Our Story
Q&A with MatchFit Conditioning’s – Brice Johnson
MatchFit: Congrats Brice. You’re up & running. How happy are you with MatchFitHQ?
Brice: Thank you. I’m very happy with what we’ve come up with here at MatchFitHQ. I’m aiming to have the best all-encompassing private training facility on the Central Coast & I think we’re a long towards achieving that at this early stage.
MF: Since the finish of the 2016/17 A-League season with the Central Coast Mariners. What have you been up to?
BJ: Initially, I had a break. I went to Fiji with the family & recharged after a massive two years at the Mariners. Then I have been busy getting MatchFit going. It was slow progress at times but always progress. I have also been teaching at the Central Coast Adventist School at Erina. I thoroughly enjoyed it as it’s a fantastic school & somewhere that I would like to send my kids when they reach high school age.
MF: You were coaching for a long time. Why did you decide to launch MatchFit?
The main reason to start MatchFit was a lifestyle choice that largely revolved around wanting to be with my young family more often. Professional sport takes you away from home a lot! I have always “got a kick” out of helping people. I was a Surf Life Saver for 24 years, I am a PDHPE teacher & I’ve always enjoyed the challenge & joy of seeing an athlete improve & get the best out of himself/herself. Matchfit allows me to help people of all abilities from home.
MF: What facilities do you have at MatchFit, Holgate?
BJ: Everything! A brand new, fully-equipped, gym, a studio for preventative, cardio & core work, a modified-sized (27m x 15m) football pitch, complete with barrier netting & two goals as well as a hill for those who are brave.
MF: You are mainly focusing on three main areas. What are they & can you tell us about them?
BJ: MatchFit Performance is for the athlete/footballer looking to maxmise his/her performance & train like a professional. MatchFit Rehab is for the athlete/footballer who needs “reconditioning” in conjunction with his/her physiotherapy program. MumFit is a specific program within the MatchFit brand that targets Mum’s. These sessions are designed with fat burning, core strength & improve fitness as its focus.
MF: Ok. It’s time to put you on the spot. You’re going to be watching the A-League from home for the first time in a while. What is your ladder prediction?
BJ:
1. Sydney FC – Best Coach in Graham Arnold, best Fitness Coach (& good mate) in Andrew Clark, kept most of their record-breaking squad together & recruited really well to cover the departures.
2. Western Sydney Wanderers – If they can get over the shock loss of their highly respected coach in Tony Popovic. They will do well as they have quality in every position.
3. Melbourne Victory – Kevin Muscat (who I think is a terrific Coach) managed teams are always strong, tenacious & full of class. They will be in hunt again this season.
4. Adelaide United – They will surprise a lot of people this season. They have the best young goalkeeper in the country in one of MatchFit’s favourites – Paul Izzo. They have looked good in FFA Cup matches & have recruited super well.
5. Newcastle United – They have overhauled their squad beautifully. Strong at the back, creative in the midfield & MatchFit favourite Roy O’Donovan will score goals with Vargas, Petratos, Nabbout & Brown supplementing him well. Big improvers this season.
6. Central Coast – The Mariners have recruited really well. If they can keep all of their “big guns” on the pitch for the majority of this season, they will trouble a lot of teams. Another big improver.
7. Brisbane – The Roar were the hardest to leave out of the top six. Their biggest loss from last season is Karl Dodd (Fitness Coach). They were always (in my opinion) the fittest team in the A-League. It will be interesting to see how they do this season.
8. Melbourne City – I don’t think they have their squad balance right & I find it ironic that they used to be called the “Heart”. It’s the one thing City don’t have. Other than McCormack, I don’t think that they have recruited very well.
9. Wellington – The Phoenix will be tough to play against as I think that they will be tough, dour & tenacious. They could surprise a few teams but the travel will catch up with late in the season.
10. Perth – The Glory are my tip to be a big disappointment this season. I think that they will start slowly & give up too much ground on the rest of the field. Their playing style is the hardest to read/study. Castro is the main man. He will get them out of some games.