Click here to view the PFA's A-League Pitch Rating System results for season 2009-2010.

The health and wellbeing of professional footballers are vital concerns of Professional Footballers Australia.  The PFA’s concern is amplified by two phenomena: (1) that the career of a professional footballer is, by its nature, precarious, short term and in constant transition: and (2) the impact of injury on the presentation and quality of the game.

For the continued growth and success of the competition, protecting the health and safety of A-League players is essential.  A-League clubs have a responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of players by providing a working environment which is free from any unreasonable risk to their health and safety.  Effective injury prevention and management practices are essential for clubs to successfully fulfil this responsibility.

The 2008/2009 PFA A-League Injury Report, now in its third edition, collates and analyses available data to measure the impact and extent of injury within the A-League.  It does so by reference to important considerations such as games missed, injury type and the number of players injured during the course of the season.  The report shows the continuing relationship between injury rates and on-field success, providing a positive incentive for clubs to invest in their medical teams. Click here to view this report. 

However, some troubling trends are emerging, and warrant ongoing monitoring, review and intervention: the total number of games missed through injury increased last season; injury rates again worsened as the season approached its end; and the incidence of soft tissue injuries remained significant.  Sadly, injury management in the A-League is behind other major sports.

The key findings in this report reveal that:

• the total number of games missed through injury for all A-League clubs has increased over the past 2 seasons. In 2008/2009, total games missed were 506 (avg. 63), an increase of 24 the 2007/2008 season which consisted of 482 (avg. 60);
• over the 4 seasons of the A-League, the highest occurrence of injuries was during the last 7 games of the season; and
• the most prevalent type of injuries in order are knees, followed by ankle sprains/joint injuries, groin strains/osteitis pubis and hamstrings.

The transition for injured players coming off contract is extremely difficult.  At least 8 players remained injured when coming off contract at the end of the season, jeopardising their prospects of achieving a contract renewal or a new contract at another club.

Effective player injury prevention and management practices in the A-League are certain to come under ever increasing focus.  If clubs, as employers, do not listen to the demands of the sports medicine community and the players, the on-field consequences will ensure they will ultimately be held to account by their fans.

SEARCH