Adopting US football rules could help reduce brain trauma in AFL
By Erin Pearson
A world-leading expert in brain injuries in sport had signalled the AFL could investigate the widespread use of helmets and mouthguards with inbuilt sensors to track head-knock counts over a player’s entire career.
Full-contact training sessions could also be dramatically slashed to protect players from cumulative head knocks with similar major rule changes in the US’s National Football League contributing to a 60 per cent reduction in brain trauma.
Shane Tuck in action for Richmond in 2012.Credit: Fairfax Photographic
Neurosurgeon Robert Cantu, who has been working in sport-related head injuries for more than 40 years, told an inquest into the death of former AFL player Shane Tuck that slashing the number of full contact training sessions – from triweekly to only 14 sessions during the NFL’s on-season and eliminating them in the off-season – had been the greatest help in reducing head contact.
He said research in the US showed football players could expect to receive up to 20,000 hits to the head over a 15-year playing career.
“[Headgear] is an area of research the AFL may want to pursue. Along with investigating and recording the total number of hits these people are taking,” Cantu said.
“I think with regard to concussion [the AFL] is doing a very fine job. All of us can do better, but they’re doing a very fine job.”
Cantu, who appeared at the inquest via video link from the US, also flagged that it could be appropriate for the AFL to forcibly retire players in an effort to properly safeguard players, rather than leaving the decision-making up to individual teams. Though he noted, not all agreed with this stance.
State Coroner John Cain is investigating the death of AFL great Shane Tuck, 38, who took his own life following a decorated career in the AFL.
A post-mortem examination found he had severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death – a type of brain degeneration thought to be caused by repeated head traumas.
A neuropathologist at the Australian Sports Brain Bank later found Tuck had the most severe case of CTE they had seen.
Tuck is one of five former AFL footballers to be diagnosed with CTE after their deaths, including Graham “Polly” Farmer, Danny Frawley and Murray Weideman.
While commending the AFL’s recent work to change its rules and regulations around head blows, Cantu said more focus was needed on reducing the likelihood of players developing CTE rather than single instances of concussions, with repeated non-symptomatic head knocks also contributing to conditions.
This could include mannequins or bags being used in training to reduce head contact, he said.
Cantu, who is also director of clinical research at the Cantu Concussion Centre in Massachusetts and senior advisor to America’s NFL, said not all concussions were equal.
Shane Tuck on the ground after being knocked out during a boxing match after his retirement from AFL.Credit: Getty
Of most concern were concussions that had a prolonged length of symptoms, along with repeated head knocks, particularly those that occurred within weeks of each other.
Repeated head trauma, from both head knocks and concussion, was the leading contributor to developing CTE, he said.
“The general concept is the more repetitive traumas to the head somebody takes, the greater their risk of CTE,” Cantu said.
He said an additional focus on reducing all head contact would be a “good thing” for the AFL to work towards to make the game safer at both a professional and community level.
Neurosurgeon Robert Cantu spoke at the inquest.
This, he said, could include pursuing whether helmets could be used to reduce head trauma, noting the USA used tracking devices in headgear and mouth guards to help track a player’s head knock count.
But Cantu also noted that some helmets could make it difficult to see players’ facial expressions and eye movements, which could impair concussion assessments from the sidelines.
The inquest heardthe AFL had already begun testing the use of sensor devices to help detect head knocks.
Earlier, the inquest heard as Tuck’s health deteriorated from 2006 to 2018, he began hearing voices and was eventually hospitalised after experiencing hallucinations, suicidal thoughts and voices commanding him to kill himself.
Tuck had a decorated AFL career, playing 173 games with Richmond from 2004 to 2013. He then spent several years as a professional boxer.
The coroner is expected to investigate whether Tuck suffered concussion and head injuries during his AFL and professional boxing careers; what, if any, connection can be established between those injuries and his diagnosis of CTE; and what connection, if any, can be established between Tuck’s CTE diagnosis and his death.
The inquest continues.
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