Retired footballers to get free brain scans
By: Samantha Lane
EXCLUSIVE
The AFL has committed to funding an unlimited number of brain scans for retired footballers as the code ramps up its response to one of the most troubling issues in world sport - concussion.
In a joint research project that the AFL Players Association’s boss is calling “world leading”, former players and their partners will be surveyed about memory and mental health problems that have struck in football retirement.
The concussion research is a multi-million dollar joint project of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health – the largest brain research group in the Southern Hemisphere – the AFL and the AFLPA.
With a pilot testing phase involving around 12 former players now concluded, the AFLPA is set to target every one of the more than 5600 former AFL/VFL players and enlist them to participate in an initial survey.
Retired footballers deemed to be showing signs of brain trauma will be offered a second, more extensive, assessment and referred to the Florey Institute for brain scans on the advice of experts.
The initial estimate for funding the program is $3million, but in a major breakthrough for the code the AFL has effectively committed to spend as much as it takes to assess the brain function of its living alumni.
Ian Prendergast, the AFLPA’s acting CEO, told Fairfax Media he has no idea how many ex-players will show signs that warrant referrals for brain scans. But the former Carlton footballer said he was not concerned about opening Pandora’s Box on an issue that recently saw an historic compensation payout made to former NFL players in America.
Prendergast, who has travelled internationally to meet concussion experts and speak to other professional sports players’ associations about the thorny topic, said the chief concern should be ensuring that former Australian rules footballers in need of treatment for brain trauma received appropriate treatment. This was vastly more important to the game than the financial investment, Prendergast said...
Read the full article at The Age
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