Dissertations / Theses: 'Australian football'

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Gucciardi, Daniel F. "Mental toughness in Australian football." University of Western Australia. School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0007.

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[Truncated abstract] At the commencement of this research project in February 2005, there was a paucity of empirical investigations that focused on understanding the psychological construct of mental toughness in sport (Bull, Shambrook, James, & Brooks, 2005; Fourie & Potgieter, 2001; Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2002). Although impressive, the available literature did little in offering consensus in terms of a definition and operationalising the construct in a consistent manner as well as understanding those factors contributing to its measurement and development. The absence of theoretically guided research, in particular, was noted as a major limitation of this research. The potential significance of mental toughness for performance excellence combined with the conceptual confusion and lack of rigorous empirical research highlighted the need for further research on mental toughness in sport. Accordingly, the purpose of this thesis was to examine issues pertaining to the understanding, measurement, and development of mental toughness in sport, using personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955/1991) as the guiding theoretical framework. Australian football was chosen as the context to explore these issues. In the opening empirical chapter, two qualitative manuscripts in which Australian football coaches perspectives on mental toughness and those factors contributing to its development are reported. Three central themes for understanding mental toughness in Australian football were generated: characteristics (self-belief, motivation, tough attitude, concentration and focus, resilience, handling pressure, personal values, emotional intelligence, sport intelligence, and physical toughness); situations (e.g., injuries, success); and behaviours (e.g., superior decision-makers, consistent performance). '...' In the final empirical chapter, two manuscripts in which the effectiveness of two different psychological skills training programs in enhancing mental toughness among youth-aged (15's) Australian footballers are reported. The first presents a quantitative analysis while the second presents a qualitative analysis. Multisource ratings (self, parent, and coach) of the AfMTI and self-reported resilience and flow indicated more positive changes in mental toughness, resilience, and flow than the control group. Similar patterns in the findings were evident across rating sources. Interviews with several players and one of their parents as well as the coaches generated their perceptions on the benefits of participating in the program (e.g., increased work ethic, tougher attitudes) and the processes by which the program had an effect (e.g., self-awareness; self-monitoring; self-regulation; and multi-perspective discussions) as well as suggestions for program improvement (e.g., parent and coach education programs). In summary, the results of the five studies presented in this thesis provide a comprehensive account of issues pertaining to the understanding, measurement, and development of mental toughness in Australian football. The findings are supportive of several aspects of previous research but also extend this line of inquiry in a number of ways. It is my hope that other researchers will be stimulated to engage in further research extending what is presented here and that practitioners will use this information to inform their professional endeavours.

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2

Douglas, Andrew. "The Australian Football League and the closet." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2014. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1399.

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This thesis examines the complete absence of openly gay males from the ranksof the professional players in the Australian Football League (AFL). It seeks to explain this absence in the context of the modern gay rights movement. incontemporary Australian society. It compares and contrasts the effects of thismovement on both the AFL and other mainstream Australian social institutions. Over more than four decades, the gay rights movement has effected a number of social changes. These changes include both specific legal reforms and more general trends such as the increasing social visibility of gay men across a range of mainstream institutions including politics and the military. However, this trend is not consistent across all major institutions. It is far less evident in professional team sports,especially the major football codes of this country. This research shows that the same trend is evident in the major football codes of countries such as Britain and the United States (US). However, what is unique to the AFL is that none of its current or former players has ever publicly declared his homosexuality in a biographical text or media interview. Despite the absence of openly gay AFL players, this thesis accesses other significant sources such as the coming-out narratives of professional players in other football codes and of other athletes in Australia, Britain and the US. Furthermore, relevant research into homophobia among athletes is also presented. Given the absence of primary sources as well as the inability to access relevant subjects directly, this research is qualitative rather than quantitative. It is also speculative in that it seeks to explain a specific trend in professional sport in general and in the AFL in particular by outlining common trends. A primary focus is the pattern of masculinity that prevails in men’s sport, both amateur and professional. This pattern is examined in other exclusively or predominantly male institutions such as the military. Until the advent of gay liberation, this pattern of masculinity was depicted purely in heterosexual terms. This thesis explores the evolution of this dominant masculinity within the context of modern Western society, specifically in terms of the Industrial Revolution and its effects on the sexual division of labour. This predominant masculinity is also examined in relation to the mainstream media in various contexts. These include the reporting on both the public personas and the private lives of high-profile footballers in general and of AFL players in particular. A further context is how this reporting consolidates the elite status of high profile, professional footballers and how a range of sexual indiscretions are portrayed in the mainstream media. The thesis also examines how the homoerotic aspect of AFL is portrayed within the media. Since some of this media coverage has been analysed by academic research, further insights are provided into aspects of misogyny and homophobia within the AFL. Both this media coverage and academic analysis allude to a culture within the AFL that tends to preclude a gay player from coming out. This thesis explains the relationship among the factors— both within the sporting context and within broader society— that converge within the professional AFL to promote a particular pattern of masculinity. This pattern of masculinity continues to preclude the openly gay man among its ranks of professional players.

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Badock, Philip R. "Performance attributes of talented schoolboy Australian Rules Football players." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1992. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1139.

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The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between selected psychological characteristics and performance of a group of talented young Australian Rules football players. The study group consisted of 50 of the best identified schoolboy 15 year old Australian Rules football players in Western Australia. From this group 25 boys were selected to represent Western Australia at the Australian School Sports Council National Football Championships. The selected psychological characteristics were competitive anxiety (trait and state), competitive sport orientation (competitiveness, win and goal orientation) and sport confidence (trait and state). Performance was measured, first, by the selection or non selection of the player in the final team and second, by a high or low performance rating at the completion of the championships. Psychological characteristics of those players who were selected in the team were compared with those who did not make the team in an attempt to identify those characteristics that related to successful team selection. A further comparison of psychological characteristics and performance levels at the completion of the championships was made to determine any common characteristics that identify the higher performing players and possibly to identify predictors of successful performance which could assist with the selection process of other similar groups. The results did not indicate any significant relationships between the selected psychological characteristics of competitive sport orientation, competitive sport anxiety and sport confidence. Nor did the results indicate any relationship between the selected characteristics and the performance of the study group. The results did show however, significant differences between the perceptions of performance as rated by the players themselves and the ratings by the coach, manager, teammates and other independent observer. In every performance rating measure, factor loadings clearly showed that player self-assessments of performance was highly inconsistent with the assessments of the other assessors. This potential area of research may be of significant value in that the player's perception of his performance is not consistent and at variance with the views of the coach and of his teammates.

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Cowan, Sean. "Cracking the code: Why Western Australia abandoned rugby for Australian rules football in 1885." Thesis, Cowan, Sean (2015) Cracking the code: Why Western Australia abandoned rugby for Australian rules football in 1885. Honours thesis, Murdoch University, 2015. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/29624/.

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This study of the early years of football in Western Australia investigates the reasons for the abandonment of the Rugby Union rules and the adoption of the new Victorian rules in 1885. Through an examination of the newspapers of the day – which are the only known primary material concerning those events – it will be established that the people of Western Australia were not wedded to a particular code before the 1880s. This changed in 1882 when the first clubs were formed and the Rugby Union rules were adopted. Advocates for the Victorian rules were immediately active, claiming the British game was on its way out elsewhere because it was too violent and not entertaining to watch. As a result, playing that code would rule W.A. out of intercolonial competition in the future, they argued. The ad hoc nature of the matches played in Perth did little to convince people that football was moving in the right direction under the Rugby Union rules, while the footballers who enjoyed playing under them were also able to embrace the Victorian rules because the two codes were not as dissimilar in 1885 as they are today. While historians have previously named Bill Bateman, Harry Herbert and Hugh Dixson as being responsible for forcing the adoption of the new rules, the situation was actually much more complex. Each club voted separately on whether to play under the Victorian or Rugby Union rules in 1885 and there were lobbyists for the new code at each club. Herbert’s importance to the decision taken by the Fremantle Football Club has been over-stated by previous historians, while Charles Bishop has never been recognised for his efforts at the Perth Rovers Football Club. Migration from the eastern colonies and social class were also factors in the change. Before 1885, the homogeneity and insularity of the groups of footballers at each club had weighed against the adoption of the Victorian rules. At the crucial juncture in 1885, however, a group of South Australians, led by Dixson and supported by working class West Australians, formed a new football club. This tipped the balance in favour of the new code.

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Andrews, Alfred 1955. "Football : the people's game." Monash University, Dept. of History, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/9104.

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Burke, Peter, and peter burke@rmit edu au. "A social history of Australian workplace football, 1860-1939." RMIT University. Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, 2009. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20100311.144947.

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This thesis is a social history of workplace Australian football between the years 1860 and 1939, charting in detail the evolution of this form of the game as a popular phenomenon, as well as the beginning of its eventual demise with changes in the nature and composition of the workforce. Though it is presented in a largely chronological format, the thesis utilises an approach to history best epitomised in the work of the progenitors of social history, E.P. Thompson and Eric Hobsbawm, and their successors. It embraces and contributes to both labour and sport history-two sub-groups of social history that are not often considered together. A number of themes, such as social control and the links between class and culture, are employed to throw light on this form of football; in turn, the analysis of the game presented here illuminates patterns of development in the culture of working people in Victoria and beyond. The thesis also provides new insights into under-re searched fields such as industrial recreation and the role of sport in shaping employer-employee relations. In enhancing knowledge of the history of grass roots Australian football and demonstrating the workplace game's links with the growth of unionism and expansion of industry, the thesis therefore highlights the complexity and interconnectedness of economic development, class relations and popular culture in constructing social history.

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Black, Georgia. "Physical Qualities and Match Demands of Female Australian Football." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2018. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/a183a386b52f2f488d2cdc9772ed3209ff0fe20a7273bf7c1f69a3d15709b33b/2926198/Black_2018_Physical_qualities_and_match_demands_of.pdf.

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Australian football (AF) is arguably the most popular sport in Australia, with over one million people participating in domestic AF annually. As participation rates have continued to rise, it is the growth of female AF that has drawn further attention to the sport in the last two years. Despite the introduction of the national women’s Australian football competition (AFLW) in 2017 and the 400,000 females who participate in recreational AF Australia-wide, there is currently no research to inform training practices. Although the physical match demands of elite male AF have been well established, the differences in physical qualities between male and female athletes emphasises the need to explore the demands of the female game. Athletes from intermittent team sports are required to train multiple physical qualities in order to improve on-field performances. While certain physical qualities have shown to influence activity profiles in a number of sports, little is understood about how these qualities affect running performance in female AF players. Determining physical tests that are able to (1) discriminate between selected and non-selected players and (2) influence running performance are important for future athletic development. In addition, a number of contextual factors may also influence running performances in games, such as match outcome, opposition ranking and positional differences. Despite previous research focusing on male AF, it is now necessary to explore female AF player responses to potentially key influences on performance. The overall aim of this thesis was to establish the physical quality profile of female AF and explore factors influencing match activities. The thesis contains 5 individual, but linked studies that investigated the aforementioned aims targeting female AF. Study 1 examined the influence of physical qualities on team selection as well as the relationship between physical qualities and match running performances. Results showed selected players were faster over 30 m and covered greater high-intensity intermittent fitness (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1, Yo-Yo IR1) distances than unselected players. Furthermore, these physical qualities were associated with greater distances covered at high-speed during match-play in selected compared with unselected players. Study 2 determined whether better performances on the high-intensity intermittent running test, were associated with greater distances covered during peak, as well as subsequent and mean periods of running during matches. The results suggested the development of aerobic fitness and high-intensity running ability in female AF players is important to enable greater peak period performances and to improve players’ abilities to maintain a greater average running match intensity. Study 3 investigated the influence of high-intensity running ability and player rotations (interchanges) on match running performance. Higher Yo-Yo performers covered greater distances during their rotation bouts than the lower Yo-Yo group. In addition, short (4-6 minutes) and moderate (6-12 minutes) on-field bouts resulted in greater relative total and high-speed distances compared with longer (12-18 minutes) on-field bouts and whole-quarter efforts (> 18 minutes). Collectively, these findings highlight the development of high-intensity intermittent running ability and the use of short-to-moderate length rotation bouts to promote greater running performances during female AF match-play. Match activity profiles were further explored in Study 4, which investigated the influence of match quarter, game outcome, and opposition ranking on running demands. The findings demonstrated that match running performances declined during the second half of female AF, irrespective of playing position. Defensive players were required to work at greater match intensities during losses and against higher quality opposition. These data indicate that rotations could be utilised more frequently both early in the match and during the second half to minimise the effects of fatigue and increase running intensity. Finally, Study 5 investigated the skills important for success in the AFLW competition. Despite the early stages of “elite” female competition, the results revealed that skill performance remains central to success. Furthermore, results show the ratio between inside 50 entries and goals scored and uncontested possessions are the greatest predictors of match success in female football. Collectively, this program of research highlighted the importance of physical qualities to success in Women’s AF and provided initial benchmark intensities that can be used to develop training programs that prepare these athletes for the physical demands of the game. For the first time, these results showed that high-intensity running ability appeared to have the capacity to increase or sustain the intensity of match activity in females. Nonetheless, other factors, such as skill efficiency, uncontested possessions, contested marks and effective ‘inside 50’ entries also influenced overall performance. Results from this thesis can be used to inform existing coaching practices and more rigorously support the next wave of research that should focus on the longevity of women in football codes.

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Moore, Benjamin. "Laterality and perceptual-motor skills in elite Australian Football." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/18732.

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This thesis is a study of how within-individual and between-individual lateral preference affects the performance of perceptual-motor skills in Australian football (AF). Results in study 1 demonstrated that whereas AF players executed handballs using both their preferred and non-preferred side during professional games, kicks were performed by predominantly using the preferred side. Study 2 found that when sport-specific hand preference was considered, there were more mixed-hand preference players in the AF population compared to the expert basketball players, with a smaller proportion of mixed-footed and a higher proportion of right-footed players in AF compared to soccer. Study 3 demonstrated that participants were less accurate and had slower RTs when identifying the kicking foot of opposing team players, relative to their speed and accuracy at identifying teammates. Significantly lower discrimination accuracy was also evident in participants’ capability to identify left-footed opponents. Using a ‘snap-kick’ for goal, study 4 found that accuracy was greater with the preferred than the non-preferred foot and greater for easy than difficult kick angles, but there were no accuracy differences due to player footedness. In study 5.1, a set shot goal-kicking task revealed that left-footed AF players were more accurate than right-footed players from a more acute angle relative to the goal. Results in study 5.2 showed that the accuracy cost of ‘look away’ handball passes with the preferred hand was lower for left-handers compared to right-handers. Study 5.3 found reaction time to be faster when players used the preferred hand for handballing. Together, this series of studies indicated that AF skills on the non-preferred side were less developed than the preferred side, although player beliefs and patterns of handedness in games support a more dynamic view of laterality, potentially arising from evolution of the AF competition’s rules and team strategies.

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Rayner, Russell. "Training and testing of 1v1 agility in Australian football." Thesis, Federation University Australia, 2020. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/173773.

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Little is known of how agility events occur in the sport of Australian football (AF). As a result, appropriate training and testing methods are unknown. This thesis investigated 1v1 agility in AF to evaluate alternative methods for training and testing agility. The thesis was undertaken in three studies. Study one investigated if training and testing practices used in elite AF align with the demands of competition. A notational analysis revealed substantial variation in movement patterns used by, and the cognitive demands of, athletes in agility events. A survey of high-performance managers in the AFL revealed that a mixture of open and closed training methods are used in elite AF, and that subjective agility assessment is preferred to formal testing. Study two assessed the reliability and ecological validity of a field-based test of attacking and defending agility for AF. The text exhibited excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, as well as moderate test-retest reliability. Characteristics of the test were compared to the notational analysis to assess the ecological validity of the test. While the test did not fully replicate the agility demands of AF, the test improved ecological validity when compared to previous tests described in the literature. Study three evaluated the effectiveness of a four-week 1v1 training intervention for improving attacking and defending agility in Australian footballers. In addition, the study assessed the crossover of attacking training to defending agility and defending training to attacking agility. Improvements in attacking agility were found which were greater for attacking-trained athletes. However, no improvements in defending agility were realised. This thesis indicates that 1v1 training and testing is suitable for assessing and developing agility in Australian footballers. However, 1v1 training may be more suitable for improving attacking agility. Further, agility is context-specific, and testing and training should consider the role of the athlete.
Doctor of Philosophy

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Mooney, Mitchell. "A conceptual model of physical performance in Australian Football." Thesis, University of Ballarat, 2013. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/39401.

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Objective: The objective of this project was to identify the relative influence of valid physical parameters to elite Australian Football performance. Methods: Data was collected on match performance variables (i.e. coaches’ votes, number of ball disposals, champion data rank), match exercise intensity measures (m∙min-1, m∙min-1 above and below 15 km∙h-1 and Load™∙min-1) and physical capacities (yo-yo intermittent recovery test level 2, maximum oxygen uptake, running economy, relative aerobic intensity, maximal aerobic speed and maximal accumulated oxygen deficit) on elite and recreational Australian footballers. These variables were modelled to determine the logical sequence and relative importance towards match performance. Results: The results indicate a sequential physical path to Australian Football performance. The yo-yo intermittent recovery test (level 2) performance influenced match exercise intensity (m∙min-1 >15 km∙h-1& Load™∙min-1) which in turn, affected Australian Football performance (number of ball disposals and coaches’ votes). This sequence was altered by experience, playing position and neuromuscular fatigue. The number of interchange rotations also influenced match exercise intensity throughout the match. Furthermore, the yo-yo intermittent recovery test (level 2) was found to be determined by a complex interaction of physical capacities. However, yo-yo intermittent recovery (level 2) performance was most influenced by maximum oxygen uptake, relative aerobic intensity and maximum aerobic speed. Conclusion: This dissertation showed Australian Football performance is a complex and dynamic system influenced by many variables interacting with each other in a sequential path. Sports scientists and coaches may utilise this information as a framework to evaluate Australian Football performance matches.
Doctor of Philosophy

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Markey, Peter. "The prevalence of ischaemic and rheumatic heart disease and risk factors in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal footballers /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1996. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09MPM/09mpmm345.pdf.

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12

Gorman, Jospeh. "Off the Ball: Ethnicity, Commercialism and Australian Football, 1974-2004." Thesis, Department of History, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/8817.

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Despite its seemingly marginal role in Australian sport, football (soccer) contributed significantly to public debates regarding multiculturalism and imagined Australian national identity. This thesis explores the relationship between the ongoing de-ethnicisation of Australian football and the game’s rapid commercialisation. I contend that the introduction of a new professional competition in 2004 rounded out decades of attempts by football administrators to downplay the ethnic image of the game in order to sell the game to a ‘mainstream’ audience.

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Lane, Christopher. "The premiers : Norwood Football Club, 1878-1889 /." Title page, contents and introduction only, 1986. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09AR/09arl265.pdf.

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Hindley, Deborah. "In the outer--not on the outer: women and Australian rules football." Thesis, Hindley, Deborah (2006) In the outer--not on the outer: women and Australian rules football. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/97/.

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This thesis identifies, examines and probes the nature of women's involvement in Australian Rules Football. Rather than have a single theoretical underpinning, an interdisciplinary approach, albeit with a feminist perspective, was applied because of the broad scope of the study. Australian Rules Football is an institution that can transcend class, race, and gender. It is also a multi-billion dollar industry. The game traces its origins back to 1858 and claims influences from rugby and an Aboriginal game called marn-grook. While it is played mainly by men, exclusively at league level, interest and involvement is not limited by gender. Academics and administrators have frequently written off women?s involvement with football. Even though scholarly interest in both sport and feminism has grown since the 1970s, little significant work has been undertaken to examine women's interaction with Australian Rules Football. Leading Australian feminist Anne Summers rejected the notion that women could find anything of value in football apart from following players as devoted wives, mothers, girlfriends or 'groupies'. Through investigation of monographs and edited collections, I reveal that myriad scholars, feminists and historians have missed the point of sporting scholarship: many women enjoy involvement with football, they understand the game and its strategies and value being part of the football community in diverse and evolving capacities. The original contribution to knowledge in this doctorate is to demonstrate that while women have had a central role in the development and maintenance of Australian Rules Football since the game was founded in colonial times, their contribution has gone unacknowledged by historians and administrators. My thesis places on record those omissions. Particularly, I highlight the lack of acknowledgement and respect for the work of a woman who authored a comprehensive and seminal social history written on the game. This is the archetypal example of how women, in many roles - both professional and personal - have been marginalized, despite playing pivotal roles with Australian Rules Football. The original contribution contained in these pages tracks Australian gender relations through the social institution of Australian Rules Football. To create both space and strategies for the revaluation of women in football history, a new model of female fandom is offered. The testimony of the women included is weighty in numbers and pithy in content. The scale of interviews represents diversity in age, class, ethnicity, regionality and role or function with football. Superficially it may appear that women can be placed in taxonomy. Women's involvement with Australian Rules Football is complex and their involvement enmeshes in the many facets and spheres of the game. The completion of this thesis follows the long overdue appointment of the A.F.L.'s first female commissioner, Samantha Mostyn, in June 2005. Without disrespecting Mostyn, this was a tokenistic cultural shift by adding a commissioner to the existing eight males with the goal of adding further business expertise, not a new insight or strategic cultural intervention. It also comes at a time when the Australian Football League's has a new challenge to address, with the growing interest and participation in Association Football in Australia after the qualification for the 2006 World Cup. At this moment of change and contestation, Women's Australian Rules competitions are impoverished through lack of structural and financial support while women's Association Football, both in Australia and internationally, is flourishing.

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Hindley, Deborah. "In the outer--not on the outer : women and Australian rules football /." Hindley, Deborah (2006) In the outer--not on the outer: women and Australian rules football. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/97/.

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This thesis identifies, examines and probes the nature of women's involvement in Australian Rules Football. Rather than have a single theoretical underpinning, an interdisciplinary approach, albeit with a feminist perspective, was applied because of the broad scope of the study. Australian Rules Football is an institution that can transcend class, race, and gender. It is also a multi-billion dollar industry. The game traces its origins back to 1858 and claims influences from rugby and an Aboriginal game called marn-grook. While it is played mainly by men, exclusively at league level, interest and involvement is not limited by gender. Academics and administrators have frequently written off women?s involvement with football. Even though scholarly interest in both sport and feminism has grown since the 1970s, little significant work has been undertaken to examine women's interaction with Australian Rules Football. Leading Australian feminist Anne Summers rejected the notion that women could find anything of value in football apart from following players as devoted wives, mothers, girlfriends or 'groupies'. Through investigation of monographs and edited collections, I reveal that myriad scholars, feminists and historians have missed the point of sporting scholarship: many women enjoy involvement with football, they understand the game and its strategies and value being part of the football community in diverse and evolving capacities. The original contribution to knowledge in this doctorate is to demonstrate that while women have had a central role in the development and maintenance of Australian Rules Football since the game was founded in colonial times, their contribution has gone unacknowledged by historians and administrators. My thesis places on record those omissions. Particularly, I highlight the lack of acknowledgement and respect for the work of a woman who authored a comprehensive and seminal social history written on the game. This is the archetypal example of how women, in many roles - both professional and personal - have been marginalized, despite playing pivotal roles with Australian Rules Football. The original contribution contained in these pages tracks Australian gender relations through the social institution of Australian Rules Football. To create both space and strategies for the revaluation of women in football history, a new model of female fandom is offered. The testimony of the women included is weighty in numbers and pithy in content. The scale of interviews represents diversity in age, class, ethnicity, regionality and role or function with football. Superficially it may appear that women can be placed in taxonomy. Women's involvement with Australian Rules Football is complex and their involvement enmeshes in the many facets and spheres of the game. The completion of this thesis follows the long overdue appointment of the A.F.L.'s first female commissioner, Samantha Mostyn, in June 2005. Without disrespecting Mostyn, this was a tokenistic cultural shift by adding a commissioner to the existing eight males with the goal of adding further business expertise, not a new insight or strategic cultural intervention. It also comes at a time when the Australian Football League's has a new challenge to address, with the growing interest and participation in Association Football in Australia after the qualification for the 2006 World Cup. At this moment of change and contestation, Women's Australian Rules competitions are impoverished through lack of structural and financial support while women's Association Football, both in Australia and internationally, is flourishing.

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Hayward, Eric Hedley. "No free kicks : the experiences of an Aboriginal family in Australian rules football /." Full text available, 2002. http://adt.curtin.edu.au/theses/available/adt-WCU20031210.145500.

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Thesis (M.A.) - Curtin University of Technology, 2002.
Cover title. At head of title: Centre for Aboriginal Studies. "This thesis is presented as part of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Arts, Indigenous Research and Development of the Curtin University of Technology" " ... it was this second generation, and particularly Maley, Bill and Eric, who are regarded as the catalysts of the sporting tradition of the family (primarily in football and professional running)."--p. 18. Includes bibliographical references: p. 182-187.

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Romiti, Maria Assunta Safety Science Faculty of Science UNSW. "A prospective cohort study of the incidence of injuries among junior Australian football participants over a football season." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Safety Science, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/26145.

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Background: There is currently a lack of investigation of injuries in junior sport, compared to that of adult cohorts. Consequently, very few published studies have demonstrated the incidence of injuries among young participants of Australian football. The aim of this study was to determine the current rate of injury in junior Australian football, and describe the patterns and severity of these injuries across all levels of play, compared to those of McMahon et al. [1]. Methods: The Junior Australian Football Safety Study was completed during 2004 using teams from New South Wales and Victoria across nine levels of play (U9 to U18). Participation and injury data were collected prospectively from all games and training sessions by Primary Data Collectors. The region, nature and cause of injury were collected on injuries that were defined in accordance with a previous 1993 study. Injury severity was identified by the action of players immediately after the injury event. Results: Overall, 40,208 hours of exposure were recorded with an injury rate of 18.0 injuries per 1,000 player hours (95% CI=16.6-19.3). Hand/finger injuries were common among all players. The main causes of injury were body contact (67%), other contact (12%) and game movement (10%). There was an increase in the frequency of sprains and strains, and injury severity with level of play. Of the injuries where the player left the field of play, 63% were able to return to participation. The rates of injury for players who did not continue participation or were advised to seek further medical aid were low. Only 28% of all injured players were advised to seek medical treatment with few injuries taken to hospital (5%). Conclusion: An observed reduction of injury rate in the U15 level of play compared to a similar 1993 study (McMahon et al.), suggests that safe game development at the junior level is likely to have been effective over the past decade. Implications for future skill development include the introduction of incidental body contact skills with further ball-handling skill development in young players, and the introduction of proprioception exercises for players at higher levels of play.

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Cormack, Stuart J. "Neuromuscular fatigue and endocrine responses in elite Australian rules football players." Connect to thesis, 2008. http://portal.ecu.edu.au/adt-public/adt-ECU2008.0010.html.

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19

Duncan, Samuel Keith. "The role and impact of commercialism in sport and the consequences of its transformation into the entertainment industry." Swinburne Research Bank, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/61028.

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Thesis (MA) -- Swinburne University of Technology, 2009.
Submitted for the degree of Master of Arts, Swinburne University of Technology, 2009. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-142)

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20

Cormack, Stuart J. "Neuromuscular fatigue and endocrine responses in elite Australian Rules football players." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/19.

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The first purpose of this research was to establish the reliability of numerous measures obtained from a single and short duration repeated countermovement jump (CMJ) utilising a portable forceplate (Experimental Studies 1 and 2). Secondly, the response of reliable CMJ variables and T, C and T:C to a single elite level ARF match was assessed to identify the pattern of response and highlight those measures with the greatest potential for usefulness as monitoring tools across longer periods (Experimental Study 3). Finally, those variables identified as most valuable in Experimental Study 3 in addition to T, C and T:C; were measured throughout a season of elite ARF competition in order to examine the manner of their response and assess the magnitude of change in these variables in relation to performance and training and competition loads (Experimental Study 4).

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Hart, Nicolas H. "Bone strength, load tolerance and injury risk in elite Australian football." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1593.

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A paucity of research exists to characterise and investigate lower-body musculoskeletal characteristics and morphological adaptations in elite Australian Footballers with the aim to improve screening, monitoring and load management practices. Given the high prevalence of lower-body skeletal injuries in Australian Football; and the ability to measure, modify and train muscle and bone strength and their derivatives; this project served to extend scientific understanding of musculoskeletal morphology and bone strength characteristics in elite level field-based team sport athletes through a series of research studies using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT). In particular, studies one and two provided normative and comparative lower-body musculoskeletal profiles of elite Australian Footballers, stratified by training age (exposure), limb function (asymmetry) and injury incidence (stress fracture), while study three quantified the morphological changes and magnitude of adaptation and maladaptation experienced by Australian Footballers following an in-season and off-season annual phase. The general conclusion provided by the collective studies of this thesis promotes the importance of bone structure and geometry as potent contributors to skeletal robustness, and bone strength. Athletes with higher levels of training exposure and greater physical resilience exhibited higher tibial mass and cortical density with thicker cortical walls and larger muscle and bone cross-sectional areas. Asymmetrical adaptations from differential loading patterns between limbs through-out an in-season and off-season generate vastly different unilateral load tolerance capabilities when extrapolated overtime. The high-impact gravitational loads experienced by the support limb appear to optimise the development of robust skeletal properties specific to bone structure and geometry which may serve as a loading model to prophylactically enhance bilateral musculoskeletal strength and resilience. Study one provided a set of normative and comparative lower-body musculoskeletal values to describe and compare muscle and bone morphology between less experienced and more experienced athletes (training age); and differential loading patterns between the kicking and support limbs (limb function). Fifty-five athletes were stratified into less experienced (≤ 3 years; n = 27) and more experienced (> 3 years; n = 28) groups in accordance with their training age. All athletes underwent whole-body DXA scans and lower-body pQCT tibial scans on the kicking and support limbs respectively. More experienced players exhibited greater tibial mass, trabecular vBMD, cortical vBMD and total vBMD (p < 0.009; d ≥ 0.79); greater cortical thickness and cortical area (p < 0.001; d ≥ 0.92), and larger stress-strain indices and absolute fracture loads (p ≤ 0.018; d ≥ 0.57) than less experienced players. More experienced players also exhibited greater muscle mass and muscle cross-sectional area (p ≤ 0.016; d ≥ 0.68). Differences were also observed between limbs, with greater material (tibial mass and cortical vBMD), structural (trabecular area, cortical area, total area, periosteal area and cortical thickness) and strength (stress-strain index and absolute fracture load) characteristics evident in the support leg comparative to the kicking leg of more experienced players (d ≥ 0.20); with significantly higher asymmetries in tibial mass and cross-sectional area evident in more experienced players than less experienced players as a product of limb function over time. The findings of this study illustrate that training exposure and continued participation in Australian Football produced greater lower-body material, structural and strength adaptations; with chronic exposure to asymmetrical loading patterns developing differential morphological changes between the kicking and support Study two provided a retrospective and comparative set of lower-body musculoskeletal data to describe and compare muscle and bone morphology between injured and non-injured Australian Football athletes, in addition to injured and non-injured limbs within injured players, in order to identify musculoskeletal characteristics which may predispose athletes to stress fractures or highlight skeletal fragility. Fifty-five athletes were stratified into injured (n = 13) and non-injured (n = 42) groups. All athletes underwent whole-body DXA scans and lower-body pQCT tibial scans across both limbs. Injured players exhibited lower tibial mass (p ≤ 0.019; d ≥ 0.68), cortical vBMD (d ≥ 0.38) and marrow vBMD (d ≥ 0.21); smaller cortical area and periosteal area (p ≤ 0.039; d ≥ 0.63); smaller trabecular area, marrow area, total area, endocortical area and cortical thickness (d ≥ 0.22); lower stress-strain indices, absolute fracture loads and relative fracture loads (support leg: p ≤ 0.043; d ≥ 0.70, kicking leg: d ≥ 0.48) than non-injured players. Injured players also exhibited lower muscle cross-sectional area and muscle mass (p ≤ 0.034; d ≥ 0.79), yet higher muscle density (d ≥ 0.28) than non-injured players. Differences between injured and non-injured limbs internal to injured players were also observed, with lower material (tibial mass and total vBMD), structural (cortical area and cortical thickness) and strength (stress-strain index and relative fracture load) in the injured limb comparative to the non-injured limb (d = 0.20 – 0.70). Muscle density was lower in the injured limb (d = 0.54). The findings of this study illustrate a general inferiority and global musculoskeletal weakness in injured players, with non-injured players ~10-12% stronger across both limbs. Injured players were skeletally slender with smaller muscle and bone cross-sectional areas and thinner cortices. Similarly, injured limbs of injured players also exhibited smaller structural proportions, highlighting the importance of cortical area and cortical thickness as key structural and geometric skeletal properties with potent contributions to bone strength and resilience. limbs. Indeed, routine high-impact, gravitational load afforded to the support limb preferentially improves bone structure and geometry (cross sectional area and thickness) as potent contributors to bone strength and skeletal fatigue resistance. Study three provided a seasonal investigation into lower-body musculoskeletal adaptations over the course of a ~26 week in-season and ~10 week off-season period in Australian Football. Forty athletes (n = 40) and twenty-two athletes (n = 22) were recruited to quantify morphological changes in muscle and bone following the in-season and off-season periods respectively. All athletes underwent whole-body DXA scans and lower-body pQCT tibial scans for the kicking and support limbs at the commencement and conclusion of each season. Australian Football athletes exhibited increases in trabecular vBMD, total vBMD and cortical thickness in the kicking leg; with increased cortical vBMD, total vBMD, trabecular area, total area, periosteal area, cortical thickness and reduced endocortical area in the support leg following the in-season period. Percent changes between limbs were significantly different for trabecular vBMD, cortical vBMD, total vBMD and trabecular area (p ≤ 0.049; d ≥ 0.46), despite similar increments in bone strength (~44 – 50 N), demonstrating asymmetrical morphological responses to differential loading patterns in-season. Conversely, Australian Football athletes exhibited material decreases in tibial mass, trabecular vBMD, cortical vBMD and total vBMD in both limbs over the off-season by similar yet opposite magnitudes to the benefits accrued during the in-season, in addition to reduced muscle area, highlighting a general musculoskeletal de-training effect. Structural adaptations were mostly maintained or increased for both limbs over the off-season, with bone strength completely reversed in the kicking leg, yet wholly preserved in the support leg; a lasting adaptation from regular high-impact, gravitational loading specific to the support leg. The findings of this study illustrate the osteogenic potential of a ~26 week in-season, and the de-training potential of a ~10 week off-season. Specifically, the kicking and support limbs continued to show asymmetrical morphological adaptations to differential in-season and off-season loading and de-loading patterns.

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Gabbe, Belinda, and belinda gabbe@deakin edu au. "The descriptive epidemiology of Australian football injuries presenting to sports medicine clinics." Deakin University. School of Health Sciences, 1999. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20080603.160908.

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Sports injury prevention has been the focus of a number of recent public health initiatives due to the acknowledgement that sports injuries are a significant public health problem in Australia Whilst Australian football is one of the most popular participation sports in the country, only very limited data is available about football injuries The majority of sports injury data available for this sport is from hospital emergency departments and elite-level injury surveillance Overall there is a paucity of data from treatment settings other than hospitals In particular, there is a lack of information about the injuries sustained by community-level, junior and recreational Australian football participants. One good potential source of football injury data is sports medicine clinics. Analysis of injury presentations to sports medicine clinics was undertaken to provide a detailed description of the epidemiology of Australian football injuries that present to this treatment setting and to determine the implications for injury prevention in this sport. In addition, the data from sports medicine clinics was compared with existing sources of Australian football injury data to determine how representative sports medicine clinic data is of other football injury data sources and to provide recommendations for future injury surveillance n Australian football. The results contained in this thesis show that Australian football is the sport most associated with injury presentation at sports medicine clinics. The majority of injured Australian football players presenting to sports medicine clinics are community-level or junior participants which suggests that sports medicine clinics are a good source of information on the injuries sustained by sub-elite football participants. Competition is the most common context in which Australian football players presenting to sports medicine clinics are injured. The major causes of injuries to Australian football players are being struck by another player, collisions and overuse. Injuries to Australian football players predominantly involve the lower limb. Adult players, players who stopped participating immediately after noticing their injury and players with overuse injuries are the most likely to sustain a more severe injury (i.e. more than four weeks before a full return to football participation and a moderate/significant amount of treatment expected). The least experienced players (five or less years of participation) are more likely to require a significant amount of treatment than the more experienced players. The prevention of lower limb injuries, injuries caused by body contact and injuries caused by overuse should be a priority for injury prevention research in Australian football due to the predominance of these injury types in the pattern of Australian football injuries Additionally, adult players, as a group, should be a focus of injury prevention activities in Australian football due to the association between age and injury severity. Overall, the pattern of Australian football injuries presenting to sports medicine clinics appears to be different than reported by club-based and hospital emergency department injury surveillance activities. However, detailed comparison of sports medicine clinic Australian football data with other sources of Australian football injury data is difficult due to the variable methods of collecting and reporting injury information used by hospital emergency department and club-based injury surveillance activities. The development of a standardised method for collecting and reporting injury data in Australian football is strongly recommended to overcome the existing limitations of data collection in this sport. In summary, sports medicine clinics provide a rich source of Australian football injury data, especially from the community and junior levels of participation. The inclusion of sports medicine clinic data provides a broader epidemiological picture of Australian football injuries. This broader understanding of the pattern of Australian football injuries provides a better basis for the development of injury prevention measures in this sport.

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Eddy, Daniel. "'You Beauty' Alex Jesaulenko An historical exploration of the migrant who became a legend." Thesis, Federation University Australia, 2019. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/169904.

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The Austrian-born Alex Jesaulenko played football in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1967 to 1981. His rise to national prominence emerged during a period of great change within both Australian society and Australian rules football. This thesis, through a critical biographical approach, examines for the first time Jesaulenko’s early life, looking at his migrant experience and the role that Australian rules football played in aiding his integration into Australian society. It is not a kick-and-handball analysis of Jesaulenko’s entire football career; that has been extensively covered within copious amounts of primary and secondary sources. Instead, it explores his migrant journey – an important aspect of Jesaulenko’s life which has been largely overlooked – and the key developmental years of sporting education prior to emerging as a VFL champion. It concludes with one of, if not the most, iconic moments in the game’s history: Jesaulenko’s mark in the 1970 VFL grand final, which cemented his name within the Australian sporting consciousness. Australian rules football, and sport more generally, holds a unique place within society. Footballers, it can be argued, are archetypes for our daily dreams and aspirations; exalted figures that we afford status which few will experience in their everyday lives. Therefore, it is through the prism of Jesaulenko’s journey that we can learn more about the role Australian rules football has played for migrants integrating into Australian society.
Doctor of Philosophy

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Kinsella, David T. "Acute physiological and performance effects of a high intensity lower body resistance training session on Australian Rules Football players." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/212.

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Previous research investigating the effects of resistance training (RT) on fatigue has used protocols unrelated to the practices of team sport athletes. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the response pattern of specific performance and physiological measures following an acute bout of high-intensity lower body RT in Australian Rules Football (ARF) players over a five day recovery pcriod. Thirty-live resistance trained ARF players were divided into intervention (n = 18) and control groups (n = 17) with groups being matched for age (mean ± standard deviation. intervention = 17.7 ± 0.7: control = 17.7 ± 0.6 .y ears). Weight (intervention == 76.6 ± 8.2: control = 77 .7 ± 7.6 kg). heiight (intervention == 180.7 ± 7.1: control = 181.2 1: 5.7 cm), I RM back squat (intervention = 120.7 ± I 1.3: control = 114.2 ±: 13.3 kg), and IRM power clean (intervention == 67.8 ± 6.7: control == 64.9 ± 9.2 kg) measures. Intervention subjects performed a high intensity lower body RT session following determination of baseline (pre-test) performance and physiological variables. Performance test variables consisted of strength (peak force during an isometric mid thigh pull [IMPT]) power (peak power and vertical jump height of counter movement jump [CMJ ] and squat jump [SJ]), speed (10 metre sprint time), agility (Australian Football League [AFL], specific agility test time), and subjective levels ofrecovery as determined from the total quality recovery (TQR) perceived scale.

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Farrelly, Francis John. "A predictive model of sport sponsorship renewal in Australia." Title page, abstract and table of contents only, 2002. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phf245.pdf.

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Bibliography: leaves 231-291. This thesis investigates key drivers of sponsorship renewal. The market orientation of sponsors, and their perception of their sponsored entity's (property's) market orientation, are analysed as antecedents of the trust invested by sponsors in the relationship, the level of commitment they exhibit and both the economic and non-economic satisfaction they derive from it. Sponsor economic and non-economic satisfaction and their commitment to the relationship are considered to be the ultimate drivers of the decision to renew. The argument is presented that sponsorship is a form of strategic or co-marketing alliance. The Australian Football League, the leading sponsorship property in Australia, is investigated in the empirical part of the thesis.

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au, debbiehindley@westnet com, and Deborah Hindley. "In the Outer - Not on the Outer: Women and Australian Rules Football." Murdoch University, 2006. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20060913.85805.

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This thesis identifies, examines and probes the nature of womens involvement in Australian Rules Football. Rather than have a single theoretical underpinning, an interdisciplinary approach, albeit with a feminist perspective, was applied because of the broad scope of the study. Australian Rules Football is an institution that can transcend class, race, and gender. It is also a multi-billion dollar industry. The game traces its origins back to 1858 and claims influences from rugby and an Aboriginal game called marn-grook. While it is played mainly by men, exclusively at league level, interest and involvement is not limited by gender. Academics and administrators have frequently written off womens involvement with football. Even though scholarly interest in both sport and feminism has grown since the 1970s, little significant work has been undertaken to examine womens interaction with Australian Rules Football. Leading Australian feminist Anne Summers rejected the notion that women could find anything of value in football apart from following players as devoted wives, mothers, girlfriends or groupies. Through investigation of monographs and edited collections, I reveal that myriad scholars, feminists and historians have missed the point of sporting scholarship: many women enjoy involvement with football, they understand the game and its strategies and value being part of the football community in diverse and evolving capacities. The original contribution to knowledge in this doctorate is to demonstrate that while women have had a central role in the development and maintenance of Australian Rules Football since the game was founded in colonial times, their contribution has gone unacknowledged by historians and administrators. My thesis places on record those omissions. Particularly, I highlight the lack of acknowledgement and respect for the work of a woman who authored a comprehensive and seminal social history written on the game. This is the archetypal example of how women, in many roles both professional and personal have been marginalized, despite playing pivotal roles with Australian Rules Football. The original contribution contained in these pages tracks Australian gender relations through the social institution of Australian Rules Football. To create both space and strategies for the revaluation of women in football history, a new model of female fandom is offered. The testimony of the women included is weighty in numbers and pithy in content. The scale of interviews represents diversity in age, class, ethnicity, regionality and role or function with football. Superficially it may appear that women can be placed in taxonomy. Womens involvement with Australian Rules Football is complex and their involvement enmeshes in the many facets and spheres of the game. The completion of this thesis follows the long overdue appointment of the A.F.L.s first female commissioner, Samantha Mostyn, in June 2005. Without disrespecting Mostyn, this was a tokenistic cultural shift by adding a commissioner to the existing eight males with the goal of adding further business expertise, not a new insight or strategic cultural intervention. It also comes at a time when the Australian Football Leagues has a new challenge to address, with the growing interest and participation in Association Football in Australia after the qualification for the 2006 World Cup. At this moment of change and contestation, Womens Australian Rules competitions are impoverished through lack of structural and financial support while womens Association Football, both in Australia and internationally, is flourishing.

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Larkin, Paul. "Video-based training to improve decision-making performance of Australian football umpires." Thesis, University of Ballarat, 2012. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/62549.

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Highly refined perceptual and decision-making skills are fundamental to the umpiring process in all sports although there has been little applied research which considers ways to improve umpires‟ perceptual and decision-making skills. Contemporary research has shown that video-based decision-making tests reliably separate highly skilled Australian football umpires from their lesser skilled counterparts. To date however, no studies have considered whether video-based protocols can be used as a training tool to enhance perceptual-cognitive learning for Australian football umpires. Consequently, in this dissertation, three interconnected studies were undertaken to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a video-based training program to improve Australian football umpires‟ decision-making. Video-based methods of assessment have been commonly used to evaluate perceptual-cognitive performance of sports athletes and officials however, a major limitation of these studies is that they have not indicated whether their decision-making test had good reliability and/or validity. Study 1 of this PhD project sought to address this issue, by developing a valid and reliable video-based testing tool to monitor Australian football umpires‟ decision-making performance. The video-based decision-making test was developed from a pool of 156 video-based decision-making situations that were extracted from 23 Australian Football League games. The individual video-clips presented between 6-15 seconds of game play and all audio information was removed to ensure this did not influence participant responses. Face, content and construct validity were demonstrated, which indicated that the testing instrument was a representative measure of decision-making skill in Australian football umpires. The reliability study also provided evidence that 48 clips consistently measured decision-making skill over a two week time period. This investigation provided evidence of a reliable and valid decision-making test which can be used (pre and post) to detect improvements in decision-making following the implementation of a video-based intervention (Study 2). Study 2 investigated whether a 12-week video-based training intervention improved umpire decision-making. Metropolitan and regional Victorian Division One Australian football umpires were assigned to an intervention and control group. The intervention group completed one 20-minute video-based decision-making session per week, which presented between 60 and 225 decision-making situations. In total, 1040 different decision-making scenarios were presented over the duration of the program. In contrast to previous video-based training, the current investigation provided no explicit instruction or feedback. The control group only completed the pre and post decision-making tests. Decision-making performance of the intervention group significantly improved over time (p < 0.01), however no significant differences were observed in the control group (p = 0.94). The significant improvement of the intervention group mirrors the findings of other perceptual-cognitive research however, this study extended previous work by incorporating a greater number of decision-making trials and a discovery learning style. Findings indicated that decision-making skills can be improved without explicit instruction and in game experience. In addition, when separated according to umpire experience, participation in the video-based training program assisted less experienced umpires achieve the same decision-making standard on the video-based retention test as experienced umpires who did not complete any decision-making training (p = 0.85). Furthermore, decision-making performance of experienced umpires also showed significant improvement following participation in the video-based program (p = 0.02). Study 3 implemented a case study approach to investigate whether decision-making skills trained via video-based methods transferred to in-game performance. In-game performance of three participants from Study 2 (intervention group) were monitored (video-recoded and coded) during the Australian football season. In addition, qualitative methods were used to provide an understanding of the cognitive decision-making process of the three umpires. During the five monitored games each participant wore a voice recorder and were asked to „think out loud‟, providing a verbal report of their in-game decision-making process. Following the assessment of all five games, semi-structured interviews were conducted to provide further understanding of cognitive processes associated with each umpires‟ decision-making. Findings identified six themes that related to the in-game decision-making process (e.g., decision evaluation, player intention during game-play) and in-game umpire performance (e.g., anticipation, game-play instructions, player education, knowledge of game-play). Results supported the notion of skill transfer between video-based training and in-game decision-making performance, with all three participants improving their in-game decision-making performance from the first two games to the last two games analysed. This study provides initial evidence that video-based decision-making training can enhance in-game decision-making performance. Therefore, confirming that there is potential for skills developed through video-based training to transfer to in-game decision-making performance. As this was the first study to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a video-based training program to improve Australian football umpires‟ decision-making, this PhD makes a significant and meaningful contribution to empirical knowledge. This study provides insight into the need for valid and reliable decision-making tests, and consideration of these constructs in future research will ensure a comprehensive approach to investigate the potential transfer of decision-making skills from video-based training programs to in-game performance. From a practical perspective, the findings from this study highlight the value of video-based decision-making activities to accelerate the decision-making performance of umpires without the need for extensive time commitment and/or in-game experience. This has important implications for the development of future Australian football umpires, particularly as the current video-based program can be modified and/ or used in current umpire training without the need for large time investment by umpire coaches. Furthermore, positive transfer from video-based training to in-game performance was evident, thus, confirming the potential for video-based training to improve in-game performance. Whilst further research using high quality research designs is required, this dissertation serves to guide further video-based training research across multiple decision-making domains in sport (i.e., umpires/referees, players).
Doctor of Philosophy

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Jacob, Ysabel. "Genetic associations with athlete performance and injury susceptibility in elite Australian football." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2023. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2625.

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Australian Football is a dynamic team sport involving a combination of physical capabilities such as endurance, strength and power. Similar to other football codes, selection into elite Australian Football teams is predominantly associated with a player’s performance in physical and technical skill assessments, as well as their performance during matches. In contrast to other sporting codes, there are no studies exploring a potential genetic association towards success in Australian Football. Moreover, no studies have explored genetic associations of skill-based performance, injury risk, and athletic performance in Australian Football players. Recently, there has been an increased focus on the genetic contribution to athleticism, which has focused on understanding the causes of player variability. To investigate this concept in Australian Football further, the aims of this thesis were to 1) examine the genetic profile of elite Australian Football players using a group of selected candidate genes; 2) investigate the relationship between cardiovascular performance and genotypes of selected genes; 3) explore the occurrence and severity of injuries in Australian Football and their possible relationship to injury-related genes and their genotypes; and 4) examine if there is a relationship between time to injury, genetic polymorphisms and strength. Study one found that the ACTN3 rs1815739-XX genotype was significantly underrepresented, and the R allele was significantly overrepresentation in elite Australian Footballers compared to healthy controls. Study two found that the ADRB1 (rs18011253) and PPARGC1a (rs8192678) genes showed significant results, in particular the Arg389Gly CC and Gly482Ser GG genotypes of their respective genes, with both genotypes associated with faster two-kilometre time trial results in the studied population. Study three found that the NOGGIN rs1372857-GG and COL5A1 rs1372857-TT genotypes were significantly associated with a higher number of estimated muscle related injuries, with the NOGGIN rs1372857-GG having an association to higher severity (moderate and high rated) of injuries. In addition, the COL5A1 rs1372857-TT genotype was also associated with bone related injuries, with an association to moderate severity rated injuries. The CC genotype of the IGF2 (rs3213221) polymorphism had a higher number of tendon related injuries, with a further association towards low severity (low rated) injuries. The COL1A1 rs-1800012-TT genotype was related to a higher estimated number of ligament related injuries with a significant association to lower severity injuries. Significant results were found in study four regarding significant association between the COL12A1 rs970547-TC genotype and an increased risk to first upper body injury compared to the TT genotype of 167.2%. The IMTP had significant results with all its variables (peak force, and relative peak force (N.kg-1 and N)) for any musculoskeletal injuries, upper body musculoskeletal injuries and non-contact upper body musculoskeletal injuries. No associations were discovered for the NordBord eccentric hamstring strength test or the 2-kilometre time trial. This scientific approach could be replicated in a larger population, i.e., the entire Australian Football League, to establish if certain genotypes or alleles are related to an earlier occurrence of injuries. This doctoral thesis provides preliminary research into understanding the links between genes and athlete’s performance and injury of elite Australian Football players. This may lead to further research to develop this knowledge, which may in the long term assist in developing targeted training programs to achieve better outcomes for both the individual athletes and their sporting organisation. Future research could be expanded to all Australian Football League teams providing a greater sample size to determine the genetic variants that predict an elite Australian Footballer player and team. Tactical and High-Performance Coaches could use this information to understand training effects on players to hone in on individual strengths and weaknesses to ideally produce a more cohesive teams without many injuries or changes throughout a season.

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Wedgwood, Nikki. "We have contact! : women, girls and boys playing Australian Rules football : combat sports, gendered embodiment and the gender order." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2000. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27819.

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This study investigates both the reproduction and subversion of patriarchal gender relations in sport, with a particular focus on gendered embodiment. The research is fuelled by feminist concerns, especially women's embodied resistance to male domination. It is comprised of case studies of three Australian Rules football teams - a women's, a schoolgirls' and a schoolboys' team. The case studies are based on life-history interviews with players. Data was also collected through participant observation with all three teams. The data are analysed as both individual case studies and also in groups and the analysis is informed by Connell’s (1995) theories of gender construction and gendered embodiment.

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Gorman, Sean. "Moorditj magic : the story of Jim and Phillip Krakouer /." Gorman, Sean (2004) Moorditj magic: the story of Jim and Phillip Krakouer. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/44/.

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This thesis analyses and investigates the issue of racism in the football code of Australian Rules to understand how racism is manifested in Australian daily life. In doing this, it considers biological determinism, Indigenous social obligation and kinship structure, social justice and equity, government policy, the media, local history, everyday life, football culture, history and communities and the emergence of Indigenous players in the modern game. These social issues are explored through the genre of biography and the story of the Noongar footballers, Jim and Phillip Krakouer, who played for Claremont and North Melbourne in the late 1970's and 1980's. This thesis, in looking at Jim and Phillip Krakouers careers, engages with other Indigenous footballer's contributions prior to the AFL introducing Racial and Religious Vilification Laws in 1995. This thesis offers a way of reading cultural texts and difference to understand some Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships in an Australian context.

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Hayward, Eric H. "No Free Kicks : The Experiences of an Aboriginal Family in Australian Rules Football." Curtin University of Technology, Centre for Aboriginal Studies, 2002. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=13910.

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Aboriginal people make a great contribution to Australian sport in conditions of considerable adversity, and yet their contribution goes largely unacknowledged. This study investigates the experiences of one Aboriginal family with an extensive history of involvement with Australian Rules Football using methodologies which seek, and value, Aboriginal perspectives on their involvement. It privileges Indigenous knowledge. The study focuses particularly on the involvement of the Hayward family in Australian Rules Football - the game they love - and in which they have been intensely involved for many generations. The study describes how the Haywards of southwest Western Australia, like most Aboriginal families, experienced an extensive period of colonisation in which their social and cultural autonomy and power were eroded. The historical experience of Aboriginal Australians is vastly different to that of mainstream Australians, and grossly inequitable, not only in terms of economic and educational opportunity, but also in terms of access to sporting opportunities. In many ways, the story of the Hayward family is representative of the experiences of many Black sportsmen and women over the past hundred years. It is suggested that, in order to understand Aboriginal participation and foster the development of Aboriginal sportspeople of all ages, an understanding of the context of their lives is crucial. This study then, explores my extended family's experiences as participants in mainstream sport. It describes how the Haywards, like their community contemporaries, have confronted the limited opportunities afforded to them in their ambitions to gain access, equity of participation, and appropriate reward for effort in their sporting endeavours.
Over many generations of Aboriginal participation in the game, there has been considerable inequality of opportunity to enter and participate. In their efforts to participate, members of the Hayward family faced many obstacles unacknowledged by non-Aboriginal players, administrators and spectators. The study shows that many of these obstacles had little to do with the sporting prowess of the Haywards. Every past and present player interviewed as part of this research told of circumstances where they felt that they had not been given a fair go - be it by an umpire, a team official, opposing players, players from their own team, or the crowd. For every case of acceptance of Aboriginal players by a football club, there are many stories of rejection by other clubs. Despite these obstacles, the study found that the Haywards (like many Aboriginal people) see sport (and particularly football) as significant in their lives. They love the game but, equally importantly, they believe that sporting prowess can open a path of entry to mainstream society, provide important economic advantages and offer opportunities for broader social participation while maintaining strong traditions of Aboriginal virtuosity and relationships. The study concludes by suggesting that, despite the adversities encountered by this family in their desire to participate in football, there has been much in the game that has brought pleasure, a sense of success, satisfaction and achievement to them. While this is the story of one family, I believe it provides important insights into experiences common to many Aboriginal families and sportspersons, and that this research deepens our understanding of Australian social history. Football has been, and continues to be, a valued part of the lives of many Aboriginal people.

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Veugelers, Kristopher. "Submaximal running testing to monitor training responses in elite Australian rules football players." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2017. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/19524323a09a702bdc9cda095b0c0cd1b0f7a0e3d26326b778a8b3f18f26c804/2491022/VEUGELERS_2018_Submaximal_unning_testing_to_monitor_training.pdf.

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Monitoring training load and training responses in professional football continues to inform athlete management, injury prevention and player welfare. Maximising fitness and minimizing fatigue are finely balanced and differ within phases of the periodised year. It is possible that submaximal exercise tests are more useful than maximal exercise testing to regularly monitor individual training responses in a team environment. The overarching aim of this thesis was to demonstrate the effectiveness of using heart rate measured during a novel submaximal intermittent running test to monitor training responses throughout a season in elite Australian rules football players. The thesis comprised systematic and narrative reviews of the literature, focussing on advances in athlete monitoring within professional football codes. Findings informed the next three studies of original research.

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Gallo, Tania Fiorina. "Monitoring athlete preparedness in professional Australian football: Load, self-report measures and performance." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2016. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/9fa34d7fedbaeb59fc9bca853831474c3db619ac787a805a2347308cf3a558b8/3597485/Gallo_2016_Monitoring_athlete_preparedness_in_professional_Australian_football.pdf.

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Monitoring athlete preparedness, including quantifying training and competition load and determining fatigue/training status, is used to complement training and recovery prescription in professional sport (Kenttä & Hassmén, 2002). The overall objective of this research was to investigate contemporary athlete monitoring practices in professional Australian football (AF). The aim of study 1 was to identify the relationship between external training load and session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) training load and the impact that playing experience, playing position and 2-km time-trial performance had on that relationship. Microtechnology devices provided external training load (distance, mean speed, high-speed running distance, Player loadTM (PL), and Player load slowTM (PLslow)). The external training load measures had moderate to very large associations with s-RPE training load. When controlling for external training load, the 4- to 5-year players had a small increase in s-RPE training load compared to the 0- to 1- and 2- to 3-year players. Furthermore, ruckmen had moderately higher s-RPE training load than midfielders, and there was a 0.2% increase in s-RPE training load per 1 s increase in time-trial time. The aim of study 2 was to profile weekly wellness within the context of the competitive season of professional AF. Each morning before any physical training, players completed a 5-item customised self-report questionnaire (sleep quality, fatigue, stress, mood, and muscle soreness), with the mean of the individual indices used to determine overall wellness. Internal match load (s-RPE), match-to-match micro-cycle length, stage of the season and internal training load were included in multivariate linear models in order to determine their effect on weekly wellness profile. There was a lower weekly training load on a 6-day micro-cycle (mean ± s = 1813 ± 291 au) compared to a 7- (1898 ± 327 au, likely small) and 8-day (1900 ± 271 au, likely small) micro-cycle. Match load had no significant impact on weekly wellness profile, whilst there was an interaction between micro-cycle and days-post-match. There was likely to be a moderate decrease in wellness Z-score 1 d post match for an 8-day micro-cycle compared to a 6- and 7- day cycle. There was possibly a small reduction in overall wellness Z-score in the second half of the season compared to the first half of the season. Finally, training load had no effect on wellness Z-score when controlled for days-post-match, micro-cycle and stage of the season. The aim of study 3 was to assess the application of athlete self-report measures to prompt modifications to training dose by exploring its association with subsequent activity profiles. The impact of perceived wellness on a range of external load parameters, RPE and external load: RPE ratios, was explored during skill-based training in AF. Mixed-effect linear models revealed significant effects of wellness Z-score on PL and PLslow. A negative wellness Z-score corresponded to a small reduction in PL and a moderate reduction PLslow, compared to those without reduced wellness. A small reduction was also observed in the PLslow: RPE ratio models, while a small increase was seen in mean speed: RPE ratio. The aim of study 4 was to corroborate the use of particular contemporary monitoring measures by examining their effect on individual match performances. The effects of internal load parameters, combined with athlete self-reported wellness, on subjective and objective measures of match performance in 20 rounds of professional AF was examined. Acute weekly internal load (s-RPE) was determined for each independent training modality. Chronic load was calculated as the rolling 4-week mean and a training-stress balance (TSB) was ascertained by dividing the acute load (1-weekly total) by the chronic load (4-week mean) expressed as a percentage. Load from every training modality was used to calculate an overall acute load, overall chronic load, and overall TSB and only outdoor skills and conditioning sessions were used to calculate a field-based acute load, a field-based chronic load and field-based TSB. Weekly wellness was quantified as the mean of the overall daily wellness scores. An iterative linear mixed modelling approach demonstrated that load and wellness variables had minimal impact on subjective performance ratings (coaches’ votes). Conversely, objective performance, measured via Champion Data© ranking points was positively associated with load, although the magnitude of this effect was greater for field-based loads compared to overall loads. Furthermore, athletes with high loads reporting low wellness, ranked better in objective performance than those reporting high wellness with high loads. Alternatively, an increase in wellness was associated with better objective performance when accompanying lower loads. This collection of studies suggests that s-RPE has a strong relationship with measures of external load, which is moderated by playing position, experience and time-trial performance in AF and that coaches and sport scientists should give consideration to these mediators of s- RPE. It was also revealed that the weekly profile of self-reported wellness in response to matches was influenced by the match-to-match micro-cycle and stage of the season in AF. However, when factoring in these conditions, training load had minimal influence on wellness profile. As such, determination of ‘red flags’ in self-reported measures should be made against comparative weeks. Furthermore, pre-training self-reported wellness was shown to be associated with accelerometer-derived external load measures, suggesting an altered movement pattern during diminished training states. Understanding the changes in external load that might be produced, relative to the pre-training self-reported wellness, provides coaches with an opportunity to adjust prescription if warranted. Finally, the use of internal load and athlete self-report measures can be corroborated based on their relationship with an objective measure of performance in AF and the importance of a mixed-method approach to comprehensively assess athlete status is emphasised.

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Schwab, Laura M. "Incidence, mechanisms and risk factors for shoulder injuries in community Australian football players." Thesis, Griffith University, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/398438.

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Background: Australian football is a physically demanding sport. Exposure to multidirectional body contact and the necessity for complex upper body skills can result in significant strain on regions such as the shoulder. Despite the rise in incidence and high recurrence of shoulder injuries reported at the elite Australian Football League (AFL) level there is limited evidence available to determine whether shoulder injuries are also a problem at a community level. The financial ramifications of shoulder injuries for the community AFL player and society can be considerable due to time off work, treatment costs and the high number and expense of emergency department presentations. Objectives: The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the profile (incidence, severity, mechanisms and clinical management) of shoulder complex injuries in community-level AFL players using automated injury surveillance (SMS text messaging and online survey). The thesis also aimed to investigate whether factors identified during preseason (i.e. musculoskeletal screening, measurement of habitual activity levels, or in-season training workload) were related to shoulder, head or neck time-loss injuries. Methods: Study 1 and 2 prospectively evaluated a novel, automated method of injury surveillance in community AFL players (during a 20-week season) to assess method feasibility (Chapter 3) and to evaluate the profile of shoulder injuries (Chapter 4). In study 3, video footage of elite AFL players (n = 26) retrospectively examined the biomechanical aetiology of injuries to the shoulder complex (Chapter 5). The final two prospective cohort studies (4 and 5) examined potential risk factors for upper body injuries with similar injury mechanisms. At baseline, community AFL players were assessed using seven screening tests of the upper body, trunk and whole-body function to identify any relationships with in-season injuries to the shoulder, head, or neck (Chapter 6). Screening reference values were also determined. Pre-season habitual activity levels and in-season training workloads were collected to prospectively identify associations with in-season injuries to the upper or lower body regions (Chapter 7). Results: The automated method of injury surveillance was deemed feasible for reporting injuries in community AFL players. The incidence of injuries to the shoulder complex was reported to be high (2nd highest in matches, 4th overall; 10.4% of all injuries). The severity of these shoulder injuries was mostly mild (<3 games missed), but a substantial number required medical attention (emergency department or doctor). Results also indicated activity mechanisms of injury were body region dependent with the majority of upper body injuries (shoulder, head and neck) due to collision contact. Injuries common to lower body regions (thigh, knee and ankle) were from non-contact/ overuse mechanisms. Video analysis of biomechanical aetiology identified that the majority of shoulder injuries occurred with the arm below 100 degrees flexion/ abduction and were caused by lateral contact (34.6%) and hyperflexion/ abduction (19.2%) mechanisms; potentially unavoidable contact injuries. This study found limited evidence to support the use of the suite of musculoskeletal screening tests selected for the upper body, trunk and whole-body function to identify risk of in-season injuries to the shoulder, head or neck. Furthermore, the results identified the variable nature of total workload characteristics in community AFL players, however, no total workload relationships were identified with common in-season injuries to the upper or lower body. Conclusions: Shoulder injuries are problematic for community AFL players and the use of feasible methods of injury surveillance may help overcome the challenges associated with collecting shoulder injury data in community team sport. The musculoskeletal screening tests and measures of training and habitual workload selected and investigated in this thesis, however, were unable to adequately detect players ‘at-risk’ of an in-season injury to the shoulder, head or neck region. Future studies could investigate different intrinsic risk factors to the ones selected in this study and results also suggest that examination of extrinsic factors (such as rule changes) could possibly be indicated with an aim of preventing shoulder injuries. Furthermore, results from video analysis of elite players may suggest that prophylactic strategies should be customised to the positions of shoulder injury and also focus on lateral contact injury prevention in community AFL players. Findings from this thesis may help to inform the development of injury prevention strategies and guide future research directions with an aim of decreasing injuries to the shoulder complex in community AFL players.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School Allied Health Sciences
Griffith Health
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McCaskie, Callum J. "An examination of kinanthropometric and physical injury risk factors in elite Australian football." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2023. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2701.

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Kinanthropometric assessment is an integral part of understanding an athlete’s physical profile and readiness for competition. This typically includes a variety of different assessments which serve to quantify body shape, proportion, and composition in a bid to understand human physiology. Common assessments include stature, body mass, limb ratios, body circumferences, body mass index, skinfold testing, body composition testing, and musculoskeletal morphological evaluations. Specifically, kinanthropometric evaluations have involved the characterisation of athletes according to sport, sex, competition level and playing position. While this has provided researchers and practitioners with greater insight into athletic phenotypes, more purposeful kinanthropometric assessments which focus on the health and performance of individuals are limited. In particular, the interplay between kinanthropometry, health, athletic performance and injury risk is not well established and may provide greater insight into the influence of kinanthropometric characteristics in athletes. Consequently, this doctoral research examined the relationships between kinanthropometric characteristics and match performance, injury and player availability in elite-level professional female and male Australian Football players. An introduction (Chapter 1), critical review of the literature (Chapter 2) and four sequential scientific investigations (Chapters 3-6) are presented. The review of the literature identified essential knowledge gaps including i) the examination of body composition and musculoskeletal morphology in elite female Australian Football players, ii) the relationship between body composition, match performance, and match availability in Australian Football players, and iii) the relationship between on-field workload and changes in body composition. Injury incidence and prevalence within elite Australian Football has not evidentially decreased over the last several years, so adding further knowledge about kinanthropometry and its influence on performance and availability may provide greater clarity. These gaps in the literature helped inform the order and structure of the following research investigations. The first experimental investigation (Chapter 3) involved the characterisation of body composition and musculoskeletal morphology in elite female and male Australian Football players. To our knowledge, it was the first research study to undertake a detailed examination of body composition and musculoskeletal morphology in elite female Australian Football players. With the elite female competition being in its infancy compared to the elite male competition, comparisons were made between competitions. It was identified that body composition and musculoskeletal morphological traits did not differ between experience levels in elite females, or intra-individually between kicking and support limbs. This was in stark contrast to the elite male players who had significant differences between kicking and support limbs and between players of varying experience levels. This may highlight the need for greater long-term physical development in female Australian Football players to adequately prepare them for competition. The second investigation (Chapter 4) was an analysis of the relationship between pre-season body composition, and in-season match performance and player availability in elite female Australian Football players. It was discovered that no body composition traits could differentiate between higher and lower performing players, and could not differentiate between players according to match availability. It was concluded that due to the shorter season length and infancy of the competition, other factors such as technical skill level, may be more varied, and mask any potential influence of body composition. The results also highlight that the current ban of body composition testing in pre-draft AFLW player assessments may not be as detrimental as is currently perceived. The third investigation (Chapter 5) was an examination of the relationship between end of pre-season (pre-competition) body composition and in-season player availability in elite male Australian footballers. In contrast to the second investigation (Chapter 4), whole body less head (WBLH) relative fat mass was significantly associated with in-season player availability in the elite male players. Additionally, players with higher relative fat mass were at three times higher risk of missing one, or two or more games to injury throughout a season, compared to players with lower relative fat mass. This highlights the importance of optimising body composition across pre-season, to reduce players’ risk of injury throughout the competition phase. The fourth and final investigation (Chapter 6) was an analysis of the relationship between on-field workload and changes in body composition over pre-season. Individual and group changes in body composition were examined, highlighting the importance of examining changes on an individual level, as no changes was evident at the group level. Strong relationships were observed between on-field workload variables and change in WBLH fat mass over pre-season. Specifically, higher on-field workload was associated with reductions in fat mass. However, there were no associations between on-field workload and changes in WBLH lean soft-tissue mass. It was concluded that high on-field training workloads across pre-season are important if attempting to reduce WBLH fat mass.

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Wing, Christopher E. "Phases of play in Australian football: Analysis of running and technical match performance." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2022. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2605.

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Australian Football (AF) matches consist of high and low intensity activities and specific periods of play. Previous research has identified maximum periods of high intensity using a rolling time frame approach. However, the development of a non-uniform analysis method may be more desirable in intermittent type sports. Additionally, there is a paucity of information within the published literature that describes how to use such data to improve training design and subsequent monitoring. Furthermore, the physical and technical characteristics of specific phases of play have been identified in recent research. However, these findings can be developed further by ascertaining the effect of playing position, field location and successful/ unsuccessful play. The impact of factors such as venue and a player’s physical capacity and the constraints these may have upon performance should also be systematically analysed. The purpose of the present PhD research project, therefore, was to gain a greater understanding of the physical and technical demands of AF in specific phases of play, and how this data can be used to evaluate performance and inform training program design. To achieve this, six studies were included in the project to identify maximum periods of play using the ball in play (BiP) method, whilst additionally contextualising these time periods with key technical actions (e.g., kicks) (Study 1), the physical and technical demands of offence, defence, and contested phases of play, and how these outputs may be affected by playing position, successful and unsuccessful play, field location, environment and players’ physical capacity (Studies 3 and 5). Additionally, the intensity distribution was compared between competitive matches and small-sided games during training (Study 4). Based on this, position specific drills were established and running intensities in the drills were investigated (Study 6). Study one ascertained the maximum running intensities of ball in play (BiP) periods, and contextualised these with technical (e.g., kicks) actions. The findings demonstrated that maximum BiP period intensity was significantly (p < 0.0001) higher than that derived using whole match data methods for all measured metrics (relative distance high-speed running, very high-speed running, PlayerLoadTM, high-intensity efforts, and acceleration efforts). However, no significant differences were found between playing positions. A technical action (e.g., a kick) was recorded in 21-48% of the maximum BiP periods, depending upon the primary microsensor technology metric assessed, with kicks and handballs constituting > 50% of all actions performed. Study two uniquely assessed the impact of sudden rule changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 season) upon match running performance and injuries within AF. The total distance (ES=1.28), high-speed ( > 18 km/h) (ES=0.44) and very high-speed ( > 24 km/h) (ES=0.27) distances, PlayerLoadTM (ES=0.96), high-intensity efforts (ES=0.48), and accelerations (ES=0.33) were smaller (p ≤ 0.01) for the 2020 than the 2019 season. Expressed relative to playing time, distance (ES=-0.38), PlayerLoadTM (ES=-0.27), and acceleration efforts (ES=-0.50) were greater (p < 0.05) for the 2020 than the 2019 season. No significant differences in maximum ball-in-play periods nor the difference between the 1st and 4th quarters were evident. Injury rates remained similar between 2019 (3.36 per game) and 2020 (3.55 per game). However, the proportion of injuries that led to lost time (missed games) was greater for the 2020 (38%) than 2019 season (24%). The changes in the rules had a profound impact on player performance and increased the likelihood of time loss injuries. Study three compared the physical and technical demands between offence, defence, and contested phases of play within playing positions (backs, forwards, and midfielders). Furthermore, study two ascertained the effect of field location upon offence, defence, and contested play, as well as making comparisons between successful and unsuccessful offence and defence. The results indicated that relative measures of distance, high-speed running, accelerations and decelerations were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in defence versus offence and contested play for backs, and in offence versus defensive and contested play for forwards. Amongst midfielders, only relative measures of distance and high-speed running were significantly (p < 0.001) greater in offence versus defence and contested play, with no significant differences between phases for accelerations and decelerations. Successful offence was underpinned by greater physical and technical demands for midfielders and forwards, whereas the opposite was found for backs. Unsuccessful defence was largely categorised by increases in physical output, whereas tackles and marks were increased in successful defence. Larger field locations (e.g., full ground) recorded the highest distance and high-speed running per minute, however, no pattern was evident for acceleration or deceleration efforts relative to playing time. These findings demonstrate that phase of play (offence, defence, contested), as well as successful and unsuccessful phases have different physical and technical demands, which vary between playing positions and field location. Study four compared the intensity distribution of BiP periods from competitive matches to the intensity distribution of SSGs in 10% intensity buckets, using maximum BiP periods as a reference point. Although few significant differences were noted between BiP periods from matches and SSGs, several players were unable to record the same percentage of efforts in the higher intensity buckets. Specifically, 25 of 67 players (37%) did not record any SSGs efforts within intensity buckets classified as ≥ 90% for relative distance. Additionally, 33 of 67 (49%) and 28 of 67 (42%) of players recorded no SSGs efforts in buckets classified as ≥ 80% for relative measures of high-speed running and acceleration efforts respectively. Therefore, SSGs are a sub-optimal training stimulus for the purpose of exposing all players in a team to the running intensities recorded in the most intense periods of play. Study five examined the effect of both match (e.g., venue) and player (e.g., physical capacity, and playing experience) factors on the physical and technical performance of players in successful offence and defence, as well as maximum BiP periods. The main findings regarding match factors were highlighted during successful defence, where playing at home significantly reduced both distance and high-speed running relative to playing time (moderate effect size), as well as significantly increasing the rate of tackles (small effect size). During successful offence, 1-repetition maximum trap bar deadlift relative to body mass significantly increased relative distance (large effect size), and high-speed running (moderate effect size). During successful defence, increased performance (i.e., shorter time to completion) upon the two-kilometre time trial significantly increased relative distance (large effect size), high-speed running (large effect size), and acceleration efforts (moderate effect size). Additionally, increased two-kilometre time trial performance significantly increased relative distance and high-speed running within maximum BiP periods (both large effect size). Playing experience had a significant effect upon the rate of kicks and marks in successful offence, where those with moderate experience performed a greater amount (both moderate effect size). Furthermore, those with lower playing experience performed greater relative distance and high-speed running in maximum BiP periods (both moderate effect size). Study six established position specific drills and assessed their utility to match or supersede the running intensities recorded during maximum BiP periods from competitive matches, whilst concurrently training the technical (e.g., kicks) actions commonly recorded in AF. Three drills were designed for this purpose, which included offence, defence, and a combination drill (where two players performed the drill at the same time, one as the forward and one as the back). All three training drills recorded significantly greater (p < 0.001) measures of distance, high and very high-speed running, and high-intensity efforts relative to playing time when compared to maximum BiP periods. Only the defence drill recorded significantly (p < 0.001) greater measures of PlayerLoadTM and accelerations relative to playing time than BiP periods. Conversely, accelerations per minute were significantly (p < 0.001) greater in BiP periods than those recorded during both the offence and combination drill. When comparing the drills to each other, all measured metrics were significantly (p < 0.001) greater for the defence drill when compared to the offence drill, whilst distance, high-speed running, PlayerLoadTM, and accelerations were significantly (p < 0.001) greater when compared to the combination drill. These findings demonstrate that a position specific drill may be an attractive addition to AF players training regimes where the aim is match, or supersede, the highest intensity periods derived from competitive matches whilst concurrently training technical aspects of performance. The findings demonstrate that utilising discrete analysis methods (BiP, offence, defence, contested) can provide greater detail for practitioners concerning the physical and technical characteristics of AF matches. Additionally, these characteristics may be influenced by factors such as playing venue and a player’s levels of physical capacity. The data presented within the studies may be used to optimise representative training (e.g., SSGs) or a position specific drill may be integrated into training in order to expose players to the relevant physical and technical demands. Future research should explore additional features (e.g., change of direction, collisions, time to execute skill) that may enhance the application of position specific drills, as well as exploring if the uptake of such drills improves aspects of both physical (e.g., time trial performance) and match performance (e.g., running intensity, skill execution).

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Colagiuri, Peter. "Prospective epidemiological study of injuries in the Australian National Soccer Competition." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/12680.

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Sporting participation has numerous benefits to the individual and the community. Sports injury is an unfortunate consequence of participation and can have a negative physical, psychosocial and financial impact. Prevention of sporting injury can reduce the barriers to sporting participation. Injury prevention methodology considers injury surveillance to be one of the initial steps in the process of planning, developing and assessing the effectiveness of any prevention strategy implemented. Injury surveillance relies on a clear and unambiguous definition of injury and a reliable method of data collection to provide an accurate profile of injuries. Globally, there is published injury surveillance data available for professional soccer competitions in most regions of the world, with the notable exception of the Australian competition. Within Australia, injury surveillance results have been published for Rugby League, Rugby Union and Australian Rules Football. Our injury surveillance of the Australian professional soccer competition allows comparison to global injury data on soccer injuries and to other football codes within Australia. It also quantifies the significant risk of subsequent injury after an initial hip/groin injury and the player salary cost of injury in the Hyundai A-League. This new data advances the knowledge base of the sporting injury profile of professional soccer and informs the next stage of injury prevention program development.

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Campbell, Emma E. "Relocation Stories experiences of Indigenous Footballers in the AFL /." Full-text, 2008. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/1993/1/emma_campbell.pdf.

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Moving away from home to embark on a career at an elite level involves the individual within a broader social ecology where a range of factors influence the dynamic transition. In 2000, Indigenous and non-Indigenous past and present AFL footballers and AFL administrative staff suggested that relocation was one of the issues faced by Indigenous AFL footballers. The focus of the current study was to learn about relocation and settlement experiences from the perspectives of 10 Indigenous Australian AFL footballers, examining the social, cultural, organisational, and psychological challenges. Five participants were drafted to the AFL within 12 months, and five participants were drafted to the AFL prior to 2002. Participants were listed players from seven Victorian AFL clubs. Interviews were also conducted with eight representatives (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) from organisations associated with the AFL. Players were asked questions about their own relocation and settlement experiences. Secondary informants were asked questions about their involvement with Indigenous players relocating and their perception of the relocation process for Indigenous players in the AFL. Interviews were semi-structured and conversational in style and analysed for unique and recurring themes using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Each of the stories reflected subtle differences experienced during relocation, highlighting the importance and value of using a phenomenological and qualitative framework to understand each player’s perspective and experiences of relocation. The findings demonstrated both facilitative and barrier factors influencing the relocation, settlement, and adaptation experiences. These included opportunity and social mobility, social support and kindredness, culture shock, and racism and homogeneity. Each player’s story about relocation and subsequent settlement and adaptation, highlighted the importance of family, connection, and kindredness as an overarching theme. The findings emphasise the need for receiving environments, in this case the AFL, to treat every player on an individual basis rather than grouping them into a collective. It is essential that a player is understood in relation to his socio-cultural context. The AFL has implemented significant changes to welcome cultural diversity, but as a mainstream organisation, it has been developed within mainstream values. Just as society in general needs to acknowledge Australian history and the overall discrepancies between Indigenous and non-Indigenous opportunities and living standards, the AFL has to continue to de-institutionalise stereotypes and increase the cultural awareness of all groups to continue being a forerunner of progressive race relations. The current study represents an important initial step in the identification and description of the relocation processes from the vantage point of Indigenous footballers.

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Noblet, Andrew, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Assessing the strain experienced by managers and professional Australian footballers using an augmented job strain model." Deakin University. Bowater School of Management and Marketing, 2002. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050825.141959.

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Generic models of job stress, such as the Job Strain Model (JSM), have recently been criticised for focusing on a small number of general work characteristics while ignoring those that are occupation-specific (Sparks & Cooper, 1999). However this criticism is based on limited research that has not examined the relative influence of all three dimensions of the JSM - job demand, job control and social support - and job-specific stressors. The JSM is the most commonly used model underpinning large-scale occupational stress research (Fox, Dwyer, & Ganster, 1993) and is regarded as the most influential model in the research on the psycho-social work environment, stress and disease in recent times (Kristensen, 1995). This thesis addresses the lack of information on the relative influence of the JSM and job-specific stressors by assessing the capacity of an augmented JSM to predict the strain experienced by managers and professional Australian footballers. The augmented JSM consisted of job-specific stressors in addition to the generic components of the model. Managers and professional Australian footballers represent two very different occupational groups. While the day-today roles of a manager include planning, organising, monitoring and controlling (Carroll & Gillen, 1987), the working life of a professional Australian footballer revolves around preparing for and playing football (Shanahan, 1998). It was expected that the large differences in the work undertaken by managers and professional Australian footballers would maximise the opportunities for identifying job-specific stressors and measuring the extent that these vary from one group to the next. The large disparity between managers and professional footballers was also used to assess the cross-occupational versatility of the JSM when it had been augmented by job-specific stressors. This thesis consisted of three major studies. Study One involved a survey of Australian managers, while studies Two and Three focused on professional Australian footballers. The latter group was under-represented in the literature, and as a result of the lack of information on the stressors commonly experienced by this group, an in-depth qualitative study was undertaken in Study Two. The results from Study Two then informed the survey of professional footballers that was conducted in Study Three. Contrary to previous research examining the relative influence of generic and job-specific stressors, the results only provided moderate support for augmenting the JSM with job-specific stressors. Instead of supporting the versatility of the augmented JSM, the overall findings reinforced the broad relevance of the original JSM. Of the four health outcomes measured in Studies One and Three, there was only one - the psychological health of professional Australian footballers - where the proportion of total variance explained by job-specific stressors exceeded 13%. Despite the generally strong performance of the JSM across the two occupational groups, the importance of demand, control and support diminished when examining the less conventional occupation of professional football. The generic model was too narrow to capture the highly specific work characteristics that are important for this occupational group and, as a result, the job-specific stressors explained significantly more of the strain over and above that already provided by the generic model. These findings indicate that when investigating the stressors experienced by conventional occupational groups such as managers, the large amount resources required to identify job-specific stressors are unlikely to be cost-effective. In contrast, the influence of the more situation specific stressors is significantly greater in unconventional occupations and thus the benefits of identifying these non-generic stressors are more likely to outweigh the costs. Studies One and Three identified strong connections between job-specific stressors and important characteristics of the occupation being studied. These connections were consistent with previous research and suggest that before attempting to identify job-specific stressors, researchers need to first become familiar with the nature and context of the occupation. The final issue addressed in this thesis was the role of work and non-work support. The findings indicate that the support provided by supervisors and colleagues was a significant predictor of wellbeing for both managers and professional footballers. In contrast, the level of explained strain accounted for by non-work support was not significant. These results indicate that when developing strategies to protect and enhance employee well-being, particular attention should be given to monitoring and, where necessary, boosting the effectiveness of work-based support. The findings from this thesis have been fed back to the management and sporting communities via conference presentations and peer-reviewed journals (refer pp 220-221). All three studies have been presented at national and international conferences and, overall, were well received by participants. Similarly, the methods, results and major findings arising from Studies One and Two have been critiqued by anonymous reviewers from two international journals. These papers have been accepted for publication in 2001 and 2002 and feedback from the reviewers indicates that the findings represent a significant and unique contribution to the literature. The results of Study Three are currently under review by a sports psychology journal.

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Hopwood, Henry J. "The association between skeletal muscle fibre typology external load during elite Australian Football match-play." Thesis, Griffith University, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/407553.

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Introduction: Skeletal muscle fibre typology (MFT) directly influences a muscle's contraction speed and fatigue profile both during and following exercise. MFT of a given muscle can vary dramatically between individuals and is largely determined hereditarily. Furthermore, MFT is associated with an athlete's suitability to a sport/event and is suggested as a determining factor for separating elite athletes, from their sub-elite counterparts in sprint and endurance sporting disciplines. Despite these important characteristics, there is limited research on the MFT of team-sport athletes and the impact this may have on performance. The invasive nature of the muscle biopsy, the gold standard of MFT determination, has shielded research investigating the MFT of professional team-sport athletes. Recently validated, non-invasive measures to estimate MFT, through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), may renew the interest of MFT in team-sport athletes. Australian football (AF) is a team sport that requires athletes to cover large distances at varying speeds and intensities. External load is a quantification of the work performed by an athlete (i.e. distance travelled, distance travelled at high speeds, etc.). It is important to quantify external loads achieved during match-play as this will provide relevant data on the specific movement profiles of competition and may assist in the development of AFL-specific conditioning programs, testing protocols as well as team recruitment and selection. Numerous contextual factors have an influence on the external loads a professional AF athlete achieves during match-paly; position, physical characteristics, and conceivably, their MFT. Preliminary findings in elite soccer athletes have suggested that athletes with a higher proportion of type II fibres will achieve reduced distance sprinting (> 6.67 m×s-1), have a reduced peak 1-min sprint period, and display a larger decrement in high-speed running (HSR) (> 4.17 m×s-1) from the first to the second half of match-play. Despite these findings stemming from an elite team-sport cohort, more research is required on a larger cohort, across an entire season, and in the sport of AF, due to the difference in the external loads of match-play. Further investigation may determine whether such findings are true across different team sports, such that a particular MFT may achieve higher external loads during match-play of some variable and therefore may be predictive of success in a sport, be better suited to a position, or require a higher degree of fatigue management during match-play. As such, further investigation is required to determine if similar findings can be made in AF, which can provide novel and impactful information to practitioners and researchers alike. Aim: The primary aim of this research study was to investigate the association between MFT and different variables pertaining to the external loads achieved during professional AF match-play. Secondary aims include; quantifying the MFT of professional AF athletes and quantify the external-loads of match-play during professional AF. Methods: Twenty-four professional AF athletes were characterised by position (smalls, talls, and hybrids), differences in anthropometrics (height, body mass, and body composition), and physical (muscular strength, power, and endurance) and physiological characteristics (MFT) were determined. 1H-MRS was used to quantify intramuscular carnosine content in the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles and expressed as a Z-score relative to an age and gender-matched non-athlete population to estimate MFT. A more negative Z-score is predictive of a higher proportion of type I fibres, while a more positive Z-score is predictive of a higher proportion of type II fibres. External load during matchplay was collected using portable global navigational satellite system (GNSS) units (n = 224 matches). Data were extracted following each session from proprietary software, onto a customised statistical software. External load was expressed as a peak period of matchplay, determined using the maximal mean method. Power law was used to calculate the decrement in intensity with time, expressed as intercept (peak value) and slope (decrement over time). R software was used to perform ANOVA and linear mixed model analyses to determine; i) differences in MFT between playing position groups ii) differences in external loads in match-play between positions, and iii) the association between match-play external load and MFT. Microsoft excel was used to collate data and calculate group means, as well as calculate 95 % confidence intervals from linear mixed models results. Results: MFT of the gastrocnemius and soleus was significantly associated with HSR (>4.17 m×s-1) distance (soleus; p = 0.013, gastrocnemius; p < 0.001), and HSR slope (soleus; p = 0.021, gastrocnemius; p < 0.001). The cohort presented with a large range of Z-scores across both gastrocnemius (min -1.83, max 0.81) and soleus (min -2.06, max 1.88), with a greater affinity for negative Z-scores (gastrocnemius; 17/24, 70.1 %, soleus; 19/24, 79.2 %). Talls spent a greater duration on the ground than both smalls and hybrids (p = 0.027), while hybrids averaged 16 m×min-1 greater speed than talls (p = 0.001) as well as ~800 m more distance covered in HSR (p < 0.001). Hybrids had the largest intercept for speed, HSR, and acceleration, however only significantly greater than talls for speed intercept (p = 0.006). Conclusion: MFT appears to influence a professional AF athlete's HSR distance achieved within a match, as well as their HSR slope across peak periods of play. A high proportion of negative Z-scores were found within the cohort. These findings are similar to previous research investigating the influence of MFT on variables describing high intensity running in elite soccer athletes. These cross-sport similarities strengthen the rationale to continue investigations on the effect of MFT on team sport athletes. The high proportion of negative Z-scores reflects the high endurance capacity and load tolerance that the sport of AF demands, conceivably suggesting that athletes with high proportions of type II fibres may not fit the ideal phenotype for the sport. As has been established previously, external loads of match-play exhibited positional differences, with hybrids typically achieving the greatest loads. This information highlights the need for practitioners to individualise training prescription on a positional basis for both load and intensity. Future research should investigate the association between MFT and team sport athlete's ability to recover from exercise, which seems to be the likely cause of the difference observed in MFT for HSR. This information will empower practitioners to better manage athletes' recovery within a match and throughout a pre-season period.
Thesis (Masters)
Master of Medical Research (MMedRes)
School of Pharmacy & Med Sci
Griffith Health
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41

Clare, Elliot. "Characteristics of scoring instances during the 2016 Australian Football League Home and Away Season." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2020. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2385.

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There is an abundance of sports-science related research on Australian Rules football (ARF). However, there is a paucity of research examining the factors contributing to instances of scoring (accurate scores [a ‘goal’; 6 points] and near misses [a ‘behind’; 1 point]) and the characteristics of those instances (e.g. proximity to goal) in both the Australian Football League (AFL; the premier national competition) and the lower levels of the game. Furthermore, goal conversion percentage, i.e. the number of goals divided by the number of scoring instances, has recently been deemed the performance indicator most associated with a successful (i.e. winning) match outcome. Yet, there is limited research detailing the goal conversion percentage from different types of shots (i.e. a ‘set shot’ [unopposed attempt resulting directly from a free-kick or a ball caught on the full] or a ‘general play shot’ [within free play]), on- field locations and time periods. The principal purpose of the present research was to improve our understanding of the characteristics of scoring instances in elite ARF by quantifying: 1) the source (whether that be a ‘kick in’ [a set play that guarantees possession of the ball to a team following the scoring of a behind against them], a ‘stoppage’ in play [a neutral contest that sees one of the games’ officials start/restart the play for the beginning of each quarter, following the scoring of a goal, out of bounds or when the ball’s motion is halted due to congestion] or a ‘turnover’ [losing possession of the ball to the opposition during general play]) and on-field starting location of the chain of events leading to a score (‘chain origin’), 2) the mode by which the ball was transferred to goal, including whether and where the ball commenced from within 50 m of the defensive goal (‘rebound 50’) and/or within 50 m of the offensive goal (‘inside 50’), 3) the duration of the uninterrupted transfer to goal (the ‘scoring chain’), 4) the on-field location of where shots occurred from, the type of shot used, type of score that was recorded (i.e. ‘goal’, ‘behind’ or ‘rushed behind’; the latter occurring when a player deliberately disposes, punches or carries the ball over their own goal line, resulting in one point being conceded) and the ‘goal conversion percentage’ (i.e. the number of goals divided by the number of scoring instances excluding rushed behinds) from each on-field location and shot type, and 5) the time of match at which scores were registered as well as the goal conversion percentage within particular time periods. The secondary purpose of the present research was to determine whether the characteristics described above differed between winning and losing teams. Video footage for all 198 matches of the 2016 AFL home and away season was obtained from the AFL and analysed using SportsCode, which enabled coding of the characteristics described above. In total, 9599 scoring instances were coded, consisting of 5110 goals, 3615 behinds and 874 rushed behinds, with teams scoring an average of 89 points per match, three more points than in the previous two seasons. Turnovers accounted for the largest proportion of scoring instances, followed by stoppages; very few occurred via kick-ins. The majority of scoring instances originated from the forward half of the ground, specifically in the attacking midfield area, whilst few originated from the defensive 50 m area. Instances occurring closer to the offensive goal required less time and fewer passes (player-to-player ball transfers [i.e. ‘disposals’]) to create a scoring opportunity. Scoring attempts were more frequently performed at distances of 30 - 50 m from goal but were more accurate when within 30 m; set shots were more accurate than attempts that occurred in general play. The frequency of scoring instances did not vary throughout matches, with no significant differences apparent between halves, quarters or sub-periods (5- and 10-min periods). Also, goal conversion percentage was not significantly influenced by time, although some qualitative variations were observed. Of the 9599 scoring instances registered during the 2016 AFL home and away season, 5621 (58.56%) and 3978 (41.44%) were scored by winning and losing teams, respectively. Winning teams averaged 108 points to the losing teams’ 70, leading to an average winning margin of 38 points. Despite winning teams recording a significantly greater number of scoring instances, the majority of characteristics for both teams’ scoring instances did not differ significantly. There was, however, a significant difference in the goal conversion percentage between winning and losing teams, particularly for scoring instances in general play, which was noticeably greater than for set shots. Similarly, winning teams consistently converted their shots at a higher percentage than losing teams across all quarters, with the difference most pronounced in the fourth quarter. In conclusion, the present research complements literature across other ball sports; describing how and when the best teams score. The characteristics of scoring instances in elite ARF were not dissimilar to those of soccer and field hockey, both of which feature goals that are located centrally. This would insinuate that tactics employed within these particular codes are interchangeable, thus, the results of the present research have practical applications for sports other than ARF. With respect to ARF, the characteristics of winning and losing teams’ scoring instances were comparable, however winning teams produced a greater number of scoring instances and converted a greater proportion of these into goals. The present research adds to the ever-growing body of work describing the tactics of ARF teams and their players, at the elite level of the sport, with particular reference to scoring.

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42

Millar, John Samuel. "Kinematics of drop punt kicking in Australian rules football - comparison of skilled and less skilled kicking." Thesis, full-text, 2004. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/2026/.

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Abstract:

The types of kick that are performed in the football codes fall into two broad categories: punt kick and place kick. One type of punt kick is the major means of ball movement in Australian Rules football – the drop punt kick. Past studies have investigated the biomechanics of kicking. The pattern of segmental interaction during the kicking motion – known as the proximal to distal sequence (PDS) – is the most consistent finding that is reported in the biomechanics of kicking literature. In this sequence the proximal segment (thigh) initiates the forward swing of the kicking limb towards the ball and the forward rotation of the distal segment (shank) follows. PDS motions are also typified by a higher angular velocity of the distal segment (shank). Studies that have compared the difference between skilled and less skilled kickers in Australian Rules football have found that the difference in performance is the result of 1) the position of the shank at the end of the backswing is higher above horizontal (further in the clockwise direction) for the skilled than it is for the less skilled, 2) the maximum angular velocity of the thigh during the forward swing is greater for the skilled than it is for the less skilled and 3) the skilled kickers demonstrate greater mean maximum angular velocity of the shank at foot – ball contact. Apart from these findings there is inadequate information about the mechanical features of a skillful drop punt kick. The objective of this study was to quantify and compare the kinematics of skilled and less skilled kicking. A general profile of the drop punt kick and the reliability of the kinematic variables were also reported. The reliability study was conducted first. Six subjects were tested on two occasions to establish the reliability of the equipment and methods. Variables were deemed to be reliable if they demonstrated an ICC equal or greater than r = 0.80. Of the 95 variables that were analysed 42% had an ICC greater than r = 0.79 and 25% were classified as having questionable to moderate reliability because r = 0.50 – 0.79. Only reliable variables were used to compare the skilled and less skilled groups. Six elite skilled kickers and six elite less skilled kickers were used in the main study. All subjects used were AFL players at the time of the data collection. Two-dimensional video footage was taken of each kick using a high speed camera (200Hz). The camera was positioned so that its line of sight was perpendicular to the sagittal plane of motion. The video footage of each trial was processed through the Peak Motus motion analysis system. The start of the kicking motion was identified by the maximum cw angle of the thigh. The time of foot – ball contact was the end of the motion. There were two phases that were identified during this time; transition and forward swing. The duration of each was 50% of movement time. The results of the current study showed that the skilled kickers held the ankle in a more plantarflexed position than did the less skilled kickers (skilled 46.7 degrees, less skilled 39.21 degrees, r = 0.70, ES = – 1.06, p = .071) at the time of foot – ball contact. This result indicates that a common trait amongst skilled kickers is the presence of a taut instep at foot – ball contact. This is one trait of skilled kickers that is often referred to by skills coaches within the AFL. The maximum angular velocity of the shank (1402 degrees/second) was higher than that of the thigh (805 degrees/second). The mean knee extension angle at foot – ball contact was 50 degrees and the maximum knee extension angle occurred after foot – ball contact (150% movement time). There was no difference between groups in the magnitude of the angles or angular velocities (p > 0.2). There was a difference in the time between the maximum angular velocity of the thigh and the maximum angular velocity of the shank (p < 0.05). From this result we suggested that skilled kickers are distinguished from less skilled kickers based on the timing of the critical events not the magnitude of critical events.

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43

Neville, Jonathon. "Application of Global Positioning Systems and Inertial Motion Units to Elite Australian Football League Athletes." Thesis, Griffith University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366831.

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The core focus of this thesis has been based upon the question of: Can accelerometers be applied to monitoring elite athletes as a novel system for the assessment of over- ground running speeds? At the onset of this research it was known that Global Positioning Systems (GPS) were the fundamental standard for monitoring speeds of athlete during field sports however their limitations and accuracies restrict their range of applications. This research therefore has been prefixed with an investigation into what current GPS systems deliver, and if there are any avenues in which GPS information can be improved upon. The thesis has therefore split into the following two focus areas: • 1) The development of a novel longitudinal data analysis application for GPS recordings from elite level competition and training; and • 2) The development of a new and alternative, independent system for tracking athlete over-ground running during competition from accelerometers. The first focus of this thesis involves the design and application of a GPS data system for investigating longitudinal athlete workloads and performance parameters. This system brought together a wide range of past research identified in the literature with new, desired workload and performance parameters identified by coaches, athletes and sports scientists. The application was shown to be a novel and effective method for comparing longitudinal GPS recordings through the comparison of the workload factors with recent findings from the literature. This system was shown to provide useful information as an add-on to current commercial systems.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Engineering
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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44

Hart, Nicolas H. "A kinanthropometric analysis of accurate and inaccurate kickers: Implications for kicking accuracy in Australian football." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2012. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/481.

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A paucity of research exists investigating the potential relationship between the technical and temporal strategy of accurate and inaccurate kickers in response to physical parameters modifiable by athletic conditioning. While recent studies have produced improvements in performance when kicking for distance following structured resistance training interventions, no studies have examined the influence of such interventions on the enhancement of kicking accuracy. It was therefore the purpose of this thesis to extend scientific understanding of those mechanisms which might underpin accurate kicking performances through examining kinanthropometric, strength and muscularity profiles of accurate and inaccurate kickers in Australian Football using a series of research studies. In particular, studies one and two established valid and reliable measurement protocols, while studies three, four and five quantified whole-body composition, anthropometrics, segmental masses of the lower limbs, unilateral and bilateral lower-body strength, and lower limb kinematics during the drop punt. Study one established a standardised and reliable body positioning and scan analysis model using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) to accurately identify and assess appendicular segmental mass components (upper arm, forearm, hand, thigh, shank and foot segments); producing very high intra-tester reliability (CV ≤ 2.6%; ICC ≥ 0.941) and very high inter-tester reliability (CV ≤ 2.4%; ICC ≥ 0.961). This methodological determination of intralimb and interlimb quantities of lean, fat and total mass could be used by strength and conditioning practitioners to monitor the efficacy of training interventions; track athletes during long-term athletic development programs; or identify potential deficiencies acquired through-out injury onset and during rehabilitation. Study two assessed a portable isometric lower-body strength testing device, successfully demonstrating its ability to derive valid and reliable representations of maximal isometric force (peak force) under bilateral and unilateral conditions (CV ≤ 4.7%; ICC ≥ 0.961). This device was unable to reliably determine rate of force development across either bilateral or unilateral conditions (CV: 14.5% - 45.5%; ICC: 0.360 – 0.943); and required an extra second of contraction time to achieve peak force (p < 0.001). The portable apparatus may provide a more sport-specific assessment of maximal strength in sports where balance is an important component; such as the support leg during the kicking motion. Using the methodological approach established in study one; study three was a descriptive study which assessed the lower limb segmental profile of accurate and inaccurate kickers. A noticeable difference in leg mass characteristics was evident, with accurate kickers containing significantly greater quantities of relative lean mass (p ≤ 0.004; r = 0.426 to 0.698), significantly lower quantities of relative fat mass (p ≤ 0.024; r = -0.431 to -0.585), and significantly higher lean-to-fat mass ratios (p ≤ 0.009; r = 0.482 to 0.622) across all segments within both kicking and support limbs. To examine how these lower limb characteristics might adjust biomechanical strategy; study four used the methodological approach from study one in conjunction with three-dimensional kinematic data. No relationship was found between foot velocity and kicking accuracy (r = -0.035 to -0.083). Instead, it was the co-contribution of leg mass and foot velocity which were discriminatory factors between accurate and inaccurate kickers. A significant and strong correlation was also found between relative lean mass and kicking accuracy (p ≤ 0.001; r = 0.631). Greater relative lean mass within accurate kickers may heighten limb control due to reduced volitional effort and lower relative muscular impulses required to generate limb velocity. Study five - the final study of the thesis - assessed lower limb strength and muscularity using methodologies presented in studies one and two. Study five was able to successfully demonstrate a positive relationship between relative bilateral strength and support-leg unilateral strength with kicking accuracy outcomes (r = 0.379 to 0.401). A significant negative relationship was established between strength imbalances and kicking accuracy (p = 0.002; r = 0.516), supported by the significant positive relationship between the limb symmetry index for lean mass quantities and kicking accuracy outcomes (p = 0.003 to 0.029; r = 0.312 to 0.402). This highlighted the potential benefit of greater limb symmetry for strength and muscularity between kicking and support limbs within Australian Footballers, with particular emphasis placed toward support leg strength. The general conclusion provided by the thesis promotes the importance and positive influence of relative lean mass and lower body strength to kicking accuracy production during the drop punt. The findings provide a valid rationale for strength and conditioning professionals and skill acquisition coaches to properly consider an athlete’s strength, muscularity and body mass profiles when attempting to improve kicking performance. Given the cross-sectional nature of the Thesis, longitudinal resistance training studies should be attempted in future, to establish interventions which may heighten athletic conditioning and technical proficiency in football sports, with an express aim to improve drop punt kicking accuracy.

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45

Woods, Carl T. C. "The development of an objective multi-dimensional approach to talent identification in junior Australian football." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1672.

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Abstract:

Talent identification (TID) is a pertinent component of the sports science discipline given the considerable influence it may have within the pursuit of excellence. Thus, research has attempted to identify the determinants of a talented performance through the use of objective testing procedures. However, many of these ‘traditional’ approaches have been operationalised by mono-dimensional objective physical performance tests that do not inherently account for the multi-dimensional requisites of game-play, particularly within a team sporting context. This is problematic when attempting to identify talent, as a successful performance in team sports is often the combination of physical, technical and tactical elements. For example, a physically inferior junior may still succeed against their physically superior counterparts given additional technical and tactical skills; commonly referred to as a compensation phenomenon. Hence, forecasting longitudinal performance based upon one element of effective play (e.g. physical) will likely lead to an unsubstantiated and biased identification. Despite the aforementioned, TID practices in junior Australian football (AF) are predominately facilitated by physically biased objective performance tests. Given the combative nature of game-play, physicality is an important attribute, but solely basing identification and selection on isolated physical attributes can be misleading given the previously mentioned compensation phenomenon. This mono-dimensionality is somewhat expected as to date there is a scarcity of objective tests measuring the multidimensional characteristics of AF game-play. Thus, through the consolidation of a number of theoretical concepts and recommendations proposed within the literature, this thesis aimed to develop a multi-dimensional objective approach to TID in junior AF, and in doing so, identify the determinants of a talented performance. To address this aim, objective physical, technical and tactical measurements were taken on both talent identified and non-talent identified junior AF players through the use of representative performance tests. Indeed, this reflected the first stage of the Expert Performance Approach (Ericsson & Williams, 1991; Williams & Ericsson, 2005) and the Model of a Skilful Player (Launder, 2001). Throughout each research study, talent identified players were defined through participation within the West Australian Football League (WAFL) State Under 18 (U18) Academy (an elite talent development program), whilst non-talent identified players were randomly chosen from the remaining cohort of WAFL U18 players not participating in the State Academy program. Thus, a cross-sectional observational research design was employed for each experimental procedure used throughout this thesis. It is of note that the first three studies utilised players from the 2013 sample, whilst the fourth research study utilised players from the 2014 sample. In the first of four research studies, a range of sport specific physical characteristics were found to differ between talent identified and non-talent identified junior AF players. However, a binary logistic regression model indicated that it was the measurements of standing height, lower body power and maximal aerobic capacity that provided the greatest prediction of talent, and thus important physical determinants of talent in AF at an U18 level. The second study investigated if measurements of technical skill could be used to accurately identify talent in junior AF. Despite the range of technical skills required in AF, the two modes of ball disposal (kicking and handballing) have been deemed critical for success based upon recent research (Parrington, Ball, MacMahon, 2013; Sullivan et al., 2014). Consequently, two representative skill tests were described; the Australian Football Kicking (AFK) test and the Australian Football Handballing (AFHB) test. Results indicated that the majority of the talent identified players possessed superior ball disposal skills in comparison to their non-talent identified counterparts. Specifically, measures of accuracy and ball speed on both the dominant and non-dominant sides reflected the strongest prediction of talent for the AFK test, and measures of accuracy on both dominant and non-dominant sides reflected the strongest prediction of talent for the AFHB test. These results reinforced the construct of each test, and highlighted their effectiveness for use as an objective TID tool in AF. Research had yet to investigate if decision-making skill was predictive of talent in junior AF despite its suggested importance for the exhibition of an expert performance in the game. The third study in this research series attempted to fill this remaining gap and objectively quantify decision-making skill through the use of a video-based decision-making task. In order to construct such a task, video footage was obtained from the Australian Football League (AFL) using an aerial behind-the-goal camera perspective. Through the use of an expert coaching panel, 26 clips out of an initial sample of 52 were deemed applicable, as each consisted of approximately three to five possible decision-making options. Results indicated that the talent identified players performed the task more accurately in comparison to their non-talent identified counterparts, and was thus a valuable objective tool for identifying talent at an U18 level. The fourth and final study in this research series investigated if the application of a multi-dimensional battery of objective performance tests provided more accurate TID in AF when compared to isolated performance measures. The construction of this test battery was informed by the results of studies one, two and three, but to ensure the translation of this test battery, it was applied to the 2014 U18 cohort, not the 2013 cohort which was done in the previous studies. However, the definition of talent identified and non-talent identified remained consistent with the previous studies. Results indicated that the majority of the talent identified players possessed a superior combination of physical, technical and tactical characteristics in comparison to their non-talent identified counterparts. Specifically, a receiver operating curve indicated a classification accuracy of 95% when summating the total scores obtained for each physical, technical and tactical test. This classification accuracy supports the implementation of multi-dimensional objective designs over the traditional monodimensional designs when attempting to identify talent in team sporting contexts. This thesis was motivated by the need to enhance the accuracy and reliability of current TID practices in AF by developing an objective multi-dimensional approach. In doing so, it contributes an important body of research to the study of TID by providing a conceptually translatable means in which the development of such an approach can be undertaken in other team sports.

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46

Millar, John Samuel. "Kinematics of drop punt kicking in Australian rules football - comparison of skilled and less skilled kicking." full-text, 2004. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/2026/1/millar.pdf.

Full text

Abstract:

The types of kick that are performed in the football codes fall into two broad categories: punt kick and place kick. One type of punt kick is the major means of ball movement in Australian Rules football – the drop punt kick. Past studies have investigated the biomechanics of kicking. The pattern of segmental interaction during the kicking motion – known as the proximal to distal sequence (PDS) – is the most consistent finding that is reported in the biomechanics of kicking literature. In this sequence the proximal segment (thigh) initiates the forward swing of the kicking limb towards the ball and the forward rotation of the distal segment (shank) follows. PDS motions are also typified by a higher angular velocity of the distal segment (shank). Studies that have compared the difference between skilled and less skilled kickers in Australian Rules football have found that the difference in performance is the result of 1) the position of the shank at the end of the backswing is higher above horizontal (further in the clockwise direction) for the skilled than it is for the less skilled, 2) the maximum angular velocity of the thigh during the forward swing is greater for the skilled than it is for the less skilled and 3) the skilled kickers demonstrate greater mean maximum angular velocity of the shank at foot – ball contact. Apart from these findings there is inadequate information about the mechanical features of a skillful drop punt kick. The objective of this study was to quantify and compare the kinematics of skilled and less skilled kicking. A general profile of the drop punt kick and the reliability of the kinematic variables were also reported. The reliability study was conducted first. Six subjects were tested on two occasions to establish the reliability of the equipment and methods. Variables were deemed to be reliable if they demonstrated an ICC equal or greater than r = 0.80. Of the 95 variables that were analysed 42% had an ICC greater than r = 0.79 and 25% were classified as having questionable to moderate reliability because r = 0.50 – 0.79. Only reliable variables were used to compare the skilled and less skilled groups. Six elite skilled kickers and six elite less skilled kickers were used in the main study. All subjects used were AFL players at the time of the data collection. Two-dimensional video footage was taken of each kick using a high speed camera (200Hz). The camera was positioned so that its line of sight was perpendicular to the sagittal plane of motion. The video footage of each trial was processed through the Peak Motus motion analysis system. The start of the kicking motion was identified by the maximum cw angle of the thigh. The time of foot – ball contact was the end of the motion. There were two phases that were identified during this time; transition and forward swing. The duration of each was 50% of movement time. The results of the current study showed that the skilled kickers held the ankle in a more plantarflexed position than did the less skilled kickers (skilled 46.7 degrees, less skilled 39.21 degrees, r = 0.70, ES = – 1.06, p = .071) at the time of foot – ball contact. This result indicates that a common trait amongst skilled kickers is the presence of a taut instep at foot – ball contact. This is one trait of skilled kickers that is often referred to by skills coaches within the AFL. The maximum angular velocity of the shank (1402 degrees/second) was higher than that of the thigh (805 degrees/second). The mean knee extension angle at foot – ball contact was 50 degrees and the maximum knee extension angle occurred after foot – ball contact (150% movement time). There was no difference between groups in the magnitude of the angles or angular velocities (p > 0.2). There was a difference in the time between the maximum angular velocity of the thigh and the maximum angular velocity of the shank (p < 0.05). From this result we suggested that skilled kickers are distinguished from less skilled kickers based on the timing of the critical events not the magnitude of critical events.

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47

Clarke, Stephen R., and sclarke@swin edu au. "Performance modelling in sport." Swinburne University of Technology, 1997. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20060710.114216.

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This thesis investigates problems of performance modelling in sport. Mathematical models are used to evaluate the performance of individuals, teams, and the competition rules under which they compete. The thesis comprises a collection of papers on applications of modelling to Australian rules football, soccer and cricket. Using variations of the model wij = ui + hi - uj + eij where wij is the home team winning margin when home team i plays away team j, ui is a team rating, hi is an individual ground effect and eij is random error, the evaluation of team home ground advantage effect (HA) is studied in detail. Data from the Australian Football League and English Association Football for 1980 to 1995 are investigated. The necessity of individual team HAs is demonstrated. The usual methods of calculating HA for competitions is shown to be inappropriate for individual teams. The existence of a spurious HA when home and away performances are compared is discussed. For a balanced competition, fitting the above model by least squares is equivalent to a simple calculator method using only data from the final ladder. A method of calculating HA by pairing matches is demonstrated. Tables of HA and paired HA in terms of points/game for each year are given. The resultant HAs for both Australian rules football and soccer are analysed. Clearly there is an isolation effect, where teams that are isolated geographically have large HAs. For English soccer, the paired HA is shown to be linearly related to the distance between club grounds. As an application of these methods, the development and implementation of a computer tipping program used to forecast Australian rules football by rating teams is described. The need for ground effects for each team and ground, and the use of heuristic methods to optimise the program is discussed. The accuracy of the prediction model and its implementation by publication in the media is discussed. International comparisons show prediction methods are limited by the data. Methods for evaluating the fairness of the League draw and the finals systems are given. The thesis also investigates the use of dynamic programming to optimise tactics in football and cricket. The thesis develops tables giving the optimal run rate and the expected score or probability of winning at any stage of a one-day cricket innings. They show a common strategy in one-day cricket to be non-optimal, and a heuristic is developed that is near optimal under a range of parameter variations. A range of dynamic programming models are presented, allowing for batsmen of different abilities and various objective functions. Their application to performance modelling are shown by developing a radically different performance measure for one day cricket, and applying it to a one-day series.

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48

Irvine, Brennen. "Lower limb fatigue asymmetry after a repeated-sprint test in Australian Rules Football (ARF) players with and without previous unilateral hamstring injury." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2020. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2374.

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Australian Rules Football (ARF) is the most widely played sport in Australia, with hamstring injuries (HSIs) remaining the most common type of injury. The ability to detect differences in strength and fatigability between injured and non-injured limbs might help identify ARF players at risk of HSI, reducing injury rates. A previous investigation revealed that data obtained from an Isokinetic Endurance Test (IET; a fatiguing knee extension/flexion test), performed before and after a repeated-sprint test (RST) could be used to correctly identify previous unilateral HSIs with 100% accuracy in soccer players. However, it remains unknown whether these results can be replicated in other football cohorts, such as ARF, despite the sports sharing similarities in physical demands and movement patterns. It also remains unknown whether simpler tests such as the Nordic Hamstring Test (NHT) can be used with similar success. The purpose of the present study was to (1) determine whether changes in force production capacity resulting from fatiguing exercise (RST) differed between previously injured and non-injured limbs in ARF players; (2) investigate whether a more practical and cost effective test (NHT or RST) can accurately identify previous HSI in ARF players; and (3) attempt to replicate the findings of previous research in a different population of footballers (i.e. ARF vs. soccer). 30 semi-professional ARF players (15 with and without previous unilateral HSI history) performed an IET and NHT before and after a RST. Significant differences between injured and non-injured limbs were observed during the IET when performed after the RST, in previously injured participants, with peak knee flexor torque (PKFT) being greater in non-injured (131.6 ± 16.3 Nm) than injured (120.9 ± 14.5 Nm) limbs (p < 0.001). Hamstring:quadriceps (H:Q) ratio was also greater in non-injured (0.77 ± 0.06) than injured (0.69 ± 0.07) limbs (p = 0.001), and percent decreases in PKFT and H:Q ratio from pre- to post-RST were greater in injured (-14% and -12% respectively) than non-injured (-7% and -5% respectively) limbs (p ≤ 0.003). The percent decreases in PKFT and H:Q ratio from pre- to post-RST identified 80% of injured and non-injured limbs in previously injured participants, showing outstanding discrimination of previous HSI (AUC = 0.911). No statistical differences between injured and noninjured limbs were observed in eccentric knee flexor torque during the NHT, or in ground reaction forces measured during the RST, in previously injured participants. In addition, the NHT and RST were poor discriminators of previous HSI (AUC = 0.622 and 0.556, respectively). The results suggest that previous HSI is associated with reduced concentric knee flexor torque capacity and enhanced fatigue responses after a RST. It also suggests that functional deficits, indicating a player is not back to full function and with potentially greater risk of future HSI, may only be visible when tested after sport-specific fatiguing exercise. While data obtained from the IET might now be examined prospectively for its ability to predict future HSI, a test that can be performed on lessexpensive and readily-available equipment is still required for many ARF clubs.

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49

Campbell, Emma E. "Relocation Stories: experiences of Indigenous Footballers in the AFL." Thesis, Full-text, 2008. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1993/.

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Moving away from home to embark on a career at an elite level involves the individual within a broader social ecology where a range of factors influence the dynamic transition. In 2000, Indigenous and non-Indigenous past and present AFL footballers and AFL administrative staff suggested that relocation was one of the issues faced by Indigenous AFL footballers. The focus of the current study was to learn about relocation and settlement experiences from the perspectives of 10 Indigenous Australian AFL footballers, examining the social, cultural, organisational, and psychological challenges. Five participants were drafted to the AFL within 12 months, and five participants were drafted to the AFL prior to 2002. Participants were listed players from seven Victorian AFL clubs. Interviews were also conducted with eight representatives (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) from organisations associated with the AFL. Players were asked questions about their own relocation and settlement experiences. Secondary informants were asked questions about their involvement with Indigenous players relocating and their perception of the relocation process for Indigenous players in the AFL. Interviews were semi-structured and conversational in style and analysed for unique and recurring themes using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Each of the stories reflected subtle differences experienced during relocation, highlighting the importance and value of using a phenomenological and qualitative framework to understand each player’s perspective and experiences of relocation. The findings demonstrated both facilitative and barrier factors influencing the relocation, settlement, and adaptation experiences. These included opportunity and social mobility, social support and kindredness, culture shock, and racism and homogeneity. Each player’s story about relocation and subsequent settlement and adaptation, highlighted the importance of family, connection, and kindredness as an overarching theme. The findings emphasise the need for receiving environments, in this case the AFL, to treat every player on an individual basis rather than grouping them into a collective. It is essential that a player is understood in relation to his socio-cultural context. The AFL has implemented significant changes to welcome cultural diversity, but as a mainstream organisation, it has been developed within mainstream values. Just as society in general needs to acknowledge Australian history and the overall discrepancies between Indigenous and non-Indigenous opportunities and living standards, the AFL has to continue to de-institutionalise stereotypes and increase the cultural awareness of all groups to continue being a forerunner of progressive race relations. The current study represents an important initial step in the identification and description of the relocation processes from the vantage point of Indigenous footballers.

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50

Healy, Matthew. "Hard sell: Australian football in Sydney." Thesis, 2002. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/18171/.

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Australian Rules football is the nation's most popular spectator sport. Few sporting activities can match the fanaticism, emotion and passion that the game generates. In Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania, Australian Rules football plays a large part in the livelihood of millions of people. However, the game has had a somewhat weaker presence in the northern states, despite the fact that the expansion of Australian Rules football has long been on the agenda for administrators of the code. This thesis examines the entry of Australian Rules football entry into the rugby dominated domain of Sydney. It traces unsuccessful attempts made by the Victorian Football Association and the Victorian Football League to promote the code in Sydney during the 1880s and early part of the nineteenth century, the hiatus of the middle part of the 1900s when Australian Rules football seemed to wallow in obscurity, and the League's 'Sydney Experiment' in the 1970s. The thesis then goes on to examine the circumstances surrounding the relocation of the South Melbourne Football Club to Sydney in 1982, and the club's subsequent decades in the harbour city. It is only in recent years that Australian Rules football appears to have finally made its mark in Sydney. The Sydney Football Club is attracting sizeable crowds to its home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground, many of the Swans players have a public presence in Sydney, and the game is receiving regular positive exposure in the media. The Australian Football League is also playing a role to ensure this most recent attempt to win over Sydney proves successful, promising millions of dollars to junior development. The next five to ten years remain critical in the history of the code. However, as this thesis demonstrates, professional management, visionary planning, astute marketing and an appropriate amount of additional infrastructure, has secured Australian Rules football a firm niche in the rugby stronghold of Sydney.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Australian football'

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