Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sprint Acceleration Characteristics Across The Australian Football Participation Pathway, Toby Edwards, Benjamin Piggott, Harry G. Banyard, G Gregory Haff, Christopher Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The aim of this study was to compare the force, velocity and power profiles of a maximal sprint acceleration through different competition levels of the Australian Football (AF) participation pathway. One hundred and sixty-two junior AF athletes across five competition levels including State under 18’s (ST 18), State under 16’s (ST 16), local under 18’s (LOC 18), local under 15’s (LOC 15), and local under 14’s (LOC 14) participated in this cross-sectional study. Velocity-time data from maximal sprint accelerations were analysed to derive athlete’s sprint acceleration characteristics and split times. ST 18 showed a more force-orientated profile than the LOC …

Sprint Acceleration Force-Velocity-Power Characteristics In Drafted Vs Non-Drafted Junior Australian Football Players: Preliminary Results, Toby Edwards, Benjamin Piggott, Harry G. Banyard, G. Gregory Haff, Christopher Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

This investigation aimed to compare the maximal sprint acceleration profiles of drafted and non-drafted elite junior Australian football (AF) players. Nineteen players (10 drafted and 9 non-drafted) from an elite junior AF state team participated in this study. Instantaneous velocity was measured via radar gun during maximal 30 m sprints. The velocity-time data were analysed to derive individual force-velocity-power characteristics and sprint times. No significant differences existed between groups, however drafted players reached moderately faster maximum velocity (Hedges’ g = 0.70 [-0.08; 1.48] and theoretical maximum velocity (g = 0.65 [-0.13; 1.42]) than non-drafted players indicating a superior ability to …

The Potential Role Of Genetic Markers In Talent Identification And Athlete Assessment In Elite Sport, Ysabel Jacob, Tania Spiteri, Nicolas H. Hart, Ryan S. Anderton

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

In elite sporting codes, the identification and promotion of future athletes into specialized talent pathways is heavily reliant upon objective physical, technical, and tactical characteristics, in addition to subjective coach assessments. Despite the availability of a plethora of assessments, the dependence on subjective forms of identification remain commonplace in most sporting codes. More recently, genetic markers, including several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), have been correlated with enhanced aerobic capacity, strength, and an overall increase in athletic ability. In this review, we discuss the effects of a number of candidate genes on athletic performance, across single-skilled and multifaceted sporting codes, and …

Pathway Efficiency And Relative Age In The Australian Football League Talent Pathway, Ashley Cripps, Luke S. Hopper, Christopher Joyce, James Veale

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Sporting bodies invest substantial resources into the identification and development of talented junior athletes. However, low retention of junior athletes into senior competition has been reported. One mechanism affecting retention may be selections biased by relative age. This study examined the pathway involvement and birth distribution of athletes (n=2519) selected into the Australian Football League Talent Pathway, over six seasons. Only half of athletes selected into professional teams had any involvement in the talent pathway. Birth distributions at every pathway stage were biased towards relatively older athletes, with relatively older athletes more likely to be de-selected as the pathway progressed. …

What Are Talent Scouts Actually Identifying? Investigating The Physical And Technical Skill Match Activity Profiles Of Drafted And Non-Drafted U18 Australian Footballers, Carl T. Woods, Christopher Joyce, Sam Robertson

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: To compare the physical and technical skill match activity profiles of drafted and non-drafted under 18 (U18) Australian football (AF) players.

Design: Cross-sectional observational.

Methods: In-game physical and skill variables were assessed for U18 AF players participating within the 2013 and 2014 National U18 AFL Championships. Players originated from one State Academy (n = 55). Ten games were analysed; resulting in 183 observations. Players were sub-divided into two groups; drafted / non-drafted. Microtechnology and a commercial statistical provider allowed the quantification of total distance (m), relative distance (m.min-1), high speed running distance (> 15km.hr-1), high speed running expressed as …

Inter-Rater Reliability And Validity Of The Australian Football League's Kicking And Handball Tests, Ashley Cripps, Luke S. Hopper, Christopher Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Talent identification tests used at the Australian Football League’s National Draft Combine assess the capacities of athletes to compete at a professional level. Tests created for the National Draft Combine are also commonly used for talent identification and athlete development in development pathways. The skills tests created by the Australian Football League required players to either handball (striking the ball with the hand) or kick to a series of 6 randomly generated targets. Assessors subjectively rate each skill execution giving a 0-5 score for each disposal. This study aimed to investigate the inter-rater reliability and validity of the skills tests …