ABSTRACT
Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) lead to the implementation of strict lockdown measures in 2020 for all residents. Self-isolation rules meant that sporting seasons, such as the typical 23-week Australian Football League (AFL) season were suspended for 12 weeks soon after the season commenced. While popular opinion suggested training limitations associated with lockdownd would have negative effects on athletes' performance, medal tallys in the Olympics and Paralympics indicated otherwise. However, little is known about Australian professional sports. Objective(s): To determine if there was a difference in the rate of non-opponent related ball handling skills errors and contests between a COVID-19 impacted Australian Football League (AFL) season and the season directly preceding it. Design(s): Cohort study. Method(s): Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected cohort data from 23 professional male Australian footballers from a single club. Twelve variables were extracted from Champion Data. Variables representing skill errors were: ineffective kick, ineffective handball, missed tackle, ineffective ground kick, clanger kick and clanger handball. Variables representeing contested possessions were: contested mark, contested knock on, gathers from a hit out, hard-ball gets, loose-ball gets and crumbs. The number of events per game per player were extracted and then normalised to events per minute played for both seasons. Generalised estimating equations using a linear scale response were fitted for each variable to compare a COVID-19 impacted season (2020) with the season preceding it (2019). Result(s): As compared with the 2019 season, there were more errors and more contested possessions per minute played in the 2020 season. Of the skill errors, there was a significant difference between the 2019 and 2020 seasons for clanger handballs (0.001 events/minute played [95% CI=0.000, 0.002], p=0.049), clanger kicks (0.002 events/minute played [0.001, 0.004], p=0.005), missed tackles (0.002 events/minute played [0.011, 0.013], p=0.024) and ineffective ground kicks (0.003 events/minute played [0.001, 0.013], p=0.001). Of the contested possessions there was significant differences between the 2019 and 2020 seasons for contested knock ons (0.002 events/minute played [0.000, 0.003], p=0.015). contested marks (0 events/minute played [0.000, 0.004] p=0.019), crumbs (0.003 events/minute played [0.001, 0.005] p=0.006) and gather from hit-outs (0.007 events/minute played [0.001, 0.013] p=0.021).There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 years when considering ineffective kicks, ineffective handballs, hard-ball gets or loose-ball gets. Discussion(s): The rates of both positive and negative aspects of the game were increased in 2020, with some markers of successful competition increasing by up to 48% relative to the 2019 season. The reasons for this are yet to be explored and may reflect a general advancement of the game or be a consequence of the logistical changes required by COVID-19. Impact: Despite the unlikeliness of future global pandemics halting professional sports, it is possible that the need for playing hubs, shortened seasons and reduced game-times may happen again. Our study indicates that the impact of such changes is likely to have both positive and negative effects on player performance, rather than being purely negative. Conflict of interest statement: I can confirm that my co-authors and I acknowledge that we have no conflict of relevance to the submission of this and there was no financial input for this project. Copyright © 2022