Injuries in 2023 - because of the game or just bad luck?

[PieLebo87]

Across the whole competition I feel as though majority of sides are having a wretched run with injuries to personnel with players going down left, right and centre.

On the weekend alone off the top of my head, Touk Miller

11

Touk Miller

Age

28

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.7

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

12.3

5star

M

3.7

4star

T

5.4

5star

CL

4.2

5star

D

22.0

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

10.6

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

4.1

5star

D

17.8

5star

K

5.8

3star

HB

12.0

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.0

5star

ended up in crutches, Adam Kennedy

40

Adam Kennedy

Age

31

Ht

183cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.9

4star

K

8.4

3star

HB

6.5

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.8

4star

MG

245.6

4star

D

1.0

1star

K

1.0

1star

HB

0.0

1star

M

0.0

1star

T

0.0

1star

MG

10.0

1star

D

18.6

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.4

4star

has done an ACL, Sam Taylor

15

Sam Taylor

Age

24

Ht

198cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.1

4star

MG

130.5

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

2.5

1star

HB

5.5

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

60.8

1star

D

8.6

3star

K

3.0

1star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.2

2star

T

2.8

5star

MG

110.8

2star

has a 10 week hammy and another handful of concussions.

Is the way the game is being played the reason? Are restricted interchange numbers starting to have a toll? Just bad luck?

Whatever it is, I’ve personally never seen so many sides in the competition be undermanned as I have this year. WCE apparently had 25 players on their list to choose from for the weekend, and at least 4-5 clubs across the competition are without 3-4 of their top 10 players.

I’m not asking for a change, just seeing if anyone else has noticed the same thing.

 

[Kwality]

Are restricted interchange numbers starting to have a toll?

Our game is evolving & what was 2 teams of 18 is now 2 teams of 22/23 interchanging.
Hey they hit harder for longer.

 

[chaddy22]

in West Cooasts case it's just not during games.Dom Sheed and Harry Edwards copped injuries at training plus so many collision injuries during games.West coast do need have a enquiry into their rehab with so many players not getting onto the park with soft tissue issues.Injuries look bad now beacuse of the way concussions are treated.In the old days players came back on and played the next game.The mandatory time out is one of the best things to come in and i am sure it will be refined further to the benefit of players.Restricting interchange numbers was supposed to slow the game down thru fatigue.Has this lead to more injuries?

 

[PieLebo87]

Our game is evolving & what was 2 teams of 18 is now 2 teams of 22/23 interchanging.
Hey they hit harder for longer.

in West Cooasts case it's just not during games.Dom Sheed and Harry Edwards copped injuries at training plus so many collision injuries during games.West coast do need have a enquiry into their rehab with so many players not getting onto the park with soft tissue issues.Injuries look bad now beacuse of the way concussions are treated.In the old days players came back on and played the next game.The mandatory time out is one of the best things to come in and i am sure it will be refined further to the benefit of players.Restricting interchange numbers was supposed to slow the game down thru fatigue.Has this lead to more injuries?

I’ve got no scientific evidence but I feel the interchange restrictions has contributed to an increase in injuries.

Back in the days before the restrictions, it would’ve been something along the lines of run your guts out and come off when you’re stuffed. Where as now, it almost feels like they are ‘scheduling’ rotations and players are forced to push through their pain barrier whilst out there, particularly if playing as part of a zone.

Every game I look at the AFL app interchanges and the guys on the bench are always on there for approximately the same amount of time then generally 4-5 minutes later it’s a new 4 on the bench.

I even notice clubs generally have a set number of interchanges completed per quarter.

Maybe that’s due to where the game is being played on the field, but I also believe clubs have a schedule for when players are to rotate which means there’d be players on the field trying to push through a threshold and a minority will either hurt themselves in a physical contest by going at it not being 100% vs an opponent that is fine or they’re copping soft tissue injuries trying to exert themselves more than their bodies will allow.

 

[JyeDye]

I think in the modern game players simply run larger distances, so there's a larger chance of an injury happening.

 

[AFDogs]

I think in the modern game players simply run larger distances, so there's a larger chance of an injury happening.

This. Plus they probably run faster than in the past, therefore more risk involved.

 

[Kwality]

I’ve got no scientific evidence but I feel the interchange restrictions has contributed to an increase in injuries.

Back in the days before the restrictions, it would’ve been something along the lines of run your guts out and come off when you’re stuffed. Where as now, it almost feels like they are ‘scheduling’ rotations and players are forced to push through their pain barrier whilst out there, particularly if playing as part of a zone.

Every game I look at the AFL app interchanges and the guys on the bench are always on there for approximately the same amount of time then generally 4-5 minutes later it’s a new 4 on the bench.

I even notice clubs generally have a set number of interchanges completed per quarter.

Maybe that’s due to where the game is being played on the field, but I also believe clubs have a schedule for when players are to rotate which means there’d be players on the field trying to push through a threshold and a minority will either hurt themselves in a physical contest by going at it not being 100% vs an opponent that is fine or they’re copping soft tissue injuries trying to exert themselves more than their bodies will allow.

Interchange is a major contributor to the severity of the hits.
What was a game of endurance is no longer. Not sure how (interchange) restrictions are a factor .

 

[PieLebo87]

Interchange is a major contributor to the severity of the hits.
What was a game of endurance is no longer. Not sure how (interchange) restrictions are a factor .

Again, no scientific evidence but off the top of my head, some of the fittest players in the comp, and those winning time trials etc. generally last a whole season. Those with interrupted pre-seasons or mightn’t be at the level they should be at May be more prone to breaking down in games or across seasons.

I don’t think interchange restrictions are the primary cause, but merely a contributing factor.

 

[Kwality]

Again, no scientific evidence but off the top of my head, some of the fittest players in the comp, and those winning time trials etc. generally last a whole season. Those with interrupted pre-seasons or mightn’t be at the level they should be at May be more prone to breaking down in games or across seasons.

I don’t think interchange restrictions are the primary cause, but merely a contributing factor.

Interchange yes, but how do the restrictions contribute versus unrestricted?

 

[Kwality]

Again, no scientific evidence but off the top of my head, some of the fittest players in the comp, and those winning time trials etc. generally last a whole season. Those with interrupted pre-seasons or mightn’t be at the level they should be at May be more prone to breaking down in games or across seasons.

I don’t think interchange restrictions are the primary cause, but merely a contributing factor.

The elephant in the room is head injuries IF the rule changes are deemed to be a contributing factor in a Court of Law.

 

[Purple Suit]

in West Cooasts case it's just not during games.Dom Sheed and Harry Edwards copped injuries at training plus so many collision injuries during games.West coast do need have a enquiry into their rehab with so many players not getting onto the park with soft tissue issues.Injuries look bad now beacuse of the way concussions are treated.In the old days players came back on and played the next game.The mandatory time out is one of the best things to come in and i am sure it will be refined further to the benefit of players.Restricting interchange numbers was supposed to slow the game down thru fatigue.Has this lead to more injuries?

West Coast have an unbalanced list with a lot of old and very young players. These two groups tend to get injured more than the middle age players who have developed AFL bodies and not hit by father time yet. Some of the impact injures can't be helped but it's not that surprising that they have the most out.

The pace of games has definitely increased with fast breaks from turnovers being the norm. When you have periods of 3 or 4 in a row, end to end without a goal it would definitely stuff the players more and put them into the red zone.

 

[#23 Hill]

The only think has that changed is the speed of the game, therefore you'd expect more high speed collisions and an increase in impact injuries. I feel the soft tissue injuries often come down to the strength and conditioning team. The bloke Collingwood has as our head of strength and conditioning seems like an absolute jet. We were plaqued by soft tissue injuries until he took over at the start of last year. Since then we hardly get them.

Maybe the AFL could invest in getting the world's best strength and conditioning people on the books. Then when clubs were having a bad run with soft tissue injuries, the AFL could send them down to said club to help their strength and conditioning team sort it out. It could be a service available to all clubs.

 

[PieLebo87]

Interchange yes, but how do the restrictions contribute versus unrestricted?

They’re restricted to 18 interchanges per quarter. Collingwood in 2010/2011 were running games out ferociously whilst making almost double those numbers (120+ most weeks) and they placed a cap on the back of Malthouse using that. Guys like Swan would go out and run in 5-10 min bursts then come to the bench for 2-3 minutes, so would be on the bench twice a quarter sometimes. If you’re restricted to 18 in a quarter now, you aren’t coming off twice unless you’re actually injured.