Watching football in marvellous Melbourne : spectators, barrackers and working class rituals

A study of crowds drawn to Australian football matches in colonial Victoria illuminates key aspects of the code's genesis, development and popularity. Australian football was codified by a middle-class elite that, as in Britain, created forms of mass entertainment that were consistent with the kind of industrial capitalist society they were attempting to organise. But the 'lower orders' were inculcated with traditional British folkways in matters of popular amusement, and introduced a style of 'barracking' for this new code that resisted the hegemony of the elite football administrators. By the end of the colonial period Australian football was firmly entrenched as a site of contestation between plebeian and bourgeois codes of spectating that reflected the social and ethnic diversity of the clubs making up the Victorian competition. Australian football thereby offers a classic vignette in the larger history of 'resistance through ritual'.

The Corio Oval tribe: Geelong Football Club in colonial times

Geelong, Victoria’s second city, has an AFL football club whose culture and identity is closely tied to the city itself. An analysis of its playing group for the colonial period demonstrates that this local tribalism began early. As football became professionalised towards the end of the nineteenth century, country Victoria lost power in relative terms to metropolitan Melbourne: for example, Ballarat’s three main clubs lost their senior status. But Geelong, with its one remaining senior club, prospered and was admitted to the VFL ranks in 1897. The Geelong players were the sons and nephews of the Western District squattocracy and so had access to networks of power and influence. Many attended the prestigious Geelong Grammar School and the worthy Geelong College (in surprisingly equal numbers). They pursued careers both on the land and in professional roles, and maintained the social connections they had built through the club and other local institutions. Despite their elite standing, however, they continued to be regarded by the supporter base as an embodiment of the city and a defence against the city’s Melbourne critics that Geelong was a mere ‘sleepy hollow’.

The Corio Oval Tribe : a prosopographical perspective of the Geelong Football Club in the nineteenth century

This article analyses the occupational and class status of Geelong footballers in the nineteenth century via the methodology of prosopography. Prosopography is an empirical group biography approach to historical research. The article argues that during the period 1859-78 Geelong's playing group was largely derived from the squattocracy and urban middle class. In the later period 1878-96 the Geelong club recruited more widely from the working class, as in keeping with the increased participation of this class in football from the late 1870s. It can be argued that this more diverse group helped establish Geelong as a footballing power.

The effect of previous hamstring strain injuries on the change in eccentric hamstring strength during preseason training in elite Australian footballers

Background Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are the most common injury type in Australian football and the rate of recurrence has been consistently high for a number of years. Long lasting neuromuscular inhibition has been noted in previously injured athletes but it is not known if this influences athletes adaptive response to training. Purpose To determine if elite Australian footballers with a prior unilateral HSI (previously injured group) display lesser improvements in eccentric hamstring strength during pre-season training compared to athletes without a history of HSI (control group). Study design Prospective cohort study. Methods Ninety-nine elite Australian footballers participated (17 with a history of unilateral HSI in the previous 12 month period). Eccentric hamstring strength was assessed at the start and end of pre-season training using an instrumented Nordic hamstring device. Change in eccentric strength across preseason was determine in absolute terms and normalised to start of preseason strength. Start of preseason strength was used as a covariate to control for differences in starting strength. Results The left and right limbs in the control group showed no difference in absolute or relative change (left limb absolute change, 60.7±72.9N; relative change, 1.28±0.34; right limb absolute change, 48.6±83.8N; relative change, 1.24±0.43) . Similarly, the injured and uninjured limbs from the previously injured group showed no difference for either absolute or relative measures of change (injured limb absolute change, 13.1±57.7N; relative change, 1.07±0.18; uninjured limb absolute change, 14.7±54.0N; relative change, 1.07±0.22N). The previously injured group displayed a significantly lesser increase in eccentric hamstring strength across the preseason (absolute change, 13.9±55.0; relative change, 1.07±0.20) compared to the control group (absolute change, 54.6±78.5; relative change, 1.26±0.39) for both absolute and relative measures (p < 0.001), even after controlling for differences in start of pre-season eccentric hamstring strength, which had a significant effect on strength improvement. Conclusion Elite Australian footballers with a unilateral HSI history displayed lesser improvements in eccentric hamstring strength across preseason training. The smaller improvements were not restricted to the previously injured limb as the contralateral limb also displayed similarly small improvements in eccentric strength. Whether this is the cause of or the result of injury remains to be seen, but it has the potential to contribute to the risk of hamstring strain re-injury.

Twelve not so angry men: Masculinities and the perceptions of the 'off-field' violence involved in Australian body contact sports

Recently, media 'scandals' have pervaded a number of Australian body contact sports, in particular rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules football. Utilising the theoretical framework of masculinities, this research interviews footballers to gauge their perceptions of this media attention and how it compares to their own perspectives regarding off-field violence. Drawing inspiration from James Messerschmidt's (2000) 'Nine Lives' study and R.W. Connell's (1995) theoretical masculinities framework, in-depth, semi-structured interviews—known as life histories—were conducted with 12 footballers. Twelve life histories were completed with four men from each of the three major Australian football codes, namely Australian rules football, rugby union and rugby league. The research explores linkages between masculinity, body contact sport and engagement (or lack thereof) in violence 'off field'.

Public-private partnerships in the promotion of sport and well-being : a governance model

This research focuses on exploring the links between sport, Indigenous self determination and deeper engagement within mainstream Australia especially with regard to the issue of promoting healthy lifestyles and the role of governance, through sport governance. Against all social, economic and health criteria Indigenous Australians are disadvantaged – despite government attention and financial input. It is well understood that education is a basis to better health, employment and lifestyle (Furneaux and Brown, 2008). However, many of the issues confronting Indigenous people have not responded to conventional government approaches based on program development and policy initiatives from single organisations (Ryan et al 2006). As a consequence, new approaches that both tap into the specific interests of Indigenous people and better engage them in the process of governance are required. The case material of the research focuses on the Australian Football League (AFL) Kickstart program.

Non-contact ACL injuries : association with clegg soil impact test values for sports fields, soil moisture and prevailing weather

Introduction: There is a recognised relationship between dry weather conditions and increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Previous studies have identified 28 day evaporation as an important weather-based predictor of non-contact ACL injuries in professional Australian Football League matches. The mechanism of non-contact injury to the ACL is believed to increased traction and impact forces between footwear and playing surface. Ground hardness and the amount and quality of grass are factors that would most likely influence this and are inturn, related to the soil moisture content and prevailing weather conditions. This paper explores the relationship between soil moisture content, preceding weather conditions and the Clegg Soil Impact Test (CSIT) which is an internationally recognised standard measure of ground hardness for sports fields. Methodology: The 2.25 kg Clegg Soil Impact Test and a pair of 12 cm soil moisture probes were used to measure ground hardness and percentage moisture content. Five football fields were surveyed at 13 prescribed sites just before seven football matches from October 2008 to January 2009 (an FC Women’s WLeague team). Weather conditions recorded at the nearest weather station were obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology website and total rainfall less evaporation was calculated for 7 and 28 days prior to each match. All non-contact injuries occurring during match play and their location on the field were recorded. Results/conclusions: Ground hardness varied between CSIT 5 and 17 (x10G) (8 is considered a good value for sports fields). Variations within fields were typically greatest in the centre and goal areas. Soil moisture ranged from 3 to 40% with some fields requiring twice the moisture content of others to maintain similar CSIT values. There was a non-linear, negative relationship for ground hardness versus moisture content and a linear relationship with weather (R2, of 0.30 and 0.34, respectively). Three non-contact ACL injuries occurred during the season. Two of these were associated with hard and variable ground conditions.

Fuschias, pivots, same olds, and gorillas

This article describes the inception and evolution of Australian football in Melbourne in the mid nineteenth century. It discusses the venues where the game was played, the occupational status of early players, and the inclusion of working class players and spectators. It also refers to the more successful football clubs at that time, such as Melbourne, Carlton, Geelong, South Melbourne, and Essendon.

The case for Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters by Johnny Warren

If you had to argue for the merits of one Australian book, one piece of writing, what would it be? Welcome to our occasional series in which our authors make the case for a work of their choosing. See the end of this article for information on how to get involved. The late Johnny Warren – also known as Captain Socceroo – was a legend of Australian football. He is fondly remembered as a player, coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster, and the award for the best player in the A-League is named the Johnny Warren Medal. And yet his 2002 biography Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters, an Incomplete Biography of Johnny Warren and Soccer in Australia, which he co-wrote with Andy Harper and Josh Whittington, seems eternally destined to raise eyebrows...

Muscle morphometry of the individual hamstring muscles in semi-elite AFL Players: Preliminary findings from a longitudinal study

Hamstring strains in the Australian Football League (AFL) have a high incidence (15%) and recurrence rate (34%) with lateral hamstring injuries most common (83%). Retrospective studies have found significant muscle volume asymmetries ≤23 months post hamstring injury; however examination of the association between hamstring strains and muscle asymmetry has not been investigated prospectively. This study presents baseline data from a longitudinal study focusing on individual hamstring morphometry in uninjured and injured semi-elite AFL players.

The Contribution of Structured Activity and Deliberate Play to the Development of Expert Perceptual and Decision-Making Skill

The developmental histories of 32 players in the Australian Football League (AFL), independently classified as either expert or less skilled in their perceptual and decision- making skills, were collected through a structured interview process and their year-on-year involvement in structured and deliberate play activities retrospectively determined. Despite being drawn from the same elite level of competition, the expert decision-makers differed from the less skilled in having accrued, during their developing years, more hours of experience in structured activities of all types, in structured activities in invasion-type sports, in invasion-type deliberate play, and in invasion activities from sports other than Australian football. Accumulated hours invested in invasion-type activities differentiated between the groups, suggesting that it is the amount of invasion-type activity that is experienced and not necessarily intent (skill development or fun) or specificity that facilitates the development of perceptual and decision-making expertise in this team sport.

Delayed onset of transversus abdominus in long-standing groin pain

Long-standing groin pain is a persistent problem that is commonly difficult to rehabilitate. Theoretical rationale indicates a relationship between the motor control of the pelvis and long-standing groin pain; however, this link has not been investigated. Purpose: The current experiment aimed to evaluate motor control of the abdominal muscles in a group of Australian football players with and without long-standing groin pain. Methods: Ten participants with long-standing groin pain and 12 asymptomatic controls were recruited for the study. Participants were elite or subelite Australian football players. Fine-wire and surface electromyography electrodes were used to record the activity of the selected abdominal and leg muscles during a visual choice reaction-time task (active straight leg raising). Results: When the asymptomatic controls completed the active straight leg raise (ASLR) task, the transversus abdominus contracted in a feed-forward manner. However, when individuals with long-standing groin pain completed the ASLR task, the onset of transversus abdominus was delayed (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. There were no differences between groups for the onset of activity of internal oblique, external oblique, and rectus abdominus (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: The finding that the onset of transversus abdominus is delayed in individuals with long-standing groin pain is important, as it demonstrates an association between long-standing groin pain and transversus abdominus activation.