AFL pre-season hamstring injury prevention in Melbourne: why Nordic curls alone are not enough

The first hard pre-season session can feel like a test of character. After a few quieter weeks, the group is back together, the running volume jumps and everyone wants to prove they have done the work. Then a player feels a sudden grab at the back of the thigh, or notices that the “tightness” from Monday has not settled by Thursday.

That scenario is one reason searches for hamstring exercises and AFL pre-season preparation rise with the return to training. It also explains the appeal of a simple answer: do Nordic curls and your hamstrings will be protected. Nordic hamstring exercise can be valuable, but hamstring injury prevention is not one exercise. A useful plan prepares the athlete for the strength, speed, fatigue and decision-making demands of football, then increases those demands gradually enough for the body to adapt.

Why hamstrings matter in AFL pre-season

The hamstrings help extend the hip, bend the knee and control the lower leg during fast running. They work particularly hard as the foot prepares to meet the ground at speed. Australian football repeatedly asks players to accelerate, reach high speed, decelerate, change direction, kick and perform these actions while fatigued.

Pre-season changes the exposure. A player may go from self-directed gym sessions and steady running to organised sessions with repeat efforts, football drills and competitive conditioning. The problem is not that training becomes hard. Hard training is necessary. The risk is that the type or amount of high-speed work rises faster than the athlete’s current capacity.

Sports Medicine Australia advises players to complete at least four weeks of pre-season preparation where possible and to maintain regular activity during breaks. Its AFL fact sheet also recommends ongoing exercise-based injury-prevention programs rather than a quick fix immediately before competition.

Nordic curls help, but they are one part of the plan

A Nordic hamstring exercise is an eccentric strength exercise: the hamstrings produce force while lengthening as the athlete controls a forward fall from the knees. This is relevant because hamstrings must tolerate high forces during sprinting. Research has found lower hamstring injury rates in programs that include Nordic hamstring exercise, particularly in football settings.

The important phrase is “programs that include”. The hamstring strain clinical practice guideline recommends including Nordic work alongside other elements such as warm-up, stability, strengthening, functional movement and high-speed running. A widely cited systematic review supports Nordic exercise within prevention programs, but that does not mean every athlete should begin with the same volume or that the exercise replaces sprint preparation.

Nordics can also cause significant muscle soreness when they are new or suddenly increased. Dropping a large dose into the week before a running-heavy session may reduce training quality rather than improve it. The dose, exercise variation and timing should match the athlete’s training age, current symptoms and weekly field load.

The five parts of a practical hamstring plan

1 Build strength at the knee and hip

Hamstrings work across both the hip and knee, so a rounded program usually includes more than one movement pattern. A coach or clinician might use a suitable Nordic progression for knee-dominant eccentric strength, then add hip-dominant work such as a Romanian deadlift, hip extension or bridge variation. The right choice is the one the athlete can perform well and progress consistently.

Strength should be built over time. Chasing soreness is not the goal, and soreness is not proof that an exercise prevented an injury. Progress can come through better control, a larger range, more resistance or a more demanding variation, with enough recovery to preserve field-training quality.

2 Reintroduce speed progressively

Gym strength cannot completely reproduce sprinting. High-speed running is a specific skill and exposure. Players need a planned path from lower-speed running to accelerations and, when appropriate, faster efforts with adequate recovery. An athlete returning from a break or injury should not use the first full team session as the first meaningful sprint exposure.

The exact speed, distance and number of efforts should be individualised. Previous hamstring injury, recent running history, age, position and the demands of the upcoming session all matter. A simple training diary that records field work, gym work, symptoms and recovery can reveal sudden spikes that are easy to miss when each session is considered alone.

3 Use a structured football warm-up

A good warm-up gradually raises intensity and rehearses the movements about to be performed. Running drills, landing, balance, change of direction and progressive accelerations are more useful than treating static stretching as the entire preparation. The AFL’s Prep-to-Play resources give community coaches a sport-specific framework that combines warm-up, strength and football actions.

4 Coordinate the whole training week

A hard hamstring session does not exist in isolation. It may sit beside team running, speed training, lower-body strength, skills and weekend competition in another sport. Coaches and athletes should look at the combined week, space demanding sessions sensibly and adjust when sleep, illness, heat or other stressors reduce readiness.

This does not require avoiding load. It means using enough load to drive adaptation without repeatedly asking for more than the athlete can recover from. Consistent weeks usually beat occasional heroic sessions.

5 Treat previous injury as important information

A previous injury is one of the strongest reasons to take preparation seriously. The athlete may feel normal in daily life but still have a gap in strength, running exposure, confidence or tolerance to repeated high-speed efforts. A history of hamstring strain does not guarantee another injury, but it should shape the plan.

Pivot’s sports physiotherapy team in Bundoora and sports physiotherapy team in Ringwood can assess current symptoms, strength and function, then coordinate rehabilitation with running and gym work. For athletes without an injury who want a structured year-round plan, the athlete performance program includes individualised strength, speed and load planning.

Is it normal soreness or a hamstring strain?

General muscle soreness often develops after unfamiliar training, affects a broader area and eases over the next few days. A hamstring strain is more likely when there is a sudden, localised pain during sprinting, kicking or reaching, especially if the athlete has to stop, changes their running action, develops bruising or has pain with walking and resisted movement.

Do not use an online article to diagnose the difference. Stop the activity if there is sharp pain, a sudden pull, loss of function or a worsening gait. Seek timely assessment when pain is significant, symptoms are not settling as expected, there is visible bruising or swelling, or the athlete has a history of recurrent hamstring problems. Severe pain, a marked loss of strength, a palpable gap or difficulty weight-bearing warrants prompt medical assessment.

Return to training should be based on more than a calendar date or pain-free jogging. Rehabilitation commonly needs progressive strength, running and football-specific work, with objective checks chosen for the individual. Clearance and progression should come from the treating clinician and coaching team, not a generic checklist.

A simple pre-season checklist

• Build several weeks of regular running and strength work before full match-intensity demands.

• Include knee-dominant and hip-dominant hamstring strength at an appropriate level.

• Progress from easy running to acceleration and higher-speed exposures rather than jumping straight to maximal sprinting.

• Use a structured warm-up at least twice each week and keep it consistent through the season.

• Coordinate gym, running and team sessions across the whole week.

• Respond early to sharp pain, a sudden pull, altered running or symptoms that persist.

• Get an individual plan if there is a previous hamstring strain or a disrupted preparation.

Prepare for the work you want to do

Hamstring injury prevention is not about finding one perfect exercise. It is about building the capacity to sprint, kick and repeat high-intensity efforts, then organising training so that capacity grows over time. Nordic curls can earn a place in that process. They should not carry the whole plan.

If a hamstring is painful, repeatedly tight or not ready for the step up in pre-season load, contact Pivot Sports Performance for an assessment in Bundoora or Ringwood. The team can help connect the clinical findings with the athlete’s actual football and training demands.