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The Concussion Crisis in Australian Rules Football

Mazer Rackham
Mazer Rackham
in Melbourne Demons

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Having seen Barnes and Smith play and Parkin coach you really feel for those players.

I clearly remember seeing both Barnes and Smith terribly concussed and it was just part of the game. Imagine if Lockett did what he did to Smith and Caven today, he’d be justifiably banned for a very long time yet it was ok/lionised not that long ago.

Biffs, bumps and brawlers.... god that hasn’t aged well yet again, loved it at the time. The league pushing the thuggery of the time.

Parken’s comments are enlightening as I’ve not heard many coaches say they pushed players back onto the park like that.

Edited by Cards13

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    3 hours ago, Cards13 said:

    Biffs, bumps and brawlers.... god that hasn’t aged well yet again, loved it at the time. The league pushing the thuggery of the time.

    Was it the league or the broadcaster?

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    AFL statement has echos of those by the tobacco industry so long ago not to mention the asbestos industry, the anti depression drug industry...you name it.

    Strange that it appears in the NYT and doesn't appear to have been picked up by the Australian press.

     

    Also in the statement, Andrew Dillon, the league’s general counsel and general manager for game development, said, “The A.F.L. is committed to world-leading management of head trauma in sport.”

    “At every stage,” he added, “our decisions have been guided by research, and we have had a conservative approach, putting players’ health first.”

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    • 2 years later...

    Thought this would be a worthy spot to park this information.

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/05/concussion-researcher-claims-afl-hindered-two-year-research-project-into-players-health

    I'll let others comment on why this may have occurred.

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    • Thanks 4

    5 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

    Thought this would be a worthy spot to park this information.

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/05/concussion-researcher-claims-afl-hindered-two-year-research-project-into-players-health

    I'll let others comment on why this may have occurred.

    Sadly, the behaviour is not surprising 

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    While the AFL continues to allow shameful hits on players in the name of manly aggression head injury symptoms will continue well into the future. The "its not basketball" defence  remains sacrosanct in our code.

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    • 3 months later...

    Huge news, and will have huge ramifications going forward.

     

    https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/zantuck-wins-court-bid-can-sue-richmond-for-alleged-negligence-20220719-p5b2ps.html

     

    And this, coming out can't be a conincidence, can it? 

    https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-issues-warning-to-clubs-players-on-high-tackles-20220719-p5b2p4.html

    correlation/causation etc etc

    Edited by Engorged Onion

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    "The AFL said the rules had been in place all year and the interpretation had not changed."

    This is funny, of course it changed...the umpires haven't followed the correct (if that's the interpretation the AFL have just put out) interpretation for most of the season and from this week on we hope they do.
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    I have a friend played VFA recently totalled his car, ended up in emergency. He had blacked out behind the wheel. Found out the the other day he had suffered 20 concussions from his playing days. 

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    • Shocked 3
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    4 minutes ago, rjay said:

    "The AFL said the rules had been in place all year and the interpretation had not changed."

    This is funny, of course it changed...the umpires haven't followed the correct (if that's the interpretation the AFL have just put out) interpretation for most of the season and from this week on we hope they do.

    Just the usual complete [censored] from the AFL

     

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    8 minutes ago, sue said:

    Just the usual complete [censored] from the AFL

     

    ...and I really hate that they are using Ginnivan as the poster boy for this.

    A junior player in the competition when we all know it was Selwood who started and perfected it.

    He should be front and square on any publicity to do with this action.

    Then the Kozzie one is thrown into the mix like it's some new thing, again a player just kicking off his career..

    Surely they would have 100's of Selwood examples to use.

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    Head high tackles is one problem and not easy to umpire.

    Gawn getting smacked in the back of the head is another. He gets next to no protection from umpires. If they reviewed matches watching out for how many times he gets hit in the head they wouldn’t know where to look. 
     

     

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    Charlie Spargo is another who will need to adapt his game. That is, assuming the umpires interpret the rule as indicated. That's not intended to be a criticism of the umpires. They are going to have to adapt, too.

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    26 minutes ago, bush demon said:

    I have a friend played VFA recently totalled his car, ended up in emergency. He had blacked out behind the wheel. Found out the the other day he had suffered 20 concussions from his playing days. 

    Watched one of saddest football stories on the recent "On the Couch". Patrick Bines who played as a West Coast rookie in 2019 suffered a neck injury whilst playing for the Eagles. Didn't seem too bad at the time, just like a stiff neck when you sleep badly. Was delisted at years end, but subsequently the pain from the injury became so horrific, and despite trying everything, he resorted to calling a euthanasia clinic. He received no financial assistance from the AFLPA, because unless you are restricted to a wheelchair or had a limb amputated, you weren't covered.

    His story was covered by Jon Ralph, and an Insurance Claims expert saw the story and was so moved that she assisted him in receiving a payout from the insurer AMP. Peter Jess also assisted him. He still hasn't received any calls from the AFL or AFLPA since Jon Ralph broke the story.

     

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    31 minutes ago, D4Life said:

    Head high tackles is one problem and not easy to umpire.

    Gawn getting smacked in the back of the head is another. He gets next to no protection from umpires. If they reviewed matches watching out for how many times he gets hit in the head they wouldn’t know where to look. 
     

     

    And the commentators laugh it off as an "ear massage" or making him earn it.

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    2 hours ago, mo64 said:

    Watched one of saddest football stories on the recent "On the Couch". Patrick Bines who played as a West Coast rookie in 2019 suffered a neck injury whilst playing for the Eagles. Didn't seem too bad at the time, just like a stiff neck when you sleep badly. Was delisted at years end, but subsequently the pain from the injury became so horrific, and despite trying everything, he resorted to calling a euthanasia clinic. He received no financial assistance from the AFLPA, because unless you are restricted to a wheelchair or had a limb amputated, you weren't covered.

    His story was covered by Jon Ralph, and an Insurance Claims expert saw the story and was so moved that she assisted him in receiving a payout from the insurer AMP. Peter Jess also assisted him. He still hasn't received any calls from the AFL or AFLPA since Jon Ralph broke the story.

     

    I watched this last night. It was very confronting. Really raw and unguarded. Especially when he spoke about before looking into the possibility of Euthanasia, he was buying morphine from the streets since the prescribed amount wasn’t easing his pain. 
    And good on Brownie for drawing attention to the fact that neither the AFL nor the AFLPA have reached out to Patrick. 

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    3 hours ago, rjay said:

    ...and I really hate that they are using Ginnivan as the poster boy for this.

    A junior player in the competition when we all know it was Selwood who started and perfected it.

    He should be front and square on any publicity to do with this action.

    Then the Kozzie one is thrown into the mix like it's some new thing, again a player just kicking off his career..

    Surely they would have 100's of Selwood examples to use.

    In fairness, Selwood for most of his career has shrugged his shoulders to avoid tacklers and been happy to get free kicks along the way. He’s stayed upright and played through contact knowing that the free kick or broken tackle are both good results.

    The arm raise and leg drop technique was really bought in over the last few years. Toby McLean was the best at it. Dylan Grimes probably second.

    I understand why you could have some sympathy for Ginnivan but he and his coach have both been absolutely blatant. He’s thrown himself to the ground more than any player I’ve ever seen. And he even went as far as getting filmed at training practising his manoeuvre. His free kicks per game average is on par with Max Gawn who I think is the most infringed player in the league. I’m not surprised he’s forced the league to act. 

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    13 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

    In fairness, Selwood for most of his career has shrugged his shoulders to avoid tacklers and been happy to get free kicks along the way. He’s stayed upright and played through contact knowing that the free kick or broken tackle are both good results.

    The arm raise and leg drop technique was really bought in over the last few years. Toby McLean was the best at it. Dylan Grimes probably second.

    I understand why you could have some sympathy for Ginnivan but he and his coach have both been absolutely blatant. He’s thrown himself to the ground more than any player I’ve ever seen. And he even went as far as getting filmed at training practising his manoeuvre. His free kicks per game average is on par with Max Gawn who I think is the most infringed player in the league. I’m not surprised he’s forced the league to act. 

    He (Selwood) does drop 'Dee', not always but it is a technique he uses along with leading with his head at times.

    edit: he has perfected the sack of spuds technique where he becomes a dead weight.

    Edited by rjay

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    • Like 1
    5 hours ago, rjay said:

    ...and I really hate that they are using Ginnivan as the poster boy for this.

    A junior player in the competition when we all know it was Selwood who started and perfected it.

    He should be front and square on any publicity to do with this action.

    Then the Kozzie one is thrown into the mix like it's some new thing, again a player just kicking off his career..

    Surely they would have 100's of Selwood examples to use.

    💯 correct rjay, they should have brought this rule in years ago when everyone was up in arms, but they have let that little smug piece a faeces from the Cattery have a 15 year career getting away with ducking and the like.

    Then they decided in R19 2022 to pin it all on Kozzie and a 1st year player who has has claimed he learnt the craft from.

    Gutless AFL Gutless brown logs.

    Edited by YesitwasaWin4theAges

  • Quote

    2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

    In fairness, Selwood for most of his career has shrugged his shoulders to avoid tacklers and been happy to get free kicks along the way. He’s stayed upright and played through contact knowing that the free kick or broken tackle are both good results.

    The arm raise and leg drop technique was really bought in over the last few years. Toby McLean was the best at it. Dylan Grimes probably second.

    I understand why you could have some sympathy for Ginnivan but he and his coach have both been absolutely blatant. He’s thrown himself to the ground more than any player I’ve ever seen. And he even went as far as getting filmed at training practising his manoeuvre. His free kicks per game average is on par with Max Gawn who I think is the most infringed player in the league. I’m not surprised he’s forced the league to act. 

    Selwood is the post boy and it should be known as the Selwood rule going forward.

    He was the first player to implement this tactic.

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