Tigers new coach channels Geelong Cats 2011 recipe for success

New Hobart coach Allen Christensen has given an insight into what he’s brought to pre-season during his first summer in charge of the Tigers and he’s turned to some lessons learnt at the top level.

Hobart’s new head coach has taken no time to drill into his players about what it means to be an AFL footballer.

Geelong premiership player Allen Christensen was announced as head coach in October 2024 after the Tigers had a tough year winning just two games.

Now, Christensen is looking to the future, ensuring his young playing list stick together and build to become one of the powerhouses in the Southern Football League.

“It’s been pretty interesting coming to a new club and trying to build on what the old coach did last year,” Christensen said.

“We brought in 10 or 11 new players just trying to build the depth of the football club and trying to use my experience from where I played and to build a team that is a lot more competitive.

Allen Christensen coach Lauderdale for three seasons before making the move across to Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“That is pretty much what our pre season has been all about, trying to get fitter, trying to get stronger and just being more complete, competitive footy.”

Christensen came from TSL club Lauderdale where he had coached since 2021.

The Tigers only two wins last season came against bottom placed Claremont remained winless throughout the season.

Hobart finished the year with 14 losses next to their name with an average losing margin of 155 points.

SFL, Hobart Daniel Pulford against Sorell at Pembroke Park. Picture: Chris Kidd

Christensen said his push on the players was to be tougher to play against.

“Just being harder to play against, having more of a desire to be a team that doesn’t just roll over even if things aren’t going our way,” Christensen said.

“We are very, very young, majority of the guys we brought in have turned 19 or 20 this year.

“So there is a core group of really talented kids in our football team who have either come to the club or already at the club.

“But this is the ability to train them in a way that makes their competitive levels sustainable for longer and their ability to do things for longer.

“Making decisions, being set up right, it’s been a pretty big pre season for a lot of them I think.

“We have maybe two or three above the age of 30 and the rest are under 21.

“So we will have some games where it all clicks and I feel like we are going to be way more competitive than we have been in the past.

“But in saying that we have got an emerging group that is still developing their fitness levels and strength and footballing ability.

“So just a bit of patience.”

Christensen and his coaching group will look at success for their club this year as not so much the wins and losses at the end of the game but more the quarter wins.

“One thing we gotta cut out is the 100 point losses,” Christensen said.

“That’s probably the one thing for us that shows to me that this group has grown and matured.

“Yep we might lose but we get rid of them massive blowouts is something we will be looking for.

“And then beating teams that we haven’t beaten in a while, teams that just finished above us last year, I reckon we can take one of them.”