GVGjr
28-02-2020, 07:08 AM
Having seen the challenges Liam Picken went through I think the Western Bulldog supporters would have a greater appreciation on the effect concussion can have a player not only on field but also off field. Paddy McCartin has also had a promising career stopped by the impacts of concussion and the same with former Bulldog Koby Stevens
After reading about the legendary Graham "Polly" Farmer there has been a real focus on what the AFL should be doing in response to the concussion issue and many are calling for the banning of bumps and even tackling. I can see that the concussion tests are going to be ramped up by the AFL and Liam Picken suggested an extra player on the bench to specifically cover when players are being tested. I think that might have some merit.
The Herald Sun is running with the following story
Experts call for change (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/experts-call-for-change-as-football-world-reacts-to-graham-polly-farmer-cte-shock/news-story/cc13fb602f7c1a7dc8508a92a3cd63df)
Experts have called for wholesale changes to Australian rules, from banning the bump to altering junior training methods, in a bid to curtail the concussion scourge, linked to the death of Geelong great Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer.
Graham “Polly’ Farmer’s bombshell CTE diagnosis has triggered calls for the bump to be banned and footy’s “fabric” to be changed forever.
As concussion-stricken former high-flyer Shaun Smith warned there were “a thousand more Polly Farmers out there”, coaching legend Mark Williams led a push to stamp out dangerous hip-and-shoulders.
And the American godfather of CTE research Chris Nowinski says there would be a dramatic reduction in future cases if all contact training drills were banned and juniors prevented from tackling until 15 years of age.
The AFL last night said it had enforced tough new concussion guidelines for this season to address growing fears over player retirements forced by head knocks.
But Greg Griffin, the lead lawyer behind a proposed Federal Court concussion damages claim against the league and its clubs, said the Farmer revelations were a litigation “game-changer”.
“It is clear now that concussions that have not properly been handled by sporting bodies are killing people,” Griffin declared.
The league has been hit by a spate of retirements because of concussion including Liam Picken, Matt Maguire, Sam Blease, Jack Frost, Justin Clarke, Patrick McCartin, Leigh Adams and Koby Stevens.
Port Adelaide legend Williams was the man who called on the AFL to crack down on headhigh hits, which resulted in landmark tribunal penalties and a massive reduction in dangerous blows.
He told the Herald Sun he believed the next step was banning the bumping of unsuspecting players given how dangerous sub-concussions and concussions were.
“I don’t understand why we bump,” he said.
“I remember when Byron Pickett got rubbed out for six weeks for a bump and I put it to everyone at that stage — why not eliminate bumps and just tackle.
“When both players are going down to pick up the ball a collision is going to occur but not too many players get injured in that instance compared to others when you have the opportunity to tackle and you don’t. Change it and make it safer for players.”
Ex-Demon Smith, 50, was “knocked out cold” 12-14 times during his 109-game career with Melbourne and North Melbourne on top of dozens of sub-*!concussive hits.
He believes he is suffering from his own CTE symptoms.
“I saw what Polly’s family said in the paper about him being angry and having mood swings … and I just went tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. “It was like reading about me. I felt sad for the Farmer family.”
Ex-St Kilda and Brisbane hard man Matt Maguire, forced from the game from concussion, wondered whether he would want his children to play in the aggressive manner he did.
“I was brought up to never take your eyes off the ball and if you do you are a coward,” he said.
Dual Richmond premiership star Jack Riewoldt labelled the Farmer revelations as “scary”.
“You don’t think straight when you have got a concussion. I look back on mine and it scares me a bit.”
Top sports medico Peter Larkins said the only way to truly limit the incidence of concussion – in particular the asymptomatic subconcussive episodes – was to change “the fabric of the game” and make it less of a contact sport.
“We’re known for our physical sport, we are known for our tackling, we are known for bumping – overseas people love to watch the game,” Dr Larkins said.
“Perhaps we have been fooling ourselves, perhaps we need to be making the game less physical. I can’t believe I’m saying that, I love watching footy.
Whether they even (need to) get tougher. It’s the fabric of the game that we are going to change a lot.”
The AFL does not contribute a cent of its own funding to concussion research, with the $250,000 annual research funding coming from player fines.
But AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh said that level of funding was appropriate.
Concussion advocates like Peter Jess have called on the league to fund as much as $10 million a year for research into concussion diagnosis but also rehabilitation techniques for players battling the effects of recent concussions.
Jess called on the AFL to begin “sensible negotiations about compensation for the approximate 6500 past players likely to be suffering long-term neurological damage”.
“We knew from the science that it was only a matter of time before we would have confirmation that CTE was and is a product of AFL football,” Jess said.
The league said in a statement it would “continue to invest in research to better identify and manage concussion”.
“The AFL thanks the Farmer family for their important contribution to research in this area, which further enhances Mr Farmer’s legacy in Australian football,” it said.
“The health and safety of all players in our game is paramount and as knowledge and understanding of concussion has increased, the AFL has strengthened match day protocols, changed the Laws of the Game to further discourage high contact and has improved the identification of potential concussive incidents through the use of video.”
After reading about the legendary Graham "Polly" Farmer there has been a real focus on what the AFL should be doing in response to the concussion issue and many are calling for the banning of bumps and even tackling. I can see that the concussion tests are going to be ramped up by the AFL and Liam Picken suggested an extra player on the bench to specifically cover when players are being tested. I think that might have some merit.
The Herald Sun is running with the following story
Experts call for change (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/experts-call-for-change-as-football-world-reacts-to-graham-polly-farmer-cte-shock/news-story/cc13fb602f7c1a7dc8508a92a3cd63df)
Experts have called for wholesale changes to Australian rules, from banning the bump to altering junior training methods, in a bid to curtail the concussion scourge, linked to the death of Geelong great Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer.
Graham “Polly’ Farmer’s bombshell CTE diagnosis has triggered calls for the bump to be banned and footy’s “fabric” to be changed forever.
As concussion-stricken former high-flyer Shaun Smith warned there were “a thousand more Polly Farmers out there”, coaching legend Mark Williams led a push to stamp out dangerous hip-and-shoulders.
And the American godfather of CTE research Chris Nowinski says there would be a dramatic reduction in future cases if all contact training drills were banned and juniors prevented from tackling until 15 years of age.
The AFL last night said it had enforced tough new concussion guidelines for this season to address growing fears over player retirements forced by head knocks.
But Greg Griffin, the lead lawyer behind a proposed Federal Court concussion damages claim against the league and its clubs, said the Farmer revelations were a litigation “game-changer”.
“It is clear now that concussions that have not properly been handled by sporting bodies are killing people,” Griffin declared.
The league has been hit by a spate of retirements because of concussion including Liam Picken, Matt Maguire, Sam Blease, Jack Frost, Justin Clarke, Patrick McCartin, Leigh Adams and Koby Stevens.
Port Adelaide legend Williams was the man who called on the AFL to crack down on headhigh hits, which resulted in landmark tribunal penalties and a massive reduction in dangerous blows.
He told the Herald Sun he believed the next step was banning the bumping of unsuspecting players given how dangerous sub-concussions and concussions were.
“I don’t understand why we bump,” he said.
“I remember when Byron Pickett got rubbed out for six weeks for a bump and I put it to everyone at that stage — why not eliminate bumps and just tackle.
“When both players are going down to pick up the ball a collision is going to occur but not too many players get injured in that instance compared to others when you have the opportunity to tackle and you don’t. Change it and make it safer for players.”
Ex-Demon Smith, 50, was “knocked out cold” 12-14 times during his 109-game career with Melbourne and North Melbourne on top of dozens of sub-*!concussive hits.
He believes he is suffering from his own CTE symptoms.
“I saw what Polly’s family said in the paper about him being angry and having mood swings … and I just went tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. “It was like reading about me. I felt sad for the Farmer family.”
Ex-St Kilda and Brisbane hard man Matt Maguire, forced from the game from concussion, wondered whether he would want his children to play in the aggressive manner he did.
“I was brought up to never take your eyes off the ball and if you do you are a coward,” he said.
Dual Richmond premiership star Jack Riewoldt labelled the Farmer revelations as “scary”.
“You don’t think straight when you have got a concussion. I look back on mine and it scares me a bit.”
Top sports medico Peter Larkins said the only way to truly limit the incidence of concussion – in particular the asymptomatic subconcussive episodes – was to change “the fabric of the game” and make it less of a contact sport.
“We’re known for our physical sport, we are known for our tackling, we are known for bumping – overseas people love to watch the game,” Dr Larkins said.
“Perhaps we have been fooling ourselves, perhaps we need to be making the game less physical. I can’t believe I’m saying that, I love watching footy.
Whether they even (need to) get tougher. It’s the fabric of the game that we are going to change a lot.”
The AFL does not contribute a cent of its own funding to concussion research, with the $250,000 annual research funding coming from player fines.
But AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh said that level of funding was appropriate.
Concussion advocates like Peter Jess have called on the league to fund as much as $10 million a year for research into concussion diagnosis but also rehabilitation techniques for players battling the effects of recent concussions.
Jess called on the AFL to begin “sensible negotiations about compensation for the approximate 6500 past players likely to be suffering long-term neurological damage”.
“We knew from the science that it was only a matter of time before we would have confirmation that CTE was and is a product of AFL football,” Jess said.
The league said in a statement it would “continue to invest in research to better identify and manage concussion”.
“The AFL thanks the Farmer family for their important contribution to research in this area, which further enhances Mr Farmer’s legacy in Australian football,” it said.
“The health and safety of all players in our game is paramount and as knowledge and understanding of concussion has increased, the AFL has strengthened match day protocols, changed the Laws of the Game to further discourage high contact and has improved the identification of potential concussive incidents through the use of video.”