October 2025

President's Report - Russell Brown

32nd ACHPER International Conference, 12-14 November, 2025

Dear ACHPER members and colleagues in all our professional communities, the count down is now on to our 32nd ACHPER International Conference, November 12-14, 2025, at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to experience a wide range of presenters from recognised leaders, researchers and valued colleagues in Health, Physical Education and Recreation by attending in person or online.

You can register for the conference HERE Please share it with your networks and those who you feel will get benefit out of attending this prestigious event.

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the educational landscape, it is essential for teacher educators, researchers, and other professionals to critically engage with its impacts, opportunities, and ethical complexities in the world of health, sport, recreation, physical education and all their associated areas.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all in Melbourne, this November 12-14!

Celebrating our new ACHPER Australia Life Member: Brad McAllister, LMACHPER

In the August edition of the Advocate I highlighted the recent awarding of Life Membership to Dr Sue Whatman.

This edition will feature the highly valued contributions of the immediate past President of our New South Wales Branch, Brad McAllister.

Please join me in congratulating Brad on his Life Membership while acknowledging his outstanding contributions to our organisation …

The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation was delighted to accept the New South Wales Branch’s nomination at this year’s AGM of ‘Life Member of ACHPER’ for Brad McAllister, in recognition of his exceptional dedication and sustained contribution at a state and national level in Health and Physical Education.

Brad has been an active and dedicated member of ACHPER since 2009 and held a position on the NSW Branch Board since 2012, having fulfilled a wide range of leadership roles, including JCT Counsellor, 7-12 Counsellor, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. Brad has also served as a long-standing member of ACHPER Australia’s Strategic Reference Committee (SRC), contributing valuable leadership and insights to strategic planning and organisational development. As President of ACHPER NSW for five years, Brad was instrumental in driving the strategic growth of the organisation and strengthening its influence and sustainability.

Throughout Brad’s career, he has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to the advancement of Health and Physical Education. He has been a strong advocate for curriculum development and assessment reform in teaching and learning. He has led the design and delivery of professional learning experiences that have positively impacted countless teachers across NSW. Brad’s representation of ACHPER in consultation processes with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has ensured that the voices of educators have been heard and respected.

At the national level, Brad’s contributions through the SRC and national forums have helped shape policy directions and financial planning for the future of ACHPER Australia-wide. He is recognised as an inclusive and principled leader who ensures that diverse perspectives are valued and that decisions are made with clarity, fairness, and integrity.

Beyond Brad’s formal roles, he has led by example, supporting colleagues, mentoring new members, and championing the core values of ACHPER in both his professional and community life.

Brad McAllister is a most worthy recipient of the ACHPER Life Member Award in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contribution to health and physical education at both state and national levels.

Congratulations ACHPER Life Member, Brad McAllister.

As always, free to share the ACHPER Advocate with your networks. We welcome new members, readers and supporters at any time. 

Russell Brown

President and Chair of the National Board of ACHPER Australia

Coming out any day now is a bumper special issue in Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education on Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR).

Our amazing guest editors have curated a fantastic international collection. We are also very fortunate that four of the contributors, Michael Hemphill, Dylan Scanlon, Carla Luguetti and Niamh O'Loughlin will be presenting at the ACHPER International Conference.

ACHPER's Rick Baldock will be chairing a panel with many of these fabulous presenters on Friday, 14^th November with coach and teacher practitioners, talking about how they use TPSR in their practice.

Some of the special issue articles are now available online and open access, meaning you can freely read them without a Taylor and Francis account. See Luguetti et al. (2025) HERE and Scanlon et al. (2025) HERE. 

If you would like to come along for these presentations at our International Conference or watch online you can register HERE. 

The overarching aim of this study is to understand the adolescents’ food behaviours during school time.

The specific study aims are to explore;

• perceptions of secondary school teachers regarding the school food behaviours of secondary school students in Australia and roles played by teachers and the school in shaping the school food behaviours of secondary school students and;
• teachers’ suggestions to improve secondary school students’ school food behaviours.

Findings from this study will provide a broader understanding of secondary school students’ school food behaviours, the involvement of teachers and schools in students' school food behaviours and suggestions to improve secondary school students’ school food behaviours. Thereby, it will guide the development of interventions to improve secondary school students' food behaviours during school time and the secondary school food environment.

Are you keen to get involved?

Click this link and fill out the short survey to connect.

Netball Schools

Netball plays a key role in Australian school communities. Netball Australia’s updated schools programs and resources are here to make your life easier - and your students’ experiences better!

The Netball Schools team has been working closely with educators, coaches, and experts to refresh and refine their programs to be increasingly fun and inclusive and better meet the needs of students and teachers across all levels.

Here’s what’s new and coming…

Netball Australia’s New Teacher Ambassador Program is now open! Sign up for FREE to access support to deliver netball in your school and recognise the teachers who grow our game. Offerings will continue to be developed now we are launched, so keep an eye out for our Ambassador eDM to be the first to find out about what’s new!

New HART Netball Schools Equipment Starter Packs – our curated packs include everything you need to run Netball in your school, including modified equipment to suit our younger students.

See us at a range of ACHPER conferences and workshops across the country between September and November! Come along to meet the Netball Schools team and attend our workshop sessions.

New Sporting Schools Programs are coming in 2026! Primary program going LIVE in Term 1 2026, and Secondary updates coming in mid-2026. Programs will be aligned to the Australian Curriculum 9.0: HPE and provide a fun and inclusive experience to develop technical/tactical skills as well as personal and social development.

Connect directly to our Member Organisations to find out more about the Netball programs they can deliver in your schools!

Introducing Volleyball Australia's New Junior Program

PlayVolley is Volleyball Australia's new junior program, launching in 2026! 

Developed in collaboration with Flinders University, PlayVolley is based on Game Sense and Pedagogical Theories that align with National Curriculum standards for 5-12 year olds. 

PlayVolley will enter Sporting Schools come Term 1, 2026, with expansion to community groups and clubs from June 2026 onward. 

Volleyball Australia are excited to be running a demonstration of PlayVolley at the ACHPER International Conference at ACU Melbourne on Wednesday, 12th November. Come find our stand in the Exhibition Hall for more information on how your school can get involved through Sporting Schools in 2026!

Job Opportunities

Murdoch University is currently inviting applications for four academic positions in Education: Two Lecturers, one Senior Lecturer and one Associate Professor.

• Lecturer (Level B): Supporting the teaching efforts of the Discipline through lectures, tutorials, and other learning activities. You will supervise honours and postgraduate students, contribute to scholarly research and professional expertise in your field, and perform a range of administrative and service functions within the College and across the University.
• Senior Lecturer (Level C): Actively contributing to the school’s strategic development, with a particular focus on the domestic regeneration strategy. This includes curriculum development and coordination, and engagement with schools and pipeline partners. You will teach, conduct research, supervise PhD students, and foster internal and external collaborations, with a strong emphasis on building and maintaining networks and relationships.
• Associate Professor (Level D): Demonstrating academic excellence through high-quality research with national and/or international impact. You will contribute significantly to postgraduate supervision and play a leadership role in university administration. This position requires strong engagement with industry and external stakeholders to advance the interests of the Discipline and the University. You will also make a substantial contribution to teaching activities within the school, and to broader College and professional initiatives.

For further information on the roles and to apply, head to one of the following links:

Murdoch Careers, Seek, Viva Engage

We would like to thank our amazing International Conference sponsors to date. Make sure you visit the Exhibition Hall to check out their programs when you are at the conference!

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS AS AUSTRALIA'S PEAK ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND RECREATION.

ACHPER Australia is proud to nationally partner with Tennis Australia and the Australian Sports Commission as a Play Well Affiliate.

ACHPER Australia recognises the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which we live and work and pays respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, especially within our ACHPER membership, schools and HPE communities, partners and staff.