Dr. Meghan Casey
Senior Lecturer, Sport Management
Campus
Biography
Dr Meghan Casey is a senior lecturer and researcher specialising in sport management, health promotion, physical activity and gender equality in sport. Her work focuses on strengthening the capacity of organisations and communities to design, implement and evaluate evidence‑informed initiatives that promote equitable, inclusive and sustainable participation in sport and physical activity.
With expertise spanning organisational strategy, program evaluation and community engagement, Meghan’s research explores how sporting systems – from elite clubs to grassroots organisations – can better support the engagement and health and wellbeing of diverse populations. Her work frequently examines the social and structural conditions that influence participation, leadership, and representation in sport, with a particular emphasis on women and girls.
Fields of research
- Sports science and exercise not elsewhere classified
Available for
HDR Supervision
Professional Comment
HDR Examiner
More about Meghan
Qualifications
- PhD, University of Ballarat
- Diploma of Project Management, University of Ballarat
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Promotion) Honours, Deakin University
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Promotion), Deakin University
Areas of interest
- Evaluation
- Sport for development
- Community sport participation and social impact
- Gender equality in and through sport
- Youth development and wellbeing in sport settings
- Sport policy, governance, and organisational culture
- School-based sport and physical activity programs
Areas of expertise
Meghan specialises in the design, governance, and evaluation of sport programs that aim to generate social, health, and community outcomes. Her expertise spans sport for development, gender equity initiatives, curriculum innovation in sport management education and cross‑sector collaborations with professional sport organisations, schools and community partners. She has extensive experience in mixed‑methods evaluation, research training and mentoring and applied industry-engaged research.
Projects or partnerships
- Collaborating with Melbourne City FC and the global City Football Group on international sport management curriculum and student engagement initiatives.
- Supervising PhD and Honours research to advance sport participation, safety and capability, including youth sport, menstruation in sport, injury prevention, school sports academies, sport concussion and program design in community settings.
- Conducting applied research with community sport organisations to strengthen participation pathways and measure social value.
- Working across university governance and curriculum committees to enhance sport management education and research training.
Grants
- Federation University Early Career Researchers Seed Grant & CERC Seed Research Grant, 2024. Injury occurrence and perceptions among recreational mountain bike park users: What are the implications for park operators? ($15,000)
- City of Casey, 2022. Improving physical activity among women in City of Casey using a co-design approach ($40,670)
- Change our Game Research Grant, 2021–2022 ($25,000)
Awards
- 2025: Graduate Research School, Federation University Australia Living Values Award for Collaboration in 2024 and Excellence
- 2013: Wendy Ey, Women in Sport Award at the ASICS Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport
Current
- PhD student, 'Enablers and barriers of early years menstruation in organised sport. Co-design education and support', principal supervisor.
- PhD student, 'Experiences and impacts of sport-related concussion on women who play community level sport in regional Victoria', principal supervisor.
- PhD student, 'Examining sport management competencies of graduates', principal supervisor.
- PhD student, 'Exploring the development, implementation and outcomes of secondary school sport academies', principal supervisor.
- PhD student, 'An exploration of the relationship between game skills, fitness components, and injury prevention in women’s amateur Australian football', principal supervisor.
Past
- 'Retention and attrition for children and adolescents in club-based community tennis participation', associate supervisor.
- Introduction to sport management
- Sport marketing
- Sport event management
- Health and physical activity promotion
- Health promotion
Specialist roles
- Higher Degrees by Research Coordinator, 2024–current
- Course coordinator Graduate Certificate in Research, 2023–current
- Casey, M., Barton, A., Chetty, M., & Ferguson, R. (2024, 29 Jul). How a strong network can enhance the PhD journey. Times Higher Education, https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/how-strong-network-can-enhance-phd-journey
- Casey, M, Wagstaff, D, Porter, J, Eime, R. (2024). Improving women’s physical activity in the City of Casey : breaking down barriers using co-design and participatory research: evaluation report to the City of Casey, March 2024. https://doi.org/10.35843/CCBDBER24
- Pankowiak, A., Casey, M., Eime, R.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8614-2813, & Westerbeek, H. (2022). Sport clubs’ volunteer capacity to drive women and girls’ participation in community sport. Change Our Game Research Grants Program. https://sport.vic.gov.au/resources/the-volunteer-capacity-of-community-sports-clubs-to-support-women-and-girls-in-sport
Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre (CERC)
- Publications
A socio-ecological approach to understanding the experiences of women and girls playing male-dominated sports
- Journals
- DOI reference: 10.1080/17430437.2024.2390989
Legacy '23 and Sport Participation for Women and Girls in Regional Australia
- Book Chapters
- DOI reference: 10.4324/9781003507703-21
What are my options here? I don't want to stop training or miss competitions. Navigating the impact of early years of menstruation in organised sports, among girls 10-16 years
- Journals
- DOI reference: 10.1016/j.jsams.2025.07.006