Jackson Dennis: Inside AFL High Performance & Load Management | #236

In episode 236, Max chats with GWS Giants Head of High Performance Jackson Dennis! Jackson takes us inside what it really takes to design and lead an AFL high-performance program - from mapping out an AFL pre-season to managing player loads across one of the most demanding seasons in world sport. We discuss what it’s like taking over an already successful program and carefully implementing your own philosophy without disrupting what works. Jackson explains how the Giants prepare for the speed and intensity of the “Orange Tsunami” brand, the balance between speed and strength, and how performance staff individualise training to build durability across a 26-week campaign. Jackson also opens up about working with elite talent, including helping integrate Clayton Oliver into a new environment and rehabbing champions like Nat Fyfe through complex injury battles. We explore what truly separates good AFL players from All-Australians - and why high-performance behaviours away from the club often make the biggest difference. We also dive into Jackson’s journey from sports science student at UWA to earning one of the 18 Head of High Performance roles in the AFL, the mentors who shaped him, and the mindset required to build a career at the elite level. All this and much more in episode 236 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/