AFL coaches head overseas to study during off-season

BRENDON Bolton has enrolled at Harvard University and Alan Richardson is adding another US degree to his resume as AFL coaches head overseas to hit the books over summer.

Carlton coach Brendon Bolton. Picture: Michael Klein

AFL Coaches will again use the off-season to hit the books.

Several of the league’s sharpest tactical minds will travel to the United States in the coming weeks to further their education in a variety of university leadership and management courses.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott is heading back to Harvard University — the same institution that has educated the likes of US presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

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Carlton coach Brendon Bolton will also undertake a course at Harvard, located just outside Boston.

Alan Richardson has done a Harvard leadership course in the past, but the St Kilda coach is this year set to spend time in New York’s Columbia University in an attempt to improve his skills.

Carlton coach Brendon Bolton will study at Harvard. Picture: Michael Klein

Hawthorn mastermind Alastair Clarkson is another to have completed a Harvard leadership and management course, but has this year spent time in Ireland.

While senior coaches have been studying overseas sporting clubs for some time, it’s becoming increasingly common for senior coaches to get themselves into the classrooms of major US universities in a bid to upskill themselves during the off-season break.

This year’s Grand Final coaches, West Coast’s Adam Simpson and Collingwood’s Nathan Buckley, crossed paths at Stanford University in November 2016.

Simpson and Buckley spent a week embedded in the Californian school’s legendary football program.

Originally published as AFL coaches head overseas to study during off-season