ACL Injuries in Aussie Rules Football (AFL)
What is an ACL injury?
An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most common (and devastating) injuries that an elite AFL athlete can sustain. This ligament is usually torn when the knee is forced into a hyperextended positon and/or with a large rotational force through the joint. At risk movements include cutting or pivoting; getting hit or buckling during a tackle, or coming down awkwardly whilst attempting to mark the ball.
Why are ACL injuries important in AFL?
Given the prevalence of ACL injuries (approx. 10,000 ACL reconstructions were performed annually from 2002-08), and the destructive implications (approx. 87% of AFL players with ACL injury underwent reconstructive surgery, of which 26% never returned to AFL; 28% of those who returned sustained further ACL injury) it is essential for players of the sport (professional or social) utilise preventative measures to avoid injury.
How can I prevent or manage an ACL injury?
Here are a few tips that will hopefully keep you playing footy:
• Spend time to adequately warm up and cool down, on game day and at training.
• Strive for optimal levels of sleep and nutrition.
• Know when to rest. Overtraining and fatigue often lead to injury.
• Condition yourself for the game (regular resistance and aerobic training, as well as sport specific drills).
• Don’t rush back to play. If you are injured, spend sufficient time on rehabilitation and reconditioning. A premature return to sport can delay healing, as well as placing yourself at risk of causing more damage and further time away from the game.
• Seek help if you need it or see your physio in order to make a successful and safe return to sport.
Lastly, if you’re serious about avoiding the sideline, we highly recommend the FIFA 11 Injury Prevention Program. This program is composed of a structured warm-up routine, roughly 10-15 minutes per session. These sessions contain evidence-based strength, proprioception, stabilisation and plyometric exercises that have been successfully employed to reduce the risk of injury and re-injury. Check out the links below to find out more about the program.
References
Fédération Internationale de Football Association. (2008). FIFA 11+. Retrieved from http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/fifa-11plus/
Fédération Internationale de Football Association. (2008). The “11+”: A complete warm-up programme to prevent injuries - Manual. Retrieved from http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/fifa-11plus/
M G Liptak & K R Angel (2017). Return to Play and Player Performance After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Elite Australian Rules Football Player. Orthrop J Sports Med 2017 Jun; 5(6): 2325967117711885. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5482352/