Performance

Sporting events and competitions bring the University community together and are opportunities for meaningful engagement with alumni, business, government and the wider community. Some of Australia's most successful athletes have been students at the University and include Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallists, world champions and national representatives. We have celebrated their athletic triumphs as demonstrations of excellence, and follow them closely as many develop into significant community and industry leaders.

The Women's Australian Rules Football Intervarsity team

Unfortunately, the performance space globally was highly impacted by the continued COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually all performance events were cancelled during the second half of the year, and the University’s elite student-athletes experienced delayed or cancelled events throughout the year.

Intervarsity Sport

During Semester 1, a select group of sporting events were held, albeit before reduced crowds and with COVID-safe measures in place. The events included:

• The inaugural University Basketball

League (see page 10) • Big Blue Rivalrly events against

Monash University • Tennis matches against University of Sydney • UniSport Nationals Athletics and

Swimming. Highlights for the year included the Women’s Netball team winning UniSport Australia’s Southern Shield Netball competition in April, and the continued improvement of the Aon Uni 7s squad, with the team enjoying their first victories in the competition. The team were also semifinalists at one of the tournaments.

Elite Athlete Program

With face-to-face training limited throughout the year, the Elite Athlete Strength and Conditioning program reverted to the remote delivery methods developed in the previous year. During lockdown periods, elite student-athletes who were training for national and international competitions received online strength and conditioning support. In total, attendances for the online sessions exceeded 1000.

Student-athlete leaders were supported to undertake Mental Health first aid training during the year, after the need for ongoing physical and mental health support was identified the previous year.

Eligible student-athletes continued to receive flexible study assistance through tailored academic adjustment plans.

Major Scholarship Recipients

Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship John Hall Rowing Scholarship Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Athletics Scholarship Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Athletics Scholarship Rugby Young Achiever Award

Peter Hone Rugby Scholarship Fraser Miscamble Bachelor of Biomedicine

Eliza Gaffney Bachelor of Biomedicine

Jaryd Clifford Bachelor of Arts

Catriona Bisset Master of Architecture and Diploma of Languages

Tom Pattinson Bachelor of Agriculture

Gaiji Koyama Bachelor of Arts