Safety first for Grigsby
GEELONG Falcons big man Jack Grigsby’s season is over after the club last night put the brakes on any comeback attempts for this year.
The 17-year-old’s immediate future had been up in the air for more than a month after a frightening concussion in his TAC Cup debut on June 18 that also landed him in hospital with suspected neck injuries.
Despite being cleared of neck damage, it took almost 10 days for the bulk of Grigsby’s long-term memory to return after suffering an adverse reaction to the head trauma.
Grigsby was given the green light to resume light training duties about a fortnight after the incident but the Falcons are in no rush to play him.
The ruckman is also still troubled by slight headaches and the Falcons last night opted to abort any thought of returning this season.
“I’ve spoken to him about taking his time, as next year is more important for him,” Falcons coach Danny O’Keefe said.
“We have agreed to take the conservative approach and look towards next season for him. He’s comfortable with this decision, which will hopefully set him up for a big season, starting in November this year.”
For more than a week after the incident, Grigsby had no long-term memory until, almost overnight, about “90 per cent” returned.
The aftermath was abundantly clear when, four days after the collision, he could not identify any of his coaches, teammates, his past injury history or even the club he played for when he dropped into Geelong Falcons training.
His recollection of key people and major life events was also sketchy at best in the days after the incident.