TOPIC:

I am surprised this hasn't hit OzF yet.

Champion footballer Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer has become the first Aussie rules player to be diagnosed with a chronic brain disease linked to the trauma of repeated blows to the head.

In a landmark study released Thursday morning, researchers have warned of the “distinct” risks AFL players face compared to those of other football codes, as they confirmed scans of Farmer’s brain show he suffered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/02...graham-polly-farmer/

Really highlights the appropriate measures the AFL has put in place over the last few years to ensure the player's head is protected to the greatest degree possible.

Much to the disdain of the "footy ain't what it used to be" crowd I might add.

Even with the improved safeguards in place these days, this has massive ramifications for AFL. We are seeing research going on with ex NFL players in relation to brain injury and they have a lot more protection than our footy players.
Very sad for Polly who was IMHO the best footballer that WA produced. He lived the latter part of his life a shell of the man he was due to the insidious Alzheimers disease. Not sure if that may have been accelerated by his brain injuries.

You can expect the AFL to react and bring an even sharper focus on head high contact. it could have serious ramifications for the way our game is played i fear. I think commentators like Dermott Brereton and Jonathon Brown need to have a hard think about how they praise a player for going back with the flight and highlight a player who took precautions when they describe it as "pulling out" or "he heard footsteps".

I think congestion leads to a lot of unnecessary contact these days.

As a kid living in the country, (near York SS ), I didn’t get to see many WAFL games. But I’m happy to say I did see the great man a couple of times. Even though I was an Old Easts supporter, I was besotted by his presence. What an inspiration to young kids he was.