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Below:On May 14, 2012 BigPond AFL televised a discussion between AFL general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson and AFL medical officer Dr Peter Harcourt on the ongoing debate around concussion in Australian Rules football.
Below: On May 15, 2012, the ABC’s current affairs program Four Corners telecast ‘Hard Knocks’. The program looks at the latest research on the effects of head injury in contact sports such as AFL football. The following is an excerpt from the program featuring St Edmund's College Canberra and their coach Pat Langtry, demonstrating the school's regard for student safety on the Rugby field. Below: On June 24, 2012, Melbourne forward Mitch Clark received a blow to the head when he collided with the thigh of teammate James Magner. Clark had received another head injury earlier in the season. He played on and received a serious foot injury which has put him out for the rest of the season. Below: A five and a half minute medley of collisions between AFL players. |
 Web links, documents |
On May 14, 2009, The Sydney Morning Herald published an article by Terry Smyth titled, 'Dressed for battle'. The article looks at the reservations being raised about the effectiveness of using helmets in football and soccer.
The full text of the article can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/national/dressed-for-battle-20090513-b3eq.html
On March 21, 2011, The Herald Sun published a news report by Gillian McGee titled 'Retired Demons star Daniel Bell seeking brain damage compensation'. The report looks at the compensation claim placed by Daniel Bell for impaired mental function said to have resulted from multiple concussions incurred while playing AFL football.'
The full text of this report can be found at http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/retired-demons-star-daniel-bell-seeking-brain-damage-compensation/story-e6frf9jf-1226031105638
On April 4, 2011, the online discussion magazine The Conversation published a comment by Con Hrysomallis, a lecturer in the School of Sport and Exercise Science at Victoria University. The comment is titled 'Should helmets be used in AFL?'
Hrysomallis argues that more research needs to be done into how to reduce head injuries in contact sport.
The full text of this article can be found at http://theconversation.edu.au/should-helmets-be-used-in-afl-620
On November 11, 2009, the sporting supplement of The Wall Street Journal ran an article titled, 'Is It Time to Retire the Football Helmet?' which considers current arguments against using helmets in the NFL, where they are mandatory.
The full text of the article can be found at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704402404574527881984299454.html
On May 12, 2012, the ABC's current affairs program Four Corners televised 'Hard Knocks' which examines the possible long-term harm caused players in contact sports who have suffered brain injuries.
The report can be accessed at http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/05/10/3499950.htm
On May 17, 2012, the sports comment magazine Roar published an opinion piece by John Davidson titled 'Footy codes need to improve player safety'
The article is a response to the Four Corner's program 'Hard knocks' and call on rugby union, league and the AFL to do more to protect players from head injury.
The full text of the opinion piece can be found at http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/05/17/footy-codes-need-to-improve-player-safety/
On June 2, 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald published a background piece by Chris Johnston titled 'To helmet or not? Junior footy is divided on a vexed question'. The analysis looks at arguments for and against requiring young Australian Rules players to wear helmets.
The full text of this article can be found at http://m.smh.com.au/victoria/to-helmet-or-not-junior-footy-is-divided-on-a-vexed-question-20120601-1zng3.html
On June 4, 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald published a report by Samantha Lane titled, 'US concussion study may not apply to AFL: doctor'. The report looks at claims by Dr Hugh Seward, the head of the AFL's Medical Officers Association, that head injury finding in the United States NRL may not be relevant to the AFL in Australia.
The full text of this report can be found at http://m.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/us-concussion-study-may-not-apply-to-afl-doctor-20120603-1zq6h.html
On June 14, 2012, The Moyne Gazette published a comment by Anthony Brady arguing that all junior AFL players should be required to wear helmets. In a poll accompanying the opinion piece 86% of those who took the poll voted in favour of mandatory helmets for junior players.
The full text of this opinion piece can be found at http://www.moynegazette.com.au/news/local/news/general/helmets-for-junior-football-opinion-and-poll/2589498.aspx
In 2012 the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) published an article by Frederic Gilbert and Bradley J Partridge titled 'The need to tackle concussion in Australian football codes'.
The article looks at evidence of player head injury derived from the American National football League. It surveys the steps that have already been taken to address the problem and argues that a more collaborative, research-based approach needs to be adopted.
The full text of the report can be found at https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2012/196/9/need-tackle-concussion-australian-football-codes
In 2012 the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) published an article by Andrew H Kaye and Paul McCrory titled 'Does football cause brain damage?'
The article suggests that evidence of long-term brain damage from contact sports is not yet conclusive and that helmets have not been shown to reduce the incidence of injury.
The full text of this article can be found at https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2012/196/9/does-football-cause-brain-damage
