2026 Athletic Performance Summit
Description
2026 Athletic Performance Summit
Friday 4 September 2026
Optional Practical Workshop: Saturday 5 September 2026
Mission Whitten Oval, Footscray
Event Website: Athletic Performance Summit | Western Bulldogs Institute
Join leading performance and rehabilitation practitioners for a premium summit experience inside an elite AFL environment.
The 2026 Athletic Performance Summit brings together some of the most respected minds in elite sport, performance coaching, rehabilitation, sport science and return-to-play for a world-class professional development event at Mission Whitten Oval, home of the Western Bulldogs.
Built for coaches, clinicians and high-performance professionals, the Summit is designed to deliver practical, current and applied insight that attendees can take back into their own athletes, teams and environments.
Built around three core content pillars, the 2026 Summit will explore the questions shaping modern high-performance practice across:
Speed & Athletic Development
Preparing athletes for the speed, movement and chaos of sport.
Rehabilitation & Return to Play
Bridging rehab, performance and decision-making to help athletes return stronger and more prepared.
Sport Science & Innovation
Exploring how leading environments are using data, technology and applied sport science to support performance.
Event Structure
Friday 4 September - Main Summit
Friday is the core Athletic Performance Summit experience.
Attendees can expect world-class keynotes, applied case studies, expert discussion, elite sport insight and meaningful connection with practitioners from across professional sport, semi-professional sport, private practice, schools, academies and pathway programs.
Saturday 5 September - Practical Speed & RTP Workshop
New for 2026, attendees can add a limited-capacity practical workshop focused on speed development and return-to-play application.
Delivered in a more hands-on learning environment, the workshop is designed for practitioners who want to go deeper into the practical application of concepts explored across the Summit.
Friday is the Summit. Saturday is the application.
Workshop places will be strictly limited to preserve the quality of the practical learning experience.
Who should attend?
The Athletic Performance Summit is designed for practitioners working with athletes across a range of environments, including:
Strength & conditioning coaches
Physiotherapists
Osteopaths
Sport scientists
Exercise physiologists
High-performance managers
Athletic development coaches
Sports coaches
School, academy and pathway staff
Professional and semi-professional sport practitioners
What’s included?
Depending on your ticket type, attendees will receive access to:
The full-day Friday Summit at Mission Whitten Oval
Keynote presentations and applied case studies from world-class practitioners
Expert panels and discussions
Networking with coaches, clinicians and performance professionals
Lunch, morning tea, coffee and refreshments
Drinks & Canapés at post-event networking session
Sponsor giveaways
Saturday Practical Speed & RTP Workshop access (selected ticket holders)
Ticket options
Ticket options include:
Summit Pass
Access to the full-day 2026 Athletic Performance Summit.
Two-day Pass
Access to the Friday Summit plus the limited-capacity Saturday practical workshop.
Workshop places are strictly limited.
Group Bookings & Alternate Payment Options
Please contact institute@westernbulldogs.com,au for custom bookings or alternate payment options
Lineup
Jonas Dodoo, Speedworks
One of the world’s leading speed development coaches, known for his work across elite sport and athletics. Session Focus: Developing Your Coaching Eye for Braking, Planting, and Sprinting in Team Sports
Tim McGrath, Pitch Ready
Practical Lessons in ACL Rehabilitation and Return to Play Former Director of Player Health & Performance at the Washington Commanders, presenting on determining readiness for return to play following ACL injury.
Ben Simpson, Paris Saint-Germain
Session: Not About the Toys: A Pragmatic Approach for Technology in Elite Football Ben Simpson is a global leader in elite sports performance, innovation strategy, and organizational transformation. He currently serves as Director of Special Projects & Sports Innovation at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), where he helps shape how one of the world’s most progressive football clubs integrates science, technology, and culture across its performance and medical operations.
Ebonie Rio, VIS & La Trobe University
A world leading physiotherapist, researcher and practitioner with expertise in tendon rehabilitation, pain, loading and return-to-performance. Session: Achilles tendinopathy; what to do if it is and how to recognise if it's not
Nathan Kiely, Newcastle Knights
Current Speed, Strength & Power Coach at the Newcastle Knights, Nathan Kiely brings extensive experience in elite team sport, including time leading the physical performance program for the Bangladesh national cricket team. Nathan will contribute to the Saturday practical workshop, sharing his expertise on developing the postural, stiffness and coordination qualities in the gym that transfer to on-field speed and athletic performance.
Kayne Johns, AFL Umpires
Programming for endurance athletes: Lessons from Elite AFL Umpiring
Nathan Townsend, North Sydney Bears
The Physical Advantage: How a Part-Time Team Used EPTS to Compete with Full-Time NRL Environments Engineering the Training Stimulus: Translating Match Demands Into Targeted Conditioning Using EPTS-Informed Session Design External Measurement to Internal Insight: Quantifying Internal Load and Metabolic Stimulus from EPTS Expanding the Speed Reserve: Using EPTS to Profile, Prescribe and Monitor Speed Development
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
