Pre-season: why most injuries happen in the first three weeks
Every February and March we see the same wave of injuries from clubs across Casey. Calves, hamstrings, achilles and backs, almost all in the first three weeks of pre-season, almost all in players who did very little over summer. It is the most predictable pattern in local sport.
Why the first three weeks
Tissue capacity falls measurably during an off-season, but fitness returns faster than tissue tolerance. Within a fortnight players feel capable of running hard, while their tendons and muscles have not yet adapted to that load. The gap between what you feel able to do and what your tissue can tolerate is at its widest in week two or three.
Calves and achilles first
These fail earliest because they take the highest load in early running work. A calf that tears in week two of pre-season is almost always a capacity problem rather than a technique one. Our muscular strains page covers recovery.
Hamstrings next
Once sprint work is introduced, hamstrings become the vulnerable link — particularly in players who have not sprinted at all over summer. Sprinting is a specific capacity that must be rebuilt gradually, not resumed.
Backs
Sudden increases in running volume load the lumbar spine, and players returning heavier after an off-season add to that. Extension-related back pain is common in early pre-season — see low back pain.
What actually prevents it
Two or three weeks of independent running and strength work before pre-season formally starts. It is unglamorous and it works better than anything we can do after the fact. If you are reading this in January, that is the useful window.
What a first appointment looks like
We start with what actually happened and what the demands of your sport are, then assess the injured area alongside the joints and muscles above and below it — because the painful structure is often not the limiting one. You get a diagnosis, a realistic timeframe, and a plan that accounts for your training and match schedule rather than assuming you can stop. If we think you need imaging or another practitioner, we will say so at that first visit rather than after six sessions.
Booking in
We are at 5/6-8 Langmore Lane, Berwick, with street parking directly outside and same-week appointments most weeks. Initial consultations are 60 minutes and $149, with private health rebates processed on the spot via HICAPS. No referral is required, and we also work with WorkCover, DVA and Medicare care plans where they apply.
Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.
