The AFL introduced 12-day concussion protocols at the start of 2022, which meant players missed a minimum of one game if they suffered a concussion, which may lead to an increase in non-reporting.
The Players’ Association is keen to better understand how players assessed themselves as having suffered concussion when they did not report the event, and there may have been a change in attitude around concussion since players were surveyed in the middle of last year.
Jack Higgins on the sidelines after suffering from a concussion during 2022.Credit:Getty Images
There have been calls for that 12-day lay-off period to be extended to a minimum of 28 days from concussion researchers such as neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce, however there have been concern among AFL clubs about whether players will report concussions if forced to miss for that period.
By contrast, just 2 per cent of AFLW players did not report a concussion in 2022 which was down from 4 per cent in previous seasons.
The concussion question was asked as part of the AFLPA’s annual wellbeing and insights survey, held during club visits. It is not compulsory for the players to complete the survey, but the large majority do with 92 per cent of respondents indicating they thought their club prioritised their health and safety over performance in 2022 when managing a head knock, a 1 per cent decrease on the previous year.
The unwillingness to report symptoms will concern the AFL and the AFLPA in a climate where class actions have been launched, as well as two separate individual claims, relating to concussion.
The PA also reported that there has been “a significant increase in the number of football-ending injury applications related to concussion in recent years.
“In 2021, these accounted for 63 per cent of the successful football-ending injury applications. By comparison, prior to 2021, there had only been a total of four applications for concussion injuries.”
The PA offers a range of support services for ex-players including a hardship fund.
It also said in the submission that it had not been given a timeline from the league regarding the implementation of recommendations from the McCrory report which the AFL released in October last year.
A public hearing on the inquiry into concussion and the impact of head trauma in contact sports will be held in Melbourne on April 26.
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