Central Coast Mariners defender Cannon Clough is one of seven A-League Women players to have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear during the 2025-26 season, with four sustaining the injury in the past fortnight alone. Clough described the moment she heard a 'pop' while landing from a defensive header, later discovering she had torn her ACL and meniscus. 'Nothing has hit me that hard,' she said.
The spate has reignited concerns about the absence of dedicated data or internal research into ACL injuries in the A-Leagues. This reflects a global trend: women athletes are two to six times more likely than men to tear their ACLs, yet only 6% of sports science research focuses on women's bodies.
However, organisations such as Kynisca, founded by Michelle Kang, and the global players' union Fifpro are working to change that. Fifpro launched Project ACL in 2024, investigating environmental factors such as facilities, travel and scheduling in England's Women's Super League. Dr Alex Culvin, Fifpro's director of women's football, said the key question is not simply whether ACL injuries are increasing, but 'what are the conditions in which this is occurring?'
Clough and her teammate Taren King, who returned from her own ACL injury last season, point to the condensed holiday fixture list, summer temperatures, increased travel and part-time structure as potential contributing factors. King said recovery was particularly difficult without adequate support: 'You don't really have anyone to lean on, getting out of bed to go and do your rehab is tough because there's no one there making sure you do it.'
Players are now calling for the league to become full-time from next season, arguing that greater investment would bring full-time staff and better care. 'If we're full-time, hopefully it means the staff will be full-time too, which means they're not spread too thin and you can actually get the care you need,' Clough said.
