Netball

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An estimated 484,700 Australians aged 15 and over played netball in 2024–25 (ASC 2025). 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 15–19 (255 cases) (Figure 26). The 0–4 age group had the lowest number of hospitalisations (1 case), followed by both 60–64 and 65+ age groups (both having 8 cases).

Figure 26: Number of injury hospitalisations from netball by 5-year age group, Australia, 2024–25

Column chart shows younger age groups between 10 and 29 years had the highest concentration of hospitalisations in 2024–25.


Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.

For more detail, see data table 5.

Trends over the past decade

From 2017–18 to 2024–25, the number of hospitalisations ranged from 1,100 to 1,600 for females and 120 to 180 for males (see Figure 27). Between 2017–18 to 2018–19, injury hospitalisation rates were relatively stable for both sexes. Hospitalisations were highest for females (14 hospitalisations per 100,000 population) during that period.

Figure 27: Number and age-standardised rate (per 100,000 population) of injury hospitalisations from netball by sex, Australia, 2015–16 to 2024–25

Line graph shows trends for males, females and persons with a dashed vertical line separating years 2016–17 and 2017–18 to indicate a break in time series, described in technical notes.

Line graph shows trends for males, females and persons with a dashed vertical line separating years 2016–17 and 2017–18 to indicate a break in time series, described in technical notes.

For more detail, see data table 6.

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 2024–25, injury hospitalisation rates appeared to have stabilised for females (averaging 11 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), while males remained about the same (averaging 1.2 hospitalisations per 100,000 population). 

Nature of injuries

For injury hospitalisations from netball in 2024–25, the top three most injured body parts across all ages were:

  • hip and lower limb, excluding ankle and foot (800 cases)
  • shoulder and upper limb (275 cases)
  • wrist and hand (185 cases) (Figure 28).

Figure 28: Common injuries and causes of sports injury hospitalisations from netball, Australia, 2024–25

Diagram of human body shows percentage of body parts injured in hospitalisations in 2024–25, including injury types and causes.

Diagram of human body shows percentage of body parts injured in hospitalisations in 2024–25, including injury types and causes.

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.

For more detail, see data table 13.

Soft-tissue injuries accounted for almost half of all injury hospitalisations (or 710 cases), followed by fractures (38% of injury hospitalisations or 570 cases), dislocations (5% of injury hospitalisations or 73 cases) and intracranial injuries (2.6% of injury hospitalisations or 38 cases). About 95% of these intracranial injury hospitalisations were concussions: 3 males and 33 females. 

The top three common causes of injury hospitalisations from netball in 2024–25 were:

  • falls (395 cases or 1.5 hospitalisations per 100,000 population)
  • overexertion (320 cases or 1.2 hospitalisations per 100,000 population)
  • contact with living things (e.g. another human) (98 cases or 0.4 hospitalisations per 100,000 population).

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

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