MSA Research Centre

The MSA Research Centre is dedicated to advancing youth athlete development through high-quality, evidence-based research. The first of its kind in an Australian High School Sports Academy, the Centre focuses on producing practical, applied outcomes that can be directly integrated into a holistic training environment.

Its goal is to optimise athlete success, supporting young people to reach their full potential in sport and lifelong physical activity. Research spans multiple disciplines, including physical preparation, sport-specific skills, coaching, injury prevention and rehabilitation, mental well-being, nutrition, and academic performance.

The Centre collaborates with local, national, and international partners to deliver innovative solutions, inform best practice, and establish MSA as a leader in youth athlete development and high-performance sport research.

Published research includes:

• Larkin, P., Wijekulasuriya, G., & Greer, S. (2025). Talent identification of 12-year old male Australian rules footballers: Physical advantages and prognosis for junior and senior national-level selection. PloS one, 20(2), e0317336. - https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0317336

• Wijekulasuriya, G. A., Woods, C. T., Kittel, A., & Larkin, P. (2025). The Development and Content of Movement Quality Assessments in Athletic Populations: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine-Open, 11(1), 7. - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40798-025-00813-0

• Larkin, P., Carlon, T., Sortino, B., Greer, S., Cuttiford, T., Wijekulasuriya, G., & Pane, C. (2023). Anthropometry and physical performance in 13-year-old Australian talent-identified male and female athletes compared to an age-matched general population cohort. Children, 10(2), 212. - https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/2/212