Have a look at some of the latest sport science research in maturity and its effects on talent identification in Australian football for this edition on Scientific Reads. The article is entitled: The confounding effect of biological maturity on talent identification and selection within youth Australian football (Toum et al., 2021). See abstract and link to the article below.
ABSTRACT
This study measured the influence of biological maturity across numerous performance parameters for
talent identification in Australian football. Anthropometry, estimated maturity status using a maturity
ratio from anthropometric measurements and chronological age, motor competence, physical fitness
and small-sided match involvements of 227 U13-U15 high-level academy athletes were assessed.
Multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant moderate effects of maturity status on physical
fitness (p = 0.008, ES = 0.07) and significant large effects on anthropometry (p = 0.001, ES = 0.20), but not
on motor competence or match involvements. Univariate analyses of variance demonstrated significant
large effects of maturity on anthropometry, but only one subset of physical fitness (i.e. lower-body
power). U15 players selected into a U16 development programme were biologically older than deselected
players, despite selection being independent of maturity when a categorical descriptor was used. This
study confirms that maturation affects anthropometry and certain measures of physical fitness in youth
Australian football players, but not match involvements and motor competence. Furthermore, a player’s
maturity could affect selection and progression into advanced academy programmes. Involvements and
motor competence should be included in multidimensional assessment batteries for Australian Football
as they appear less confounded by maturity than fitness and anthropometry.