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The AFLW kicks off this weekend, but with temperatures forecast to reach 37 degrees in some football cities, players will be doing all they can to avoid heat stress.
The first half of the seven-round league will be played during a summer when Adelaide has already endured its hottest day on record and Melbourne has also sweltered.
Thermoregulatory physiology expert Ollie Jay said while it was tempting for people to associate temperatures with heat strain, it was not necessarily true.
Whether it was windy was equally important, he said, along with solar radiation — such as temperatures in shade and in the sun — and humidity levels.
"It's the evaporation of sweat that cools us down, not the production of sweat, so the lower the humidity, the greater the rate of evaporation and the cooler we keep in a given environment," Dr Jay said.
"Solar radiation is an enormous contributor to the amount of heat stress that occurs, so if it's sunny and 37C in the middle of the day and you're out in the sun, then the amount of net thermal load on the person is going to be much higher."
Dr Jay said wind and breeze aided the evaporation of sweat, which cooled the body.
"And scheduling the games later in the day makes a lot more sense; the air temperature will be a little bit lower, plus you don't have to deal with solar radiation."
Fixtures scheduled to avoid high heat
According to the AFL, there has never been an incident during games of heat stress, which can create dizziness, headaches, collapse and illness.
Spokesperson Michelle Clyne said the league had an effective heat policy and said the women's fixtures and the men's preseason series, which started on February 28, were scheduled to avoid the hottest part of the day.
Adelaide's AFLW clash against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday, for example, will not be played until 8:10pm (CDT) on a day with a forecast maximum of 37C.
Geelong's game against Collingwood at Kardinia Park, where a high of 33C is expected, will not be played until 6:40pm (EDT).
"There's also a game in Hobart at 1:00pm [North Melbourne vs Carlton], but you probably won't see a game in Perth at 1:00pm," Ms Clyne said.
"The fixtures are scheduled very much in mind of optimum times for players."
Onus on cooling
The AFL's heat guidelines expect players to have adequate fluid intake before and during the game and training sessions, and to also utilise pre-game, game and post-game cooling strategies.
Clubs are recommended to use ice vests, spray bottles, sponges and fans in rooms and on the interchange bench, along with inside air conditioning where possible.
Permeable jumpers and socks are recommended, along with delegating a club doctor to monitor and manage players for heat stress, which they have to report.
The league can choose to increase the length of intervals at halftime and between quarters to enable to teams to leave the field for shade at each break.
In the event of forecast excessive heat, which is a wet-bulb reading of 28C or higher to account for humidity rather than dry temperature, the AFL said it would contact clubs to ensure there was adequate preparation before games.
It can also consider postponing a game if extreme conditions demand it, but Ms Clyne said that had only happened due to lightning risks.
She said a new rule that banned water carriers on field during live play in men's games did not apply to the women's league.
AFLW matches had been designed with heat as a "significant consideration", including shorter quarter times, no cap on the number of rotations, and an onus on clubs to give players adequate rest during games.
Athletes better equipped for heat
Dr Jay, who works at the University of Sydney, said elite athletes were heat acclimated and "had a better capacity than the average person" to cope with hot conditions.
"Some of them actually relish it, in some cases, and if they're very well prepared there should be no problems."
He said if players were on the field in shifts, they could increase the rest ratios relative to how much time they were spending on the field.
Dr Jay does not recommend setting a temperature limit to call of play because the variables were too many.
He used Australia's 2017 cricket tour to Bangladesh as an example, when players were in ambient temperatures of 30C.
"But that's coupled with extraordinary humidity which can be really quite oppressive.
"That is far more problematic than a 40C day when it's dry and people are able to evaporate their sweat."
Round One of the AFLW begins when Geelong plays Collingwood on Saturday.
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