The player salary costs of match-loss injury and illness at an Australian Football League Club: A six-season retrospective cohort study

Background: The objective of this study was to quantify the salary costs of match-loss injuries and illnesses at a single professional AFL club. Methods: A retrospective cohort study involving male professional AFL players across a six-season period (2016–2021). Analysis of player injury and illness data, and corresponding salary data, was performed with costs calculated using the human capital method. Results: There were 95 individual players across the six-seasons, with 79 unique diagnoses, 267 match-loss injuries or illnesses and 1130 matches missed. The total salary cost of match-loss injury and illness was AU$13.0 million across the period. Hamstring biceps femoris grade 1–2 strains had the highest proportion of these costs according to diagnosis (AU$1.3 million, 30 incidences, 10.0 ​% of total salary costs), followed by soleus strains (AU$1.1 million, 20 incidences, 8.7 ​%) and concussions (AU$1.1 million, 25 incidences, 8.4 ​%). Of the most frequent injuries, hamstring semimembranosus strains had the highest mean (SD) cost per injury occurrence at AU$139,988 (126,023), followed by knee anterior cruciate ligament injuries at AU$99,264 (105,086). Injury or illness costs as a proportion of the total salary spend across six seasons was 17 ​% (range 10 ​%–22 ​%). Conclusion: Match-loss injuries and illnesses incur a considerable financial cost relative to the player salary expenditure. This study may provide a costing model for sports businesses to utilise as an approach to inform resource allocation decisions, particularly in relation to injury management and prevention.