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Latest Research
Research Details
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| Research Title: |
A prospective cohort study of the incidence of injuries among junior Australian football players – evidence for a playing age level effect. |
| Type of Research: |
Publication Articles |
| Category: |
Preventative Techniques
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| Keywords: |
Junior, Australian Rules football, Age level, injuries
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| Author(s): |
Maria Assunta Romiti, Caroline F Finch, Belinda Gabbe |
| Author(s) Bio Box: |
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| Release Date: |
05 February 2008 |
| Research Summary/Text: |
Australian football is one of the most popular sports in which Australian children participate. Because of the high level of body contact in the game, and to cater for the lower skill level of junior players, modified versions at each level of play have been developed and widely used. Exploration of injury rates and patterns will help in the evaluation of current injury prevention strategies and to identify emerging issues. Six teams from each level of play, from Under 9 to Under 18, divided equally across two states, New South Wales and Victoria, were recruited for the study.
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| Research Objectives: |
The purpose of this study, the Junior Australian Football Safety Study, was to quantify injury risk and identify injury trends across all levels of junior players over a competitive season, and to identify opportunities to improve safety through targeted skill development programs.
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| Research Outcomes: |
The overall rate of injury observed in the study was 18.0 injuries per 1000 hours of exposure. There was a trend of increasing injury incidence with level of play, particularly from game, rather than training, participation. The Under 18 level of play had a significantly higher rate of game injuries than all other levels.
Injuries to the knee and hand/fingers were the most common, with the face and head also common regions for younger players and the upper leg in older players.
Haematomas/bruising and joint sprains were the most common type of injury. Minor injuries such as cuts/lacerations and abrasions were more frequent in lower levels of play while muscle/tendon strains were more common in higher levels of play. Under 18 level players sustained 35% of all fractures.
Being tackled was the first or second most common cause of injury for all levels of play.
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| Research Implications: |
The significantly higher game injury rate of the U18 level identifies this group of junior players as a priority group for injury prevention interventions. At this level players are participating in the adult form of the sport and may not be adequately prepared. Playing experience and injury history have been shown to be predictors of injury however factors such as risk-taking behaviour and physical maturity may also contribute to injury risk.
A priority area for injury prevention is the incidence of injury from body contact, particularly the tackle. Enforcing tackle regulation and additional skill and technique training – bracing, proprioceptive, co-ordination, perturbation drills and safe falling techniques – should be considered.
Poor gross motor and spatial awareness skills may explain the high incidence of facial, head and hand/finger injuries in lower levels of play and further skill development is warranted for younger players.
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