U16–18 AFL Athletic Development – 4 Week Intermediate Running Program

U16–18 AFL Athletic Development – 4 Week Intermediate Running Program Age Group: Under 16–18 Boys & Girls Level: Intermediate (Pathway Development) Frequency: 3 sessions per week (non-consecutive days) Primary Objective: Improve 2 km time trial performance while increasing repeat-effort density, speed endurance, and AFL-specific change-of-direction capacity under fatigue Designed for: • Athletes progressing from U16–18 Beginner block • Players training consistently 3–4x per week • School, club, or emerging pathway athletes Prerequisite: • Ability to run continuously for 30 minutes • Exposure to basic acceleration and tempo running Coaching Guidelines Aerobic development remains the foundation of performance Repeat-effort quality > total volume Maintain sprint mechanics and posture under fatigue RPE Scale (1–10) 1–2 very easy | 3–4 easy | 5 steady | 6 challenging | 7 hard | 8 very hard | 9–10 maximal