Footy's magic pill Bulldogs AFL
Peter Familari and Michael Warner | April 13, 2009
FOOTY has entered the space-age with AFL stars swallowing computer-chip pills in a radical bid to win an edge in the race for the premiership.
Western Bulldogs players have been taking hi-tech pills used by NASA astronauts that monitor internal body temperature.
The capsule -- complete with coils, circuits, transmitters and a battery -- sends a warning signal to a sideline computer when a player is over-heating.
The "radio pill" is expelled from the body within 36 hours of a game.
The pills, approved by AFL bosses as part of a league research study, cost $55 a pop.
The Herald Sun has uncovered a series of other revolutionary devices and gadgets being used by AFL clubs, including:
A DIGITAL treadmill fed with Chris Judd's match-day GPS data that teaches young Carlton players to sprint, surge and jog like the champion midfielder.
BIO-MECHANIC body stickers that send three dimensional image data from a player's arms and legs to improve kicking and handballing techniques.
A REFLEX machine bought from soccer giant Manchester United that improves hand-eye co-ordination skill.
JUMPERS made from stain-free and anti-bacterial fabric to minimise blood-rule interchanges.
NEW paper-thin footy boots made from "flywire technology" used by 100m sprinters at the Beijing Olympics.
LIVE match-day software that can inform coaching staff which players are up or down on their average output and ground coverage.
Despite their image as blue-collar battlers, the Western Bulldogs are leading the way in the hi-tech race.
The Bulldogs gave radio pills to as many as eight players at once in 16 matches last season, compiling crucial information on which players require the most rest and cooling.
They will use the technology again in Darwin for the Round 12 clash against Port Adelaide and in other games played in hot weather.
"It's vital in measuring the core temperature of a player," Bulldogs' sports scientist Dr Robert Aughey said yesterday.
"It helps with cooling strategies and determining which players to interchange."
At least two other AFL clubs are believed to have tested the CorTemp pills, used extensively in the US by grid-iron clubs after a player died from heat-stroke.
The Bulldogs have joined forces with scientists from Victoria University, regarded as Australia's leader in sports analysis and research.
Carlton has installed a $25,000 GPS treadmill at Princes Park.
"We use a GPS Judd wears in a harness under his guernsey to collect information including stoppages and accelerations," spokesman Ian Coutts said.
"The data is loaded into the treadmill's computer and a young player can use it as his program to become an elite midfielder."
The Blues have also bought a reflex machine, spotted at soccer giant Manchester United by coach Brett Ratten on an end of year educational trip.
It offers a series of tests the club believes will improve player reaction time.
Mr Coutts said footy had come a long way from screw-in boots, and woollen jumpers.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25325021-19742,00.html
