Marking contests: The surprising way AFL players get concussed

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More than 40 per cent of known concussions of AFL players were sustained successful marking contests during the 2023 season, according to revealing AFL figures that interruption down however players were concussed.

In AFL information with imaginable ramifications for however the crippled is coached, this masthead tin uncover that of the concussions reported successful 2023 – for each games including finals – the largest stock came successful marking contests.

Figures, which were shown to a gathering of subordinate agents, and to immoderate clubs, suggested that 29 of the concussions successful 2023 were from marking contests, 16 were from “contested (ground) balls,” portion 11 came from bumps.

Brain scans for aboriginal AFL players are connected the league’s agenda.

The AFL confirmed that determination were 69 concussions successful 2023, compared to 62 successful 2022, but could not corroborate the nonstop breakdown – which was shown successful a graphic form.

The emergence successful concussions is attributed, successful part, to improved diagnosis of caput knocks and a much vigilant culture, according to the league.

Melbourne fans deterioration helmets for Angus Brayshaw, who retired earlier this twelvemonth owed to the interaction of concussion.

But the precocious fig of concussions successful marking contests is apt to punctual questions wrong the AFL, from existent and ex-players and clubs, astir whether determination are ways to trim those caput knocks without sacrificing the unsocial attraction of precocious marking.

The information besides showed that concussions from tackling – specified arsenic sling tackles and tackles successful which the subordinate is driven into the crushed – declined from 18 successful 2022 to 10 past year, a measurement of however players person adapted to caller rules that instrumentality a harder enactment connected unsafe tackles.

But the fig of concussions from bumps increased, contempt the vigilance successful this area, according to the year-on-year figures for 2022 and 2023 that were shown successful the presentation.

The precocious information of concussions successful marking contests prompted ex-Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd to accidental that superstar forwards Jonathan Brown and Wayne Carey would beryllium discouraged from launching to people moving with the formation of the ball, successful today’s environment.

“They would beryllium told not to bash that now,” said Lloyd, who besides said Essendon’s Peter Wright would person been amended to “pull out” of his contention astatine the SCG that concussed Swan Harry Cunningham. Wright received a four-match prohibition for the aerial collision.

Few of the incidents successful which players are concussed successful marking contests impact actions that are deemed reportable by the AFL.

Lloyd agreed with the presumption that determination had been a greater absorption connected players protecting themselves and others successful crushed balls, but that determination was overmuch little absorption connected however they approached marking contests, successful presumption of coaching them to debar injury.

Sam Taylor connected the crushed aft his collision.

Giants prima Sam Taylor suffered a concussion that saw him knocked unconscious successful a marking contention successful Canberra connected Saturday, portion Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy – 1 of the bravest players successful the aerial – retired from the crippled connected Tuesday. Murphy was concussed successful his last crippled for the Magpies, past year’s expansive final, though that expansive last caput stroke was astatine crushed level.

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