Food for AFL - Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA)

Join SDA

Sports Dietitians Australia Factsheets

Welcome to the Sports Dietitians Australia factsheets! We encourage you to use the factsheets to further your understanding of these specific areas of sports nutrition but please note that the information they contain is general in nature. We all have different physical needs and attributes. This means that while there are general principles, the key to sports nutrition is that it is very individual in nature. For this reason, not all factsheets are publicly available and are accessible only to members. For support that is specific to your activity needs and health and stage of life requirements, please reach out to an Accredited Sports Dietitian.

Resource Hub/Factsheets/ AFL

AFL

As the name suggests, Australian Football is a growing game played in all states and territories of Australia by both males and females. The professional competition for males is known as the AFL and for females as the AFLW. Over the years the sport has attracted a diverse range of athletes, with Gaelic footballers, basketballers and rugby players all making successful transitions into professional AFL.

ABOUT AFL The game consists of four quarters, which in the professional leagues usually vary in length between 28-35 minutes including time added for stoppages in play. Teams consist of 18 player’s on-field and 4 players on the bench, with 90 rotations allowed per game. This means game time will vary between players. Generally, players who cover more kilometers at high speeds will be rotated more frequently. The AFL season runs from March to October, with teams playing w...

Member's Content

Did you know?

Alcohol has been closely linked to the sport of AFL. At the elite level the players are strongly discouraged from drinking alcohol at all, especially when recovery nutrition, hydration, and rest are more important priorities.

Supplements: need to be used in conjunction with advice from experts such as the Fitness Staff or Sports Dietitian. Some have been shown to be effective to enhance performance e.g. sports drinks and sports gels, whereas others may be used by players due to perceived benefit (they feel better) as opposed to proven benefit.