ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aimed to quantify and compare the match running movements of elite (AFLW) and sub-elite (VFLW) women’s Australian Football (AF) competitions. Methods: Match running movements (GPS) were recorded during 7 AFLW (n = 91 files) and 13 VFLW (n = 263 files) competition matches. Results: AFLW players covered moderately greater relative high-speed running (HSR, 14.4–18.0 km·h−1, AFLW 14.9 ± 5.7 m·min−1; VFLW 12.2 ± 3.9 m·min−1; ES = 0.61, ±0.39), very high-speed running (VHSR, 18.0–20.0 km·h−1, 4.2 ± 2.0 m·min−1; 3.2 ± 1.4 m·min−1; ES = 0.61, ±0.14), and sprint (>20 km·h−1, 3.3 ± 2.2 m·min−1; 2.1 ± 1.6 m·min−1; ES = 0.65, ±0.16) distances than VFLW players. Small to large differences were apparent within positions between competitions for HSR, VHSR, and sprint distances, most notably in small forwards (ES = 0.78–1.45). VHSR and sprint distances decreased in the fourth quarter when compared with quarters one and two (ES = 0.22–0.33) in the AFLW competition, whereas VFLW match running movements remained consistent across quarters. Conclusions: These differences may reflect the variations in match rules between competitions (fewer on-field players and shorter match time in AFLW), providing greater on-field space per player and interchange frequency. This information can assist in prescribing appropriate training for women’s AF competition.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.