= 320). A random forest investigated if suspected impacts were influenced by tackle mechanics and player sex, which classified 78.1% of 'Hit' and 86.2% of 'No Hit' events. The most influential variables on random forest classification were: tackler head hit, tackle type, and speed of the tackler and ball-carrier (mean importance score >7). Our findings suggest tacklers may be more susceptible to substantial head acceleration than ball-carriers, given that tackler head contact (importance score = 7.98) was more influential than ball-carrier head contact (importance score = 4.67). Stationary or running tackles and bear-hug tackles most frequently resulted in 'Hit' events, indicating these should be a focus point for future tackle education. Finally, sex was not influential on suspected impact events. This study extends our understanding of how tackle mechanics influence head acceleration in junior AF, providing a foundation for further exploration.
Sutherland et al. (Wed,) studied this question.