Tertiary studies
- Executive MBA, Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales (Aust), 2019-2021 (expected)
- Master of Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning), Edith Cowan University (Aust), 2009-2010. High Distinction.
- Master of Sports Physiotherapy, La Trobe University (Aust), 2006-2007. High Distinction.
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy (with honours). University of Queensland (Aust), 1995-1998.
- Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics (Honours), Australian National University, 1993.
Elite Sport Teams
- GWS Giants (Australian Football League), Head of Athletic Performance, 2014-present
- Western Force (Rugby Union), Head of Athletic Performance, 2012-2014
- Australian National Rugby Union Team (“The Wallabies”), Physiotherapy Consultant 2013-2014
- Team China (2012) and Team Great Britain (2008) Sports Performance and Medicine Specialist for 2 Olympic Games (London and Beijing)
- Galatasaray SK, Head of High Performance and Rehabilitation, 2009-2010
- Blackburn Rovers FC, Sports Physiotherapist, 2007-2009
- English Institute of Sport, Sports Physiotherapist, 2006-2009
- Saracens Rugby (UK), Sports Physiotherapist, 2003-2006
Key Publications
- High Performance Training For Sports (Human Kinetics), 2014
- Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation: an integration of world class sports medicine and sports science (Routledge), 2015
- Informing in-season tactical periodization in team sport: development of a match difficulty index. Journal of Sports Science, 2014 (with Dr. Sam Robertson).
- Evaluating strategic periodization in team sport. Journal of Sports Science, 2017 (with Dr. Sam Robertson).
- Recovery strategies in elite football, in Recovery for Performance in Sport (Human Kinetics), 2012
- Ankle complex injuries in sport, in Sports Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention (Wiley & Sons), 2010
- Multiple book chapters, articles and conference keynote presentations all over the world.
Achievements:
- Co-wrote the world’s best-selling performance text High Performance Training for Sports, involving over 30 of the world’s top performance coaches.
- Co-wrote an integrated performance rehabilitation text Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation, involving over 50 of the world’s top rehabilitation specialists and performance coaches.
- Founded the interdisciplinary integrated Athletic Performance Unit (APU) at the GWS Giants, in the Australian Football League (26 staff members), which is recognized globally as one of the world’s leading centres of excellence in professional sports training. Led the organization to the most successful period in its history including back-to-back preliminary finals with a winning percentage of 70%.
- Led the development and delivery of an Athletic Performance Department (11 staff members) at Western Force, responsible for delivering significant improvements in athletic capacities (multiple all-time club best records, more than 20 positional best records, and in excess of 100 all-time personal best records across strength, power and fitness domains), whilst achieving a 40% reduction in player injury rates over 24 months. In this time, we became the most successful team in the organisation’s history, despite being the most travelled team in world sport.
- Worked as a senior member of Team GB for 2008 Olympic Games and for Team China for 2012 Olympic Games. Significant and sustained input into performance and rehabilitation programmes of over 300 established international athletes including several World and Olympic champions.
- Development and delivery of entire units of Masters degrees in both Strength + Conditioning and Sports Physiotherapy at internationally renowned universities (Edith Cowan University, Australia, and University of Bath, UK).
Key skills:
- Strategic leadership and cultural optimisation in elite organisations
- Staff and system legacy development to ensure long-term success
- Development, delivery and scaling of world-class high performance programmes
- Injury diagnostics and return to performance rehabilitation
- Relationship development and performance feedback delivery
- Utilisation of data for performance optimization, injury risk reduction, recruitment and horizon scanning
Committees, steering groups and supervisory roles:
- AFL Athlete Tracking Advisory Committee – multiple stakeholders including clubs, governing body, Players Association and commercial partners steering the rollout of league-wide technology projects (2015-present)
- Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) Accredited Sports Science and Accredited High Performance Managers Review Committee (2018- present)
- AFL High Performance Managers Advisory Committee (2015-present)
- Adjunct Fellow, Western Sydney University (2015-present)
- Primary industry supervisor of two strength and exercise science PhD research candidates (2016-present)
- Supervisor of multiple Masters of Sports Physiotherapy students (2010-present)
