Seven of Adelaide\u2019s top players have been struck down with hamstring injuries already this season, and Bicks says it is most likely a combination of reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdelaide has by far been the club most affected by the dreaded hamstring,\u201d Bicks writes in The Advertiser. \u201cSo it should come as no surprise that questions are being asked at West Lakes about what is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
He suggests a few factors:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tightening of the deliberate out of bounds and rushed behinds has reduced the stoppages, meaning less rest, less recovery time and more fatigue.<\/h3>\n
\u201cCombine this with the reduction of interchanges from 120 down to 90 at the start of the 2016 season and we are starting to see how the demands on players have risen…<\/h3>\n
\u201cCombine the fact that Adelaide, along with Sydney, have played deep into September in the past two seasons playing 49 and 50 games respectively. This also reduces the amount of pre-season available to prepare for the next year of action. It shouldn\u2019t surprise then to learn Sydney are also experiencing an increase in hamstring injuries in 2018.<\/h3>\n
\u201cThe increase in load on the players is real. GPS devices worn in the back of the players guernseys are reporting that the game has never been more demanding. Not only are the players running faster than ever, the GPS also measures the acceleration and deceleration of the players, which has also risen.<\/h3>\n
\u201cThe introduction and focus on team defence appears the most likely reason.<\/h3>\n
“Forwards getting higher up the ground when they don\u2019t have the ball, defenders moving in unison every time the opposition changes the direction of play, all adds up to greater load and an increase in the number of short sharp changes of direction.\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Advertiser columnist Mark Bickley looks into why the @Adelaide_FC<\/a> have suffered so many hamstring injuries https:\/\/t.co\/10fyfDg5fz<\/a>#AFL<\/a><\/p>— The Advertiser Sport (@TheTiserSport) May 1, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote> \n