AIS chief medical officer David Hughes hopes a new concussion position statement will empower athletes, coaches and parents to better recognise the danger of head knocks and associated long-term health risks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Sport Australia launched an updated concussion document on Tuesday, which is designed to give guidelines to grassroots and professional sports to protect players from brain injuries.
Concussion management has become a massive focus in all sports as implement return to play protocols in professional competitions.
But Sport Australia wants to target amateur and junior competitions to ensure they have the appropriate tools and information to prioritise athlete health.
"Children take longer to recover from concussion than adults," Hughes said.
"Concussion in Sport Australia believes any child 18 years and under, who suffers a concussion, must not return to play until they have been clear of symptoms for 14 days.
"...Children's brains are worth the wait. We believe this is an important step forward to ensuring Australians at all levels have access to the most up to date and accurate information on concussion."
More than 40 sport and medical organisations have endorsed the concussion position statement, including Rugby Australia, the FFA, Cycling Australia, Basketball Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee.
It's a huge shift from the past when concussion was a taboo subject and athletes were regarded as tough if they continued to play after a head knock.
Canberra's amateur rugby union competition introduced a blue card system two years ago to allow referees to identify concussion symptoms and send players from the field to be checked.
ACT Brumbies back-rower Tom Cusack has suffered numerous concussions in his Super Rugby and Australian sevens career, including needing four months to recover from his latest head knock.
Cusack spent time in Melbourne at the end of last year having cognitive, psychoanalysis, memory and balance tests to assess his recovery after four concussions in 12 months.
"Some concussions go unnoticed, it's a silent injury in the way you can't see it, so it is tough sitting out for long periods, not knowing when you'll return," Cusack said.
"One of the big things is that tough conversations need to happen. It's important for parents to realise there is life after footy.
"If you need to have time off it's the best thing for you, it's about mental health and longevity."
The NRL, Australian rugby and AFL have introduced strict concussion and return to play protocols in recent seasons as medical experts gather more information about long-term effects.
Cricket has also been more sensitive to head knocks and two Sri Lankan batsmen were taken off the field at Manuka Oval two weeks ago after copping blows to the helmut.
The target market of the new position statement, however, is aimed at teams and players who don't have access to sideline doctors to make them aware of concussion.
"It's about plugging the gap, giving people a way to download and access information. We've tried to make it simple so that a parent can see what their child needs to come through," Hughes said.
"We're hoping people at the grassroots feel more comfortable in addressing concussion. No matter what professional sports do, they will be criticised. But the evidence is they've shifted a long way and this is an evolving journey. But it has to evolve based on evidence, not emotion."
