AFL helped Folau's rugby career: Sheedy

Jul 5, 2013 - 7:07 AM Greater Western Sydney AFL coach Kevin Sheedy reckons Israel Folau's two-year stint on the oval pitch helped develop him into the complete package for the Wallabies.

Sheedy will coach Folau's old AFL side the Giants against the Western Bulldogs in Canberra on Saturday just hours before the final Test between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions kicks off in Sydney.

Despite the busy schedule, the legendary AFL coach says he'll definitely be tuning in to watch Folau play the biggest game of his rugby career.

"Israel's been fantastic, absolutely fantastic," Sheedy said.

"I texted him and just told him to `keep running, keep running and keep the excitement going for your fans'."

Sheedy said he believed Folau's two-year stint in the AFL after leaving the NRL helped turn him into the try-scoring machine he is with the Wallabies and Waratahs today.

"Just speaking to some of the NRL boys and rugby boys at the senior level, they feel that AFL just topped him off," he said.

"We do a lot of ball handling. We do a lot of running. We do a lot of visual training where you've got to see your targets coming at you.

"But the one thing we didn't teach him was his cutting (stepping) skills around players. He always had that."

Sheedy added that Folau's AFL stint had also made him a more rounded player off the field.

"It's about professional maturity and understanding different sports tactics and training techniques," he said.

Source: AAP