual scholarship in AFL and Basketball at Maribyrnong Sports Academy, and 2 years at Footscray VFL. He also has over 7 years experience as a strength and conditioning practitioner working with a variety of sports including Soccer, Cricket, Basketball, Athletics, Hockey, Cycling, and Combat Sports athletes of various ages and abilities. Additionally, Ross has worked as a Performance Analyst, Football Analyst, and Opposition Analyst at the Essendon Football Club (AFL), diversifying his skills and knowledge from the Strength & Conditioning field, into the technical/tactical area of AFL.
After completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science (Sport Practice) at Victoria University, Ross became an Exercise & Sport Science Australia (ESSA) Accredited Exercise Scientist, and furthered his education by completing a highly-regarded Master’s Degree in High Performance Sport at Australian Catholic University. Ross is also an avid researcher, showing a keen interest in Athletic Development, Biomechanics, Injury Prevention, Nutrition, Performance Analysis, Rehabilitation, Sport Science, and Strength & Conditioning.
Ross has a strong passion and expertise in physically preparing athletes for elite performance, including developing their endurance, speed, explosive power, strength, building muscle mass and decreasing body fat, whilst creating training programs that are specific to individual players and teams in AFL.
