Comment: I would like to draw readers’ attention to a very enthusiastic and active group of sports medicine practitioners that was not mentioned in the editorial by Orchard and Brukner,1 which introduced the Sports Medicine Practice Essentials series.

Sports Doctors Australia comprises general practitioners and others from areas such as orthopaedics, rehabilitation, accident and emergency, and sports dentistry. Virtually all fellows of Sports Doctors Australia (SDrA) have obtained a postgraduate degree in sports medicine from an Australian university (most commonly a masters degree from the University of New South Wales). We are committed to delivering excellent care in all areas of sports medicine to the general public as well as to elite athletes. Because of our wider background in general medicine, we are in an ideal position to provide overall care to teams and individual athletes. Many of our fellows are, or have been, very successful team doctors for national teams. A number of fellows are active in clinical research and have academic appointments with university medical schools.

Our main aim is not to obtain specialist status (as it is for members of the Australasian College of Sports Physicians), but to provide excellence in sports medicine care for athletes at all levels, and to provide sports medicine education to other doctors, medical students and the general public.