Dr Liam West has gained valuable sports medicine skills from a variety of sporting environments – across amateur, national and international levels (see below) – and he enjoys using these experiences to help all of his clinic patients. He has a passion for using exercise-based rehabilitation methods to return patients of all ages and abilities / disabilities to their physical activity or sporting goals after injury. He has developed expertise in treating a variety of muscle, bone and tendon issues in addition to other sports related injuries such as concussion.
After completing a Sports Science degree with first class honours, Dr West graduated from his Medical Degree (Cardiff University, Wales, UK) in 2013. To further specialise, he then completed a Sports & Exercise Medicine Masters Degree before coming to Melbourne to practice as a Sports & Exercise Medicine Registrar and joining the Alphington team in 2020. He subsequently finished his registrar training in 2022 and is now a Fellow of the Australasian College of Sport & Exercise Physicians.
Within elite sport, Liam has worked internationally for the England U16 Football (Soccer) team and the Australian Diamonds Netball team. He has provided medical services at international events including the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2018 Invictus Games and will be travelling to the 2022 Commonwealth Games as the Australian Athletics Doctor. He is currently the Head Doctor for the Hawthorn Football Club (AFL) and is a member of the match day medical team for the Melbourne Rebels. He has also previously worked across the sporting codes of Soccer, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Mixed Martial Arts, Horse Racing and Disability Sport.
In addition to these extensive clinical experiences, Liam has led UK & European-wide Sports Medicine committees, is a Senior Associate Editor for the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), sits on the AFL Doctors Association (AFLDA) Executive Committee, and in 2017 was elected the President of the Victorian Council of Sports Medicine Australia (SMA), serving 2 terms. He has multiple publications in respected medical journals, has presented at several international conferences, and produces regular BJSM podcasts & blogs with experts from around the world in Sport & Exercise Medicine.
Liam continues to practice what he preaches, after a (relatively) successful semi-professional soccer career in the UK he tried his luck with Aussie Rules Football, playing for the University Blues in the VAFA as an erratic small forward. He has taken up long distance running, in addition to regular resistance training in order to stay fit!
Memberships: Australasian College of Sports & Exercise Physicians (ACSEP), AFL Doctors Association (AFLDA), Sports Medicine Australia (SMA), European College of Sports & Exercise Physicians.