The AFL today launched two key medical programs aimed at ensuring Australian football continues to benefit from the best sports medicine practices from the community level of the game to the elite competition of the AFL.
The newly established Sports Medicall service is set to provide specialised elite-level sports medicine services to community level football participants while the AFL Medical Fellowship program will provide a pathway to assist qualified doctors entering the AFL system.
The Sports Medicall service will see a dedicated telephone booking system that enables community level footballers priority access to specialised sports medicine physicians and associated services primarily utilised by elite level athletes.
Community footballers who suffer a football-related injury can receive elite level treatment and eliminate lengthy wait times by accessing the Sports Medicall phone booking service to arrange an appointment with a sports physician. The cost of this service is equivalent to a standard consultation with the booking fee covered by the treating practice.
The AFL Medical Fellowship program - funded and administered by the AFL Medical Officers Association in conjunction with the AFL – has been established to encourage the involvement of more medically trained professionals in the AFL competition.
This increased involvement will safeguard against the expected retirement of a number of current AFL Club doctors over the next few years.
The program will see registered doctors undertake a fellowship of two years in which time they will work alongside AFL Club and state body doctors before continuing as an assistant AFL Club doctor or as a club doctor in a second tier competition.
The AFL is proud to be associated with the following sports medicine providers who have enabled Sports Medicall priority access to prompt appointment times – Epworth Sports Medicine Exercise Group, Lifecare Sports Medicine in Prahran and Croydon, Dr Karen Holzer and Imaging @ Olympic Park.
The Sports Medicall booking service will initially be made available in Victoria only, through the assistance of AFL Victoria, while the AFL Medical Fellowship initiative will be made available to doctors and physicians nationally.
The Sports Medicall line - 1800 855 072 - opens on April 8, 2013.
Last Modified on 18/03/2013 18:08