Injury Head injuries and concussion: Every AFL club should listen to this important advice.

[Shane Heard]

Now bare with me for a moment my friends...for this is very important.
I realise that literally no one reading this except NFL fans would have the slightest idea who Joe Namath is. But just to briefly get you up to date...Namath is famous in the U.S for leading the NY Jets team as QB to their only Super Bowl championship in 69’ in a stunning upset as underdogs vs Baltimore.

The Jets are like the St Kilda of the NFL. One flag. Years of torturous frustration for their legions of fans etc etc.

He was a flamboyant guy in the 60s. Ladies man, heavy drinker and one hell of a player on the field. Think of him as the Lance Franklin type of his time...sort of.

Anyway...regardless of all that stuff....Namath took an absolute belting around the head time and time again as a QB in his career. As most QBs did back in the day.

Im sure many of you have seen the Will Smith movie ‘Concussion’ and are aware of the concern in world sport...especially in the NFL and in our
own game...of the dangers of head knocks and the long term ramifications that can potentially occur.

Daniel Chick from WC just one example of many.

This interview was done only a week ago. Forget that it’s a Howard Stern show. That’s not important.

What is important is the message that Joe sends out here. He’s a lovely, humble guy. Always warm and positive in every interview he does as an ‘old guy’.

His story here struck me as genuine and true.

Maybe he’s onto something that could help athletes recover better from head knocks.

Why hasn’t every NFL team with all their millions of dollars have one of these chambers for their players to use?

It’s interesting to hear Namath speak about the damage he incurred while playing and how he’s recovered well from this type of treatment.

Most blokes from his era have massive problems with their brain. Namath talks and sounds perfectly fine now and basically owes his good mental heath to this treatment.

Thoughts?

 

[kaiserchief13]

I'm actually surprised no former player has tried taking the afl to court yet. Will this happen over the next 10-20 years?

 

[Shane Heard]

I'm actually surprised no former player has tried taking the afl to court yet. Will this happen over the next 10-20 years?

I’m sure they have looked at the hundreds of millions of dollars the NFL has paid out recently and are sweating bullets it won’t be the same situation one day in our league.

Gil wouldn’t care. That’s for someone else down the track to worry about...long after he’s gone.

 

[ROOTA#6]

I’m sure they have looked at the hundreds of millions of dollars the NFL has paid out recently and are sweating bullets it won’t be the same situation one day in our league.

Gil wouldn’t care. That’s for someone else down the track to worry about...long after he’s gone.

Players have gone the legal route with the AFL I’m fairly sure..didn’t the kid Shaw from the Crows take some form of action. I know Peter Jess is trying to get a class action up but knowing him it will be to benefit himself not the players

 

[Loken]

I'm actually surprised no former player has tried taking the afl to court yet. Will this happen over the next 10-20 years?

'I can't shower or bath on my own': ex-AFL star leads planned concussion class action

Former AFL ruckman John Barnes says the league has its head in the sand over concussions, as the now 49-year-old — who has epilepsy and memory loss — joins a planned class action seeking compensation.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Shane Heard]

'I can't shower or bath on my own': ex-AFL star leads planned concussion class action

Former AFL ruckman John Barnes says the league has its head in the sand over concussions, as the now 49-year-old — who has epilepsy and memory loss — joins a planned class action seeking compensation.

www.abc.net.au

Oh man...thank you for that post...I had no idea he was going through that.

Saddens me so much to hear of his struggles. He’s a beloved Bomber in my heart Barnesy.

Terrible news.

 

[M Malice]

Fantastic 3 and a half minutes Shane Heard , pretty damn impressive anecdotal evidence re the benefit of oxygen therapy for concussion.

If the NFL aren't prepared to fund a deeper scientific look/research into this the AFL should step up to the plate and at least partly/jointly fund it and be a world leader re concussion research.

Come on Gil get your head out of your ass and do something that could have a true meaningful lasting legacy or are you too busy sipping Pinot Noir and gorging on Duck a l' orange to bother.

 

[Shane Heard]

Players have gone the legal route with the AFL I’m fairly sure..didn’t the kid Shaw from the Crows take some form of action. I know Peter Jess is trying to get a class action up but knowing him it will be to benefit himself not the players

Really? Got any links to that?

The Barnesy one just posted I’m guessing is part of that class action?

 

[kaiserchief13]

'I can't shower or bath on my own': ex-AFL star leads planned concussion class action

Former AFL ruckman John Barnes says the league has its head in the sand over concussions, as the now 49-year-old — who has epilepsy and memory loss — joins a planned class action seeking compensation.

www.abc.net.au

Thanks had never heard of that. How can he say it is due to concussion from afl games though?

 

[ROOTA#6]

Wgmhat realistically can be done that doesn’t fundamentally change the game?

I would also like it known that I have played almost 20 years of country footy, suffered many concussions and am being treated for symptoms that are epilepsy like and anxiety issues which I believe are a result of my head injuries.

But what can be done?

 

[Shane Heard]

Fantastic 3 and a half minutes Shane Heard , pretty damn impressive anecdotal evidence re the benefit of oxygen therapy for concussion.

If the NFL aren't prepared to fund a deeper scientific look/research into this the AFL should step up to the plate and at least partly/jointly fund it and be a world leader re concussion research.

Come on Gil get your head out of your ass and do something that could have a true meaningful lasting legacy or are you too busy sipping Pinot Noir and gorging on Duck a l' orange to bother.

Yes...the NFL example is enough evidence to make this issue a priority.

Which leads me to ponder the significance of our new rules introduced recently with head high tackles and sliding in techniques.

Just listening to Namath...not just as a Jets fan as I am ...but as a human..a sports lover...a junior coach of my sons team for 10 years when he was a kid...it makes me think there’s something very very important to focus on in our game.

I feel guilty right now wishing the good old days of my youth were still around with the on-field violence we all enjoyed watching.

Makes me think....Joe has made me reconsider things.

 

[Shane Heard]

Wgmhat realistically can be done that doesn’t fundamentally change the game?

I would also like it known that I have played almost 20 years of country footy, suffered many concussions and am being treated for symptoms that are epilepsy like and anxiety issues which I believe are a result of my head injuries.

But what can be done?

Sorry to hear that mate.

But you make a good point. What can be done?
Helmets do nothing.

The brain floats in water and no helmet can stop the movement when a savage knock happens.

It’s basically about treatment after the event unfortunately.

 

[CharlieMortdecai]

Really? Got any links to that?

The Barnesy one just posted I’m guessing is part of that class action?

"Concussion in sport - is enough being done?" episode from "Sporty" , presented by Amanda Smith - https://kv8b3.app.goo.gl/3N8HQUWwgR97wAmW6. Available now through the ABC listen App - http://bit.ly/ABCradioApp
Lots more about the class action and interviews with John Barnes and his wife Rowena in that podcast.
Peter Jess says he plans to make about 100 individual claims in August prior to the class action.

 

[Shane Heard]

"Concussion in sport - is enough being done?" episode from "Sporty" , presented by Amanda Smith - https://kv8b3.app.goo.gl/3N8HQUWwgR97wAmW6. Available now through the ABC listen App - http://bit.ly/ABCradioApp
Lots more about the class action and interviews with John Barnes and his wife Rowena in that podcast.
Peter Jess says he plans to make about 100 individual claims in August prior to the class action.

Jesus...100 claims...that’s incredible.

Why isn’t this front page news in the footy world ?

 

[Topkent]

Jesus...100 claims...that’s incredible.

Why isn’t this front page news in the footy world ?

Daniel Bell took the AFL to court and won aswell. It's been happening for ages

 

[Shane Heard]

Daniel Bell took the AFL to court and won aswell. It's been happening for ages

Mmmm...I sort of had a bit of an idea that this was going on. But like a lot of issues that appear in the media, one tends to forget things once it fades from the headlines.

It all gets lost unfortunately in the cosmic soup of day to day news that’s relentlessly spewed forth.

This is an subject that can’t be ignored for the AFL. The chickens will come home to roost eventually.

 

[CharlieMortdecai]

Jesus...100 claims...that’s incredible.

Why isn’t this front page news in the footy world ?

I wondered that myself when I listened to that. It probably will be if and when it happens. When you hear what Barnes is going through you can understand why he would go down the path. At one point in the interview I think he says he would tell parents to pull their kids out of junior footy.
If I recall correctly there is an AFL doctor in the program who rather sheepishly responds to the question of possible solutions with "Don't play games that involve repeated concussions "

 

[Rabman]

I just hope they dont sue the game out of existance because of whats happen to them. As a sport we've always protected the head were by players can only legally tackle blokes below the shoulder. It would be foolish to think some of the concussions these players got were due to thug acts and king hits behind play which was prevalent back in the 70's and 80's. Whilst i sympathise with what there putting up with, i just hope the game doesn't suffer in the long run.

 

[Shane Heard]

I just hope they dont sue the game out of existance because of whats happen to them. As a sport we've always protected the head were by players can only legally tackle blokes below the shoulder. It would be foolish to think some of the concussions these players got were due to thug acts and king hits behind play which was prevalent back in the 70's and 80's. Whilst i sympathise with what there putting up with, i just hope the game doesn't suffer in the long run.

Sue the game out of existence. That could possibly happen you know.

The AFL as a corporate entity only have a limited amount of surplus cash on hand surely. 100 million maybe?

I just found some articles dating back to 2018 talking about the NFL’s cost for concussion payouts.

There’s 20,000 players involved represented in groups by separate lawyers with a reported 1 billion dollar on offer by the NFL available for claims.


Only a small fraction of that money has been paid out so far. Often the payments are withheld to pay for medical costs and to credit companies the player owes.

It’s a joke basically...

Obviously the AFL when it’s their turn to face the music in court will follow the same type of procedures.

NFL players with brain trauma receive notice of settlements stripped to nothing

Out of 20,000 ex-NFL players involved in class-action suit related to suffering from brain injuries, including CTE, only 700 have been approved.

www.google.com

“Plaintiffs have complained in the past that the legal battle against the NFL has been full of trapdoors and fine print that has tested resolve and stretched bank accounts, all while dealing with the devastating long-term impact of careers spent in football. Some had to unearth decades-old proof of their playing days and medical history before fighting through audits, appeals and narrow diagnosis criteria to show the court they deserved part of the settlement.”

 

[Kappa]

The more the AFL does everything in its power to reduce concussions the better they'll look in court. That's the entire reason the bump is essentially outlawed now.

 

[M Malice]

There are risks in all aspects of life it is just about realistic and fair limitations/rules in an attempt to mitigate the chances of a bad outcome as far as sport is concerned. It is extremely rare but you could die playing Australian Rules.

The possibility of Concussion and injury is part of the risk you take playing sport particularly body contact sport, participants surely know this by now, eyes wide open. If I had to guess I'd say the vast majority of the players currently in the AFL are prepared to take that risk.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I'm actually surprised no former player has tried taking the afl to court yet. Will this happen over the next 10-20 years?

I’m sure they have looked at the hundreds of millions of dollars the NFL has paid out recently and are sweating bullets it won’t be the same situation one day in our league.

Gil wouldn’t care. That’s for someone else down the track to worry about...long after he’s gone.

The possibility definitely exists. However I think there is a difference as I believe the NFL actually covered up and sought to rebuke the evidence that was coming out 10-20 years ago regarding the link between head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This made them liable, or so the argument goes.

The AFL hasn't really addressed it but has sought to actively change rules to protect the head whereas in the NFL this has only been happening over the last 10 years or so. People can correct me if I'm wrong because I've only been following the NFL for the last 9 or 10 years.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Sorry to hear that mate.

But you make a good point. What can be done?
Helmets do nothing.

The brain floats in water and no helmet can stop the movement when a savage knock happens.

It’s basically about treatment after the event unfortunately.

Nothing can be done without fundamentally changing the game. That's why a lot of people think the NFL is on borrowed time. Maybe the AFL too.

I guess you can only make people aware of the risks and if they still want the carrot (up to $30m a year contracts in the NFL for QBs currently) it's up to them to take an informed risk. Problem is parents refusing to let their kids play these sports which will lead to a lack of players down the track

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Mmmm...I sort of had a bit of an idea that this was going on. But like a lot of issues that appear in the media, one tends to forget things once it fades from the headlines.

It all gets lost unfortunately in the cosmic soup of day to day news that’s relentlessly spewed forth.

This is an subject that can’t be ignored for the AFL. The chickens will come home to roost eventually.

Diesel Williams is another who came out a few years back stating the issues he was dealing with because of it. It was on 60 minutes from memory and front page news for a day or so.

 

[basashi]

Helmets do nothing.

The brain floats in water and no helmet can stop the movement when a savage knock happens.

It is far from settled that helmets do nothing. The AFL's position statements is based on studies that are not analagous to Aussie Rules. Although one of them does record that the helmet DOES reduce the movement of the brain. There is some data on incidence but not enough on severity with or without helmets.

If you start with the AFL position statement on helmets and work your back through the references and into the studies you will not necessarily conclude that helmets work, but you will probably conclude that any declaration they don't work in Aussies Rules type of knocks is a bit hasty.