AFL & protective head gear?

[Luke_sainters]

Well there is something on this thread. If you need any further information you can use the internet.

All I was saying is they may reduce the no. of concussions in a season and or reduce severity of concussion wearing one as oppose to not wearing one.

 

[hayes]

So thats what i mean.
No you cannot stop concussions or head knocks.
But maybe if everyone wore one in the AFL know it will never happen. Concussions may be reduced from previous years?
As I said better off wearing one than not wearing one, even if you look like a clown

It won't reduce if the NFL is anything to go by:

http://m.nydailynews.com/sports/football/concussions-rise-nfl-league-data-reveals-article-1.2513828

 

[hayes]

As has been said, helmets dont do a thing to stop your brain being bounced around which is what causes the concussion. Theres just no way to have enough padding to make a difference and still be a wearable item.


Yep, pretty much the reason why its absolutely rife in the NFL. I remember one video of a player bashing his head against a wall in "celebration" and concussing himself because of it.

Well what hope do we have when you're dealing with that kind of stupidity!

 

[Dr Spaceman]

 

[Noidenous]

The issue with helmets is the change in playstyle they're likely to produce. Concussions are a result of a sudden reduction/acceleration in G Force.

In the NFL it's usually caused by the three-point stance along the line of scrimmage and the ball carrier leading with their head (not allowed on defense, but still allowed on offense for some reason).

There'll always be special cases though, like the one Sam Shields suffered after sliding out of bounds and hitting his helmet on a 2-inch concrete lip about 5 yards outside the playing field earlier in this season gone.

Can see it here. Not sure why the video starts with the second half of the game, but it happens during the play starting 1:38:50.

 

[Rors]

Helmets do not stop concussions because they do not cushion the impact of the brain reverberating around inside the skull.... If you think about it in those layman terms, it makes sense.

 

[Nutsngum]

Helmets do not stop concussions because they do not cushion the impact of the brain reverberating around inside the skull.... If you think about it in those layman terms, it makes sense.

The trick is to only recruit really dumb footballers with smaller brains so there is less risk.

Problem is youde have half of Bigfooty running around in the AFL.

 

[Persevering Saint]

The trick is to only recruit really dumb footballers with smaller brains so there is less risk.

Problem is youde have half of Bigfooty running around in the AFL.

You need to find people with Homer Simpson syndrome.

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Just get them all to sign waivers.

That seems to work

 

[Rors]

The trick is to only recruit really dumb footballers with smaller brains so there is less risk.

Problem is youde have half of Bigfooty running around in the AFL.

Only recruit dumb footballers?

I'd say that 99.2% of footballers are lucky to be footballers because they are dumb as dogshit & couldn't get a real job in life to save themselves.... but that's just my opinion

 

[Winners Only]

"Sports Medicine Australia, Australia’s peak national umbrella body for sports medicine and sports science, wants to remind parents that there is no good clinical evidence currently available to show protective equipment will prevent concussion.

Neurosurgeon Professor Gavin Davis says that while helmets, especially soft shell helmets used in AFL, are useful in preventing skull fractures and scalp lacerations, they do not protect against concussion.

“Given that helmets in AFL and NRL do not prevent concussion, I do not advocate their universal use, but accept that the helmet often provides comfort to the child’s parents in thinking they are being proactive in assisting with their child’s well-being,” he said.

He went onto say not only do helmets not protect against concussion; they may lead to an increase in head impact injuries.

“There is potentially some risk-taking behaviour by some of those wearing helmets, where they are more likely to go head first, and expose themselves to increased risk of concussion, or, they may be more likely to be “targeted” by opponents because they wear helmets,” he said."

http://sma.org.au/2013/11/helmets-do-not-prevent-concussion/

Thanks I didnt know that. Surely there is something that will protect agaist concussion?

 

[CursingFijian]

Thanks I didnt know that. Surely there is something that will protect agaist concussion?

I think the laws of the game are the best tool at the disposal of the AFL gods. I know in rugby for instance, the onus is on the defender to ensure that the ball carrier is brought to ground in a manner that is consistent with concussion and spinal injury rules.


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[Strahany]

On basic principles of physics, helmets will provide some degree of protection since anything that will increase the duration of deceleration of the impacting object will therefore increase the duration of acceleration of the object being impacted. Greater duration of acceleration will mean the acceleration is less forceful. In terms of the head, this will mean that, since the head is receiving a lesser force, it is less likely that there will be sufficient movement of the brain within the skull to cause a concussion.

However, there's a saying; "in theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not". So, despite all of the basic principles being logically sound and supportive of head protection, it would appear that these helmets do two-fifths of f**k all (this is an official scientific measure, of course) with respect to preventing concussions.
Would *some* concussions be prevented, or at least bettered by wearing helmets? I daren't go against the laws of physics, so will say yes. However, the most recent research shows that the incidence of such occurrences is apparently ridiculously far off from being even remotely statistically significant.