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Scratching the artificial surface: A physiotherapist's perspective

Etihad Stadium: A soulless monolith or a modern day colosseum? (Photo: Creative commons)
Roar Rookie
29th June, 2016
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The artificial surface that surrounds the boundary line at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne is in dire need of change.

The recent ankle injury to Geelong Cats forward, Daniel Menzel, has again put the spotlight on the stadium having the artificial turf around the field of play.

Daniel Menzel has made an incredible comeback from four anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions. As a physiotherapist, I have rehabilitated countless patients with ACL reconstructions and I know from experience how debilitating the injury can be not just from a physical aspect, but also from a mental standpoint.

Menzel is a freak of an athlete to be able to return to an elite sport after four reconstructions. Two weeks ago his career was nearly halted again when he rolled his ankle on artificial grass. He could have easily ruptured his ACL again after his boot ‘grabbed’ on the synthetic surface.

The AFL and Etihad stadium need to recognise the volume of research they have at their disposal in regards to the increased risk of ACL ruptures on synthetic grass versus natural grass.

This systematic review published in 2014 highlights that there is an increased risk of ACL rupture on synthetic surfaces when compared to natural grass.

Most studies that were reviewed have been completed on American football players both at college and professional levels. There is a lack of research in this field that has been completed on AFL players. However, the games of American football and AFL are very similar in regards to the high speed, contact, pivoting and occasional 360-degree nature of both games.

Michael Close from the Brisbane Lions ruptured his left ACL last year at Etihad stadium after stepping from the natural grass surface to the synthetic surface while changing direction. The injury was very innocuous and it is clear Close’s boot ‘grabs’ when his foot hit the artificial surface.

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Last year the Brisbane Lions demanded $100,000 in compensation from Etihad Stadium after the injury.

They are by no means alone; other AFL grounds have artificial grass around the very edge of the ground to combat wear and tear. The difference with Etihad Stadium is that the artificial turf extends all the way to the boundary line (as you can see in the Close injury video above) in some parts of the ground, most notably around the interchange gates.

The Roar spoke to Etihad Stadium’s Communications Manager Bill Lane, who insisted that Etihad were doing everything they could to ensure a high quality and safe playing surface for each game.

“We have checks by the AFL, the AFL Players Association and our own staff before each game. It’s a thorough, three-step process for us to get the tick of approval to host a game.

“The artificial surface has been installed for 11 years. Injuries can occur anywhere on the field.”

He held plenty of sympathy for Menzel, and his recent injury which prompted a release from the AFL Players Association.

“It is disappointing when a player like Daniel Menzel is injured.

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“But this is not unique to Etihad Stadium. Many other AFL-sanctioned grounds around Australia have artificial turf surrounding the playing surface.”

From my perspective, though, the artificial grass that close to the natural playing surface is dangerous.

The major issue I have with artificial grass is the amount of ‘grip’ or ‘stick’ that occurs during stud-surface interaction. On the artificial surface, the foot and leg don’t give way like they do on the less ‘sticky’ grass surface. The force is often then distributed to the knee of the player and it can cause an injury.

Geelong player Jimmy Bartel agrees with me, saying a couple of weeks ago that the astroturf is like running on concrete in footy boots.

“We’re not asking for a whole field, just a small amount to replace the pretty hard stuff around the edges of Etihad and other stadiums in Australia.”

The notion of ‘sticky’ surfaces contributing to ACL ruptures is also highlighted in a study completed by Orchard et al. in 2005. This study endeavoured to find a relationship between different grass types and ACL injuries in AFL players from 1992-2004.

The results revealed that Bermuda grass (more prevalent in northern states) had more non-contact ACL injuries than Rye grass (more prevalent in southern states). The hypothesis for this was due to the ‘trapping’ or ‘grabbing’ of football boots in the heavily thatched, or sticky, Bermuda grass. This provides further insight into the theory of greater shoe-surface traction increasing the risk of ACL ruptures in sports where change of direction is common.

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Etihad Stadium installed the artificial turf to combat the soft and muddy boundary area which has plagued the ground for years. It’s understandable, considering the heavy machinery that operates on the stadium to get it ready for professional football. In theory, their plan was a decent one but you can’t have a patchwork quilt of grass (and sand) and expect players to avoid injury.

If they are concerned about the surface quality at Etihad Stadium (and they should be), maybe it’s time for the stadium to resort to the kind of artificial turf found at many of the American football stadiums.

Another season-ending injury to a player like Michael Close is inevitable if the stadium doesn’t enact some kind of change.

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