Netball Podiatry in MelbourneNo Sport Stops Like This

It is the footwork rule. Because you cannot run with the ball, every reception ends in a hard stop - often on one leg, often followed by a pivot, and usually on a hard court in a shoe with a lot of grip.

That combination loads the ankle at exactly the moment it is least stable. Landing technique and footwear are the two things we can most readily change. Read our guide to ankle sprains.

No. It usually means the first sprain never fully rehabilitated. Each roll costs you strength, balance and proprioception, and without rebuilding those the ankle stays vulnerable.

That pattern has a name - chronic ankle instability - and it is treatable. We assess the joint, rebuild the stabilisers and retrain your landing so the cycle stops.

We can address part of the picture, and it is worth being precise about which part. Most netball ACL injuries are non-contact and happen on landing or pivoting, when the knee collapses inward.

The foot sits directly beneath the knee, so how it strikes the court and controls rotation genuinely influences that load. Gait analysis, landing retraining, strengthening and - where indicated - orthoses all contribute, alongside the strength and conditioning work your physio or coach prescribes.

Bracing and taping are useful protective tools, particularly when returning from a sprain or playing with a history of instability. There is no good evidence they weaken the ankle when paired with proper strengthening.

The mistake is treating a brace as the whole plan. It supports the ankle while you rebuild the strength and balance that actually protect it. On its own, it changes nothing.

Yes, and it matters. Running shoes are built for forward motion, not for the lateral loading, hard stops and pivots of netball. They offer far less lateral support.

A netball-specific shoe with appropriate cushioning and stability is one of the cheapest injury-prevention decisions available. We review your shoes, fit and lacing as part of your assessment.

Pain along the inner ankle and arch, sometimes with a sense that the arch is flattening or giving way, often points to tibialis posterior tendinopathy - the tendon that dynamically supports your arch through every landing and pivot.

It is under-recognised in netball and responds well to early, targeted treatment, so it is worth having assessed rather than trained through.

Not always. Orthotics are one tool, prescribed only when your foot mechanics are clearly contributing to the injury. Many netballers improve with strengthening, load management and a shoe change alone.

Where orthoses are indicated, Matt’s advanced orthotic manufacturing experience means we make them specific to your foot and to the demands of landing and pivoting.

No. Podiatrists are primary contact practitioners, so you can book directly without seeing your GP first. Private health rebates apply with extras cover and can be claimed on the spot through HICAPS at all three clinics.

A referral is only needed if you are accessing a Medicare Chronic Disease Management plan through your GP, which is a separate pathway and not typical for a sports injury.

Heel pain in growing, jumping athletes is commonly Sever’s disease, an irritation of the heel growth plate. Pain just below the kneecap may be Osgood-Schlatter’s.

Both are common, manageable, and rarely require full time off sport when addressed early. Our kids’ feet service is built for young athletes. If it is changing how she moves on court, book sooner rather than later.

It depends on the injury and how early it was caught. Some niggles settle within a fortnight; tendon and bone injuries take considerably longer.

Rather than a date on a calendar, we give you a criteria-based return plan with clear milestones you need to hit before landing, pivoting and full match play. Pain settling and the ankle being ready are not the same thing.