The handling of concussion is entering a new era in community sport, and AFL Canberra's competitions are the latest to welcome some changes, despite concerns over how players and clubs will follow through on the new guidelines.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Before round one in the AFL, the league announced their new return-to-play concussion guidelines with the biggest change a 21-day stand-down period impacting community football starting next month.
In Canberra, clubs are eagerly awaiting the full details of the updated community football guidelines set to be released in the coming weeks, with the league committed to working with local bodies to support the changes.
But the AFL made clear that community football - including all junior, adult and open competitions - will have to adopt a mandatory minimum 21-day return to play protocol, in line with the Australian Institute of Sport's Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement released earlier this year.
State competitions are also set to follow the new 21-day protocol, including the VFL and VFLW.
It means that the earliest a community football player can return from suffering a concussion is on the 21st day following the incident, as long as there is medical clearance.
Canberra clubs have mostly welcomed the changes, but with the first grade competitions beginning on April 6 and juniors starting on April 27, officials are curious how they will be implemented.
Queanbeyan Tigers general manager and women's first grade coach Adrian Pavese supported the 21-day protocol to help tackle the issue of concussions in the sport, however he was skeptical about whether players and clubs would properly follow the new guidelines.
"There's obviously some concern that players may hide symptoms because it is a significant stand-down period," he said.
![New concussion guidelines will be implemented in community AFL this season. Picture by Keegan Carroll New concussion guidelines will be implemented in community AFL this season. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/c2788715-bb72-48fe-9c73-5d5f0e1bd87a.jpg/r0_294_5756_3543_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"There's a chance, especially when you come into finals, that if a player has received a bit of a knock, but not obviously knocked out, that they may hide their symptoms.
"It is going to put a lot of pressure on clubs to keep an eye out for those contests and keep their players in check, because you don't always get to see every head contact.
"It'll be a watch and see situation and we hope players do the right thing."
The three weeks out for players suffering concussion will naturally also test the depth of some teams in the community setting.
Pavese said this is just something clubs will have to accept though.
"We just have to deal with that. We're not going to put players in harm's way. So if we happen to lose three or four players over a couple of weeks, it is what it is," he said.
There have been recent reports suggesting that the AFL were also considering trialling compulsory headgear in junior football competitions, however there is no clear indication that will happen.
Current AFL community guidelines on concussion management have a point on helmets that concludes there is "no sufficient evidence" that headgear prevents concussions or other brain injuries and therefore it is not a recommendation.
Tuggeranong women's first grade and GWS Giants academy coach Leo Lahey said there has been a positive shift in community sport in recent years with concussions taken a lot more seriously.
Lahey believes even though there are more volunteers than paid staff involved in AFL Canberra's competitions, there are enough boots on the ground to implement the concussion guidelines successfully.
"All the clubs that I've interacted with are very proactive when it comes to managing athletes with any injury, especially concussion," he said.
"There is a very cautious approach taken to managing any potential concussion injuries, where even if there's any doubt it's treated like a concussion until it's ruled out.
"It's a much more mature approach than it was back in the day when I played. Because the science and awareness of concussions is so much better, I think players, coaches and clubs are really accepting of what's needed."
For AFL and AFLW meanwhile, the mandatory minimum 12-day return to play protocol will be maintained, with medical professionals at clubs to monitor progression through an existing a three-stage, 11-step protocol.
The AFL boasted that the 12-day concussion protocol last season saw 29 percent of men's players miss more than one match and 24 percent of AFLW players miss the same.