As football season continues, PhD candidate Glen Fernandes is hard at work researching the benefits of AFL’s Gather Round in South Australia. We asked him about this research, and learned that his other great sports passion is table tennis.
What is your role and what does your work focus on?
I’m a PhD research candidate at Flinders University and recipient of the SANFL Industry PhD Scholarship, collaborating closely with SANFL. My research examines the sociocultural impacts and legacy effects of the AFL’s Gather Round event on South Australian communities, employing a Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology. Alongside my research, I’m a casual academic teaching sports psychology at Flinders.
What brought you to this point in your career?
My journey into sports psychology research began towards the end of my undergraduate psychology degree, where an elective taught by Associate Professor Sam Elliot (who is now my supervisor) inspired my academic path. It was here that I discovered my passion for research and the practical applications of performance and social psychology. This course not only led me to fall in love with the field but also introduced me to my current supervisory team. I followed this trajectory in my Honours year, focusing on parenting in youth sport, also supervised by Sam, whose mentorship and unwavering support laid a solid foundation for my current research trajectory.
What do you love most about your work?
I relish the opportunity to work in a highly collaborative and constructive environment at SANFL and within the SHAPE research initiative at Flinders. The hands-on experiences at various Gather Round events, from clinics to games, facilitated by SANFL, have been particularly enriching. I’m immensely grateful for the mentorship from Jessica Wainwright at SANFL, whose guidance has been invaluable in my development.
What would you like people to know about your role?
My role extends beyond simply attending football games, enjoyable as that is! There’s substantial groundwork involved in effectively applying SROI methodology to assess the impacts and legacy effects of major sporting events such as Gather Round.
What are you most proud of?
Earning first-class honours and securing the highly competitive SANFL PhD scholarship, which have provided opportunities that allow me to make meaningful contributions in the field of sports psychology research.
What does a normal day look like for you?
A typical day involves a mix of reading, writing and research, interspersed with reformer Pilates, gym sessions, coaching and playing table tennis with the Flinders Table Tennis Club. I also do some volunteer archaeology work with my wife in Adnyamathanha country, which allows me to connect with and contribute to community in meaningful ways.
How do you like to relax?
In my spare time, I play Division 1 table tennis for the Adelaide Dragons Table Tennis Club. I also run the Flinders University Table Tennis Club, for which I play and coach. I’m currently training to represent the South Australian 30s state team in the Table Tennis Australia Nationals Veterans event, which will be held in Tasmania during September. When I’m not doing something related to table tennis, I enjoy cooking and eating good food with my wife while catching up on our favourite TV shows – and, of course, going to Adelaide Oval whenever I can to watch the footy.
For more information about Glen’s research work, click here.