Is it inevitable someone will die in the AFL one day?

[Lerch]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-...ock-in-northern-new-south-wales-rugby/6404922

Not the best way to start the week, but a question I have been pondering since the awful events of the summer. Clearly rugby is a different sport but this poor bloke only copped a shoulder to his head whilst attempting a tackle a senario that wouldn't be out of place In any afl match. Really makes you wonder how lucky the likes of Brodie smith and brent Reilly are.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Probably not.

 

[Lerch]

RIP

Sorry should of been clear. Specifically on field.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

RIP

Relevance?

 

[dmc333]

Tomorrow's back page for the Herald Sun right there - AFL ONFIELD DEATH COMING

Front page - PAEDOS ON STREET CORNERS, TERRORISTS IN DRAIN PIPES

 

[Ashton Agar]

Relevance?

Didn't realise this.

Sorry should of been clear. Specifically on field.

Probably will happen one day, never know.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Didn't realise this.


Probably will happen one day, never know.

What, you thought the thread was asking if anyone who ever played in the AFL would ever die?

 

[Beer n Skittles]

In the VFL several players have died from injuries suffered on the field. Tom Lonergan came quite close too I believe

 

[Lerch]

In the VFL several players have died from injuries suffered on the field. Tom Lonergan came quite close too I believe

So yes, inevitable you would say?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Unfortunately I think it probably is.

The hits are vicious, and the played are forever getting faster, stronger, bigger and heavier. And they're jumping higher.

There isn't another game like it where you can be hit from 360 degrees at any time.

I think one day somebody is going to be hit in the head the wrong way and it'll happen. If it can happen to Phil Hughes it can definitely happen on a footy field.

It already happened with Shaun Bergin at Balwyn, so it can / will happen in the AFL.

 

[captain cotch 9]

Sadly it probably will happen.
A knee in the wrong place would be enough.

 

[Lerch]

Unfortunately I think it probably is.

The hits are vicious, and the played are forever getting faster, stronger, bigger and heavier. And they're jumping higher.

There isn't another game like it where you can be hit from 360 degrees at any time.

I think one day somebody is going to be hit in the head the wrong way and it'll happen. If it can happen to Phil Hughes it can definitely happen on a footy field.

It already happened with Shaun Bergin at Balwyn, so it can / will happen in the AFL.

Unfortunately I think it probably is.

The hits are vicious, and the played are forever getting faster, stronger, bigger and heavier. And they're jumping higher.

There isn't another game like it where you can be hit from 360 degrees at any time.

I think one day somebody is going to be hit in the head the wrong way and it'll happen. If it can happen to Phil Hughes it can definitely happen on a footy field.

It already happened with Shaun Bergin at Balwyn, so it can / will happen in the AFL.

Yes, great point.

 

[iameviljez]

I think one day somebody is going to be hit in the head the wrong way and it'll happen. If it can happen to Phil Hughes it can definitely happen on a footy field.

Yes, this. If a player can die from 156 grams being hurled into a particular spot on his head, he can certainly die from a 100kg man sticking his knee to the temple.

Given that there have been deaths at lower levels, it's fair to say that probability means that it will happen if football continues to be played.

 

[galindez]

Probably yes, and it's not just impact trauma. I had a friend who died during a basketball game due to a previously undiagnosed cardiac abnormality.

 

[True__Believer]

Sadly it probably will happen.
A knee in the wrong place would be enough.

Such as that knee to the side of the head Lonergan got yesterday.

 

[quotemokc]

It can happen in practically any sport really.

We are lucky that it hasn't happened at the top level yet.

 

[master bate]

Cardiac arrest is actually pretty likely if you multiply the number of players by number of games and years. Even with medical screening it happens quite a bit to athletes.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...athletes-having-heart-attacks/article4100522/

The hope is that by having medical staff and facilities at grounds the athlete can be resuscitated.

The AFL medicos have got plenty of practice dealing with internal injuries of late. You see how cautious they are and well practised with guys like Ziebell and Rockliff having bad ones already this year.

So the other main threat is head and neck injuries.

Much like the tragic case of Phil Hughes only so much can be done to stop terrible accidents. So a knee or hip in a marking contest to the wrong spot is a potential problem.

However the changes to the bumps rules has made the head and neck a lot safer. Big tackles can still produce injuries especially concussions but we aren't seeing Byron Pickett spear tackles or rugby style dump tackles.

It really is the big marking contests such as the ones to Lonergan yesterday that make me nervous when bodies go flying everywhere. Probably time we ease up a little on praising courage for courage sake (ie backing back in to a pack of 10 guys coming your way).

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Such as that knee to the side of the head Lonergan got yesterday.

Yep.

Forwards charging out and into the back of defenders is a really dangerous situation.

 

[captain cotch 9]

Such as that knee to the side of the head Lonergan got yesterday.

Exactly.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Its definitely possible.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

It's the reason the AFL has been so intent on cutting down head contact. They know this is coming one day.

Unfortunately many of the measures required to do this strike at the very heart of the game.

For example, how to you stop collisions like Lonergan's yesterday? It could stop the pack mark.

It's quite a quandary.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

IIRC Dr. Geoff Allan had a heart attack during the warm-ups on the field after the teams run through the banners at AAMI Stadium one night. They had to do CPR on him, but he survived.

Edit: I had the wrong guy.

 

[basashi]

Freo had to retire Jayden Pitt due to a previously undetected heart condition.

That sort of thing is just a lottery. With the number of players in the system it will occur at SOME stage.

The real question is how much fatality risk there is.

Answer: not much

Compare the game to road cycling, rock fishing, full contact martial arts etc.

 

[Lerch]

Cardiac arrest is actually pretty likely if you multiply the number of players by number of games and years. Even with medical screening it happens quite a bit to athletes.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...athletes-having-heart-attacks/article4100522/

The hope is that by having medical staff and facilities at grounds the athlete can be resuscitated.

The AFL medicos have got plenty of practice dealing with internal injuries of late. You see how cautious they are and well practised with guys like Ziebell and Rockliff having bad ones already this year.

So the other main threat is head and neck injuries.

Much like the tragic case of Phil Hughes only so much can be done to stop terrible accidents. So a knee or hip in a marking contest to the wrong spot is a potential problem.

However the changes to the bumps rules has made the head and neck a lot safer. Big tackles can still produce injuries especially concussions but we aren't seeing Byron Pickett spear tackles or rugby style dump tackles.

It really is the big marking contests such as the ones to Lonergan yesterday that make me nervous when bodies go flying everywhere. Probably time we ease up a little on praising courage for courage sake (ie backing back in to a pack of 10 guys coming your way).

Great post. 100% agree with you.

 

[Lerch]

It's the reason the AFL has been so intent on cutting down head contact. They know this is coming one day.

Unfortunately many of the measures required to do this strike at the very heart of the game.

For example, how to you stop collisions like Lonergan's yesterday? It could stop the pack mark.

It's quite a quandary.

I don't know how you stop that. I just feel the regularity of these heavy concussions are increasing and as one poster pointed out earlier, the game is as fast and the bodies as big as they have ever been and genuinely feel it's a matter of when not if, and something should be done before all he'll breaks loose.