Right: Dr Andrew McIntosh, a biomechanics expert, has suggested that the wearing of helmets, at least in the American NFL, may encourage players to take more chances, considering themselves protected by their helmets.
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Arguments against introducing helmets
1. Changes have been made to make Australian Rules football a safer sport
A variety of changes have been made to AFL rules in order to ensure that the game is as safe as possible and head injuries are unlikely to occur.
Over the last fifteen years front-on contact to the head has been banned; off-the-ball incidents deemed intentional are now penalised; ruckmen have been constrained at centre bounces; the bump is close to extinction; there is to be no vilification; illicit and performance-enhancing drug codes have been established.
Recent Laws and Tribunal changes to protect the head and neck include the following:
New definition of charging (2000)
Emphasis on protecting player on ground from being contacted from front on (2003)
Bumping/making forceful contact from front on/bumping player with head over the ball (2007)
Stricter policing of dangerous tackles (2007)
High contact classification given to incidents where head hits the ground (2009)
Rough conduct [head-high bump] (2009, 2010 & 2011)
New guideline under rough conduct for dangerous tackles (2010)
Interchange substitute rule (2011)
Clarity on negligent and reckless dangerous tackles including sling tackles (2012)
Increased penalty for striking incidents behind play (2012)
Commentators on the game have claimed that the result of all these changes is that AFL football is now a far safer sport and head injuries are far less common.
Patrick Smith, writing in The Australian on May 18, 2012, has stated, 'The result is that football is better now than it ever was. Fitter and faster, cleaner and fairer.'
RMIT Medical Sciences lecturer Brett Gordon has also claimed that, although recent injuries in suburban and country games are concerning, the number of incidents is small considering how many people played footy on weekends. Mr Gordon has stated, 'It's still a relatively safe sport.'
In junior competition the rules are even stricter. There is no tackling or bumping allowed in under nines and tens games. For teams under eleven, AFL football is effectively a non-contact sport.
Some commentators have noted that such restrictions make helmets unnecessary. St Kilda City president, Don Robertson, has claimed that the 'non-contact' nature of the younger grades means helmets are not necessary and that he is happy to abide by the AFL's lack of policy.
2. There are regulations in place to protect players who have been injured
In early 2012, both the AFL and NRL changed their rules to forbid concussed players from playing on, and since June 2012 rugby union players must pass a seven-step test before they can return to play.
The junior AFL rules state, 'Any player showing the signs or symptoms of concussion should be removed from the field immediately and referred to a medical practitioner.
A player, who has suffered concussion with or without losing consciousness, should not participate in any match or training session until he or she is fully recovered and has been cleared by a thorough medical examination. Junior clubs must cite a medical clearance before allowing a player who has suffered concussion to resume playing.'
There are precautions set in place, including the provision of first aid personnel to ensure the safety of players. The junior code requires, 'Junior leagues should ensure a person with current first aid qualifications is available at all junior games and seek medical opinion when:
the health of a participant is questionable;
recovery from illness/injury is uncertain; and
a participant is injured during training/competition.
When medical advice cannot be obtained, the junior league and/or club should not allow the young person to participate.
A first aid kit must be available at training and competition venues. Sport-specific rescue equipment should also be accessible. Emergencies should be formally reported, discussed, and changes made to procedures if needed.'
3. The use of helmets can encourage head injuries
It has been suggested that the wearing of helmets can encourage reckless play because footballers erroneously believe that they are safe from head injury.
A recent study of head injuries incurred in the AFL compared to the United States football code, the NFL, found that while AFL players appear to get more shoulder and knee injuries the helmeted NFL players are about 25% more likely to sustain a head injury.
Andrew McIntosh, a researcher at the University of New South Wales has suggested there may be a greater prevalence of head injuries in the American game because the players hit each other with forces up to 100% greater.
Dr. McIntosh, an Associate Professor in Biomechanics at the School of Safety Science, the University of New South Wales, has claimed, "If they [the NFL players] didn't have helmets on, they wouldn't do that...They'd know they'd injure themselves.'
Dr McIntosh has further stated, 'There is some speculation that people wearing headgear may feel less vulnerable and might play more aggressively. We did surveys on a lot of players and that was a message we got, and we're doing a study along those lines at the moment.
We're looking at headgear, shoulder pads, skiing, snowboarding and other areas where people have a whole lot of protective equipment and, for example, start skiing faster or do crazy things because they feel safer and that they can take more risks.'
4. Football helmets are unlikely to provide protection from a blow to the head
Research has found that padded 'scrum cap' headgear worn by rugby players does not reduce the risk of concussion or head injury.
The study, led by Dr Andrew McIntosh, a biomechanics expert with the University of New South Wales School of Risk and Safety Sciences, and supported by the Australian Rugby Union, monitored the performance of more than 4000 rugby union players aged 12 to 20, some with headgear, some without, over 29,000 hours of playing time in normal competition. The study found there was no difference in the rate of concussion or head injury between the two groups.
Dr McIntosh has stated, 'Headgear might protect players against superficial head wounds, but if parents and players expect to get protection against concussion or anything more serious, the current range of headgear won't provide that protection.'
Unlike bicycle and motorcycle helmets, which must meet Australian standards, football headgear meets no particular standard. Dr McIntosh has stated, 'We did trial modified headgear, which was slightly thicker and denser, but the study didn't show a significant reduction in head injury or concussion...'
For sports like Australian Rules football, the helmet can not have a hard outer shell because it would then pose a potential impact hazard to other players. Thus only non-rigid, padded helmets are suitable for this sport. Based on the laboratory results, most padded helmets were not thick enough or firm enough to significantly reduce injury risk.
An article published in 2012 in the Medical Journal of Australia concluded, 'There is no good clinical evidence that currently available protective equipment (especially soft-shell helmets) will prevent football-related concussion. Two randomised controlled trials have demonstrated the lack of efficacy of helmets in preventing concussion in rugby and Australian football, and extensive laboratory studies have shown that current helmets have little or no protective capability in this regard.'
5. Subconcussion can occur without a blow to the head
Many of those who suffer brain injury as a result of AFL football or other contact sports have not received a blow to the head.
It has been claimed that repeated body to body contact causes a jarring of the brain inside the cranium. The brain is jolted against the bony brain case. Repeated small blows of this kind are claimed to cause serious harm.
Gina Geffen, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Queensland and a long-time researcher on sports concussion has stated, 'The severity of impacts does vary between the football codes but the same principle applies to all of them, which is that repeated impacts - with or without head contact - cause the brain to be shaken within the skull.'
This form of injury, sometimes referred to as subconcussion is believed to be very common and is not affected by the wearing of a protective helmet. Neil Cochrane, a neurosurgeon, has stated, 'Concussion [or subconcussion] is a brain-shaking phenomenon more than anything else, and padding around your head doesn't stop how much your brain shakes inside your head when you have an impact.'
Therefore, there are those who conclude that the wearing of a helmet should not be mandated among AFL players at any level as it has little to no capacity to reduce head injuries and the harm that these injuries cause to players.