Building Robustness and Strong Starts with Darren Burgess, Former General Manager of Performance at Adelaide Crows

Before taking up his current role at Juventus FC, Darren Burgess sat down with Hytro’s Founder, Dr Warren Bradley, and Chief Science Officer, Dr Tom Brownlee to discuss his time as General Manager of Performance at the Adelaide Crows.

Darren built one of the AFL’s youngest squads into a physically resilient, high-performing team, by focusing on preparation, recovery, and education to help create strong starts and sustained success.

“We knew we didn’t quite have the physical ability to compete in such a physical sport,” he explained. “So we put in place a whole bunch of simple but effective mechanisms to build player robustness and resilience, so that when the players hit the age where they could compete, they had the capability to do it.”

That focus on getting the basics right, training hard, recovering well, and prioritising sleep shaped a standout season for the Crows. The results came not from sudden transformation, but from consistency and patience.

“There’s no secret sauce,” said Darren. “It was about training ridiculously hard, putting players in uncomfortable situations, recovering well, and doing the basics away from the training ground. The club gave us time to let the process take hold.”

Training for strong starts

Darren’s performance philosophy centres on front-loading the work, creating strong starts that can be sustained. With a long pre-season in the AFL, he believes in pushing hard early to build the kind of resilience needed for a full season.

“My general philosophy is work their ***** off in pre-season and then hold on during the season,” he said. “You have to build that base so the players can handle the demands week after week.”

That early-season preparation aligns with Hytro’s performance philosophy: winning starts long before game day. Burgess’s emphasis on readiness, load management, and recovery reflects a practical understanding of what it means to outperform through preparation.

Science, sleep, and recovery

Throughout his career, Darren has blended performance science with athlete behaviour, combining data with practicality. At the Crows, that approach included monitoring sleep and recovery through Apple Watches and using tools like Hytro BFR to optimise recovery at home and on the road.

“We had all the players wearing Apple Watches throughout pre-season and in-season. The data showed that when they slept better, they performed better, and when they used recovery tools like Hytro, it improved their readiness,” Darren said.

“We use Hytro in two ways, first for injured players in the gym to maintain strength, and second for recovery. After games, players wear the shorts while they are moving around the change rooms, getting an active flush before the rest of their recovery routine.”

It is a small shift that makes a big difference, turning otherwise wasted minutes into productive recovery time.

“Players love it because it is passive,” Darren added. “They can wear them on the bus or the plane and still be recovering. The science is already proven; it is now about how we can implement it efficiently.”

Building buy-in

Darren confirmed something the best coaches all know to be true: the key to lasting performance gains is not just science; it is education. Convincing players to try something new always starts with trust and understanding.

“The biggest mistake we make is thinking being close to players means being their mate,” he said. “It is about respect and education. When you show them the science, when they trust that you are not talking rubbish, they will buy in. What player would not if it helps them win, earn more, or extend their career?”

That approach has helped create a self-driven culture at the Crows, where senior players take ownership of recovery and set the tone for younger teammates.

“At first, you have to hand-feed them. Now, the leading players drive it. If I message the group with a recovery plan, I know they will get it done.”

The mindset behind outperforming

Across every club he has worked with, Darren has seen that performance excellence comes down to more than data, it is about mindset. The best teams are those that control emotion, learn fast, and stay steady through highs and lows.

“It is easy to get caught up in results, but I try not to ride those highs and lows,” he said. “Our job is not to win one game, it is to help athletes get to where they need to be.”

Whether it is pre-season load, sleep schedules, or recovery innovations like BFR, Darren’s approach is about small, consistent gains that compound over time. That is how you build robustness, prepare to perform, and stay ready to outperform.

Darren’s approach to performance and recovery shows what it means to build from the ground up. From hard pre-seasons to data-driven recovery, every detail is designed to prepare players to perform when it matters most.

Explore how Hytro BFR helps athletes, teams, and coaches maximise readiness and recovery across every stage of the season. Ready to see how you can implement BFR in your team? Get in touch.