A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Handballing in Australian Rules Football Lucy Jane Victoria Parrington Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement and Health Studies) Bachelor of Health Science (Human Movement) (Honours) Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living College of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 2014 i Abstract Skilled sports performance demands technical and perceptual-cognitive expertise. A true understanding of any one skill requires an examination of both factors. This thesis aimed to determine the biomechanical and perceptual-motor underpinnings of the Australian football handball through the use of performance analysis, biomechanics and motor learning. A novel performance analysis system assessed 12 in- game technical, decision-making and environmental factors of handball executions. Each factor was coded in detail using between two and six category levels. The application of this system revealed that efficiency was higher when players were square, passing forward and in a knees-bent or running stance, and lower when players were under higher pressure, had fewer passing options available, were positioned in the offensive zone, and after indirectly receiving the ball. Performance analysis directed the choice of skill execution and biomechanical parameters for the subsequent three studies. The next stage of this thesis used three-dimensional biomechanics to analyse handballing technique for speed and accuracy with preferred and non-preferred hands. Factors identified as influential for performance included shoulder and elbow joint motion and hand path. The preferred-arm movement pattern involved greater use of the trunk and arm. Canonical correlation evaluated the combined factors of speed and accuracy identifying a parameter of importance (elbow range), which was not evident when speed and accuracy were analysed independently. Building on the biomechanical knowledge, the thesis then proceeded to understanding the perceptual-motor components of the skill, using two studies. This was achieved with a novel 360° stimulus-response task, which manipulated task complexity using both auditory and visual stimuli. Overall, the two studies showed kinematic and response time differences between stimulus modalities and between levels of cognitive complexity. A highlight of ii this thesis is the use of three sports-science disciplines, which included performance analysis, biomechanics and motor learning. The work provides contributions to each discipline, and illustrates the value of a multidisciplinary approach. Specifically, the design of this programme of study and its phased use of disciplines provides a framework for future work that similarly attempts to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of skill. The outcome of this approach is the high quality of applicable information for testing and training of the skill. iii Student Declaration I, Lucy Jane Victoria Parrington, declare that the PhD thesis entitled A multidisciplinary analysis of handballing in Australian Football is no more than 100,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This thesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own work. Signature Date iv Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to acknowledge and thank my supervisors Dr Kevin Ball and Dr Clare MacMahon for their tireless work and patience. I would like to thank you both for the overall experiences I have gained throughout this period of time. The lessons I have learned from you have stretched far beyond the PhD experience. The knowledge, support, encouragement and overall guidance that you have provided has been an inspiration, and I was blessed to have such a good pair of academics who have genuinely put up with me over this period. I would like to acknowledge the role that the Western Bulldogs Football Club played in their support with this research. I am very grateful for the opportunity that I had based around the Victoria University - Western Bulldogs connection. Thank you to the staff for their support and the playing group for their participation. I’d also like to acknowledge and thank the players of the Melbourne Demons Football Club who participated. Thank you to Robert Stokes tor the assistance in creating the targets and LabView code to control them, as well as teaching me other skills such as how to weld and work with circuitry. I credit my sanity to the network of friends that I have had working alongside me - mainly Giblin, Megs, EP – your friendship goes far beyond balcony drinks, and I hope that we maintain this network as we all move out into the real world. Tor and Mel also deserve a mention, as do the crew that reside at Whitten Oval. A big thankyou to all the RAs who have helped in one way or another when I didn’t have enough hands. To my family and friends: Mum and dad, you have always had unwavering belief in my abilities. Thankyou for all the opportunities you have provided me with. To Michael and Persis, thankyou for your support when I moved here and your support since. To John and Kate, for your random phone calls and time out in Sydney, I look forward to getting up to Sydney a little more often in the future. To Dan, Sil and Joey, you guys have been great friends – thanks for putting up with my impromptu dinner dates and for understanding when I have had to bail on plans. Cat & Merri – thank you for being so understanding when I return your calls so terribly late – I hope someday we live in the same state again – I miss you guys. To the Haas’ – for so eagerly helping me proof read. Finally, to Zak, for believing in me and all the support you have given me over the last couple years. v List of Publications and Awards Publications in peer reviewed journals Parrington, L., Ball, K., & MacMahon, C. (2013). Game-based analysis of handball in Australian football. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 13(3), 759-772. Parrington, L., Ball, K., & MacMahon, C. (2014). Kinematics of preferred and non- preferred handballing in Australian football. Journal of Sports Sciences. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2014.921830. Parrington, L., Ball, K., & MacMahon, C. (2014). Kinematics of a striking task: Accuracy and speed-accuracy considerations. Journal of Sports Sciences. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2014.942685. Parrington, L., Ball, K., & MacMahon, C. (In Press). Biomechanical characteristics of handballing maximally in Australian football. Sports Biomechanics. Parrington, L., MacMahon, C., & Ball, K. (In Press). How task complexity and stimulus modality affect motor execution: Target accuracy, response timing and hesitations. Journal of Motor Behavior. Peer reviewed published conference publications Parrington, L., Ball, K., MacMahon, C., & Taylor, S. (2009). Biomechanical analysis of the handball in Australian football. In A. J. Harrison, R. Anderson, & I. Kenny (Eds.), Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports, Ireland: University of Limerick. vi Parrington, L., Ball, K., & MacMahon, C. (2012). Square to the target? Coaching cues and technical analysis of the Australian football handball. In E.J. Bradshaw, A. Burnett, & P.A. Hume (Eds.), Proceedings from the 30th International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports (pp. 158-161), Melbourne: Australian Catholic University Parrington, L., Ball, K., & MacMahon, C. (2013). The use of canonical correlation analysis to evaluate sporting performance with more than one dependent variable. Chinese Journal of Sports Biomechanics, 5(S1), 277-281. Parrington, L., MacMahon, C., & Ball, K. (2014). Read and react: Effects of task complexity on motor skill execution. In K. Sato, W.A. Sands, & S. Mizuguchi (Eds.), Proceedings from the 32nd International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports (pp. 85-88), Johnson City: East Tennessee State University Peer reviewed published conference abstracts Parrington, L., Ball, K., & MacMahon, C. (2013). The effects of cognitive loading on target accuracy, timing and hesitations in elite Australian footballers. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 35(S1), 106. Conference presentations 2012 Square to the target? Coaching cues and technical analysis of the Australian football handball at the 30th International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports, Melbourne, Australia 2013 The effects of cognitive loading on target accuracy, timing and hesitations in elite Australian footballers at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, New Orleans, USA vii 2013 The use of canonical correlation analysis to evaluate sporting performance with more than one dependent variable at the 31th International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports, Taipei, Taiwan 2014 Read and react: Effects of task complexity on motor skill execution at the 32nd International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports, Johnson City, USA Industry reports Parrington, L., MacMahon, C., and Ball, K. (2008). Game-based handball analysis. Technical Report for the Western Bulldogs Football Club. Parrington, L., MacMahon, C., and Ball, K. (2009). Game-based handball analysis: 2009 Update. Technical Report for the Western Bulldogs Football Club. Parrington, L., MacMahon, C., and Ball, K. (2009). Analysis