As the AFL’s founding football club and the oldest club of any football code in the world, Melbourne Football Club (MFC) is carrying its history and integrity into the 2012 season. But this year, things have changed. As part of its new-look football department, MFC has welcomed respected AFL coach Neil Craig to the fold, and selected BioCeuticals® nutritional supplements to complement its training program.
Craig, the new director of sports performance, said nutrition plays a big role in the overall strategy of the club, which is popularly referred to as the “Demons” by fans.
“When you train you do have muscle damage, and you need to be able to repair the muscle cells as quickly as possible so they can rebound and so we can train the guys hard again. You need good products to be able to do that - not just any nutrition, it’s got to be good quality nutrition and that’s where BioCeuticals® fits in.”
Club nutritionist Joanna Shinewell has prescribed BioCeuticals® supplements to private and sporting clients for more than five years. As part of her role at the MFC, Shinewell assesses each player's nutritional requirements individually.
“On an individual level, the beauty of using BioCeuticals® is that each product will have enough of a dosage that we can individualise each player’s requirements. For example, if I know that there are certain players that tend to get sick at a certain time each season because their energy needs have gone up and they’re in a higher risk of immune suppression, those players will receive immune-boosting supplementation,” said Shinewell.
The Demons’ top three prescribed products are BioCeuticals® UltraBiotic 45, D3 Drops Forte and Pure EPA Max Strength.
Demons midfielder Nathan Jones said the biggest difference he has felt has been during pre-training and particularly after games when he would usually be fatigued.
“I’ve been able to recover very well and haven’t been sick at all this year,” said Jones. “I feel like I’m really recovering well after games and I’m feeling fresh and full of energy.”
Ruckman Mark Jamar, who has been with the Demons for 11 years, said the team trains for up to two hours at a time, placing importance on sustained energy. “I think nutrition is probably 80%. You’ve got to have the right attitude and work hard but you can’t do that without the right fuel in the tank and nutrition is a massive part of that,” said Jamar.
General manager Peter Maynard said the club hopes its new frontier of better health reaches the wider community of fans. “The impact that the right nutrition can have on the players is undoubted and you’ll see with all the clubs in the AFL and all sporting organisations now, it’s not just about training day, it’s not just about in-season, it’s not just about the match; it’s about 24:7,” added Maynard.
