Head knocks a huge issue at every level
Concussion is not limited to sport’s upper reaches – it hits clubland too
CONCUSSION is and will remain the biggest issue in sports for this generation, and it is in our local competitions where it will affect us most.
Most mainstream sporting codes now have concussion guidelines, and players are more aware of the effect head injuries can have in the short and long terms.
Rugby league, Aussie rules and rugby union are perhaps the most closely governed sports due to the heavy contact involved in each of the sports, and we see, on a weekly basis, how clubs, their medical staff, and the governing bodies manage and react to information.
Football Federation Australia, Hockey Australia and Netball Australia also have their own concussion policies, while Sport Australia has a dedicated website – which you can find at concussioninsport.gov.au – on the very issue.
Under the scrutiny of television deals, broadcasting, media coverage and their status as elite competitions, athletes involved in those toplevel sports have far greater access to monitoring, treatment of and management of head injuries like concussion.
But what about the thousands of regular men and women who play sport across the Far North for fun?
From the eight-year-old boy who wants to emulate Cowboys utility Michael Morgan, to the 11-year-old girl who pretends to be Sam Kerr as she dribbles down a football field, and the 40-plus-year-old mum or dad who is swinging a stick on the hockey fields to keep active, concussion and other head injuries are just as much a risk as it is for their heroes, who have access to top-level treatment options.
The challenge, for club volunteers, competition administrators and players at a local level, is to find the best way to manage possible concussion cases, and follow best practice ahead of any return.
A recent case of concussion in local competition forced one administrator to admit it might be time to remind clubs of their obligations and options should any participant fall victim to a head injury.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing or complacency by the competition administrator, but it was a timely reminder about how real the risk is at a local level.
Local participants have to learn the difference between being tough and taking longterm care of their brain, and fully understand the consequences of what could happen if they try to stay on the field after a knock.
THE CHALLENGE ... IS TO FIND THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE POSSIBLE CONCUSSION CASES, AND FOLLOW BEST PRACTICE AHEAD OF ANY RETURN.