Most AFL injuries are due to the volatile nature of the game, which demands that its players leap, tackle, pivot, sprint and kick. In the AFL, impossible physical demands are being made at an increasing rate. Knee injuries remain the impairment most likely to keep a player off the field, but groin and hamstring injuries are also on the rise. By timing footage of grand finals in 1961, '71, '81 and '97, University of South Australia researchers recently found that the average time a ball is continuously in play has fallen from 35 sec. But players do.
Players can run faster, which means they change direction faster.
And that puts pressure directly on the knees. On a muddy, shifting surface, you rarely get serious injuries. The modern game is all about pace. That might describe Lee Walker's new role at Collingwood. Appointed as a rehabilitation coach during his recovery, he helps other injured players rebuild their attitudes as well as their athleticism.