Toni Reinikainen B.Science (Sports & Exercise Science)

CHRONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FITNESS QUALITIES IN ELITE

AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALLERS

OVERVIEW

• Introduction

• Methods and Approach to Problem

• Results

• Discussion

• Limitations & Recommendations

• Practical Application

INTRODUCTION

Australian Rules football is one of Australia’s most popular sports 844,799 total national participants in 2012

18 teams in the AFL

Around 11% of players currently on the AFL lists originate from either QLD or NSW

Junior AFL Club Academies

with a primary objective to develop a far greater share of local talent by providing clubs with priority access to elite young footballers.

PATHWAY

• No published research exists on the developmental changes in athletes from the age of 12 to 16 years

• Further, the changes in the performance of the fitness assessment tasks of ARF juniors has never been documented between age groups or within a season.

• A lot of research on U16-AFL

INTRODUCTION

This study had 3 major aims,

quantify baseline reference values for commonly used Australian Rules football fitness tests in junior Australia Rules football players between the ages of 12 and 17 years,

attempt to identify peak velocity periods where specific fitness qualities increase, decrease or plateau and

track changes in fitness qualities across a season.

AIMS

METHODS & APPROACH TO PROBLEM

Four periods of testing over the course of the year

Quarterly testing of the following fitness qualities

• Speed – 10m, 20 and 40 m splits

• Vertical jump height – standing and running

• Agility –AFL Agility test

• Endurance – 2km or 3km time trial

• Anthropometric- height and weight

Test were adapted from the National Draft Combine

PARTICIPANTS

Participants

13 years

14 years

15 years

16 years

17 years

Elite junior AFL players

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

Hei

ght (

cm)

PEAK HEIGHT VELOCITY

Change 1

Change 2

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

Hei

ght (

cm)

Change = 12.8cm

8%

PEAK HEIGHT VELOCITY

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

We

igh

t (K

g)

PEAK WEIGHT VELOCITY

Change 1

Change 2

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

We

igh

t (K

g)

Change = 12.89kg

25%

PEAK WEIGHT VELOCITY

U13 Jan U 13 Apr

U 13 Jul U 13 Sep

U 14 Jan U 14 Jul U 14 Sep

U 15 Jan U 15 Jul U 15 Sep

U 16 Jan U 16 Apr

U 16 Jul U 16 Sep

145.00000

150.00000

155.00000

160.00000

165.00000

170.00000

175.00000

180.00000

185.00000

190.00000

35.00000

40.00000

45.00000

50.00000

55.00000

60.00000

65.00000

70.00000

75.00000

80.00000Height Weight

SEASONAL CHANGE OF HEIGHT & WEIGHT

OFF

SEA

SON

OFF SEASO

N

RECOMMENDATIONS

Rapid changes in growth between

13-14yrs and 15yrs to 16yrs

Height- 12% change (8cm)

Weight- 25% change in less than 12months (13kg)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Increased risk of injury to bones, muscles and tendons

Coordination Drills introduced

Increased need to monitor training load and intensity

STANDING VERTICAL JUMP

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

45.00

50.00

55.00

60.00

Change 1

Change 2

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

20.00

22.00

24.00

26.00

28.00

30.00

32.00

34.00

36.00

38.00

40.00

Change 1

Change 2

OPTIMAL POWER PRODUCTION

RECOMMENDATIONS

SVJ Peak Development

13-14 years

Goals Landing- working on correct alignment of ankle, knee, hip,

upper torso.

Step and catch exercise

Stabilisation

Reinforce correct landing

Increase eccentric strength

Jump, Stick & Hold for 5

RECOMMENDATIONS

RVJ Peak Development

14-15 years

Work on Short Response Plyometrics Repeat Standing Long Jumps, Single Leg Hops

5-10 contacts

Develop Long Response Plyometrics (Multidirectional) Hops, Bounds in multiple directions

10-20 contacts

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

2.00

2.20

2.40

2.60

2.80

3.00

3.20

3.40

3.60

3.80

20M SPRINT

40M SPRINT

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

4.00

4.50

5.00

5.50

6.00

6.50

7.00

OPTIMAL SPEED PRODUCTION

AGILITY

U 13 Jan 11

U13 April 11

U13 July 11

U13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U14 July 11

U14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U15 July 11

U15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

7.80

8.00

8.20

8.40

8.60

8.80

9.00

9.20

Sprint Training

Sprint Training

OFF SEASON OFF SEASON

PLATEAU

RECOMMENDATIONS

Optimal Speed development occurs

14-15 years

Optimal Agility

15-16 years

Consider off season sprinting programs

MAXIMAL AEROBIC SPEED

U 13 Jan 11

U 13 April 11

U 13 July 11

U 13 Sept 11

U 14 Jan 11

U 14 July 11

U 14 Sept 11

U 15 Jan 11

U 15 July 11

U 15 Sept 11

U 16 Jan 11

U 16 April 11

U 16 July 11

U 16 Sept 11

2.50

2.70

2.90

3.10

3.30

3.50

3.70

3.90

4.10

4.30

OFF SEASO

N

OFF SEASO

N

OFF SEASO

N

Reduced MAS??

LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

LIMITATIONS

Assumption that other variables are all equal Eg. hand-eye skills, coordination, psychomotor processing.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Future studies test a wider spread of subjects, eg. interstate

Include 3RM bench press in testing as was shown to be a KPI (Keogh, 1999)

Take a closer look at player positions and physiological determinants

THANK YOU…

ANY QUESTIONS?

Toni Reinikainen0422 639 312

toni@tdrfitness.com

www.tdrfitness.com