Associate Professor Rob Hess is one of Australia's foremost sport historians. His PhD was the first ever doctoral study of the history of Australian football, and he has published widely on the history of the code, including an award-winning co-authored book, A National Game: The History of Australian Rules Football, (Penguin/Viking 2008).

Rob is also currently serving as the President of the Australian Society for Sports History, and he is the Executive Editor of the Bulletin of Sport and Culture.

In addition, he is a member of the Western Bulldogs Football Club Heritage Committee. Other research interests include the 'secret' history of female players, the 'hidden' ethnic dimensions of Australian Rules football, especially the longstanding involvement of the Chinese community in the code, and the history of disability sport in Victoria.