Sports science leaders band together to form new association

Sports science experts across the AFL have formed a new association

Darren Burgess during the R15 match between Adelaide and Collingwood at the MCG on June 25, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

STRENGTH and conditioning bosses, sports scientists, fitness gurus and practitioners have banded together to form the AFL High Performance Association, with the new group already having a new voice in the game.

The AFLHPA joins the likes of the Players Association, Coaches Association and Umpires Association in having a body for an important sector in the game, with world-renowned Darren Burgess, Adelaide's high performance boss, leading the group as its chairman.

More than 120 members have already joined the AFLHPA, which was quietly launched last year but has quickly grown in stature, with the group providing key insights to the AFL and AFLPA regarding contact training, interchange rotations and player welfare and wellbeing, as well as offering professional development workshops.

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It has also dealt with the AFL on turf management and added information in discussions on the next steps with data collection.

The introduction of the AFLHPA came after significant change in the ranks last year, with Carlton (Rob Inness), Richmond (Ben Serpell), Sydney (Shane Lehane) and Geelong (Desmond O'Sullivan) all appointing new heads of fitness.

The membership is offered to full-time and part-time high performance staff at AFL and AFLW teams as well as second-tier clubs, with high performance managers, strength and conditioning and rehabilitation staff, sports science and data analytics and select other groups within football departments.

The AFLHPA has been established to promote the AFL industry as 'world leaders' in enhancing athlete performance, as well as working with the competition on scheduling decisions and future direction of the game considering player preparation and safety.

They are hoping the collegiate group – all 18 AFL clubs' high performance bosses are members – can help drive innovation through the sharing of information across the industry.

They are targeting a framework to be built for 'top-up running' protocols for players who need extra training after games, largely as substitutes, and will also pitch for more detail around the player heat policy.

An end of year summit in November is also part of their plans, as are monthly personal development sessions.

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