Adelaide’s new Head of Fitness and Conditioning Jared Hoare has seen his fair share of changes within the field.

Hoare, who has come across to West Lakes from rugby league and union, has almost a decade of experience.

And there’s been one significant shift in the field -   a philosophy he’s bringing to the Crows.

“Everything you do (as a fitness and conditioning coach), whether that be gym work, conditioning or speed work, it has to be able to relate to what the coach wants out of the team,” Hoare said.

“You can’t just be stuck in the gym or sitting behind spreadsheets punching in numbers, you have to understand the game plan, tactics, how we transition between attack and defence and all parts of the game.

“We sit down and look at the game model and figure out how we as a strength and conditioning team train the guys to be better at that game model.

“You can’t be siloed in this is strength and conditioning and this is footy, what we do in strength and conditioning has to help us get better at footy.”

Hoare’s passion for the field began when he was in high school while playing rugby league in Rockhampton, Queensland.

He went on to study exercise science at university, before relocating to the US to complete  a Masters Degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science at Florida Atlantic University.

During his time there, he helped out with the college sports teams’ strength and conditioning programs, before returning home and landing a job with Queensland Cowboys’ Elite Pathways program.

Hoare later enjoyed stints with NRL team the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Australian Super Rugby team, the Melbourne Rebels, before being appointed to work within the Darren Burgess-led high-performance team in October last year.

He says there are many similarities with how rugby and AFL players train, but there’s two aspects that have impressed him the most so far while working at the Crows.

“I’ve worked with a bunch of great athletes and the rugby codes are massive power sports, so it probably surprised me a bit with how much guys at the Crows can produce in the gym,” Hoare said.

“They back up 12km days on the field with intense running by being back in the gym, jumping, or squatting or throwing heavy objects, just watching them be able to produce that has been exciting to be a part of

“For the (AFL) guys, if you aren’t fit, you can’t get to the contest and you can’t do what’s required for your role, so the running aspect has been mind blowing for me.

Switching footy codes has always been on the cards for Hoare, despite growing up in Queensland surrounded by rugby.

Speaking to AFC Media, Hoare said the challenge of helping the Crows gain success and learning from someone as experienced as Burgess were driving him.

“Working in the AFL was something I always wanted to get involved with and having an opportunity to come to a big Club like the Crows is amazing,” Hoare said.

“Another massive drawcard was being able to work with Burgo, he’s a world renowned expert in our field, so the opportunity to work with him was really enticing.

“It’s been really great to see how he goes through his processes, but beyond that, he’s just a great guy to work under because he is people-first.

“I think with all the experiences I have had I’ll be able to add a bit here and hopefully help the boys improve.”

Hoare’s role at the Crows is all encompassing.

It includes crafting individual fitness and conditioning programs for players, including gym work, agility, and repeat running.

One of his main areas of focus is helping those recovering from injuries regain their strength and get back to playing good footy.

“In pre-season, the guys do four gym sessions a week, five-and-a-half for some guys who need to put on a bit of strength,” Hoare said.

“Running-wise, it depends on the type of session we want, so it varies, but at the moment we are doing more match simulation work, so we don’t do as much conditioning because they’re getting that running work.

“My big area of focus at the Crows is working in that rehab space, so working with the guys who are coming back from injury and helping prepare them to get back into the fold of the main group.

“In season, it’s all about making sure we are at our best for game day… Our role is to make sure we’ve done enough work that we know they’ll be ready to go and also making sure we’ve given them enough time to adapt and recover from training.”

Adelaide will play an internal trial in Port Pirie on February 14, before pre-season games against Port Adelaide (February 21) and Brisbane (February 27).

The Crows’ 2025 season kicks off with a clash against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, March 16.

To view the Club’s full 2025 fixture, click here.