What happens when talent evaluation prioritizes performance over injury history? The data exposes a critical gap between draft success and career survival.

In this episode we look at new research tracking 1,071 AFL Draft Combine participants which reveals a shocking paradox: players with ACL reconstruction history get drafted at the same rate as uninjured athletes, but face an 8.5 times higher risk of reinjury during their professional careers.

Thanks for listening to Sport Science Decoded. Where we take you from research to application in 5 minutes. Cutting-edge sport science research communicated for academics, coaches, and evidence-based practitioners who want to stay current without spending hours reading papers. New episodes every week.

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Veale, J. P., Shawdon, A., D'Alessandro, P., Ebert, J. R., & Edwards, P. K. (2025). Impact of Pre-Elite Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction on Draft Outcomes and Reinjury Risk in Elite Australian Football Players: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Sports, 13(9), 308. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13090308