How Justin helps drive Melbourne Victory’s success

Justin Crow
I chose to study at VU because of its strong reputation in exercise science. The course ran in the evenings, which allowed me to continue working as a physiotherapist during the day.

Justin Crow
Master of Applied Science (Exercise Rehabilitation)

Once an AFL footballer, Justin Crow now plays a leading role off the field as Head of Human Performance at the Melbourne Victory Football Club. He shares how studying exercise science at VU helped him make a mark on the world of sport.

From football to physiotherapy & beyond

“I started my career as a professional footballer for the Collingwood Football Club while completing my Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree (at another university).

After finishing up with Collingwood, I transitioned from being a professional athlete to working as a private practice physiotherapist.

I was interested in rehabilitation, so I decided to enrol in the Master of Applied Science (Exercise Rehabilitation) at Victoria University to further my skills. I started the course in 2006 and graduated in 2009."

Flexibility to balance work & study

"I chose to study at VU because of its strong reputation in exercise science.

The course ran in the evenings, which allowed me to continue working as a physiotherapist during the day.

During my course I did placement at the Collingwood Football Club, and I was then offered a full-time role as a rehabilitation coach in the AFL."

Kickstarting a high performance career

"Since then, I progressed to a high performance manager role in the AFL, and worked at the Collingwood Football Club and Essendon Football Club before accepting a role as Senior High Performance Manager at Paralympics Australia for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

After that, I moved to Melbourne Victory Football Club as Head of Human Performance.

My role is to lead our high performance teams across our A-League Men’s, A-League Women’s and Academy programs.

I work closely with our practitioners to plan and execute best in class athlete conditioning, screening, monitoring, recovery, nutrition and rehabilitation.

We also place a strong emphasis on players’ mental skills, health and wellbeing.

It’s a rewarding career, and I have continued to study and lead research projects to help drive innovation in creating the world’s best performance environments.”

Interested in a career in sports & exercise?

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Victoria University is proud to be the Official University and Major Partner of Melbourne Victory Football Club, providing sport science and performance support for the Melbourne Victory Academy teams and unique learning opportunities for VU students. Learn more about the VU and Melbourne Victory partnership.