ONE of the best partners that the SFNL has had over the past three years has been the partnership with Dr Travis Taggert and the SFNL Saturday football and netball injury clinic.
In 2021 the clinic saw a total of 108 players on Saturdays. In 2022 this figure increased to 237 players.
In 2023 the total was up to 257.
Any junior or senior footballer or netball player injured in any SFNL grade on Saturday can use the clinic.
I always knew the importance of the injury clinic and how good Dr Taggert is at his craft. But I unfortunately had the opportunity to see it first hand on Saturday when my 10-year-old son hurt his knee and it blew up like a puffer fish in our crucial Under 10A clash with against South Mildura, our last game of the season.
He was in visible distress and couldn’t bend or straighten his knee.
As soon as we realised my son wasn’t going to be able to stand and put pressure on his leg, we called the clinic, which answered within 10 seconds. The team advised me to bring my son to the clinic right away so they could assess his knee.
We completed a couple of quick forms and sat waiting with another lovely family and Dr Taggert saw us in less than five minutes.
During the consultation my son was assessed, had the knee bandaged and had a referral for an X-ray first thing on Monday.
A follow-up appointment was made for Monday afternoon to return for the results. We were in and out of the clinic in no time. The cost to me for this immediate consultation was $50.
Not bad. I spent more at McDonald’s to cheer up the family after the consultation than I did having to see the doctor.
The best thing about the service is that it is quick, efficient and professional.
There’s no need to clog up outpatients at the hospital when there are more needy people. We didn’t have to wait until late in the evening to be seen as we wouldn’t have been a high priority, and understandably so, and no booking in to see if we can actually get a GP appointment and an X-ray that has current wait times between three and four weeks locally.
So how does this service work? Each club pays a weekly fee to allow it to operate and the league tips in any extra funds required.
It’s not a cheap service, but essential, and no doubt the clubs are happy to pay to make sure each of their players get the best care possible when they are injured.
Most Saturdays, Dr Taggert and his team will be at work from 9am to as late as 9pm.
There is a nurse and most weeks an orthopedic doctor from out of town is on hand in case of bad fractures or joint and ligament injuries.
With this in mind, the decision by the SFNL board to not have this service available during the finals is dumbfounding.
Under the current template, the league would usually fund the service during the finals.
Despite the expense, I feel the league owes each player and associated clubs the duty of care.
If the cost is the only reason not to proceed with it during the finals, why was this not dealt with at the start of the season?
Why were no sponsorship opportunities presented to local businesses to help fund it? Local pharmacies, health and fitness centres, rehabilitation services or physio and chiropractic specialists could have formed funding partnerships.
At a time when head knocks and incidental injuries are being scrutinised by medical professionals and lawyers more than ever, I thought keeping this going would be a no-brainer.
But the real kicker in all of this? Dr Taggert had only one week’s notice his services would not be used during the finals.
Was there any inkling that this was an issue or any discussion to see how it could work? Nope. Just an email saying thanks but no thanks.
So while I’m sure the league has saved a few bucks, it may end up costing the players much more.
I hope this one doesn’t come back to bite anyone.
