RULE changes at the beginning of last season have worked as planned, dramatically cutting the number of head and neck injuries, and reducing knee injuries, the AFL says.

The league introduced stiffer penalties in 2007 to protect players with their heads over the ball. On Wednesday, the newly-released 2007 AFL Injury Report revealed that head and neck injuries in 2007 were at the lowest level on record.

Knee injuries were also reduced, with no recorded posterior cruciate injuries at centre bounces, following the introduction of a restricted run-up for ruckmen.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson, who sat alongside the men responsible for delivering the report – Dr John Orchard and Dr Hugh Seward – said the rule changes had created a safer game.

“It’s extremely pleasing after the introduction of the rule to protect players with their head down over the ball that head and neck injuries are at their lowest rate ever,” Anderson said.

Dr Seward, the executive officer of the AFL Medical Officers’ Association, said parents should take heart from the recent findings.

“Clearly [this report] shows that the game is in fact becoming safer from some of the significant injuries that we worry about,” Dr Seward said.

“Particularly about the head and neck injuries and one of the versions of the severe knee injuries, the posterior cruciate ligament knee injuries … we’ve actually been able to make a change through rule change to make it safer for not only AFL players but because those rules drift down through community football to make it safer for all levels of football.

“I think it’s important for parents of young children playing the game should recognise these efforts do make it safer for their children when they play Australian football.”

Anderson said posterior cruciate knee injuries were also at their lowest level ever in 2007.

“Most pleasingly there were no injuries in centre bounce ruck contests as a result of the introduction of the ruck rule,” Anderson said.