By MATTHEW McINERNEY - The Daily Examiner
AFL NORTH Coast president Rod MacPherson has placed his code at the forefront of fighting concussion in regional sport.
“There hasn’t been any problems just yet,” MacPherson said.
“We haven’t had any serious concussion injuries in the past few years.
“You see it a lot more at the high levels as it’s much more intense.
“They are a lot faster in the AFL and have a lot more collisions than at regional level.”
Concussion is the term used to describe what happens in the brain after a blow to the head or the face.
It usually includes the brain moving inside the skull after the skull stops moving and can cause brain damage in the long term.
AFL North Coast is governed by a similar operating procedure to the AFL – similar to the relationship between Country Rugby League and the NRL – and MNC Rugby and the ARU.
Decisions and policies made by the AFL generally filter down to AFL North Coast, including those on concussion which were updated in March this year.
“The safety of the player comes first,” MacPherson said.
“It definitely applies to the regional competitions.
“Each club will have that policy as part of operating compliance.
“Every club must have someone at the ground who has a basic first-aid certificate.”
MacPherson said the policy contained guidelines for players after suffering concussion, including the “insistence they miss a few games”.
Last Modified on 29/04/2014 12:24