The well being of players is paramount to the Mount Barker Football Club and we have a duty of care for all of our players. As such will adhere to any guidelines set by the governing bodies (AFL, SANFL & HFL) and relevant medical professionals.

The MBFC fully support the trainers in making the decision on any head injury no matter how minor it may appear.

If in doubt, sit them out.

Information and guidelines are constantly being updated, so please review on a regular basis and contact trainers@mbfc.com.au if you have any additional questions.

What is Concussion?

Concussion is an injury to the brain caused by an impact to the head, or the body with force transmitting to the head.

Concussion Management

Concussion affects athletes at all levels of sport, from the part-time recreational athlete to the full-time professional. If managed appropriately, most episodes of concussion resolve over a short period of time, with or without medical intervention.

Complications can occur, however, including prolonged duration of symptoms and increased susceptibility to further injury.

Summary

• Concussion is an injury to the brain.
• All concussions require a cautious and conservative approach.
• Everyone in the team has a role to play in identifying and managing concussion.
• Teams should create a culture that promotes honesty of reporting and safety to optimise the management of concussion.
• Symptoms may develop over minutes or hours following a head injury.

Red Flags

• Loss of consciousness
• Seizure or convulsions
• Deterioration of conscious state
• Persistent or increasing vomiting
• Double vision
• Severe or increasing headache
• Increasing restlessness, agitation, or combative behaviour
• Neck pain
• Weakness or tingling/burning in the arms or legs

ACTION: If any one of the above is observed or reported, an ambulance should be called for immediate transportation to hospital.

Features of a suspected concussion

• Loss of responsiveness
• Motor incoordination (losing balance, staggering, etc)
• Confused/disorientation (not aware of plays or events)
• Impaired memory (unable to recall events before or after the injury)
• Looking/feeling dazed, blank or vacant
• Player reporting symptoms:
  • ‘don’t feel right’
  • more emotional than usual – sad, nervous or anxious
  • ‘feel slowed down’, confused or ‘feel like in a fog’
  • Sensitivity to light or noise
• The player is not their normal self, or there is any other concern that they are not quite right.

ACTION: for any suspected concussion, the player needs to see a doctor as soon as practical for assessment, including confirmation of the diagnosis. The player must not return to play or full contact training until they have been cleared by a doctor.

Tools

Tools such as the Concussion Recognition Tool 6th edition (CRT6) and the HeadCheck App should be used to help identify a suspected concussion.

Day of injury management

• The most important steps in initial management include:

1. Recognising that a player may have suffered a concussion or injury to their brain;
2. Removing the player from the match or training; and
3. Referring the player to a medical doctor for assessment.

• Any player who has suffered a concussion or is suspected of having a concussion must be medically assessed as soon as possible after the injury and must NOT be allowed to return to play in the same match or training session.

Download the AFL match day head injury assessment & referral form:

Match Day Head Injury – 12 years and under

Match Day Head Injury – 13 years and over

Return to play protocols

The most important aspect of return to play protocols is guiding the player through key stages rather than simply following suggested timeframes or the number of days post injury.

The critical stages for return to play following concussion include:

1. A brief period of relative rest (24-48 hours),
2. A period of recovery,
3. A graded loading program (with medical clearance required before full contact training),
4. Unrestricted return to play

Download the AFL stages of graded return to play and medical clearance form:

Four Stages of Graded Return-to-Play

Medical Clearance Form – Concussion

SANFL Endorsement of the updated AFL Community Concussion Guidelines

SANFL wish to inform Community Football Clubs and Leagues that the SA Football Commission has endorsed the updated AFL Community Concussion Guidelines.

After an extensive review process, the AFL have finalsed The Management of Sport-Related Concussion in Australian (March 2024) (AFL Community Concussion Guidelines).These guidelines apply to players in all South Australian Football competitions outside AFL/AFLW listed players, provided their recovery from concussion has been managed under the Advanced Care Settings of the AFL/AFLW team.

The most substantive amendment is that the earliest a player may return to play (once they have completed a graded loading program and have obtained medical clearance) is on the 21st day following the concussion (where the day of concussion is designated day “0”).

Previously, the earliest that a player could return was on the 12th day following the concussion. This means that a player who is concussed in a match on a Saturday will miss at least the next two Saturday matches and will only able to return to play on the third Saturday (i.e., the 21st day after the concussion was sustained) if they have recovered according to the protocols and have been medically cleared to return to paly. In many cases, recovery will be slower than the minimum 21 days.