Player activity profiles of match play provide valuable information for optimal athlete training prescriptions, competition strategies, and managing load and recovery and are currently lacking in elite Australian-league (A-League) soccer. The aims of the study were, therefore, to (a) determine match activity profiles for elite A-League soccer players and make match-half and positional comparisons and (b) examine the effect of situational factors including evolving match status (drawing, winning, or losing) and goals being scored and conceded on selected match activity profile variables. Global positioning system tracking devices were used to determine activity profiles of 19 elite male adult soccer players during 8 preseason matches (n = 95 files). Total distance, average speed, high-intensity running (HIR) distance, and very high-intensity running distance decreased from the first to the second half by 7.92, 9.47, 10.10, and 10.99%, respectively. Midfielders covered 11.69% more total distance, 28.08% more HIR distance, and had a 10.93% higher average speed than defenders (p ≤ 0.05; d = 1.90, 1.03, and 1.83, respectively). Attackers performed 27.50 and 30.24% less medium accelerations than defenders and midfielders, respectively (p < 0.01; d = 1.54, and 1.73). When the team was winning, average speed was 4.17% lower than when the team was drawing (p ≤ 0.05, d = 0.32). Scoring or conceding goals did not appear to affect HIR. This study adds to limited knowledge of match demands in elite A-League soccer. The match activity profiles provide descriptive benchmarks that could be used to make comparisons with other elite level soccer populations while also providing a framework for game-specific training prescription, competition strategy, and load management. The generalization that defenders experience a relatively lower match load may be questionable given their relatively high acceleration and deceleration demands.

The cycle-ergometer sprint test described in this study offers a novel method of neuromuscular-fatigue monitoring in team-sport athletes and specifically quantifies the concentric component of the fatigue-induced decrement of force production in muscle, which may be overlooked by a CMJ test.

The findings indicate that an increase in player load during AFL preseason match play resulted in compromised postmatch mucosal immunological function. Longitudinal assessment of AFL-match player load and mucosal immunological function across the first 60 h of recovery may augment monitoring and preparedness strategies for athletes.

Reference class forecasting (RCF) is increasingly being adopted to mitigate two main factors causing persistent cost overruns in infrastructure projects-optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation. In practice, organizations tend to tailor generic estimating approaches to their unique operating environments by developing hybrid approaches blending RCF with other approaches such as the conventional fixed contingency approach. Yet, little empirical evidence exists on the accuracy of RCF or its variations. This study presents the results of estimation accuracy of a sample of road projects conducted by an Australian State Road & Traffic Authority using a hybrid estimating approach blending primarily RCF with fixed contingency approach. The results are then compared with historical results from literature on infrastructure projects and samples of two other dominant estimation methods, namely, the conventional fixed contingency approach and risk-based estimating (RBE). This study finds that the average accuracy of this sample using the hybrid approach compares favorably to historical results, which typically use the fixed contingency approach.

Given the importance of ensuring athletes train and compete in a nonfatigued state, reliable tests are required to regularly monitor fatigue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of a cycle ergometer to measure peak power during short maximal sprint cycle efforts in running-based team sport athletes. Fourteen professional male Australian rules footballers performed a sprint cycle protocol during 3 separate trials, with each trial separated by 7 days. The protocol consisted of a standardized warm-up, a maximal 6-second sprint cycle effort, a 1-minute active recovery, and a second maximal 6-second sprint cycle effort. Peak power was recorded as the highest power output of the 2 sprint cycle efforts. Absolute peak power (mean ± SD) was 1502 ± 202, 1498 ± 191, and 1495 ± 210 W for trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The mean coefficient of variation, intraclass correlation coefficient, and SE of measurement for peak power between trials was 3.0% (90% confidence intervals [CIs] = 2.5-3.8%), 0.96 (90% CIs = 0.91-0.98), and 39 W, respectively. The smallest worthwhile change for relative peak power was 6.0%, which equated to 1.03 W·kg⁻¹. The cycle ergometer sprint test protocol described in this study is highly reliable in elite Australian rules footballers and can be used to track meaningful changes in performance over time, making it a potentially useful fatigue-monitoring tool.