Tim is an experienced Osteopath who owns and works at his own clinic, and has been involved with many sports over his career. We sat down with Tim (class of 2024) and heard about his course highlights, experience and how he’s applied his postgraduate strength and conditioning knowledge in his professional life as an osteopath and as the current Strength & Conditioning Coach x Osteopath at the Gisborne Football Netball Club.
Balancing Careers, Family and experience in elite sport through VU and the Western Bulldogs.
His message to anyone considering the course?
“It will challenge you, teach you, and connect you — and ultimately, elevate your career in strength and conditioning.”
Advance your sports science career
Explore sport and exercise science courses and events: the Graduate Certificate in Strength & Conditioning, and the Athletic Performance Summit.
Tim’s background is a blend of healthcare, education, and high-performance sport. He works in a hybrid role at Gisborne Football Netball Club, where he has combined osteopathy and strength & conditioning programming over the past four seasons. He’s also a clinic owner, VU osteopathy tutor, and father to four.
What drew Tim to VU was the chance to be embedded within a professional sporting environment while undertaking academic study tailored to that experience.
“It’s the best course and experience you’ll get in strength and conditioning,” he says. “If you’re considering it, just do it — you won’t regret it.”
Through the program, Tim completed shadow shifts in all four Western Bulldogs football programs (the AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW). Shadow Shifts allow students to observe be immersed in the workings of High Performance functions like rehabilitation, GPS tracking, strength training and testing using VALD equipment. He assisted with warm-ups, gym setup, and some coaching in the gym. Through his engagement and consistent involvement with the opportunity he was able to gain enough hours and apply for ASCA Level 2 accreditation, as well as securing an ongoing role with the VFL program.
“The real-time exposure gave me deep insight into how elite physical performance teams and programs run — from load and injury management to working across departments with coaches, players, and medical teams,” Tim explains. “It brought context to everything I was learning in the classroom.”
The VU Block Model allowed him to balance study with business and family, studying one subject at a time through a modern mix of delivery modes like online, in-person, tutorials and practical sessions. More importantly, it allowed him to apply academic knowledge directly into practice as the course progressed through the four subjects;
- Monitoring Performance and Recovery in Athletes
- Improving Speed Agility and Endurance
- Developing Muscular Strength and Power
- Return to Play
Tim also highlights the invaluable networking opportunities: “I’ve sustained many of the connections I made during the program, and they’ve supported my ongoing career development.”
His message to anyone considering the course?
“It will challenge you, teach you, and connect you — and ultimately, elevate your career in strength and conditioning.”
Advance your sports science career
Explore sport and exercise science courses and events: the Graduate Certificate in Strength & Conditioning, and the Athletic Performance Summit.
“I wanted to enhance my development as a strength and conditioning coach and gain industry experience in Australian Rules football at the highest levels,” he says.
Tim’s background is a blend of healthcare, education, and high-performance sport. He works in a hybrid role at Gisborne Football Netball Club, where he has combined osteopathy and strength & conditioning programming over the past four seasons. He’s also a clinic owner, VU osteopathy tutor, and father to four.
What drew Tim to VU was the chance to be embedded within a professional sporting environment while undertaking academic study tailored to that experience.
“It’s the best course and experience you’ll get in strength and conditioning,” he says. “If you’re considering it, just do it — you won’t regret it.”
Through the program, Tim completed shadow shifts in all four Western Bulldogs football programs (the AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW). Shadow Shifts allow students to observe be immersed in the workings of High Performance functions like rehabilitation, GPS tracking, strength training and testing using VALD equipment. He assisted with warm-ups, gym setup, and some coaching in the gym. Through his engagement and consistent involvement with the opportunity he was able to gain enough hours and apply for ASCA Level 2 accreditation, as well as securing an ongoing role with the VFL program.
“The real-time exposure gave me deep insight into how elite physical performance teams and programs run — from load and injury management to working across departments with coaches, players, and medical teams,” Tim explains. “It brought context to everything I was learning in the classroom.”
The VU Block Model allowed him to balance study with business and family, studying one subject at a time through a modern mix of delivery modes like online, in-person, tutorials and practical sessions. More importantly, it allowed him to apply academic knowledge directly into practice as the course progressed through the four subjects;
- Monitoring Performance and Recovery in Athletes
- Improving Speed Agility and Endurance
- Developing Muscular Strength and Power
- Return to Play
Tim also highlights the invaluable networking opportunities: “I’ve sustained many of the connections I made during the program, and they’ve supported my ongoing career development.”
His message to anyone considering the course?
“It will challenge you, teach you, and connect you — and ultimately, elevate your career in strength and conditioning.”
Advance your sports science career
Explore sport and exercise science courses and events: the Graduate Certificate in Strength & Conditioning, and the Athletic Performance Summit.
With over nine years of experience as an osteopath and four years formally involved in strength and conditioning, Tim McCormick saw Victoria University’s partnership with the Western Bulldogs as a unique opportunity to bridge his clinical expertise with elite-level sport
“I wanted to enhance my development as a strength and conditioning coach and gain industry experience in Australian Rules football at the highest levels,” he says.
Tim’s background is a blend of healthcare, education, and high-performance sport. He works in a hybrid role at Gisborne Football Netball Club, where he has combined osteopathy and strength & conditioning programming over the past four seasons. He’s also a clinic owner, VU osteopathy tutor, and father to four.
What drew Tim to VU was the chance to be embedded within a professional sporting environment while undertaking academic study tailored to that experience.
“It’s the best course and experience you’ll get in strength and conditioning,” he says. “If you’re considering it, just do it — you won’t regret it.”
Through the program, Tim completed shadow shifts in all four Western Bulldogs football programs (the AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW). Shadow Shifts allow students to observe be immersed in the workings of High Performance functions like rehabilitation, GPS tracking, strength training and testing using VALD equipment. He assisted with warm-ups, gym setup, and some coaching in the gym. Through his engagement and consistent involvement with the opportunity he was able to gain enough hours and apply for ASCA Level 2 accreditation, as well as securing an ongoing role with the VFL program.
“The real-time exposure gave me deep insight into how elite physical performance teams and programs run — from load and injury management to working across departments with coaches, players, and medical teams,” Tim explains. “It brought context to everything I was learning in the classroom.”
The VU Block Model allowed him to balance study with business and family, studying one subject at a time through a modern mix of delivery modes like online, in-person, tutorials and practical sessions. More importantly, it allowed him to apply academic knowledge directly into practice as the course progressed through the four subjects;
- Monitoring Performance and Recovery in Athletes
- Improving Speed Agility and Endurance
- Developing Muscular Strength and Power
- Return to Play
Tim also highlights the invaluable networking opportunities: “I’ve sustained many of the connections I made during the program, and they’ve supported my ongoing career development.”
His message to anyone considering the course?
“It will challenge you, teach you, and connect you — and ultimately, elevate your career in strength and conditioning.”
Advance your sports science career
Explore sport and exercise science courses and events: the Graduate Certificate in Strength & Conditioning, and the Athletic Performance Summit.
With over nine years of experience as an osteopath and four years formally involved in strength and conditioning, Tim McCormick saw Victoria University’s partnership with the Western Bulldogs as a unique opportunity to bridge his clinical expertise with elite-level sport
“I wanted to enhance my development as a strength and conditioning coach and gain industry experience in Australian Rules football at the highest levels,” he says.
Tim’s background is a blend of healthcare, education, and high-performance sport. He works in a hybrid role at Gisborne Football Netball Club, where he has combined osteopathy and strength & conditioning programming over the past four seasons. He’s also a clinic owner, VU osteopathy tutor, and father to four.
What drew Tim to VU was the chance to be embedded within a professional sporting environment while undertaking academic study tailored to that experience.
“It’s the best course and experience you’ll get in strength and conditioning,” he says. “If you’re considering it, just do it — you won’t regret it.”
Through the program, Tim completed shadow shifts in all four Western Bulldogs football programs (the AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW). Shadow Shifts allow students to observe be immersed in the workings of High Performance functions like rehabilitation, GPS tracking, strength training and testing using VALD equipment. He assisted with warm-ups, gym setup, and some coaching in the gym. Through his engagement and consistent involvement with the opportunity he was able to gain enough hours and apply for ASCA Level 2 accreditation, as well as securing an ongoing role with the VFL program.
“The real-time exposure gave me deep insight into how elite physical performance teams and programs run — from load and injury management to working across departments with coaches, players, and medical teams,” Tim explains. “It brought context to everything I was learning in the classroom.”
The VU Block Model allowed him to balance study with business and family, studying one subject at a time through a modern mix of delivery modes like online, in-person, tutorials and practical sessions. More importantly, it allowed him to apply academic knowledge directly into practice as the course progressed through the four subjects;
- Monitoring Performance and Recovery in Athletes
- Improving Speed Agility and Endurance
- Developing Muscular Strength and Power
- Return to Play
Tim also highlights the invaluable networking opportunities: “I’ve sustained many of the connections I made during the program, and they’ve supported my ongoing career development.”
His message to anyone considering the course?
“It will challenge you, teach you, and connect you — and ultimately, elevate your career in strength and conditioning.”
Advance your sports science career
Explore sport and exercise science courses and events: the Graduate Certificate in Strength & Conditioning, and the Athletic Performance Summit.
