High Performance staff from New Zealand Football (NZF) have returned energised and inspired following a valuable three-day study visit to Melbourne, where they were welcomed into the inner workings of three of Australia’s most respected professional sporting clubs, the Melbourne Storm (NRL), Essendon Bombers (AFL), and Richmond Tigers (AFL).
Designed by OFC to support the professional development of coaches and technical staff, the trip offered rare access to elite environments of other sporting codes and provided a wealth of learnings around leadership, athlete development, team culture and high performance.
The delegation included senior national team coaches, with All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley and assistant Tony Readings, Football Ferns head coach Michael Mayne, as well as both Men’s and Women’s U-17 head coaches Martin Bullock and Alana Gunn, forming part of the study group.
Throughout the visit, the NZF staff had the opportunity to observe training environments, attend team and coaching meetings, and engage directly with staff and players. Central to the experience was the chance to explore how each club builds its performance culture, from leadership development and mental skills to athlete pathways and identity.
(Photo: the group chatting with Melbourne Storm development coach, Todd Lowrie)
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley says the study visit was really insightful.
“It enabled us to have a good look inside 3 of Melbourne’s top professional sporting clubs, we were given great access to understand the integral aspects of how these clubs run and what they stand for, including structure, culture and leadership. We were able to sit in on team meetings, view training sessions and engage with their players.
We spent time with all of their coaches and different departments having discussions around how they get the best out of their players and team, whilst these are all clubs working in different sports to us (Rugby League and AFL) it was great to see their processes working towards achieving consistent high performances.”
(Photo: left to right, Alana Gunn, Martin Bullock, Tony Readings, Dave Wright, Darren Bazeley, Michael Mayne)
At Melbourne Storm, the group was hosted by long-time Director of Football Frank Ponissi, who shared the club’s strategic vision and deeply rooted values. Discussions touched on legacy, storytelling and the influence of New Zealand culture, brought to life through the leadership of former Kiwi international Tawera Nikau. Staff also heard from Storm Analyst Noel Green on performance review and opposition scouting processes and explored player development planning with Dean Penton and leadership strategies with Todd Lowrie. The day culminated with training observation and informal exchanges with players and coaches, a hands-on look at the Storm’s culture in action.
Essendon FC provided another dimension of elite sport. NZF staff were welcomed into the AFL club’s coaching environment by Head of Performance Dave Rath, attending pre-training meetings, match previews and tactical discussions ahead of the team’s upcoming fixture. Conversations with senior coaches over lunch in the club’s dedicated ‘Learning Room’ offered space to reflect on environment design and long-term development strategies. Coaches later broke into smaller groups to observe positional unit meetings, where players and coaches analysed performance together.
(Photo: left to right Darren Bazeley, Alana Gunn, Richmond Tigers assistant coach Ben Rutten, Dave Wright, Tony Readings, Michael Mayne)
At Richmond FC, the final stop on the visit, the group was invited to observe team meetings and training sessions as the club prepared for a major clash with top-of-the-table Collingwood. Assistant Coach Ben Rutten led an impressive workshop on Richmond’s coaching framework, with a strong emphasis on balancing performance demands with player wellbeing. The day concluded with a mental skills and team culture session that underlined the club’s reputation for excellence and innovation.
Reflecting on the experience, OFC High Performance Manager Dave Wright concurred with Bazeley’s assessment.
“On behalf of OFC I would like to extend sincere thanks to Melbourne Storm, Essendon and Richmond for their time and energy. It was a privilege to be immersed into their respective environments. We were welcomed with open arms, and the experience was inspiring, challenging and generated a huge amount of discussion and ideas amongst the group. I have no doubt that all of the New Zealand Football coaching staff benefitted from the experience.”
This visit builds on previous high performance study trips with Fiji FA and NZF and is part of OFC’s broader strategy to enhance coaching and performance capacity across its Member Associations.
(Cover image: Essendon FC trophy room)