TonyK
CibbuanoGame is becoming safer
May 28th 2008 07:44
THERE has been a significant fall in the incidence of head and neck injuries as well as posterior cruciate ligament injuries but a rise in hamstring and groin injuries, according to the AFL's annual comprehensive injury survey.
The Executive Officer of the AFL Medical officers Association, Hugh Seward, said the 'head-over-the-ball' rule and the introduction of the 10-metre circle at centre bounces was responsible for the fall in head/neck and PCL injuries.
"The game is becoming safer from some of the significant injuries that we worry about, particularly the head and neck injuries and one of the versions of severe knee injuries, the posterior cruciate ligament knee injury," he said at AFL House on Wednesday.
"In the case of head and neck injuries and the posterior cruciate ligament knee injuries we've been able … through rule changes … to make is safer for not only AFL players … but all levels of football."
"The parents of young children playing the game should recognise that these efforts do make it safer for their children when they play Australian Football."
One of the reports contributors, John Orchard, remains baffled as to why there was an increase in groin and hamstring injuries.
"We haven't managed to make any impact on the rates of those injuries," Orchard said.
"There was a trend in the middle part of this decade that they were starting to go down a little bit … but unfortunately in the last two seasons it's moved in the other direction."
"It's now our big challenge. We can speculate about possible reasons why they might have gone up in the last couple of seasons, but it is all speculation so I'm not going to put a theory out as to the reason why."
"We don’t have the exact answer and if we had the answer we'd be doing something about it."
Seward said his association had commissioned special research into the relationship between groin/hamstring strains and the increasing speed of the game, the number of collisions, and how collisions impact on injuries in the context of increased interchanges.
"Hopefully by getting a better understanding of those relationships, we might be able to make some impact onto this high incidence of hamstring and groins that continue to elude us."
The Executive Officer of the AFL Medical officers Association, Hugh Seward, said the 'head-over-the-ball' rule and the introduction of the 10-metre circle at centre bounces was responsible for the fall in head/neck and PCL injuries.
"The game is becoming safer from some of the significant injuries that we worry about, particularly the head and neck injuries and one of the versions of severe knee injuries, the posterior cruciate ligament knee injury," he said at AFL House on Wednesday.
"In the case of head and neck injuries and the posterior cruciate ligament knee injuries we've been able … through rule changes … to make is safer for not only AFL players … but all levels of football."
"The parents of young children playing the game should recognise that these efforts do make it safer for their children when they play Australian Football."
One of the reports contributors, John Orchard, remains baffled as to why there was an increase in groin and hamstring injuries.
"We haven't managed to make any impact on the rates of those injuries," Orchard said.
"There was a trend in the middle part of this decade that they were starting to go down a little bit … but unfortunately in the last two seasons it's moved in the other direction."
"It's now our big challenge. We can speculate about possible reasons why they might have gone up in the last couple of seasons, but it is all speculation so I'm not going to put a theory out as to the reason why."
"We don’t have the exact answer and if we had the answer we'd be doing something about it."
Seward said his association had commissioned special research into the relationship between groin/hamstring strains and the increasing speed of the game, the number of collisions, and how collisions impact on injuries in the context of increased interchanges.
"Hopefully by getting a better understanding of those relationships, we might be able to make some impact onto this high incidence of hamstring and groins that continue to elude us."
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