What Is Pre‑Season Training and Why It Matters?

Pre‑season training is a profound and intentional period that bridges rest with readiness. It is where athletes reconnect with their bodies, awaken purpose, and lay the groundwork for greatness. It goes beyond physical conditioning. This is a sacred chapter in every sporting journey, filled with ritual, voice, and transformation.

“I remember one AFL pre‑season, working with a young athlete who arrived burdened by the doubts of off‑season rust,” shares Emma, one of our devoted physios. “By week two of our AFL pre‑season training program, we saw her posture shift, her stride awaken, and her spirit brighten. That moment anchors my belief. Pre‑season is not just about strength. It is about becoming truly alive in your own skin.”

This phase looks different for every sport and athlete. Whether you’re building endurance and sharpening skills for football or preparing for the unique demands of AFL, pre‑season is about more than getting fit. It’s about reawakening the body, re‑establishing rhythm, and reconnecting with the deeper why behind your performance. The rituals may vary, but the intention remains the same: to return to form with focus and care.

Common Causes of Injuries in Pre‑Season Training

Despite its beauty, pre‑season also opens the door to common injuries. These include hamstring strains, groin tightness, shin splints, and lower back tension. They are often caused by overloaded beginnings.

Why do they happen?

• Overtraining or a sudden jump in load. The body is startled by intensity.
• Poor movement mechanics or muscle imbalances. Uneven rhythms need recalibration.
• Inadequate warm‑up or recovery routines. Neglected rituals fail to support restoration.
• Lack of progressive build‑up. The body struggles after a long off‑season.

At Me Physio, we meet this with intention. We conduct movement assessments for each athlete, observing posture, gait, stride length, and balance. From there, we curate individualised pre‑hab and warm‑up rituals. These become mini‑ceremonies of breath, activation, and alignment.

Injury prevention is not just physical. It is rooted in awareness, pacing, and ritual. We teach athletes to listen, to sense where tension hides, and to move with gratitude.

The Purpose of Pre‑Season Training

Pre‑season finds the balance between effort and reflection. It is a holistic journey toward:

• Injury prevention
• Foundational strength
• Aerobic and anaerobic endurance
• Fluid mobility
• Focused mental readiness

Physios at Me Physio remind us that ritualised movement does more than prime muscles. It primes the mind. From slow dynamic stretches to guided breath activation, each action reconnects the athlete with body and presence.

Pre‑season is a mindful pilgrimage. It is a return to body awareness, the roots of performance, and the rhythm of heritage.

AFL Pre‑Season Training Program

AFL requires an athlete to change direction quickly, sprint with explosive force, and maintain endurance throughout the game.

A thoughtful AFL pre‑season training program usually spans 6 to 10 weeks and includes:

1. Reactivation Phase with gentle plyometrics, dynamic mobility, and gait education
2. Load Build phase using a structured AFL pre‑season running program, including tempo runs, sprints, and repeated change-of-direction drills
3. Match Simulation Phase that includes full-contact drills, aerobic threshold work, and agility resistance
4. Recovery Rituals with mobility rolling, breath-centred cooldowns, and guided stretching

Running programs are foundational in elite AFL preparation. They are treated as rituals. Early morning runs, grounding breaths, and mindful post-training stillness define the culture. Me Physio supports these athletes with carefully curated recovery tools that include mobility aids, oils, and guided routines that restore the body and calm the mind.

Pre‑Season Soccer Training

Soccer pre‑season training blends skill with endurance. It focuses on reactivating ball control, sharpening agility, and building cardiovascular strength.

A complete pre‑season soccer training program includes:

• Ball control drills that refine the foot-brain connection
• Agility ladder and cone drills to train balance and spatial awareness
• Small-sided games that recreate real match conditions and test stamina

Foot and ankle care is essential in soccer. We guide players through rituals like toe spreads, rolling techniques, and warm compresses that honour the foundations of their game.One young player, Luca, came to us worried about recurring shin splints. After a few weeks of consistent pre‑season rituals, including nightly foot soaks and agility cadence training, his confidence bloomed. “My legs feel wise again,” he said. That wisdom is the true reward of mindful pre‑season work.

How Can Physiotherapy Help with Your Pre‑Season Training?

Physiotherapy assessments in preseason can be an integral part of injury prevention and improved performance. These assessments provide a thorough assessment of strength, flexibility, movement patterns and functional ability.

Every sport is different, however, the key components to assess for any preseason assessment include:

1. Reviewing injury history. This can include existing injuries, injuries sustained the previous season or any lingering niggles.
2. Range of motion and flexibility. Assessing range of motion and flexibility can identify any limitations that may lead to increased risk of injury.
3. Muscle strength and power. Evaluating muscle strength using technology including Ax-IT provides an in-depth look at any imbalance or weaknesses that could increase injury risk.
4. Sport-speicific movements. Analysing specific movements for your sport identity any biomechanical issues that could increase the risk of overuse type injuries.

With the upcoming cricket season underway and offseason for winter sports, our team offer preseason assessments and screens. Our team at ME Physio is delighted to continue our longstanding partnership with East Malvern Tooronga Cricket Club.

Our team recently had the pleasure of working closely with Neal to get him ready for the upcoming season. Neal shares with us his experience during his recent preseason getting ready for the upcoming season.

They say success is the sum of simple disciplines practiced day in and day out. I would argue that in most cases a bit of expert guidance is also needed to make sure we’re practicing the right things.

In my case I’ve been plagued by a history of soft tissue injuries over the past 6 years, and usually missed 2 or 3 games of cricket a year because of strains or light tears. 

As I planned for the 2022/23 cricket season, and with my 50^th birthday a few months away, I made it a priority to check in with ME Physio during the winter to make sure I had a plan in place to minimise the risk of injuries.

In early August I did a screening assessment with Vernon Mittal where he tested my arm, leg and back strength and flexibility. From those results, Vernon created a program for me to get me ready for the season ahead. All of the exercises could be done at home and usually with just body weight, and the full routine took about 30 – 45 minutes, which I would do 2 or 3 times a week. Most days I would do one or two small exercises as well to keep working on my higher risk muscles – mostly the hamstrings and calves.

The results were fantastic. I didn’t miss a game through injury, for the first time in 6 seasons. And that was with a greatly increased workload – playing every Saturday, and doubling up most Sundays, which I hadn’t been able to even contemplate in the past few years.

Yes, there was some tightness and niggles at times, but generally slight enough for me to manage myself or get under control with a trip to the physio.

Vernon gave me another assessment at the halfway stage of the season to make sure everything was on track, and a post-season assessment as well to set me up with a program for winter 2023.

Now I’m looking forward to season 2023/24, confident I’ll have a program that will get my body through the rigours of another season.

Simple disciplines, practiced day in and day out.

Neal Woolrich,

President, East Malvern Tooronga Cricket Club

To book your preseason physiotherapy assessment, call our team today or book an appointment online.