Sports injury in Australia

An estimated 442,500 Australians aged 15 and over played netball in 2023–24 (ASC 2024). During this same period, there were around 1,500 injury hospitalisations attributed to netball: about 1,400 females and 135 males. The highest number of injury hospitalisations was among those aged 20–24 (240 cases) (Figure 23). The 60–64 age group had the lowest number of hospitalisations (9 cases), closely followed by those aged 65+ (12 cases).

For more detail, see data table 4.

Trends over the past decade

Between 2014–15 and 2016–17, the age-standardised rate of sports injury hospitalisations was relatively stable for both females (average of 14 hospitalisations per 100,000 population) and males (average of 1.2 hospitalisation per 100,000 population). During this same period, the number of hospitalisations ranged from 1,500 to 1,600 for females and 125 to 160 for males (Figure 24).

Figure 24: Number and age-standardised rate (per 100,000 population) of injury hospitalisations from netball by sex, Australia, 2014–15 to 2023–24

For more detail, see data table 5.

From 2017–18 to 2023–24, the number of hospitalisations ranged from 1,100 to 1,500 for females and 120 to 180 for males. Between 2017–18 to 2018–19, injury hospitalisation rates were relatively stable for both sexes. Hospitalisations were highest for females (13 hospitalisations per 100,000 population) during that period.

From 2019–20 to 2021–22, injury hospitalisations fluctuated noticeably for females – a likely effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitalisation rates were lowest for females in 2019–20 at 9.2 hospitalisations per 100,000 population. During this period, hospitalisation rates for males remained at an average of 1 hospitalisation per 100,000 population.

Across 2022–23 and 2023–24, injury hospitalisation rates appeared to have stabilised for females (average of 11 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), while males remained about the same (average of 1.2 hospitalisations per 100,000 population). 

Nature of injuries

For injury hospitalisations from netball in 2023–24, the top 3 most injured body parts across all ages were:

• hip and lower limb, excluding ankle and foot (58% of injury hospitalisations or 870 cases)
• shoulder and upper limb (16% of injury hospitalisations or 235 cases)
• wrist and hand (12% of injury hospitalisations or 185 cases) (Figure 25).

Figure 25: Common injuries and causes of sports injury hospitalisations from netball, Australia, 2023–24

For more detail, see data table 12.

Soft-tissue injuries accounted for more than half of all injury hospitalisations (or 780 cases), followed by fractures (34% of injury hospitalisations or 510 cases), dislocations (5% of injury hospitalisations or 76 cases) and intracranial injuries (3.6% of injury hospitalisations or 55 cases). About 95% of these intracranial injury hospitalisations were concussions.

The top 3 common causes of injury hospitalisations from netball in 2023–24 were:

• falls (26% of injury hospitalisations or 390 cases)
• overexertion (21% of injury hospitalisations or 315 cases)
• contact with objects (7.2% of injury hospitalisations or 110 cases).

Other causes not listed (including those unspecified causes of injury hospitalisations) accounted for nearly 40% of all injury hospitalisations from netball.data table 12