Roo Opens Up On The Issue Of Concussion In The AFL

"I probably had 10 or 20..."


Article heading image for Roo Opens Up On The Issue Of Concussion In The AFL

Cases of concussion within the AFL is arguably the biggest issue the game has seen in sometime.

On top of young players like former-Brisbane Lion Justin Clarke retiring early due to fears their longterm health could be effected after suffering several head knocks, former VFL/AFL legends of the game have spoken out about their mental and physical health issues since retirement.

Carlton and Sydney legend Greg Williams has been a massive advocate behind shining a light on concussion issues, and today Hawthorn legend John Platten has revealed he has started legal action against the AFL for health issues he contributes to the approx. 36 concussions he received during his career.

Speaking on his Triple M Adelaide breakfast show this morning, Adelaide Crows legend Mark Ricciuto revealed that like Williams and Platten, he had received a staggering amount of head knockouts throughout his career.

"I probably had 10 or 20 (concussions)," he said on Triple M's 'Roo & Ditts'.

"It depends what you define as concussion. I probably had blurred vision a lot more than that.

"I could you tell you heaps of times when I played a game where one eye was blurry.

"And I’d have to go to the bench and wait 20, 30, 40 minutes before you could see enough so you could actually perform.

"I’ve certainly been knocked out, certainly woken up in hospital a few times, and certainly not known where I was on the bench a few times."

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Ricciuto stated that the game was clearly different in his playing days, with players rarely missing games due to head knocks.

"If you were fine to play you played, you never missed a game," he said. "In fact you even went back out on the ground, and if you didn’t hit was a sign of weakness and you let your teammates down."

Ricciuto stated that despite all the public outcry that the "game has gone soft", he thinks that the AFL simply had to put in measures to try and halt sever knocks to players' heads.

"If they (the AFL) don’t do something about it then they’re going to be seen to be turning a blind eye to concussion - in which they can’t," Riccituo said.

"It’s not what we’re used to growing up with the game in the 70s, 80s or 90s - but they have to protect the head."

 

Ryan Warren

28 November 2017

Article by:

Ryan Warren




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