The Altona Hockey Club Gryphon Junior Development Program
Developing Junior Hockey Players in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne.
We are extremely pleased to announce that Gryphon have come on board as the official partner of the Junior Development program in 2026 for the next 3 years.
Gryphon are one of the best brands in hockey, and will be providing us equipment as well as a discount offer and the chance for sponsorship open to all club members – details below for the both.
The program will be led by Thomas Hogan and Heath McDonald, who bring a strong focus on player development, skill acquisition, and creating a positive learning environment for all participants.
The program is fully funded by the club to be provided free of charge to all juniors in the U12s, U14s and U16s teams to complement team training.
About the Program
For 2026 we are excited to announce that we have Tom Hogan and Heath McDonald leading the Gryphon Junior Development program in 2026.
Both bring a lot of hockey experience, with Heath a long-time Premier League player and Australian & Victorian Senior Indoor representative, as well as being a teacher. Tom played his junior hockey in South Australia, representing the state all through juniors to the senior side, and currently plays in our Pennant D side for Victorian Masters.
They will be leading the program with experienced coaches helping each week from our senior sides with very high level representative experience through to specialist coaches.
The program itself was initially launched and designed by our Premier League Coaches, Greg Drake and Danielle Tyrrell. Both have had success at all levels of hockey, starting as Altona juniors all the way through to International hockey and have designed the program for the maximum enjoyment of all kids, meaning lots of time with the hockey ball, no waiting around in queues and no long coach talks.
After his playing career, Greg has spent many years coaching Altona Premier League, before progressing to both State and then International level with stints as assistant coach of the Japanese and Canadian National teams, and Head Coach of the USA Women’s Hockey Team. He is back at Altona coaching the Premier League men and involved in overseeing Junior Development.
Danielle played for the Hockeyroos, and for 10 years with the Victorian senior side in the Australian Hockey League (now known as HockeyOne). She was named the in the Victorian Vipers team of the decade prior to the branding of the team being moved to HC Melbourne, and represented the Hockeyroos on multiple tours. She is now considered one of the best upcoming coaches in Victoria.
This club based junior development model that puts Altona Hockey Club at the forefront of junior coaching in Victoria.
The junior development model provides:
- Coordinated and structured skill development over multiple seasons at designated skill development training sessions for all junior players
- A higher ratio of coaches to players (typically 1:6) at each skill development training session
- Access to specialist coaches (including goal keeper coaches) for the teaching of skills
- Greater flexibility in training to mix and match skill levels, ages and genders to meet development needs of individuals
- Identification of talented players for additional ‘AHC fast track’ training
- Specific preparation for those trialing for representative teams
- Support for junior team coaches
- Better transition between juniors and seniors
- Coordinated management of training loads.
For junior players at the AHC, the implementation of this model means:
- Increased learning opportunities resulting in more efficient development
- Consistent access to advice from current senior players and highly credentialed coaches
- Fast paced, coordinated and fun training sessions
- Greater potential for inclusion in Hockey Victoria’s representative teams and the AHC’s Premier League men’s and women’s teams.
Find all of the latest AHC news
For all of the latest news from the Altona Hockey Club, subscribe to our Newsletter, follow us on Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) and read on below:
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