Concussion

In late March, the Victorian State Coroner's office, after an inquest concerning the death of former player Shane Tuck, made recommendations for the health and safety of players, mainly with regard to concussion protocols The AFL replied in an official statement and will implement the recommendations as part of the ongoing process of the prevention and management of concussion and other head trauma in Australian Football. (Ed. note: left unsaid is that the AFL, like many professional sports leagues, would really rather not talk about the long-term health effects of the sport or the numerous results of post-mortem exams which show even players from recent decades with significant long term brain damage.)

The recommendations are:

Just ahead of the opening round of AFL football, the league announced adjustments to their concussion protocols for all leagues - from the AFL on down including professional, community, junior, etc. For AFL and AFLW players, the 12-day minimum waiting period (to be eligible to return to play) will remain in place. Players are monitored under a multi-stage platform and cannot return to training or playing without a medical clearance. Should symptoms persist beyond the 12 days, a player could be sidelined longer. Concussions have been a long running issue in the AFL (as in most contact sports globally). The history of the AFL in dealing with the problem is checkered at best (Ed. note: see our long list of concussion related stories over the past 18 years: Concussion related articles.)

For all other competitions, there will be a 21-day protocol. The AFL stated that this is due to the fact that the lower level competitions do not have the medical and support resources available to the AFL and AFLW. The AFL says it will work with all leagues and football bodies, including the Western Australian Football Commission and the SANFL, to encourage the universal adoption of the new protocols.

Adelaide wingman Paul Seedsman has announced his retirement after 132 AFL games spread across 13 seasons. Seedsman, 31, has been on the inactive list for the past two seasons due to ongoing concussion symptoms. He suffered a bad head knock during the 2022 preseason training. He played 83 games for the Crows after 49 games at Collingwood. His decision to retire follows a recommendation from an independent AFL medical concussion panel that he no longer participate in contact sport. 

Seedsman said while he was disappointed his AFL career had come to an end, it was in the best interest of his health and wellbeing. 

Sydney's Paddy McCartin last played in early April due to concussion issues. He has been forced to retire after consulting with an independent AFL medical concussion panel. McCartin, 27, has suffered over a dozen concussions in his career and his playing days were thought to be over when he left St Kilda at the end of 2019 after playing 35 games. He spent some time in Sydney's VFL team before being added to the senior list in 2022. He managed just 28 games for the Swans in two seasons.

In recent years, a number of players have signed on to file a class action suit against the AFL to seek compensations for the effects of concussions they suffered during their careers. The Melbourne Margalit Injury Lawyers law firm is preparing to take the case to the Victorian Supreme Court. The firm has already spoken to a number of former players and believe they could get up to $2 million in compensation for each player.

The firm has also called for an overhaul of the existing workers' comp plans. One issue is professional sport players are exempt from coverage The firm's managing principal Michel Margalit said, "As it stands, AFL players are excluded from seeking WorkCover in Victoria which stop them making claims for medical and other expenses and weekly payments. AFL is big business and it is appalling to think that players are excluded from receiving care and compensation, while AFL executives on astronomical wages hold these entitlements.'' She used the precedent of USA NFL players suing the NFL for compensation.

(Ed. note: this is another story in our on-going coverage of the effects of concussion on AFL players.) Please read on... 

In early December West Coast running defender Brad Sheppard and Suns defender Jacob Townsend announced their retirements just a few days apart. Sheppard, 30, was forced to retire due to ongoing concussion issues. He suffered several head knocks late in the season, the last coming in round 22. The Eagles believed he could still play but gave him time to decide. He sought medical advice over concerns about his future health and opted to retire.

Sheppard was drafted in 2009 and played 216 games. He was named All-Australian in 2015 and won the best clubman award in 2020. He was also a key member of the 2018 premiership side. Coach Adam Simpson said, "His career speaks for itself, over 200 games, it's just really sad that it finishes this way. He still had plenty of good footy left. He retires as a man with universal respect at every level of the football club ... ".