Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2020 Oct 1;15(10):1363-1368. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2019-0799.
To develop position-specific career performance trajectories and determine the age of peak performance of professional Australian Football players.
Match performance data (Australian Football League [AFL] Player Rank) were collected for Australian Football players drafted via the AFL National Draft between 1999 and 2015 (N = 207). Players were subdivided into playing positions: forwards (n = 60; age 23 [3] y), defenders (n = 71; age 24 [4] y), midfielders (n = 58; age 24 [4] y), and ruckmen (n = 18; age 24 [3] y). Linear mixed models were fitted to the data to estimate individual career trajectories.
Forwards, midfielders, and defenders experienced peak match performance earlier than ruckmen (24-25 vs 27 y). Midfielders demonstrated the greatest between-subjects variability (intercept 0.580, age 0.0286) in comparison with ruckmen, who demonstrated the least variability (intercept 0.112, age 0.005) in AFL Player Rank throughout their careers. Age had the greatest influence on the career trajectory of midfielders (β [SE] = 0.226 [0.025], T = 9.10, P < .01) and the least effect on ruckmen (β [SE] = 0.114 [0.049], T = 2.30, P = .02).
Professional Australian Football players peak in match performance between 24 and 27 years of age with age, having the greatest influence on the match performance of midfielders and the least on ruckmen.
制定特定位置的职业表现轨迹，并确定澳大利亚职业足球运动员的巅峰表现年龄。
收集了 1999 年至 2015 年期间通过澳大利亚足球联盟（AFL）全国选秀（N = 207）选拔的澳大利亚足球运动员的比赛表现数据（AFL 球员排名）。球员分为以下比赛位置：前锋（n = 60；年龄 23 [3]岁）、后卫（n = 71；年龄 24 [4]岁）、中场球员（n = 58；年龄 24 [4]岁）和中锋（n = 18；年龄 24 [3]岁）。使用线性混合模型拟合数据以估计个人职业轨迹。
与中锋相比，前锋、中场和后卫更早地达到了比赛表现的巅峰（24-25 岁比 27 岁）。与中锋相比，中场球员在 AFL 球员排名中的个体差异最大（截距 0.580，年龄 0.0286），而中锋在整个职业生涯中的个体差异最小（截距 0.112，年龄 0.005）。年龄对中场球员的职业轨迹影响最大（β [SE] = 0.226 [0.025]，T = 9.10，P <.01），对中锋的影响最小（β [SE] = 0.114 [0.049]，T = 2.30，P =.02）。
职业澳大利亚足球运动员的比赛表现巅峰年龄在 24 至 27 岁之间，其中年龄对中场球员的比赛表现影响最大，对中锋的影响最小。
