AFL Physio

AFL is a full-contact game with 360-degree impacts (without any offside rule). It also has athletes of various sizes, ranging from 170cm to over 200cm, who often cover 14 to 15km per game. We also see frequent sprints and rapid changes of direction in the game. 

Because of these factors, AFL injuries require a rehabilitation approach that’s different from that of other sports. Rehabilitation is multifaceted, as players must regain the ability to handle high-volume running, explosive speed, agile direction changes, and intense physical contact, such as tackling and marking. Every injury requires an individualised treatment plan.  

Yes definitely. Our staff have provided match-day services and conducted pre-season screenings for individual players. We also always tailor rehabilitation plans to each athlete’s specific needs to help them perform and recover.  

When dealing with concussions, we first consider these factors: sport and risk level, player age, history and number of previous concussions, symptom recovery versus brain function, and work or school commitments.  

Our rehabilitation management begins with an accurate diagnosis, using clinical signs and diagnostic tools, followed by regular symptom monitoring throughout the rehabilitation process.  

We will also follow a typical treatment process that includes initial rest, recovery (monitoring symptoms and any cognitive challenges), a graded exercise loading program, and medical clearance before returning to contact training and play.  

Lastly, we will focus on prevention, such as training in sport-specific skills, learning proper techniques, and neck strengthening.  

Soft tissue muscle injuries are common and happen frequently in AFL. Our rehabilitation usually involves strength training to restore muscle function and sport-specific running programs. These programs have a progressive increase in volume, speed, and changes of direction.  

Our rehabilitation exercises also prepare athletes for high-risk activities that depend on the injured muscle (i.e. high-speed running for hamstring injuries or kicking for quadriceps injuries). We focus on providing the appropriate exposure to training stimuli before players return to play.  

Joint loading depends on the specific joint injured and follows a progressive loading of joints post-injury. For example, an ankle injury may require an initial period of unloading with crutches, followed by wearing a boot, then water-based exercises to restore movement without compressive load.  

We then introduce land-based training, progressing from walking and jogging to sprinting, changes of direction, jumping, and landing. Finally, we incorporate sport-specific training.

Proper recovery and managing training loads are important steps in injury prevention. We recommend getting quality sleep, eating a balanced diet, engaging in active recovery (such as pool or land-based exercises), and stretching. We also recommend sports therapies like massage, foam rolling, or using tools like Theragun and spikey balls. 

It’s also important to manage training loads, which means avoiding overtraining, listening to your body, and adjusting intensity when you experience soreness. Taking rest days when needed is crucial to staying injury-free throughout the season. 

Many of our client footballers have successfully returned to elite competition after treatment. Our extensive experience in AFL has helped high-profile players like Christian Petracca and Jake Lever recover from ACL injuries, Jesse Hogan from lumbar stress fractures, and Max Gawn from hamstring surgery. 

We also help athletes from lower-level competitions recover from both season-ending injuries, such as ACL ruptures and osteitis pubis, as well as shorter-term, soft-tissue injuries. It always gives us great joy to see that our rehabilitation management program has helped expedite their return to sport. 

We understand the importance of collaboration with coaches, trainers, and strength & conditioning staff to align everyone in an athlete’s recovery. We communicate regularly through phone calls, emails, or written notes to keep all parties informed. This teamwork helps optimise rehabilitation and often results in a quicker return to play. 

Yes, we offer pre-season screening programs for individual footballers. This would involve examining joint range of motion, muscle strength of key muscle groups, and biomechanical assessment.