Injury prediction in AFL

[Anonymous user]

I am a podiatrist and I'm investigating undertaking research involving injury prediction in a local Australian Rules Football club. I am planning to start my work early next year, and spend 2004 doing all the background work - lit review, measurement method testing, ethics etc. I have been doing literature searches based on injury prediction and AFL/Australian Football etc, and luckily, there doesn't seem to be any particular research project identical to the one I want to do. I am hoping you may be able to tell me if you are aware of such a project, or if there is something similar out there. Basically, I plan to assess the player list of North Ballarat in the preseason using an array of measures, including those relevant for podiatry, like the foot posture index, flexibility (the ankle lunge test) and a few anthropometric details. I then plan to follow the team through the year - as I am already involved, this shouldn't be too difficult - and record who gets injured, how, what, when. At the end of the season, the plan is to look back at the details obtained in the preseason, and the injuries occurred,
and investigate whether or not there are any predictive
details/values/features in the preseason measurements that were associated with the development of a certain injury. Well, that's the plan. If you can provide me with any info regarding previous research into this area that you are aware of, I would really appreciate it.

[injuryupdate]

This sort of research is to be encouraged and if you can do it without much cost then go for it. If you need funding, consider applying to the AFL R&D (Research and Development) Board which has an annual budget of $150,000 for various projects. These funds are competitive but there is not much to lose by applying.