Neutral Bay, Sydney
Meet the Team
Expert physiotherapists dedicated to getting you back to doing what you love.
Founder & Principal Physiotherapist
Mitchell Lockley
Titled Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist
Credentials
- Titled Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist
- Master of Sports & Exercise Physiotherapy — La Trobe University
- Master of Physiotherapy — UTS
- Head Physiotherapist — Norths Rugby Union (Shute Shield)
- Placement — Sydney Swans
- Placement — NSW Waratahs
- 10+ Years Clinical Experience
Mitchell Lockley founded Step Ahead Sports Physio with a single purpose: to get active people back to doing what they love — and help them perform better than ever before.
Mitch is a Titled Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist with over a decade of experience across sports rehabilitation, orthopaedic physiotherapy, and performance coaching. He holds a Master of Sports & Exercise Physiotherapy (La Trobe University) and a Master of Physiotherapy (UTS), and has pursued extensive further training in sports injuries, knee injuries (acute and chronic) and post operative rehabilitation (ACL, Achilles, Shoulder reconstruction).
His clinical approach combines clear management plans with high-level manual therapy with progressive, exercise-based rehabilitation — always personalised, always evidence-based, and always built around what matters most to you.
Mitch has worked at every level of sport. As Head Physiotherapist for Norths Rugby Union (Shute Shield), he managed elite on-field and off-field care from pre-season through finals. He has completed placements with the Sydney Swans and NSW Waratahs, led performance and strength-testing programs, and built a reputation as a clinician who understands what it takes to compete — and what it takes to come back stronger after injury.
He believes that recovery doesn't end at pain-free. It ends when you're back in the game, back on the track, or back to whatever drives you — with the confidence and capacity to stay there.
Central to everything Mitch does is patient education. He takes time to explain what's happened, why it happened, and exactly what the path forward looks like. When people understand their injury and trust the process, they recover faster, more completely, and with far fewer setbacks.
Before physiotherapy, Mitch competed in basketball and rugby at a high level, earning an Emerging Athlete Scholarship at UTS. He remains deeply active — a recent marathon finisher, regular ocean swimmer, and committed to strength training and outdoor movement year-round. He brings that same athlete's mindset to every patient: structured, purposeful, and focused on the long game.
Physiotherapist
David Phelan
Physiotherapist
Credentials
- Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy — Trinity College Dublin
- UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin — World-Leading Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Centre
- SAFE IRFU Pitchside Course
- GAA Pitchside & Rehabilitation — Underage to Senior Level
- Specialisation in Shoulder, ACL/Knee, Foot & Ankle Rehabilitation
- Post-Operative Rehabilitation
- Strength & Conditioning
David is a physiotherapist with extensive experience across orthopaedic rehabilitation, private practice musculoskeletal care and sports rehabilitation. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from Trinity College Dublin and worked in Ireland's leading orthopaedic and sports medicine clinic for over three years, before relocating to Sydney this year.
His clinical approach combines detailed assessment and hands-on manual therapy with progressive, criteria-based rehabilitation. David has one clear goal: delivering elite level care to those looking to get back to doing what they love or surpass their performance goals.
A defining chapter of David's career was his time at the UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, one of the world's leading orthopaedic and sports medicine centres. Working alongside world-leading physiotherapists and surgeons, he developed a deep expertise in complex surgical and non-surgical cases and a standard of care that he brings to every patient he sees. Outside of the clinic, he has completed his SAFE IRFU pitchside course and has experience working with GAA teams ranging from underage to senior level, providing pitchside care and rehabilitation expertise.
He has developed specialised experience and interests in shoulder rehabilitation, ACL/knee ligament injuries, foot and ankle rehabilitation, post-operative rehabilitation and strength and conditioning. He also has a specific interest in field sports and the contact athlete. He understands what it takes to return to doing what you love — not just pain-free, but genuinely ready to perform.
David's practice is underpinned by good communication. He ensures you know what has happened, why it happened, and exactly what recovery looks like before you leave the clinic.
Outside of physiotherapy, David's first love was Gaelic Games, and namely Hurling. He has played since 4 years of age and represented his native county Dublin. He has since traded the hurling fields for the beaches of Sydney and enjoys strength training and trying his hand at anything activity-related.