AFL fitness, Sports Science and Collingwood!
Has Collingwood got the most amazing sports science program or is AFL success cyclical? How did St Kilda nearly win 22 games in a season? In the end lost a Grand Final by a bounce or two each year! David Buttifant is an awesome sports scientist and fitness specialist. I studied with him and he played AFL and did Track and Field. Smart guy! Real smart and experienced and well resourced. Add the practical background of Michael Dugina and the backroom at PIES and you have a potent mix. Jake Niall wrote an article in the AGE ( June 19) on Collingwood, fitness,substitute rule and ages. An excerpt below:
Feathering the Magpie nest. “Collingwood’s major advantage in a sub rule system lies in the fact that it has a higher fitness level than opponents, and it is able to maintain a higher intensity. To a degree, this is because it has an even spread of talent, but it’s also to do with the natural aerobic base of its players.
This is partly a matter of demographics. Very young teams struggle to run out games – watch the Gold Coast run out of petrol soon. Mature teams, provided they’re not too old, have the benefit of multiple pre-seasons.
Most of Collingwood’s core players – Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas, Dane Swan, Travis Cloke, Heath Shaw, Harry O’Brien, Nick Maxwell, Luke Ball – are in the prime 23-27 age bracket. The more physically vulnerable 28-and-overs – Alan Didak, Chris Tarrant, Ben Johnson, Leon Davis – aren’t as numerous and, in most cases, have good endurance. Youngsters Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams, too, have huge aerobic engines.”
Read more:
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/feathering-the-magpie-nest-20110618-1g994.html#ixzz1Pg52Io2z
Interesting article. BUT! What is a huge aerobic engine? Does Jake mention Repeat Speed! Does Jake mention High Intensity Intermittent fitness? Ability to tolerate lactic? Leg Strength levels that carry players with grunt?
So what is the aerobic base required for AFL? We all know that too much aerobic training slows you down. How then does Swan come on for 6 minutes and explode? They key is a blend of aerobic ability and a unique blend of fitness qualities that allows a player to repeat speed. For example if a player has an aerobic capacity OR tank that is for example a MAXVO2 of 50 ml kg min then that player needs some intervention over a few pre seasons. But when a player has developed a reasonable aerobic base or tank ( for example 59 ml kg min) then the ability to repeat speed and tolerate high anaerobic levels is the key.
Does geelong now live high, train low without getting the initial adaptation of going to Arizona? That would still give you a few % per player that underpins the ability to recover from repeat efforts when resting. Proven.
Without having a clue I think there would be a few teams that would beat Collingwood as a squad in a TAN RUN. Confused? Remember the key is the ability to repeat efforts and speed. Keeping your aerobic capacity topped up will help that for sure. If Dustin Fletcher has to chase opponents all day he struggles to repeat his amazing speed because he is a gifted power athlete. IE His aerobic system is slower at churning out ATP because he hasnt got a “BIG TANK”. But huge aerobic beasts Collingwood? Not sure. Maybe a bit of adaptation from Arizona & LIVE HIGH TRAIN LOW without slow twitch training. A few would be aerobic beasts I think like many teams. But also beasts under the squat rack.
Cameron Ling is an aerobic monster. You would have to camp on Mt Everest and do high knees for a month to achieve his levels. And he can repeat speed. But ,slow speed! Joel Corey is the perfect intermittent sport athlete. Good aerobic capacity, good speed etc. James Hird also was a potent mix. Not elite in any fitness physiological traits but a bit of everything. Good 10m, OK jump, good aerobic etc. But an aerobic beast? No. Maybe a decathlete who could run a 4 15 1500 and 11 sec 100m and throw a shot 14metres.
Tough area sports physiology. Remember. Repeating Speed. Repeating Effort. Could the Brisbane Lions out labour the Collingwood players on a worksite? More confused. Could Gold Coast outrun Collingwood in a 5km run at Surfers Paradise? Probably yes. Confused? Altitude, leg weights, repeat speed. What a mix!
The average MAX VO2 for AFL teams does not alter a lot. The average age of teams is a constant. Other physiological variables alter heaps with teams from preseason to inseason and different programs. And then, then there is RECOVERY. Now that is one thing the PIES do well.
Remember don’t believe everything you read! And go to a specialist if you have a specific medical problem and not a GP. Jake you are a great journo and a budding sports physiologist who needs some work experience to fine tune your understanding of AFL fitness needs.
loris bertolacci 
Are there any really solid doctorines that have come out of the last 30 years of sports science or is everyone using an eclectic mix of this and that with a hit and miss outcome? What are the constants if any?
I think that the understanding of how to manage each individualized athlete hs increased dramatically in 30 years. So how to assess what a player needs is far clearer now. By using testing, assessing games and then planning a long term program.The advances with understanding of RSA and it’s interaction with other factors has generated a huge body of knowledge, which in turn allows the smart operator to make informed decision on an individual. The problem is when simplistic articles are written about a “teams” program and relationship to sports science. The whole thing is multifactorial so if one approaches each individual objectively, it is not hit or miss. Just hit,hit,hit and sometimes miss.
Thanks for the answer! But RSA, what is that?