What Makes An Australian Touch Football Player and International Development?

Recently I had the privilege of joining iconic Touch commentator, Adam Collins and Touch Football Australia CEO, Jamie O’Connor on the ‘Set of 6’. The ‘Set of 6’ is an initiative organised by the Federation of International Touch to help bring the touch football community together during this difficult time. Over the past few weeks, different countries have featured on the ‘Set of 6’ and shared their coping strategies and plans for the return to touch. It was evident, from this discussion, that there is a high demand for international touch football development.  

Touch Football Australia is a highly resourced, professional touch football organisation. What makes Australian Touch Football so successful is; the vast number of individuals who participate in the game, the development of grass roots players, the management of high performance athletes and access to opportunities. These key factors are part of the reason why Australia has been so successful on the international stage.  

So what makes an Australian Touch Football Player? 

When you watch an Australian Touch Football team play what do you notice about the game? 

A common answer to this question is how fast-paced the game is. The speed at which our top Australian athletes can execute plays and move around the field is one of the most noticeable difference when compared to our international competitors. Australian athletes are powerful, explosive and fit. Couple these key components with exceptional ball skills, enhanced reaction time and an ability to read play, you have yourself a force to be reckoned with.  

Now, the good news is, no team is unbeatable (however, I will request that while I’m still playing in the Australian Women’s Opens team that you refrain from believing this statement to be true haha). 

The development of international countries is paramount for the advancement of this sport. It is in our best interest to help you to improve in order to grow and develop. We have seen many countries take it upon themselves to enhance their exposure to high quality competitions. For example. New Zealand joining the NRL Touch Premiership and Japan and England coming to play in NSW State Cups. The initiative taken by international countries to improve the game has been incredible and The Final Touch would love to support you on your development journey.  

A huge reason for Ash and I choosing to create an online platform is so that we can provide resources and education to individuals and teams both nationally and globally. In a perfect world, Ash and I would love to come and visit each and every team across the globe and impart our knowledge and skills to you. However, the world is not perfect and creating an online platform was the next closest thing for ensuring our resources can be accessed equitably. 

If you are:

1. An individual involved in touch football

2. You live in Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Cook Islands, Czech Republic England,Fiji, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kiribati, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, United Arab Emirates, United States, Wales or anywhere else in the world. 

3. Wanting to improve your touch football performance

…Then we are here to help you. 

We want to see our game develop and grow. We want to help you develop your speed, agility, strength, power, fitness, reaction time and ball skills- so that you can perform just as the Australian athletes do. Head to thefinaltouch.online and become a member so that we can help you to improve your performance and help grow this sport that we love so dearly. 

Sammy x

The Final Touch