Rookie Me's Head of Leadership Development, Dan Condon, has listed his top 10 Off-field tips.

1. Public speaking:

Volunteering to speak in public, for example:

• In the school classroom.
• In front of the parents at football; or
• In front of your teammates.

2. Prioritise school work:

Make school a priority! AFL clubs will always contact your school, to see what sort of student you have been.

3. Help out at home:

Become a positive and helpful member of your own family. Simple things like keeping your room tidy – makes life easier for everyone in your home.

4. Community assistance:

Be aware of what you can do to assist in the community, do not ignore people in need. For example, if you come across an older person/or even a mother who is struggling with her kids. Offer to help. Don't stand back and watch people struggle – get in there and help!

5. Stay up to date on the RM system:

Look out for updates and homework from the coaches.  A lot of the course content is supplied through the RM system.

6. Become a mentor:

Mentor a younger player at your club, by taking them under your wing. Support and encourage that younger player – and this will help instil confidence in a younger member of your club/community, which will help the whole team overall. Mentoring demonstrates strong leadership and responsibility for others.

7. Buddy system:

Contact your 'buddy' and offer advice and encouragement to them. They should be doing the same back to you!

Featured: Rookie Me Academy athletes warm up at the MCG

8. Extra sessions:

RM 550. At least 2/3 times a week. We see a massive improvement in athletes who do the extra work and commit to the extra sessions.

9. Recovery & preparation:

Players who play well, are known to create a routine and follow it leading into a game. Recovery is key to getting the 'body' physically right, to endure the subsequent training sessions and the following week’s game.

10. Resilience:

If you are faced with an injury or are not selected for a team – don't let it beat you! Be determined to stay in the right mindset and fix the situation; by addressing it… so that you can stay focused on your goals and get to where you want to go!