Meet the people that make Sports Medicine Australia.

SMA Board Chair & Deputy Chair

Chair

Dr Kay Copeland

Specialist Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist (VIC)

Dr Kay Copeland is a Specialist Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapy in 2018) who has worked in elite sport for over 30 years in water polo, tennis and basketball and practices at Alphington Sports Medicine Centre. Kay has been involved in SMA since 1985 when she joined the SMA-Victorian State Council Sports Trainers Committee. Kay has held many roles within SMA her most recent being 7 years as Chair of the SMA Conference. Kay has a strong background in business and governance and has served on the Board of national sporting organisation.

Deputy Chair

Tim Pain

Podiatrist (TAS)

Tim has over 25 years’ experience as a podiatrist and has over 20 years experience running a private practice. Along with being a member of the Sports Medicine Australia Board, Tim has also been the State President of the Australian Podiatry Association of (Tas).

SMA Board Directors

Professor Garry Allison

Sports Physiotherapist, Researcher, Academic, Curtin University (WA)

Garry Allison is Professor of Neurosciences and Trauma Physiotherapy, a Titled APA Sports Physiotherapist, a former AIS Research fellow and an ASMF Fellow. He has human movement qualifications and is currently Associate DVC-Research Excellence at Curtin University. In recent years he has been on various boards and executive committees including living with Autism CRC, Childrens’ Research Strategic Council, National Drug Research Institute, and the SMA Conference Committee / Chief judge. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and brings business skills sets including risk, management and strategy.

Professor Belinda Beck

Exercise Science (QLD)

Belinda Beck is a Professor of Exercise Science at Griffith University (Gold Coast, QLD) and the Menzies Health Institute Queensland. Her work, primarily related to the effects of mechanical loading on bone, has involved both animal and human models, from basic to clinical research. Her particular focuses have been exercise interventions across the lifespan for the prevention of osteoporotic fractures, and the management of bone stress injuries in athletes and military recruits. She is founding Director of The Bone Clinic, a translational research facility and clinical practice providing evidence-based exercise (Onero) for people living with osteoporosis. She is a Fellow of Sports Medicine Australia (SMA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Exercise Sports Science Australia (ESSA). She is Chair of the ESSA Research Committee and has served on the SMA QLD State Council and SMA and ESSA Conference Program Committees.

Professor Gregory Kolt

Dean of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University (NSW)

Professor Gregory Kolt is the Dean of Health Sciences, Professor of Health Science, and Lead Dean (Workforce Development) at Western Sydney University. He has an academic background that spans several disciplines including psychology, physiotherapy, sport and exercise science, and education. He holds a PhD in Psychology, is a Registered Psychologist, and has worked extensively in academic, research, and practice settings in Australia and New Zealand. Professor Kolt has been awarded Fellowships of the Royal Society of New South Wales, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Australian Sports Medicine Federation, and the Asian-South Pacific Association of Sport Psychology. He is Chair of the Board of Directors for Sports Medicine Australia, Chair of the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia, and an Executive Member of the Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences. Professor Kolt is an internationally recognised researcher, and has been the editor of a number of academic publications, including SMA’s own Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Dr Laura Lallenec

Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician (VIC)

Originally from Canberra, Dr Laura Lallenec graduated from the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle in 2012. After completing her residency training at Royal Darwin Hospital and Western Health in Melbourne, she commenced her specialty training in Sports Medicine in 2016 and completed it in 2021. Laura has completed an honours degree in Public Health and has specific interests in the use of exercise to improve health and wellbeing, concussion management, osteoarthritis and acute sporting injuries. Laura works as a Medical Advisor for the Sports Integrity Agency (SIA). She is currently Head Doctor at Melbourne Football Club, Chief Medical Officer for Netball Australia as well as the Australia Diamonds Team Doctor. Laura has a personal background in netball and running.

Professor Anthony Leicht

Exercise Science Academic (QLD)

Anthony Leicht is an experienced academic and exercise scientist with >25 years of tertiary teaching experience. He is an experienced researcher with expertise and an international reputation in human performance including the assessment of performance and physiological responses to exercise/sport/occupational tasks. His research foci have involved cross-sectional and longitudinal studies examining human physiology and performance of elite athletes, healthy adults, and those with chronic disease states. He is a Fellow of Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), European College of Sport Science and Sports Medicine Australia (SMA). He chairs accreditation review panels of sport and exercise science university programs for ESSA and is/has been a Board member of several local/national organisations.

Dr Samantha McLeod

Sport and Exercise Psychologist, Clinical Health Psychologist (VIC)

Dr Samantha McLeod is dually Ph.D. qualified in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Clinical Health Psychology, Founder and Managing Director of The SAM Centre. Over a 30 year career, Samantha has successfully combined private practice in multidisciplinary settings, with State and National-level elite and professional teams consultancy, as well as clinical governance leadership roles and specialist academic positions. Samantha has previous Chair experience in the sports industry (3 years WNBL Melbourne Boomers Committee; representative on WNBL Commission). Samantha has researched, published, and lectured in, sport psychology, sports medicine, including athletic injury risk and recovery as well as athlete chronic conditions. Her mission is to shift sports medicine towards a holistic, integrated, collaborative framework for high performance sport, and to enhance the wellbeing and performance of athletes, as well as the practitioners, upskilling them to thrive within, and when transitioning out of, sport.

Gary Nicholls

Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist (VIC)

Gary Nicholls is a Sport and Exercise Physiotherapist with 30 years’ experience in sports medicine, ranging from running his own sports medicine clinic to working with professional high performance teams, state and national representative sides and community sport. Gary is the Chair of the AFL Physiotherapist Association and a member of the Advisory Committee for Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) National Conferences.