Diagnostics in Action: Linking On-Court Performance and Injury Outcomes

Previously recorded on September 23, 2025.

Join us on Tuesday September 23, at 4 p.m. AEST (3:30 p.m. ACST) for a free webinar with Dr. Luke Vella, High Performance Manager for the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

The hardest part of athlete testing isn’t the test—it’s the decision that follows. Dr. Vella will show how the Phoenix turns simple, repeatable diagnostics into programming that lowers injury risk and lifts on-court performance. We’ll cover ROM screens, isometric quarter-squat MVIC, bilateral/unilateral countermovement jumps, and hop assessments (10:5, single-leg distance, lateral), and show how to minimise testing bias, set evidence-based standards (squad averages, LSI), flag meaningful asymmetries, and translate findings into programming—exercise selection, loading, and monitoring. Real case examples illustrate how simple diagnostics drive better availability and measurable performance outcomes.

What you’ll take away
👉 A plug-and-play profiling stack: ROM screens, isometric quarter-squat MVIC, bilateral/unilateral CMJ, and hop assessments (10:5, single-leg distance, lateral)
👉 How to set meaningful thresholds (squad averages, LSI) and reduce testing bias
👉 Translating red flags into training changes: exercise selection, loading progressions, and monitoring
👉 Real case examples that connect diagnostics → availability → performance

Who it’s for: S&C coaches, physios, sport scientists, performance staff.

Fill out the form below to access the recorded webinar.

LUKE VELLA

HIGH PERFORAMNCE MANAGER, SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHEONIX - NBL

Luke Vella is an experienced High-Performance Manager with more than 15 years working across professional basketball, rugby, Australian rules football, and Olympic sports. Currently leading high performance at the South East Melbourne Phoenix, he oversees a multidisciplinary team supporting athletes in strength and conditioning, sport science, nutrition, physiotherapy, and psychology. With a PhD in Exercise and Nutrition Science and several peer-reviewed publications, Luke combines academic knowledge with practical expertise in athlete development, injury prevention, and return-to-play strategies. His career has included senior roles in European Rugby, AFL Football and a variety of Olympic sport programs, providing him with a broad foundation in elite sport performance.