At the Western Bulldogs Round 12 clash against Geelong Cats, on Saturday 3 June 2023, students had the chance to step beyond the sidelines and attend a pre-game inner-sanctum experience.

There is nothing quite like the run-up to an AFL game, with timing down to the minute and players eager to get out there. Post-graduate students were hosted by High Performance team staff, Mat Inness and Des O’Sullivan in the teams changerooms as the pair oversaw the players individual warm-ups.

Staff shared their insights for athlete preparation on game day, and what their role entails in the lead up to the first siren. Students had the opportunity to observe the players warm-up and ask questions of staff about their approach and reasoning.

The group followed the team out onto the field of Marvel Stadium, to watch the on-field warm-up. In front of a record crowd of over 41,000, the experience of being so close to the pre-game action was indescribable for the exclusive group.

To round out the inner sanctum experience, the Strength & Conditioning student group formed part of the Western Bulldogs Guard of Honour. It was incredible to be flanking the team as they entered the field and see them run through the banner.

Students took immense value from the extracurricular experience and insights observed of the High Performance team. This unparalleled access to the behind-the-scenes action complemented their learnings from Shadow Shifts in the AFL, VFL and VFLW football programs. Additionally supporting their learning through coursework taught by Victoria University, over four unit of study.

If you’d like to gain industry experience through studying with the Western Bulldogs, explore the Graduate Certificate of Strength & Conditioning course on our website today.