Dr Mitch Naughton

The Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) is the premier national women's competition in Australian Rules football. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the neuromuscular fatigue response to match-play and the external load correlates of this response in AFLW. Players (n = 22) wore a 10 Hz GNSS device and completed immediately pre- and post-match countermovement jumps (CMJ) on dual force plates for each match in the 2022 AFLW competitive season. Concentric, eccentric, and composite CMJ variables were selected a priori based on previously established validity, reliability, and sensitivity to detect neuromuscular fatigue. The change in each variable from pre- to post-match was analysed using linear mixed effect models and rank bi-serial correlation (rbs) effect size statistic. Linear mixed models were also constructed to examine the relationship between external load variables and the change in CMJ metrics. Each player was included as a random effect in these models. Match-play resulted in large negative effects to eccentric mean force, eccentric peak force, and force at zero velocity (all rbs = 0.808 - 0.813), concentric impulse (rbs = 0.646), flight time:contraction time (rbs = 0.528), and jump height (rbs = 0.491). Modelling identified high-speed running distance, repeated high-intensity effort bouts, and acceleration load as significant (p < 0.05) correlates of the change in CMJ variables from pre- to post-match. The variance explained in these models was low (Conditional R2 = 0.128¿0.186). Identified CMJ variables may be important to monitor fluctuations in neuromuscular fatigue, whilst external load variables may be useful in examining neuromuscular fatigue correlates in AFLW. Given the exploratory nature of this study, further research is necessary to explore these findings in a hypothesis driven framework.

Unintentional doping though supplement use is an ongoing issue that has severe professional and personal impacts on athletes. Though the issue is well known, there are key knowledge gaps regarding the role of different stakeholders both in creating and managing unintentional doping. The current study aimed to identify the influential tasks and stakeholders within the Australian sport system that are associated with supplements. A Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) was developed during a subject matter expert workshop (n = 12) to decompose the supplement use in sport 'system' into a hierarchical structure of goals, sub-goals, operations, and plans. A task network was developed during the SME workshop and based on the first level sub-goals of the HTA. Network analysis was then applied to determine the interdependency and influence of system tasks and stakeholders. Network metrics included Density, Out-degree centrality, In-degree centrality, Betweenness centrality, Closeness centrality, and Eigenvector centrality. In total, 15 first level sub-goals were identified which were further decomposed into 71 sub-goals and operations. The overall identified goal of athletes taking supplements was to optimise health, performance, recovery, image, and achieve optimal weight. Within this overall goal, numerous tasks are required to be performed including research, manufacturing and regulation of supplements, maintaining clean sport, to the administration of supplements by athletes, to subsequent assessments of their efficacy. The most influential tasks within the system include 'maintaining clean sport' by anti-doping authorities, and 'marketing/advertising' of supplements by supplement companies. Influential stakeholders within the system included 'anti-doping agencies', 'athlete support personnel', and 'sponsors'. The analysis has demonstrated that multiple and varied stakeholders have specific roles to play in preventing unintentional doping. The findings suggest that for the prevention of unintentional doping through supplement use, interventions will need to shift away from the typical focus on athletes and athlete support personnel, to encompass a broader systemic focus.