Support athletes at the highest level.
A two-session live accelerator with an AFL Player Development Manager, built for those working with, or aspiring to support, athlete wellbeing and development at the elite level.
Enrol NowThe Player Development & Wellbeing Accelerator
The role of a Player Development Manager is one of the most important in elite sport. Wellbeing, career transitions, mental health, off-field pressure. Every decision shapes an athlete’s life inside the game and beyond it. Across two live sessions with an AFL Player Development Manager, this accelerator pulls back the curtain on how the role actually operates inside a club.
One topic
Player development and wellbeing done deeply. The practice, the strategy and the calls that support athletes at the highest level.
Two live sessions
Three hours each, live and interactive with a serving AFL Player Development Manager. All recorded for replay.
Twenty positions
A small cohort built for real conversation, not a webinar. Questions, examples and discussion you can actually contribute to.
Knowledge for life
You leave with a genuine framework for how player development and wellbeing operates. Not theory, but the actual practice AFL clubs use.
Learn from an Industry Expert.
Josh McCahon brings two decades of experience in elite sport, specialising in the development and wellbeing of athletes. Currently leading the Player Wellbeing and Development team at the Hawthorn Football Club, Josh has built a career around creating supportive, high-performance environments where athletes can thrive both personally and professionally.
With a background in education and physical development, Josh blends teaching expertise with a practical understanding of what players need at every stage of their journey. His approach is grounded, athlete-first, and shaped by years of working closely with individuals navigating the demands of AFL football.
Is this for me?
It's For You If…
- You’re aspiring to work in player development, wellbeing or welfare within elite sport
- You already work with athletes and want to sharpen your practice
- You’re a Player Development Manager wanting to refine your approach
- You come from education, psychology, coaching or player support and want to transition into elite sport
- You’re prepared to engage live, ask questions, and bring your own examples
It's Not For You If…
- You want a passive webinar you can half-watch in the background
- You’re not willing to engage with a small live cohort
- You want a certificate for the wall without putting the work in
- You’re only mildly curious about player development as a topic
What you’ll learn
Across the two live sessions, you'll go inside the critical aspects of being a Player Development Manager. The practice, the strategy, the challenges and the conversations that shape an athlete’s career.
The Role of a Player Development Manager
What the role actually involves day to day, where it sits inside a football department, and how it’s evolved.
Building Trusted Relationships
The foundation of every PDM role: how to build the trust with athletes that everything else sits on top of.
Best Practice in Player Wellbeing
What best practice actually looks like in modern athlete wellbeing. The frameworks, the language and the day-to-day work.
Best Practice in Player Development
How elite clubs approach the development side of the role. Identity, education, life outside football and long-term growth.
Working Across the Football Department
How PDM connects with coaches, high performance, medical and leadership, and where the tensions and opportunities sit.
The Challenges in the Modern Landscape
The realities PDMs face today: social media, mental health, external pressures and the shifting expectations on modern athletes.
Mental Health and Off-Field Pressure
How to recognise the signs, when to refer, and how the PDM role supports without becoming the clinical answer.
Preparing a Player Wellbeing Strategy
The practical mechanics of building a wellbeing strategy that actually works inside a club. Principles, tools and pitfalls.
Preparing a Player Development Strategy
How to build a development strategy that supports athletes across their career and prepares them for what comes after.
Life After Football
Supporting athletes through career transitions. The conversations, the planning, and the work that begins long before they retire.
What you get when you enrol
Live Online Workshops
Complete the accelerator over two weeks with 2 × 3-hour live sessions. All content is recorded for replay any time afterwards.
Access To Josh
Through the course you can ask the facilitator questions about the content and the industry, not a recording you watch alone.
Career Support
Receive a free career advisory call to map out your next steps through networking, job applications and connections.
Networking
Break-out groups and live discussion with the cohort. Real connections with other industry professionals.
Payment Plans
Pay in full or spread the investment across 6 or 12 months. Full access to all content from your first payment.
Micro-Credential
Receive a certificate on completion to share on LinkedIn or anywhere else you want to demonstrate the work.
Two sessions. Two weeks. One outcome.
Live online via Zoom. Three hours per session, with break-out groups and real questions. Both sessions are recorded so you can re-watch any time, or catch up if you can’t attend live.
Can’t make a session live? Every session is recorded and in your portal within 24 hours, so you can catch up in your own time without falling behind.
What changes after two sessions
The skills of a Player Development Manager
A working understanding of the practice, the strategy, the difficult conversations and the day-to-day work. The actual mechanics of the role.
Industry insights from inside
Real-world insight from a serving AFL Player Development Manager. How the role actually operates inside a football club and where the leverage sits.
A pathway towards the role
A clear view of what supporting athletes at the highest level actually requires. The experience, the network and the next career steps, plus a 1:1 career advisory call.
Three flexible ways to enrol
$990 AUD total. No interest, no hidden fees, immediate access to all content from your first payment.
- 2 × 3-hour live sessions with Josh
- All content recorded for replay
- 1:1 career advisory call
- Micro-credential certificate
- Everything in the full program
- Spread the investment across 6 months
- Same immediate access
- Everything in the full program
- Spread the investment across 12 months
- Same immediate access
Common questions
Who is this accelerator for?
Anyone aspiring to work in player development, wellbeing or welfare within elite sport, existing club staff wanting to sharpen their practice, and anyone from education, psychology, coaching or player support backgrounds looking to transition into elite sport. Serving PDMs looking to refine their approach get plenty out of it too.
Do I need experience in the AFL industry?
No. The accelerator builds from foundational concepts. If you already work in football, you'll connect new dots; if you're trying to break in, you'll leave understanding how player development and wellbeing actually operates at the highest level.
What if I can't make a session live?
Every session is recorded and in your portal within 24 hours, so you can catch up in your own time without falling behind. We do encourage live attendance. The live discussion and break-out groups are where the real value sits.
How long does each session run?
Two live sessions of three hours each, run via Zoom. Plus a 1:1 career advisory call afterwards to map your next step.
What do I walk away with?
A working understanding of how player development and wellbeing operates at an AFL club, real-world insight from a serving PDM, a micro-credential certificate on completion, and a career advisory call. Plus the network from sharing the cohort with 19 other people serious about the same career path.
How much is it and how do I pay?
$990 AUD. You can pay in full, or spread it across 6 monthly payments of $165 or 12 monthly payments of $82.50. Choose your option at checkout. Full content access starts from your first payment regardless of plan.
Can my employer pay?
Often, yes. Many clubs and organisations cover part or all of the fee as professional development. We can prepare a summary of outcomes to support your case. Just reach out.
Are scholarships available?
A limited number of Women in Sport Scholarships are available if the investment is a barrier. Apply through the link above.