Injury Blue Healers Medical Room - 2023

[Doro]

Is it even possible to assess brain damage in NRL players?

Electron microscope

 

[lily of laguna]

All this chit chat is this thread is off putting,
Let’s move it to the general discussion thread!


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[Magruder]

All this chit chat is this thread is off putting,
Let’s move it to the general discussion thread!


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Yep, gives me chills seeing new posts in this thread

 

[Bletch]

I agree they need to be seen to be doing more but they do have a choice in making sensible changes that actually make a meaningful difference rather then just completely pandering to the haters by turning the game into touch footbal. That's what leadership is. Absorbing the external noise and making balanced decisions, not just caving in and reacting to it.

I keep hearing the argument that the afl needs to do more given the coming court cases. Keep in mind that these are historic claims. The AFL has done plenty and will continue to do more since those situations occured which they can point to. In either case it wont lessen any compensation. Those lawyers and players (in some cases warranted, others less so) are out for blood and smell a pay day.

Hmm, it's not about a need to "be seen to be doing more". And it's not about "pandering to the haters". It's a change that will be forced by (fear of) legal action. They may well get away with limited damages in the current cases, which as you say, deal with historic cases (Rooke etc.), and perhaps they can ignore the coroner's findings from the Shane Tuck inquest to some extent.

But there can be little doubt now about the known impacts of repeat concussions. So the fear of future class actions from players playing today will drive change. And I think it will be very significant change.

 

[Jimmae]

Full NFL-style helmets would be worse in AFL because of the nature of the game - the reduction in peripheral vision alone would cause more injuries in a 360-degree game, with players unable to see opponents coming at them. Different story when two teams line up facing eachother, most players just engage in a grapple, and there are maybe 2 blokes who are in danger of getting tackled on any given play (quarterback and receiver).

Full helmets will immediately lead to players using the helmet on other players, which will lead to full pads.

That's exactly what happened in the NFL.

Hmm, it's not about a need to "be seen to be doing more". And it's not about "pandering to the haters". It's a change that will be forced by (fear of) legal action. They may well get away with limited damages in the current cases, which as you say, deal with historic cases (Rooke etc.), and perhaps they can ignore the coroner's findings from the Shane Tuck inquest to some extent.

But there can be little doubt now about the known impacts of repeat concussions. So the fear of future class actions from players playing today will drive change. And I think it will be very significant change.

It's going to drain the sport in terms of players and revenue (through loss of earnings due to the diminished spectacle and damages) for a long time.

Long term the solution is perhaps going into VR despite how laughable that might seem to some today, where a league and players can tweak physical feedback and completely prevent traumatic brain injury. Visually that's 3-5 years away from being plausible, but the treadmill and haptic tech is probably good enough today. Would just be about how to control for jumping, but robotics is an emerging field if a responsive harness is deemed valuable.

Seems to me like a way to retain the athletic spectacle without introducing so much risk to players.

 

[agro]

My great grandchildren (if I have any) will be supporting Carlton in an AFL virtual reality E-Sports type reality - so don’t worry about it people.

 

[Blue and Silver]

Also it's not even the major concussions that are considered a risk for CTE later in life, fairly sure low grade head bumps, like in a normal, non slinging tackle, add up over a career to 10,000s of minor impacts that each cause almost imperceptible but lasting damage.

That will be the thing to force major change because the hugely traumatic head impacts are currently being phased out by legislating rules and penalties.

This is close.

Major concussions, particularly those which people try and return from too early are contributing factors.

The minor ones are dangerous because people are much more likely to try and play through or come back early. This increases the chance of worsening the damage caused.

It's early days on the research, but all brain trauma seems to be bad.

On Pixel 7 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Coops93]

This is close.

Major concussions, particularly those which people try and return from too early are contributing factors.

The minor ones are dangerous because people are much more likely to try and play through or come back early. This increases the chance of worsening the damage caused.

It's early days on the research, but all brain trauma seems to be bad.

On Pixel 7 using BigFooty.com mobile app

It doesn't even take minor concussions to cause damage. Just repeated vibration/impact over a long period of time can case CTE, which is what is believed to be the case with the NFL hence the padding they wear over their helmets at training and the heavy limitation on contact training.

 

[coryne]

Is it even possible to assess brain damage in NRL players?

Actually sometimes it can be easier to see small reductions with a smaller base-line. Think of it this way, 5 a point reduction in a characteristic is easier to identify when the baseline is lower (e.g a 5 point loss when the baseline is 15 = 15-10 = 10 or a 1/3 reduction) than when the baseline is higher (100-5 = 95 or a 1/20 reduction)

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Mods Aphrodite The Old Dark Navy's branedotorg - and apologies to those I missed.

Can we please please please turn this into a 'No Discussion' thread to avoid unnecessary heart seizures given what we've been though in recent years.

Leave the discussion about helmets and stuff for other threads.

 

[Canyouhearthedrums]

AFL won't have a choice in the matter. There's a coroner is telling them they have to put further measures in place, and there's a class action already underway claiming the AFL knew of the risks of concussion, and haven't done enough. Changes will be forced upon the AFL, whether we like it or not.

Coronial findings and recommendations are routinely ignored, although the high profile nature of this issue makes that slightly more difficult.

I’d be surprised if there are significant changes to training but All of this will prompt the AFL to set up a compensation/insurance scheme for permanent concussive injuries.

 

[RAPPA]

cowan needs to be told this is not the way to get a spot..........

This is what happens when Gov tries to chase him with a cattle prod

 

[BlueJet]

Mods Aphrodite The Old Dark Navy's branedotorg - and apologies to those I missed.

Can we please please please turn this into a 'No Discussion' thread to avoid unnecessary heart seizures given what we've been though in recent years.

Leave the discussion about helmets and stuff for other threads.

The helmet discussion aligns with one of our players having been concussed and the ongoing impact of concussions in football.
I respect that injuries may cause some fans angst but creating additional threads to discuss the matter seems counterintuitive to me, as it would essentially turn this thread into an injury report, something already available to us via the club.

 

[Aphrodite]

2024 thread is up …

Injury - Blue Healers Discussion - 2024

Weitering calf tear at training :cry:

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