What if the best way to improve performance isn't to train harder—but to remove what's holding an athlete back?

In this episode of the Movement Podcast, Gray Cook and Lee Burton welcome Australian sports physiotherapist and longtime FMS educator Greg Dea to discuss movement screening, injury risk reduction, athlete availability, and the barriers that limit performance.

Drawing on work with the Australian and British military, EXOS in China, elite volleyball, and Australian football, Greg explains why he prefers injury risk identification and reduction to the promise of “injury prevention.”

He also shares findings from four years with an Australian football club. During that period, the program reported:
- 25% fewer games missed due to injury
- 7% higher weekly player availability
- 20% lower overall care costs
- Hamstring injuries declining from five to two in a season

These are observations from one club—not proof that screening alone caused the results. But they illustrate why identifying risk factors, tracking outcomes, and directing resources toward the right athletes matter.

Gray, Lee, and Greg explore the difference between screening, testing, and assessment; why movement competence should come before capacity; how ankle dorsiflexion and the inline lunge can inform decisions; and why better readiness may begin with a few minutes of targeted movement work.

Greg closes with a simple framework: before chasing strength, speed, or power, identify barriers related to health, mobility, motor control, and capacity. Remove the biggest barriers first.

LEARN MORE

Greg Dea / Prepare to Perform: https://www.preparetoperform.com.au/about-greg

Greg Dea / Virtus Performance: https://www.virtusperformance.com.au/blog/meet-the-team-greg-dea

Functional Movement Systems: https://www.functionalmovement.com/

#MovementPodcast #GregDea #FunctionalMovementSystems #MovementScreening #InjuryRiskReduction

Functional Movement Systems

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