Anthony Crea – High Performance S&C Coach who created history in assisting the Australian national football team (Socceroos) qualify for their 2nd World Cup in 32 years!

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Anthony has been part of the fabric of Australian football for over 3 decades and has assisted 3 different A-League clubs win silverware with Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Macarthur FC. Anthony has also held the prestigious position of Head of Strength and Conditioning for the Australian National Football Team for close to a decade and was part of Socceroos history with involvement in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and 2006 World Cup in Germany. Other roles have included working in the J-League as well providing consultancy for clubs in the EPL, Serie A and the Trinidad and Tobago national team, to only name a few. This is a one kind long form conversations where we discuss all things football performance in amongst some never heard before stories of being a part of some of Australian footballs most iconic moments.

Highlights from the episode…

• Having had no previous experience in S&C, Anth received his first opportunity in S&C from Australian football legend Frank Farina in the NSL.
• In an ever evolving industry of sports science, we discuss dealing with the challenges of staying up to date while maintaining time tested methodologies.
• We discuss the volatility of the industry and navigating coaching changes, staff changes and job security.
• Anth discusses the innovative approach Football Federation Australia took to maximise their chances of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
• Anth provides an unprecedented and never heard before perspective of what it was like in the lead up to the famous qualifying game against Uruguay, the game itself and what occurred after that famous game.
• How to communicate at times unpopular perspectives around player injuries, player loads, recovery etc. to coaching staff.
• Session design. What factors, frameworks, concepts Anth uses to design world class on field training sessions for his teams.
• After a decade with the Socceroos Anth had an opportunity to move overseas to the J-League and he speaks about his time working and living in Japan.
• Anth vulnerably shares what it was like to be sacked for the first time in his career and how he dealt with the uncertainty, scrutiny and volatility all while trying to turn a club around and managing family life while in a foreign country.
• After Japan and a short stint at Sydney FC, he spent the next 6 years with Melbourne Victory and speaks about all the success at the club.
• Why Anth chose to leave the biggest football club in the A-League to move to a “start-up” club with limited resources, new staff and fresh players at Macarthur FC.
• From football pitch to board rooms. Anth discusses how he has been able to make a successful transition away from his traditional role as S&C coach to now a consultant to several organisations across the globe.

People mentioned:

• Frank Farina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Farina
• Ian Crook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crook-b6a69230b/?originalSubdomain=au
• Les Gelis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-gelis-9aa78727a/
• Jean Paul de Marigny: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_de_Marigny
• Guus Hiddink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guus_Hiddink

Anthony Crea contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycrea004/
• Email: [e-mail]

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: [e-mail]

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.