GAA players are returning from ACL surgery faster than AFL athletes.

And return-to-play rates among GAA players are almost identical to what’s seen in professional sport.

That's what a new study from Santry Sports Clinic found after surveying 1,891 GAA players who had undergone ACL reconstructions.

The main findings from the study were:

· Three-quarters of male & female athletes polled returned to the same or higher performance level, while about 88% returned to sport.

· Players returned on average after 10.8 months, with similar timeframes for men and women.

“Our study shows that GAA players are returning to sport faster and at higher rates than what’s been reported in the AFL,” Dr Timothy McAleese said.

“In fact, the return-to-sport rates are on par with professional sports. That’s likely down to the strong sense of community and the social support that local clubs provide throughout recovery.”

6 interesting tidbits from the study:

1. Hurlers and camogie players were more likely to return to the same or higher level compared to footballers 

(76.3% for hurling/camogie vs 72.7% for footballers)

2. Male and female players returned in roughly the same timeframe

3. Players who got hamstring grafts were nearly 5 times more likely to re-reupture the same ACL than players who received a bone patellar graft.

4. 3.6% of players went on to suffer an AFL injury in the opposite knee, with females more likely to suffer this than males. Camogie players were more likely than Ladies footballers to do this.

5. The rate of returning to play was higher for younger players, particularly those aged 20–25.

You can read the full study here.

*****

Quote To Think About

"It was very scary. I remember getting the call from the doctor saying that I'm going to have to come in for a procedure and I just got the doctor to call my mum straight away."

—Saoirse Lally

*****

What I'm Reading

The GPA are putting pressure on the government to significantly increase the grant scheme for county players. Andy Watters argues in the Irish News that  that county players should not be out of pocket for putting their lives on hold and providing entertainment for the country.

*****

What I'm Listening To

Interesting interview with Michael Moynihan on Off The Ball this week talking about his new book, 'More Than a Game'. It explores where the GAA is going in the future. He tackles some big questions like unregulated payments, stadium sponsorships, broadcasting controversies and postponed games for concerts