Investigate the relationship between the proportion of pre-season training sessions completed, and load and injury during the ensuing Australian Football League season. Design: Single cohort, observational study. Methods: Forty-six elite male Australian football players from one club participated in this study. Players were divided into three equal groups based on the amount of pre-season training completed (high, HTL, >85% sessions completed; medium, MTL, 50-85% sessions completed, and low, LTL, <50% sessions completed). Global Positioning System (GPS) technology was used to record training and game loads, with all injuries recorded and classified by club medical staff. Differences between groups were analysed using a two-way (group x training/competition phase) repeated measures ANOVA, along with magnitude-based inferences. Injury incidence was expressed as injuries per 1,000 hours. Results: The HTL and MTL group completed a greater proportion of in-season training sessions (81.1% and 74.2%) and matches (76.7% and 76.1%) than the LTL (56.9% and 52.7%) group. Total distance and Player load were significantly greater during the first half of the in-season period for the HTL (p=0.03, ES=0.88) and MTL (p=0.02, ES=0.93) groups than the LTL group. The relative risk of injury for the LTL group (26.8/1,000 hours) was 1.9 times greater than the HTL group (14.2/1,000 hours) (Chi(2)=3.48, df=2, p=0.17). Conclusion: Completing a greater proportion of pre-season training resulted in higher training loads and greater participation in training and competition during the competitive phase of the season.
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