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Despite awareness of the importance of quantifying technical, tactical, and physical characteristics of match play, few studies have examined the structural relationship of these aspects in professional sport. Accordingly, this study concurrently examined these components in relation to quarter outcome (n = 272) in Australian Football. The study followed a retrospective longitudinal case study design where one teams’ cooperative passing network, skill counts, physical loads, and spatiotemporal behaviours during official Australian Football League games were collected from a period spanning four seasons (2016–2019). A principal components analysis (PCA) and structural equation modelling were used to explore the structural relationships between components and examine the influence on quarter outcome as determined by the point differential ( quarter margin ).  Scoring opportunity  and  ball movement  had direct associations with  quarter margin , while  unpredictability, uncontested behaviour  and  physical behaviour  did not. Negative associations between  uncontested behaviour  and  scoring opportunity  suggest that elevated high-pressure success and a lack of synchrony may positively influence  scoring opportunity , a determinant of  quarter margin . Further, negative associations between  physical behaviour  and  ball movement  suggest that with less physical work, a team’s collective ability to transfer possession between teammates is facilitated, offering an interesting dichotomy between skill and physical demands of Australian Football. While hundreds of different metrics are available, the present study was the first to concurrently examine the influence of a variety of match play components on performance outcomes in Australian Football. These results may provide direction for coaches and practitioners when contemplating practice design, tactical strategies, or the development of behaviour through specific training exercises. Game plans and training drills that focus on optimising attacking and low-pressure ball movement coupled with high levels of mutual interaction between teammates may be beneficial for performance.

A holistic analysis of collective behaviour and team performance in Australian Football via structural equation modelling