Injury profiles of female Australian Rules Football players: a survey of Geelong and South-Western Victoria

Women's Australian Rules Football (AFL) has grown rapidly in recent years, but there is limited data on the types and consequences of injuries female players sustain. This study investigates how often female AFL players present to emergency departments or urgent care centres in Geelong and South Western Victoria, what kinds of injuries they have, and how those injuries affect their lives — including time off work or school and time away from the sport. The study has two parts. The first collects information from emergency department records on all AFL-related injuries in the region and compares female and male injury patterns. The second follows up female players by questionnaire 6 to 10 weeks after their injury to understand recovery and life impact. You may be eligible for the follow-up part of the study if you are female and presented to one of the participating emergency departments or urgent care centres in Geelong or South Western Victoria with an injury related to Australian Rules Football. There are no age restrictions and no exclusion criteria — all such presentations are eligible.