Mark Ricciuto On How Treatment Of Concussion In The AFL Has Evolved

On Roo & Ditts for Breakfast

Image: Getty

Adelaide legend Mark Ricciuto discussed how treatment of concussion in the AFL has evolved over the years on his show Roo & Ditts for Breakfast this morning.

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“I’ve had concussion and played the next week plenty of times,” Ricciuto said.

“I’ve had blurred vision heaps of times and played again that day.

“So, it chops and changes, the way it was measured was different, the way it policed… the way the doctors treat it, how serious they took it.

“It’s changed dramatically over the last 10 years, certainly the last even two years.

“They just don’t take risks, they just don’t think about coming back out on the ground at the moment.”

Roo said it wasn’t uncommon for players to play on despite traumatic head knocks in his playing days.

“Jude Bolton… I think he got knocked out three times in one game at one point.

“He come out yesterday and said he’s happy to get his brain checked later on.”

Roo backed the slated new concussion rules that would keep a player out of the game the next week.

“I think it’s a good thing,” he said.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it… it’s been coming this way for a while.

“We’ve seen head high knocks, we’ve seen if you go to bump and you hit them in the head you get suspended… they’ve gotta protect the head don’t they.”