Jack Grimes

About Jack

Jack Grimes spent nine years playing AFL with the Melbourne Football Club, including three as co-captain. Throughout his career, he developed a deep interest in coaching and high performance. Even while still competing at the elite level, Jack launched his own personal training studio, working with a diverse group of clients — from everyday individuals beginning their fitness journey to young athletes chasing professional ambitions.

When his AFL days came to an end, Jack returned to local footy — and quickly noticed something that stuck with him:

The gap between elite and local-level strength & conditioning support was far too wide. It wasn’t just a matter of equipment or facilities — it came down to guidance, structure, education, and consistent coaching. Local players wanted to improve and were willing to put in the work, but often lacked the knowledge or resources to train effectively, especially around the demands of school, university, or full-time jobs.

That insight led to the creation of JJ’s High Performance — a tailored training platform designed specifically for local footballers. JJ’s delivers elite-level programming that’s affordable, flexible, and built to fit into real lives. Whether you’re a teenager balancing study or an adult juggling work and training, JJ’s provides the tools and support to grow — step by step.

But JJ’s isn’t just about workouts. It’s a full coaching experience, shaped by Jack’s years inside AFL systems and the lessons learned from some of Australia’s top strength & conditioning experts. He also draws on the insights of those closest to him — including his brother Dylan Grimes, a 13-year Richmond veteran with three premierships and a Best & Fairest to his name.

At JJ’s, Jack coaches players the same way he would inside a professional club — not just telling them what to do, but helping them understand why it matters and how to maximise their potential.
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn’t. JJ’s High Performance exists to change that.

High Performance Training (HPT) refers to a structured, evidence-based approach to physical and mental development designed to maximize an athlete’s potential. It’s commonly used in elite sports settings to develop strength, speed, agility, endurance, injury resilience, and mental toughness.
High Performance Training integrates:

• Strength and conditioning
• Sport-specific skills
• Recovery protocols
• Sports science and nutrition
• Mental skills and psychology
• Load management and injury prevention

HPT is tailored, periodized, and data-driven—leveraging technology (e.g., GPS, force plates, wellness monitoring) to fine-tune athlete performance.
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🧍‍♂️ Who Does It Benefit?

• Elite athletes (e.g. AFL players)
• Emerging athletes aiming to reach professional levels
• Local/amateur players wanting to improve performance and reduce injury risk
• Rehabilitating athletes returning from injury

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🏈 How Does It Benefit Football Players?

1. Physical Development

• • Enhances strength, power, speed, aerobic fitness, and agility
  • Builds resilience to contact, crucial in a high-collision sport like AFL

  </ul style=”padding-left:30px;”> 2. Injury Prevention & Recovery

  • • Implements prehab, mobility, and load monitoring to reduce soft tissue injuries
    • Speeds up return-to-play timelines

3. Decision Making & Mental Toughness

• • • Mental conditioning improves on-field focus, resilience under pressure, and game intelligence

4. Recovery Optimization

• • • Promotes use of sleep, nutrition, cryotherapy, and active recovery to support training adaptation

5. Data-Driven Performance

• • • Use of GPS and analytics offers objective feedback on workloads, sprint efforts, etc.

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🏉 Bridging the Gap: Local to Elite AFL

High Performance Training helps bridge the gap between local footballers and elite AFL players by:

• • • Standardizing elite-level preparation: Local players get access to training protocols similar to AFL standards.
    •  Building physical capacity: Raises conditioning to meet the demands of AFL (e.g., covering 12–15 km/game at high intensity).
    • Improving professionalism: Teaches habits around recovery, nutrition, and mental prep used by elite players.
    • Exposure to elite systems: Encourages use of GPS tracking, game review, wellness questionnaires, etc.
    • Scouting readiness: Makes local athletes more AFL draft-ready by demonstrating physical and mental competencies aligned with pro expectations.

https://programs.jjshighperformance.com.au/clubs/