Stress Fractures: Are Hard Play Surfaces At Fault?

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Image Credit: People Images

In a previous article where Soccerscene spoke with a member of a localclub about playing pitches, they commented on stress fractures being an issue when their younger teams played on the hard fields every season. Though they were not quoted in the story, the thought of young athletes sustaining life-changing injuries due to preventable factors is quite serious.

Stress fractures (or hairline fractures) occur when the bone is being overused, leading to the body being unable to repair the hard tissue over a period of time, resulting in a break in the bone. For this to happen, a person would have to repeatedly perform the same action where the injury is located, which is more likely to be in the foot and ankle and shin bones.

Knowing now how stress fractures occur and what leads them to occur in the first place. Is it the pitches or something else?

The Pitches

Football pitches and outdoor sports grounds are usually regulated by the governing body and state government in Australia; however, bodies like FIFA have larger control over the sport in a larger area. This includes what type of pitch is used.

Artificial footballpitches (or synthetic turf pitches) are common in sports grounds due to their versatility. The pitch can be used year-round and is independent of the seasons and weather and is used in both professional and amateur league sports grounds. Most artificial pitches are made of plastic fibres sewn to rubber matting to help with shock absorption.

Installing artificial turf also means the grounds do not have to be maintained as much as if it were natural grass. However, in the Premier League, several instances and complaints about player conditions on artificial fields have resulted in player injuries due to their mobility.

Though FIFA has conducted several research and development projects to create the perfect artificial turf since 2015, and recent academic papers have proven players are less likely to be injured on artificial turf, sustaining injuries could be from changes in the types of training and playing surfaces athletes are used to.

In Australia, major sports grounds will have artificial turf installed, while outdoor areas will have natural grass, which is what most of the young-aged teams usually play on.

In the Sports Injury Survey 2024/25, 41 per cent of leg and ankle/foot injuries which resulted in hospitalisation were fractures; the second were soft-tissue injuries like muscle sprains. Boys aged 10 to 19 were more likely to be hospitalised by their injuries than girls aged the same.

The Other Factor(s) of Football Injuries

It is true the conditions of a soccer pitch, like all sports grounds, affect how a player will perform; it isn’t the only issue, according to Sam Turner, podiatrist and founder of ThatFootballPodiatrist, who has worked with athletes in the AFL and the A-League Men’s and Women’s.

He told Soccerscene there are many factors which go into why athletes develop injuries like stress fractures.

“What is the player’s history? Are they having the right nutrition? There are many factors,” he said to Soccerscene.

Sam believes simply blaming hard sports grounds for athletes sustaining injuries can be a bearing on the cause, but factors like how players recover from previous injuries, strength training, and the inappropriate size and condition of soccer boots are just as important.

“Is it the smoking gun? Probably not.”

At the start of September this year, Sam posted on Instagram an open letter to the Professional Football Association to aid the financial burden of soccer players who cannot afford to buy the recommended three to four pairs of boots to meet the physical demands of the A-League.

“The AFL collective bargaining agreement provides the player five pairs of shoes total, which can be things like boots and runners,” he said.

“When I go to Western United, especially to the women’s, they have no idea that it is possible for clubs to provide these entitlements.”

Though the club’s allowance for uniform and other expenses depends on sponsorships, some soccer player are paid as little as $40,000 annually after tax.

After paying for amenities and other expenses, given the choice of new boots costing hundreds of dollars or trying to extend the lifespan of boots that need replacing after training four times a week plus matches, players are more likely to choose the latter.

“Being comfortable can help players play better for 90 to 100 minutes of performance,” Sam said.

Besides having the correct and appropriate footwear, recovery and ‘listening to your body and acting on it’ may counteract the negative effects of exacerbating the injury, and in some serious cases, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, a syndrome found more in women athletes than men.

However, hard surfaces have proven time and time again to be detrimental to the health of players across all sports, and this needs to be considered by leagues around the country.

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Football Has the Audience. Does It Have the Commercial Strategy?

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Image Credit: One Nil Media

Soccerscene has launched Survey 4: Commercial Confidence in Football, calling on clubs, sponsors, governing bodies, commercial leaders and football industry professionals to assess whether the game is making the most of its enormous commercial potential.

Football has the audience, participation base and community reach to be one of Australia’s most powerful commercial platforms. But does the industry have the commercial strategy, professionalism and infrastructure required to turn that potential into sustainable growth?

That is the question at the centre of Soccerscene’s latest industry research.

The survey examines how attractive grassroots football is to potential commercial partners, what industry professionals believe is limiting football’s commercial potential, and whether clubs are presenting themselves professionally enough to sponsors.

It also explores what sponsors value most when engaging with football – from community reach and participation scale to brand alignment, values and purpose – as well as whether improved facilities could directly contribute to stronger sponsorship outcomes.

Is football fully capitalising on its commercial opportunity?

Football continues to provide brands with access to highly engaged communities across grassroots, community and elite environments. Yet the commercial landscape remains fragmented, with clubs operating with vastly different levels of resources, capability, governance, media infrastructure and commercial expertise.

Soccerscene’s survey is designed to capture the industry’s perspective on where the opportunities exist – and where football may be leaving commercial value on the table.

The research will look specifically at four key areas:

  • Commercial attractiveness – How attractive is grassroots football as a commercial partnership?
  • Commercial barriers – What is holding football back from reaching its full commercial potential?
  • Club professionalism – Are clubs presenting themselves effectively and professionally to sponsors?
  • Sponsor value – What are sponsors really looking for when they invest in football?

The survey also asks whether better facilities would have a direct impact on sponsorship outcomes, highlighting the potential relationship between infrastructure, commercial presentation and investment.

Have your say

Soccerscene is encouraging football clubs, sponsors, commercial professionals, governing bodies, administrators, media professionals and industry stakeholders to participate.

The findings will contribute to Soccerscene’s ongoing program of industry research, designed to provide a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities facing football and the organisations operating within it.

Take the Survey: Commercial Confidence in Football

Complete the Commercial Confidence in Football Survey here

The survey will close on 30 August 2026 at midnight, with responses received before the deadline included in the final analysis.

Football has the audience. The question is whether it has the commercial strategy to match.

“Break the ceiling”: South Melbourne’s A-League ambition

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Image Credits: South Melbourne FC

South Melbourne is knocking on the A-League’s door again. The four-time National Soccer League champions formally signalled their intention to enter the A-Leagues earlier this month, opening discussions with the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) over potential A-League Men’s and Women’s licences. The timing was significant; the announcement came a day after the APL terminated Western United’s licence.

But South Melbourne’s ambitions are bigger than simply replacing Western United. The club and its co-president, Bill Papastergiadis, believe its recent success has demonstrated that it is ready for professional football once again. South won the inaugural Australian Championship in 2025, is competing professionally in the Oceania Professional League and has continued to make its mark in the Australia Cup, including a 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in July.

Time to open up

For co-president Bill Papastergiadis, however, the push is ultimately about something bigger than South Melbourne.

“The aspirations of South Melbourne, regarding A-League football, are not just a story about South Melbourne. It’s a story for the football public and the football community,” Papastergiadis said.

“It’s a story for all of us because football is a metaphor for life’s aspirations and football revolves around the ability to inspire, to improve, and to succeed.”

Papastergiadis believes the current structure of Australian football has created a ceiling for clubs outside the A-Leagues, one that limits ambition and, ultimately, competition.

“At the moment, the glass ceiling stifles that competition and stifles those aspirations, and at that upper level, and it’s to its detriment,” he said.

South Melbourne’s argument is closely tied to the history of the NSL, when clubs could be promoted and relegated based on their performances rather than being permanently separated into different tiers. Papastergiadis remembers the intensity that came with that system when South resided in the top flight of Australian football.

“I myself remember the intensity of the matches for the clubs that were in the relegation zone. Back then during the National Soccer League,” he said.

“It keeps clubs on their toes. Everyone is engaged when they know that there are ramifications for their actions and conduct. If there are no ramifications for that, how do you have accountability?”

That philosophy sits at the heart of South Melbourne’s A-League push. The club does not simply want to join the existing system; it wants to challenge the idea that the highest level of Australian football should be closed off from the rest of the pyramid. South Melbourne won the inaugural Australian Championship but, unlike in other systems, is not rewarded with top-flight football. The club has continued strongly in 2026, knocking out A-League side Adelaide United in the Australia Cup.

South Melbourne and Bill Papastergiadis celebrate a win in the Australia Cup Image Credits: Bill Papastergiadis

“Where is it in the football dictionary that winning a title doesn’t give you the opportunity to progress within the football pyramid?” Papastergiadis asked.

“All of the matches involving A-League clubs have been incredibly tight, and the majority of them were knocked out in the earlier rounds by numerous NPL clubs.

“So we can compete on the field; our crowds in the Australian Championship were comparable to some of the A-League crowds, quite often far better.”

That, he argues, makes South Melbourne a viable proposition.

“We are a viable option. It’s time to open up football and give it back to the public. The public deserves it, and it belongs to everyone.”

A familiar ambition

This is not the first time South Melbourne has tried to enter the A-League.

The club was overlooked when the competition was established in the mid-2000s and again in 2018, when the licence ultimately went to Western United. The latest attempt therefore carries history. The club that missed out on the opportunity to join the A-League in 2018 is now pursuing a place in the competition following Western United’s exit. But Papastergiadis is reluctant to predict what happens next. For now, South Melbourne has done what it believes it needs to do: start the conversation.

“It’s very early for me to comment on our prospects in relation to the A-League at this point,” he said.

“What we’ve simply done is done the appropriate thing, which is to write to the APL. Advise of our intention, advise of our interest.

“It’s in their hands to tell us if they’re interested in this story, if they’re interested in this outcome, and if they’re interested in this conversation.”

Papastergiadis has already briefly spoken with APL chief executive Steve Rosich, who responded to South Melbourne’s initial approach.

“I had a conversation with Steve Rosich. He responded to our letter immediately, and we spoke on the phone, and it was courteous,” Papastergiadis said.

“We advised of our intention. He thanked us for that. I indicated that we would progress to provide more formal document and he said he’ll wait to see that.

South Melbourne is ready to make their bid Image Credits: Greek Herald

There is no guarantee that South Melbourne will receive a licence, and Papastergiadis is clear that the next step is not entirely in the club’s hands.

“There is no certainty in this process,” Papastergiadis said.

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s up to Football Australia too, to show us the path forward. We need a path forward, and it’s up to the governing body to also work with us.”

The sustainability for Melbourne

The collapse of Western United has inevitably changed the context around South Melbourne’s bid.

Western United announced that the APL had terminated its participation agreement on August 10, while saying it would seek new ownership and a pathway back into the A-League. The club also emphasised the importance of maintaining a professional football presence in Melbourne’s west and continuing its academy and community programs. South Melbourne is now one of the clubs looking towards the opening created by Western United’s departure. But Papastergiadis does not celebrate another club’s demise.

Western United’s fans are left without an A-League club Image Credits: AAP

“I do want to make the point that I’m not happy about any club folding,” he said.

“I believe in football and in the football product, and I believe in football clubs.

For the players from juniors to senior levels, they must be gutted at Western United. Their administration staff, their coaching staff, they must all be gutted. So I feel for them.”

It is a notable distinction. South Melbourne’s ambition may have been reignited by the circumstances surrounding Western United. But for South there is a new opportunity to add to Melbourne football rather than take something away from it. The prospect of South Melbourne joining Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory in the A-League would immediately raise questions about whether the market could sustain another club.

A benefit to all

Papastergiadis has little doubt and points to Melbourne’s size, sporting culture and existing interest in football as reasons for optimism.

“Absolutely. We won’t cannibalise the football-attending public. We will increase it.” He said.

“There is significant potential within the Melbourne market. We reside in the largest city in Australia, and we reside in the sporting capital of Australia, if not the world.

“We will add to the fabric of football and will increase the attendance through derbies. It’s a positive.”

That is ultimately the argument behind South Melbourne’s latest attempt to break into the A-League. The club believes the benefits would extend beyond Lakeside Stadium. South Melbourne’s recent Australian Championship success, professional status in Oceania and strong performances against A-League opposition strengthen it’s case. NPL clubs can compete at the highest level, even if promotion and relegation remain off the table.

For now, South Melbourne can only wait. The APL and Football Australia will determine whether that football product has earned it a place at the top table. But Papastergiadis believes the question is worth asking, not just for South Melbourne, but for Australian football itself.

“Whatever South can achieve in regards to breaking through that glass barrier, then that’s not just the win for South, but it’s a win for football across the board.”

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