Combine performance, draft position and playing position are poor predictors of player career outcomes in the Australian Football League.

Physical testing-based draft combines are undertaken across various sporting codes to inform talent selection. To determine the explanatory power of the Australian football league (AFL) draft combine, participants drafted between 1999-2016 (n = 1488) were assessed. Testing performance, draft selection order and playing position, AFL matches played, AFL player ranking points and AFL player rating points were collected as career outcomes.

Transferring an Analytical Technique from Ecology to the Sport Sciences.

Background: Learning transfer is defined as an individual's capability to apply prior learnt perceptual, motor, or conceptual skills to a novel task or performance environment. In the sport sciences, learning transfers have been investigated from an athlete-specific perspective. However, sport scientists should also consider the benefits of cross-disciplinary learning to aid critical thinking and metacognitive skill gained through the interaction with similar quantitative scientific disciplines.

Non-metric multidimensional performance indicator scaling reveals seasonal and team dissimilarity within the National Rugby League.

Objectives: Analysing the dissimilarity of seasonal and team profiles within elite sport may reveal the evolutionary dynamics of game-play, while highlighting the similarity of individual team profiles. This study analysed seasonal and team dissimilarity within the National Rugby League (NRL) between the 2005 to 2016 seasons.

Design: Longitudinal.

Classification of playing position in elite junior Australian football using technical skill indicators.

​In team sport, classifying playing position based on a players' expressed skill sets can provide a guide to talent identification by enabling the recognition of performance attributes relative to playing position. Here, elite junior Australian football players were a priori classified into 1 of 4 common playing positions; forward, midfield, defence, and ruck. Three analysis approaches were used to assess the extent to which 12 in-game skill performance indicators could classify playing position.

Evolution of game-play in the Australian Football League from 2001 to 2015.

This study investigated the evolution of game-play manifested via team performance indicator characteristics in the Australian Football League (AFL) from the 2001 to 2015 seasons. The mean values for 18 performance indicators were collated for every AFL team over 15-seasons. A multivariate analysis was used to uncover temporal trends in the dataset.

The use of player physical and technical skill match activity profiles to predict position in the Australian Football League draft.

This study investigated the extent to which position in the Australian Football League (AFL) national draft is associated with individual game performance metrics. Physical/technical skill performance metrics were collated from all participants in the 2014 national under 18 (U18) championships (18 games) drafted into the AFL (n = 65; 17.8 ± 0.

Phenological decoupling of mortality from wave forcing in kelp beds.

Kelps often live in a harsh hydrodynamic environment where wave-driven dislodgement of individuals can alter the biodiversity and functioning of reef systems, and increase production in coastal ecosystems adjacent to reefs. The current paradigm is that winter storms tear kelps from reefs once hydrodynamic forces exceed attachment or tissue strength--a threshold response that implies a pulsed relationship between wave forces and dislodgement. Here, we challenge this understanding by showing how kelp phenology can decouple susceptibility to dislodgement from seasonal patterns in wave forces.

Predicting playing status in junior Australian Football using physical and anthropometric parameters.

Objectives: To use physical and anthropometric parameters to predict playing status in junior Australian Football.

Design: Cross-sectional observational.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the under 18 competition within the West Australian Football League and classified into two groups; elite (state representative; n=50; 17.

Augmenting pancreatic anastomosis during whipple operation with fibrin glue: a beneficial technical modification?

Introduction: Various techniques have been described to try and reduce the rate of anastomotic leak following pancreaticoduodenectomy, which remains a challenge for pancreatic surgeons worldwide. We outline a technique to reinforce the pancreatic anastomosis with a double layer of fibrin glue between suture lines.

Methods: Our technique for pancreatic anastomosis is described in detail.

Two decades of percutaneous transjejunal biliary intervention for benign biliary disease: a review of the intervention nature and complications.

Objective: To assess outcomes of percutaneous transjejunal biliary intervention (PTJBI) in terms of success and effectiveness in patients with a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy for benign biliary strictures and stones.

Methods: Clinical and radiographic records of 63 patients with a Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy or hepaticojejunostomy for benign disease who underwent at least one PTJBI between 1986 and 2007 were reviewed. Effectiveness was determined by successful access rate, rates of stricture dilatation and/or stone extraction, morbidity, complications and hospitalisation.

Management of blunt and penetrating biliary tract trauma.

Background: Penetrating or blunt injury to the biliary tree remains a rare complication of trauma occurring in 0.1% of trauma admissions. Because of the different presentations, sites of biliary tract injury, and associated organ injury, there are many possible management pathways to be considered.

Lobar and segmental liver atrophy associated with hilar cholangiocarcinoma and the impact of hilar biliary anatomical variants: a pictorial essay.

The radiological features of lobar and segmental liver atrophy and compensatory hypertrophy associated with biliary obstruction are important to recognise for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. Atrophied lobes/segments reduce in volume and usually contain crowded dilated bile ducts extending close to the liver surface. There is often a "step" in the liver contour between the atrophied and non-atrophied parts.

Management of duodenal adenomatosis in FAP: single centre experience.

Duodenal and ampullary carcinoma in familial adenomatosis (FAP) is the third leading cause of FAP related deaths. Management of this condition is a challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of multiple targeted endoscopic biopsies and macroscopic appearance as the major determinants for surgical intervention.

A two-phase model for smoothly joining disparate growth phases in the macropodid Thylogale billardierii.

Generally, sigmoid curves are used to describe the growth of animals over their lifetime. However, because growth rates often differ over an animal's lifetime a single curve may not accurately capture the growth. Broken-stick models constrained to pass through a common point have been proposed to describe the different growth phases, but these are often unsatisfactory because essentially there are still two functions that describe the lifetime growth.

Centralization and the relationship between volume and outcome in knee arthroplasty procedures.

Background: Centralization aims to reduce adverse patient outcomes by concentrating complex surgical procedures in specified hospitals.

Objectives: This review assessed the efficacy of centralization for knee arthroplasty by examining the relationship between hospital and surgeon volume and patient outcomes.

Data Sources And Review Methods: The systematic review identified studies using multiple databases, including Medline and Embase.

Radical prostatectomy: a systematic review of the impact of hospital and surgeon volume on patient outcome.

Background: To assess the impact of hospital and surgeon volume on mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay and costs of radical prostatectomy (RP).

Methods: This systematic review identified relevant studies published between 1997 and June 2007. Inclusion of papers was established through application of a predetermined protocol, independent assessment by two reviewers, and a final consensus decision.

Systematic review of the impact of volume of oesophagectomy on patient outcome.

Purpose: This systematic review aims to assess whether overall survival, mortality, morbidity, length of stay and cost of performing oesophagectomy are related to surgical volume.

Methods: A systematic search strategy from 1997 until December 2006 was used to retrieve relevant studies. Inclusion of articles was established through application of a predetermined protocol, independent assessment by two reviewers and a final consensus decision.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy: does preoperative biliary drainage, method of pancreatic reconstruction or age influence perioperative outcome? A retrospective study of 104 consecutive cases.

Background: Whether preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) is beneficial in reducing complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy is controversial. There remains a reluctance to consider pancreaticoduodenectomy in older patients. The major source of morbidity and potential mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy is pancreatic fistula, which is caused by difficulties associated with the pancreatic anastomosis.

Accuracy of computed tomographic intravenous cholangiography (CT-IVC) with iotroxate in the detection of choledocholithiasis.

To determine the accuracy of computed tomographic intravenous cholangiography (CT-IVC) for detection of choledocholithiasis. Sixty-five patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) underwent CT-IVC prior to ERC, using a single detector helical CT following intravenous infusion of 100 ml iotroxate. Patients with bilirubin levels >3 times normal were excluded.

Role of radiology in the treatment of malignant hilar biliary strictures 2: 10 years of single-institution experience with percutaneous treatment.

We reviewed the results of percutaneous intervention of hilar biliary malignancy over a 10-year period at a single institution: the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Ninety-nine patients (100 treated in total) were included. Information was retrieved by retrospective examination of patient notes and radiology, combined with interviews with family and relevant physicians.

Recognition and management of biliary complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Introduction: Injuries to the extrahepatic biliary tree at laparoscopic cholecystectomy cause major morbidity and are a major source of litigation. Injuries are often diagnosed late, leading to further complications and decreasing the chance of a successful repair.

Methods: A prospective study was carried out of all patients with extrahepatic biliary injuries from cholecystectomy who were referred to the surgeons of the Universities of Melbourne Hepatobiliary Group between 1997 and 1999.

Chronic sciatica secondary to retroperitoneal pelvic schwannoma.

Pelvic schwannoma is a rare cause of sciatic pain. We report a case of retroperitoneal pelvic schwannoma presenting with chronic sciatica which was diagnosed and monitored radiologically for several years before successful surgical resection.