Some Economic Effects of Changes to Gate-Sharing Arrangements in the Australian Football League

Whilst gate revenue as a source of revenue for the (member-owned win-maximising) clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL) is relatively small and declining as a proportion, it is still an important source of revenue difference between clubs, and potentially their on-field playing performance. Until 2000, gate revenue was shared between the home and away teams (after the deduction of match expenses), after which the policy was changed to allow the home team to keep all of the (net) gate receipts. In the AFL, membership income, reserved seat and corporate box income has never been shared, but the league does share the revenue from key income streams such as national TV broadcast rights (there is no local TV revenue), corporate sponsorship and finals.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

This paper begins with a brief review of the evolution of the unique brand of Australian football and the development of a fully-professional and national Australian Football League (AFL) comprising 16 clubs from the Victorian Football League (VFL) formed in 1897. Analysis of clubs' finances and stated objectives suggest that AFL clubs are win-maximisers (subject to breaking even financially) rather than profit maximisers. The win-maximising objective stems from the nature of club ownership. Of the 16 clubs, ten are owned by their members, one is shareholder-owned, four are owned by their respective state football Commissions and one licence is held by the AFL. The objectives of the league and the changes in its governance are also discussed. The history of labour market devices and revenue sharing rules the VFL/AFL has used to try to increase competitive balance is outlined. Six different periods between 1897 and 2003 are identified and the different levels of competitive balance are calculated for each year and then matched against the devices and rules used in each period. It is suggested that the high levels of competitive balance achieved in the VFL/AFL in the most recent period could well be the result of the introduction of both a national player draft and team salary cap.Australian Football League (AFL); economic development; competitive balance; club ownership; club objectives; league objectives; league governance; player draft; salary cap.

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThe blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits entry of most molecules into the brain and complicates the development of brain-targeting compounds, necessitating novel BBB models. This dissertation describes the first microfluidic BBB model allowing the study of BBB properties in relation to various chemical compounds by enabling tunable wall shear stress (WSS) via dynamic fluid flow, cell-cell interaction through a thin co-culture membrane, time-dependent delivery of test compounds, and integration of sensors into the system, resulting in significant reduction of reagents and cells required and shorter cell seeding time. Use of parallel channels first enabled simultaneous monitoring of multiple cell populations under a wide range (~x15) of WSS. The microfluidic model formed the BBB by incorporating brain endothelial (b.End3) and glial (C6/C8D1A) cells at the intersection of two crossing microchannels, respectively representing luminal and abluminal sides, fabricated in a transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate utilizing high-precision soft lithography techniques. The utilized cells were adopted from immortalized cells for high consistency over repeated passages and pure and proliferative culture. The developed microfluidic BBB model was validated by (1) expression of tight junction protein ZO-1 and glial protein GFAP by fluorescence imaging, and P-gp activity by Calcein AM, confirming key BBB proteins; (2) high trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) of co-cultures exceeding 250Ωcm2 confirming sufficiently contiguous cell layer formation; (3) chemically-induced barrier modulation, with transient TEER loss by 150μM histamine (~50% for 8-15min), and increase in permeability at elevated pH (10.0); (4) size-dependent (668-70,000Da) compound permeability mimicking in vivo trends; and (5) highly linear correlation (R2>0.85) of clearance rates of seven selected neural drugs with in vivo brain/plasma ratios. We demonstrated the effects of WSS (0-86dyn/cm2) on bEnd.3 properties under increasing WSS, including increase in (6) TEER, (7) cell re-alignment toward flow direction, and (8) protein expression of ZO-1/P-gp, and (9) decrease in tracer permeability. The developed in vitro microfluidic BBB model provides distinct advantages for monitoring and modulating barrier functions and prediction of compound permeability. Thus, it would provide an innovative platform to study mechanisms and pathology of barrier function as well as to assess novel pharmaceuticals early in development for their BBB clearance capabilities

Single shot, temporally and spatially resolved measurements of fast electron dynamics using a chirped optical probe

A new approach to rear surface optical probing is presented that permits multiple, time-resolved 2D measurements to be made during a single, ultra-intense ( > 1018 W cm−2) laser-plasma interaction. The diagnostic is capable of resolving rapid changes in target reflectivity which can be used to infer valuable information on fast electron transport and plasma formation at the target rear surface. Initial results from the Astra-Gemini laser are presented, with rapid radial sheath expansion together with detailed filamentary features being observed to evolve during single shots

The Economic Development of the Australian Football League

This paper begins with a brief review of the evolution of the unique brand of Australian football and the development of a fully-professional and national Australian Football League (AFL) comprising 16 clubs from the Victorian Football League (VFL) formed in 1897. Analysis of clubs' finances and stated objectives suggest that AFL clubs are win-maximisers (subject to breaking even financially) rather than profit maximisers. The win-maximising objective stems from the nature of club ownership. Of the 16 clubs, ten are owned by their members, one is shareholder-owned, four are owned by their respective state football Commissions and one licence is held by the AFL. The objectives of the league and the changes in its governance are also discussed. The history of labour market devices and revenue sharing rules the VFL/AFL has used to try to increase competitive balance is outlined. Six different periods between 1897 and 2003 are identified and the different levels of competitive balance are calculated for each year and then matched against the devices and rules used in each period. It is suggested that the high levels of competitive balance achieved in the VFL/AFL in the most recent period could well be the result of the introduction of both a national player draft and team salary cap

A citizen science study of short physical activity breaks at school:Improvements in cognition and wellbeing with self-paced activity

Background School-based physical activity and running programmes, such as The Daily Mile™, are increasing in popularity globally. The aim of this research was to examine the acute impact of such classroom physical activity breaks on cognition and affective wellbeing. Methods A total of 5463 school pupils from 332 schools took part in a citizen science project with a repeated measures design. They completed tasks of cognition (inhibition, verbal, and visuo-spatial working memory) and the Children’s Feeling Scale and Felt Arousal Scale before and after three different outdoor activities: a classroom break of 15 min of self-paced activity, a near maximal exhaustion activity (the bleep test), and a no-exercise control group where pupils sat or stood outside. Wellbeing and fitness were examined as mediators of the relationship between outdoor activity and cognition. Results Fifteen minutes of self-paced outdoor activity was beneficial for pupils’ cognition and wellbeing in comparison to both other activities (Cohen’s d effect sizes ranging from 0.04 to 0.22; small). The relationship with cognition was not mediated by participants’ fitness level and was only partially mediated by wellbeing. Change scores for alertness were higher after the bleep test compared to the control activity but similar for all other outcomes. Conclusions Taking a break from the classroom to complete 15 min of self-paced physical activity should be considered a worthwhile activity by class teachers, school management, and policymakers. Additionally, more intense physical activity should not be considered to be detrimental

Alfven-Wave Studies On Pretext

Fusion Research Cente

The impact of the Daily Mile on Primary School Children

The Daily Mile is a physical activity programme through which primary-aged children run or walk for 15 minutes every day, at a self-selected pace. First developed at St Ninians Primary, Stirling, in 2012, the initiative has grown in popularity nationally and internationally, initially driven by anecdotally reported benefits of participation. The Scottish Government’s Programme for Scotland 2017-18, A Nation with Ambition, sets out plans for Scotland to become the world’s first ‘Daily Mile nation’. In August 2017, Ministers wrote to schools, nurseries, colleges and universities urging them to take up the challenge. The concept is easily adaptable in a nation facing significant public health challenges. As outlined in the Scottish Government’s policy paper Public Health Priorities for Scotland (2018), two thirds of adults in Scotland are overweight, with the total economic cost of obesity to Scotland estimated to be as much as £4.6 billion. The paper states that action on Scotland’s public health priorities will be evidence-led, applying public health expertise, data and intelligence, developing new solutions to drive a healthier nation. This briefing - drawing on three studies led by University of Stirling researchers - has the potential to inform the rollout of the Daily Mile in Scotland, including a widening of the initiative beyond the education sector

Exploring experiences with alcohol and how drinking has changed over time among minority ethnic groups with a diagnosed mental health problem

Introduction: Minority ethnic groups are more likely to experience poor mental health but lesslikely to seek formal support. Mental health problems and alcohol use (including non-drinking)co-occur, the reasons for this among minority ethnic groups are not well understood. This studyexplored i) alcohol use among minority ethnic individuals with a mental health problem,ii) howalcohol was used before individuals received support for their mental health,iii) how alcoholchanged whilst and after individuals received treatment for their mental health.Methods: Participants were purposively sampled through community/online mental healthorganisations. Participants took part if they i)were not White British, ii) had a mental healthdiagnosis, iii) drank at hazardous and above levels or former drinkers. Telephone/online semistructured interviews were conducted. Data were analysed using framework analysis with anintersectional lens.Results: 25 participants took part. Four themes were developed; “drinking motivations”, “mentalhealth literacy and implications on drinking behaviour”, “cultural expectations and its influenceon mental health problems and drinking practices”, and “reasons for changes in drinking”. Themesreflect reasons for drinking and the role of understanding the range of mental health problems andimplicit cultural expectations. An intersectional lens indicated gendered, ethnic and religiousnuances in experiences with alcohol and seeking support. Engaging with formal support promptedchanges in drinking which were facilitated through wider support.Conclusion: There were specific reasons to cope among minority ethnic individuals who have amental health problem. Applying an intersectional lens provided an insight into the role of culturaland gendered expectations on mental health and drinking practices. Mental health literacy andimplicit cultural expectations within specific minority ethnic groups can affect both mental healthand drinking practices. Healthcare professionals and wider community play an important role inprompting changes in drinking among minority ethnic groups who have a mental health problem.<br/