WESTERN Region Football League CEO Bob Tregear admits the long-term impact of concussion injuries is a concern heading into the new season. Tregear’s comments coincided with the AFL releasing its 2012 annual injury survey which said that concussion injuries were above the long-term average last season.
It also follows on from comments made by former Carlton footballer Greg Williams late last month, when he revealed he was suffering memory loss as a result of concussion injuries sustained during his career.
Tregear said the league had been keeping a close eye on all information relating to concussion injuries.
“The nature of our game is that there are collisions and we need to be careful with the rules and behaviour standards to make sure that we minimise the risks,” he said.
“With the nature and potential outcome of concussion injuries, I think you have to be concerned about it. We need to take every reasonable care we can to minimise risk.
“I’m happy that generally the standards of behaviour in our game now are such that we are not getting an inordinate number of behind the play incidents and the sort of things that used to go on many years ago.”
In 2011, the AFL released the Management of Concussion in Australian Football booklet, which provided information on how to treat concussion at community level.
Tregear said the WRFL would continue to follow AFL guidelines on the issue and he was not aware of any player in the league who had suffered multiple concussion injuries in a short space of time.
“I think we have to (follow the AFL). We don’t have the resources to properly research it ourselves,” he said.
“To the extent that we can apply the AFL guidelines we will continue to do that. If, because of the professional standard of the game, they move outside what we think is reasonable, we will have to look at it.
“At this stage we are happy to continue following what they do.”
The AFL is also taking steps to combat the long-term effects of concussion injuries at the highest level.
“Concussion has been an area of focus for the AFL for a number of decades, and current AFL practices for the management of such injuries are consistent with international best practice,” the 2012 injury survey said.
With the new WRFL season just weeks away, officials are being kept busy with a huge influx of players over the off-season.
The league will have an extra 15 to 20 teams in 2013 and Tregear said the growth was expected to continue.
“We know we will get at least one more senior club next year down at Tarneit,” he said.
“It is going to happen in Melton as well. In the south of Melton there is a lot of activity going on. “They will need to fill that patch between Melton and Werribee in the next decade or so and we will be part of all of that.”
