Injury risk factors in elite Australian football

Abstract

Introduction: Injury prevention and individual player management are increasingly prioritised as effective strategies tominimise injury time loss in professional team sport. Modifications to training practices are in part dependent on the identification of risk factors associated with injury. Despite suggestions that various components of physical fitness may either protect or predispose a player to injury, the links between physical fitness and injury risk in Australian football are relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between individual player characteristics assessed in the pre-season and injury in elite AFL football. Methods: Player characteristics (height, mass, age, experience, playing position) including pre-season fitness (6min run, 40m sprint, 6m×40m sprint, vertical jump), and in-season injury data were collected over four AFL seasons. Data were analysed for 69 players from a single club, for a total of 3879 player rounds and 174 seasons. Injury risk (odds ratio) and injury impact (matchesmissed; rate ratio)were assessedusing a series ofmulti-level univariate and multivariate hierarchical linear models. Results: A total of 177 injuries were recorded over the four years with 494matchesmissed as a result (2.8±3.3matches/injury). The vast majority (87%) of injuries were lower body in nature, with hamstring (20%) and groin/hip (14%) being most prevalent. Nineteen players (28%) suffered a recurrent injury (34 instances, 19%). Injury risk and impact was significantly increased in players with lower body mass (p<0.01), lower 6min run performance (p<0.05) and playing as a forward (p<0.05). Increased height was associated with greater injury impact (p<0.01). There was a tendency (p<0.1) for slower players over 40m to have an increased risk of injury and impact. Univariate analysis suggested that higher vertical jump contact time reduced injury risk and impact, however this relationship was not supported when other variables were controlled. Age and previous AFL experience were not important predictors of injury in this playing group. Conclusion: The identification of injury risk factors that are intrinsic and modifiable is important in individual player management, while the potential to modify these risk factors is greatest in the pre-season period. Aerobic running fitness and increased bodymass appear to have a protective effect against injury risk and impact in elite AFL football and represent important characteristics for targeted development in susceptible players.