Page 65 - Tropic Magazine Issue 13

TAIPANS 20 SEASON ANNIVERSARY
TH

and interpreting the workload data
already being collected by the Taipans,”
Dr Guy said.
“Furthermore, the measurement of
sleep behaviours and injury rates
will also provide useful insight into
how workload and sleep (which is an
essential recovery process) influence
injury risk in players.”
While the performance data will be
useful to the Taipans, Dr Guy warned
the club couldn’t simply rely on
this information for a competitive
winning edge.
“Winning is very complex, especially
in basketball, so no single practice can Maria will collate all of the workload
ultimately guarantee a win. However, and sleep data across the Taipans’
access to performance data that season to determine how these factors
can help coaching staff make better interact to impact the risk of sustaining
informed decisions is certainly an overuse injuries.”
advantage,” he explained. Ultimately, Maria and the CQUni team
“Also, given the lack of reported will be able to perform the first research
training load data at the elite level of of its kind in elite basketball in Australia
competition in basketball in Australia, to produce impactful outcomes.
‘normal’ responses are difficult to “In turn, the Taipans will be able to use
identify at present. So, a full season the outcomes in day-to-day practice
of monitoring data will definitely when developing training and recovery
aid in understanding the typical plans for players to reduce injury risk
workloads and sleeping behaviours and optimise workloads.”
faced by players, which can then lead
to improved practices to enhance these
areas as much as possible in future MORE: cqu.edu.au
seasons.”
CQUni has also engaged PhD student
Maria Madueno to assist in the data
analysis. CORPORATE SUPPORT
“Maria is in her first year of her PhD Paying tribute to some of the Taipan’s key backers
and will complete the majority of the
data collection to fulfil her project O’Connor Law
requirements,” Dr Guy explained. O’Connor Law congratulates the Cairns Taipans on its amazing 20 year
“The data have not been extensively anniversary. It’s been our pleasure to be part of the journey, in particular as the
utilised in basketball given the labour lawyers for the club since its reconstitution as a community-based NBL team 10
and expertise required to process and years ago. We wish the Taipans all the best for success in the coming season and
interpret the results, which is simply for the next 20 years ahead.
not available to most clubs in Australia.

65 • tropicnow.com.au