What Are the Biggest Physical Demands AFL Athletes Face in Pre-Season?
Pre-season in AFL isn’t just about “getting fit again.” It’s about preparing the body to tolerate speed, contact, and repeat effort, often all at once. And that’s where most issues can creep in if the groundwork isn’t right.
From a physical perspective, there are a few key demands that stand out every single pre-season.
- Returning to High-Speed Running
One of the biggest challenges for AFL athletes is reintroducing high-speed running after time away from full training.
Sprinting places enormous load through the hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, and quads. It’s not just about fitness, it’s about whether the muscles and tendons are resilient enough to tolerate repeated high-velocity efforts.
That resilience isn’t built by sprinting alone. It comes from targeted strength work done before and alongside speed exposure.
If the tissues aren’t prepared, the risk of soft-tissue injury rises quickly once intensity ramps up.
- Building “Body Armour” for Contact
The other major pre-season demand is returning to contact, tackling, collisions, and repeated knocks. Upper-body and trunk strength play a huge role here. Strength training essentially becomes an athlete’s body armour, allowing them to absorb and distribute force more effectively. Without it, players are far more vulnerable to shoulder issues, rib injuries, and general soreness that limits training consistency.
- Strength Work That Actually Transfers to the Game
In elite AFL environments, pre-season strength programming is very deliberate.
Some key pillars include:
- Hamstring strength
Nordic hamstring exercises are a staple, often programmed twice per week during pre-season to build eccentric strength and reduce injury risk. - Quadriceps and hip flexor capacity
Reverse Nordics are commonly used to prepare the quads and hip flexors for sprinting and kicking loads. These may be bodyweight or weighted, depending on the athlete’s capacity and experience. - Calf strength and resilience
The calves absorb huge forces during running and jumping. Heavy calf raises (using a Smith machine or seated calf raise) are essential for building capacity and protecting against Achilles issues and calf strains. - Groin and pelvic control
Groin issues are common in AFL, so lateral hip strength and adductor work is critical. Exercises like crab walks, ice skaters, and Copenhagen adduction drills are often programmed once or twice per week to support groin and pelvic health.
- It’s All About Load Tolerance
Pre-season success isn’t about smashing yourself early. It’s about progressively building strength and tissue capacity so that when speed, contact, and competition arrive, the body is ready to handle it.
This is where smart programming makes the difference between a strong start to the season, and time spent on the sidelines.
How SquareOne Can Help
Whether you’re an elite athlete, a developing junior, or a committed weekend warrior, the principles are the same.
At SquareOne, our Physios design evidence-based programs that prepare your body for the real demands of your sport, from high-speed running to contact resilience and long-term injury prevention.
If you’re heading into pre-season or ramping up training and want to do it properly, book an assessment with our team today. We’ll help you build the strength and resilience you need, from pain to performance.
👉 Book online at here!