The influence of the phases of match-play on the physical, technical and tactical profiles of professional Australian football
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2018
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Australian Football is a team sport involving periods of ball possession, contested play (where both teams compete for possession) and stoppages of varying durations. The physical element of the game is characterised by intermittent high-speed running along with frequent collisions, tackles and changes of direction. Players also require technical skill qualities depending on specific scenarios arising during match-play along with tactical strategies designed by coaching staff that consider various contextual factors to maximise the likelihood of success. Performance is dependent on the interaction of these constructs which are closely associated to the phases of match-play. Accordingly, this thesis comprises of four progressive studies that investigated the influence of the phases of match-play on the physical, technical and tactical profiles of professional Australian Football.
Study One described the mean duration and frequencies of the phases of Australian Football match-play. Six operational definitions were created for offence, defence, contested play, umpire stoppages, set shots and goal resets. This study examined the coding methodology central to the three subsequent studies. A test-retest design assessed the precision of coding the phases of play. There were ~500 changes in the phases of play per Australian Football match, highlighting the intermittent nature of match-play. The intra-coder reliability assessment demonstrated that a trained researcher can code the phases of play with high precision. These findings permitted the use of these phases of match-play for the proceeding studies. Study Two analysed the distribution of physical and technical performance during the phases of Australian Football match-play. The physical and technical demands varied significantly depending on the phase of match-play. Additionally, average and ‘worst-case scenario’ activity and recovery cycles provided practical information for coaches to design match-specific training. Study Three examined the influence of player position and game quarter on running during the phases of match-play. Nomadic and key position players shared similar match-running profiles during the phases of play, however, nomadic players performed higher volumes and intensity of movement. The data demonstrated that reductions in match intensity occur during active periods of match-play, but not during stoppages. These findings have applications for informing training practices for different positions and suggest that metabolic power estimates may be useful for analysing specific elements of competition where spatial constraints limit opportunities for high-speed running. Study Four examined differences in physical and technical performance measures during the phases of match-play whilst considering contextual factors including quarter success, calibre of opposition and playing away from home. The contested element of match-play increased when the quarter was lost and when competing against high calibre opposition. The findings have applications for informing training practices to increase the likelihood of match success and mitigate the effects of playing against high calibre opposition and away from home. Collectively, the series of studies showed that the phases of match-play contribute to the intense nature of competition and should be considered when interpreting match profiles. The physical and technical demands of the phases of match-play are also influenced by player position, match-induced fatigue, match success, opposition calibre and match location.
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