Sam Wakefield is a driven and passionate physiotherapist with a strong background in strength and conditioning, holding a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science and a Doctor of Physiotherapy. He has a particular clinical focus on lower limb tendon and soft tissue injuries, as well as foot and ankle conditions, integrating performance-based training principles with evidence-informed rehabilitation. Sam is especially passionate about working with running and field-based athletes, emphasising load management, strength development, and capacity building to support durable, high-performing returns to sport.
He has worked within high-performance sporting environments, including the Geelong Cats VFL program, and is currently working within the Essendon Football Club AFLW and VFLW programs. Alongside his clinical practice, Sam has contributed to tendon and soft tissue research through Monash University, reinforcing his evidence-based approach to tissue loading and rehabilitation.
Sam Wakefield is a performance-focused physiotherapist based in Melbourne, specialising in the management of tendon and soft tissue injuries, with a particular emphasis on running and field-based athletes. With a background in strength and conditioning, and formal training through a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science and a Doctor of Physiotherapy, Sam integrates performance principles with evidence-informed rehabilitation. His clinical approach centres on load management, capacity development, and returning athletes not only to sport, but to a higher level of resilience and performance.
Sam has worked extensively within high-performance sporting environments, including the Geelong Cats VFL program and the Essendon AFLW and Essendon VFLW programs. These roles have refined his ability to manage complex musculoskeletal injuries within elite, multidisciplinary systems, where precision, communication, and performance-driven decision-making are critical. His experience in these settings has shaped a rehabilitation philosophy grounded in robustness, movement quality, and long-term athletic durability.
He has a particular clinical interest in lower limb injuries, especially tendon and soft tissue presentations involving the calf, Achilles, knee, and foot-ankle complex. Sam’s treatment model combines progressive loading strategies, strength development, and objective performance markers to guide rehabilitation and minimise reinjury risk. His work is strongly influenced by contemporary sports medicine principles, bridging the gap between clinical recovery and the demands of high-speed, high-load sport.
Alongside his clinical work, Sam has contributed to tendon and soft tissue research through Monash University, supporting the evolving understanding of tissue adaptation, mechanical loading, and injury rehabilitation. His involvement in research informs a practice style that values measurement, reasoning, and evidence-guided progression. This blend of applied performance knowledge and academic engagement positions Sam as a clinician focused not just on symptom resolution, but on restoring function, building capacity, and optimising athletic output.
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