Twelve months after being rushed in on the eve of the 2021 season, has the rule Gill McLachlan predicted would prompt some to “work around” done exactly that?
âItâs 12 days for a reasonâ: Lloyd responds after Riewoldt hits back at lazy concussion response
By
2021-04-18T16:20+10:00
Matthew Lloyd has hit back at Nick Riewoldt after the St Kilda legend claimed he was âill-informedâ in responding to comments made surrounding the AFLâs concussion protocols.
Adelaide star Chelsea Randall was ruled out of the AFLW Grand Final after being concussed in the preliminary final and Riewoldt said he would take the competition to the Supreme Court if he was in the same position but felt he was fit to play.
Lloyd then told
3AW Football that Riewoldtâs take was an âold-school mentalityâ and that the AFLâs 12-day policy helps âprotect the brainâ.
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One of the countryâs top sports doctors believes the AFLâs new 12-day stand-down rule for concussions is âa backward stepâ that will not benefit player welfare.
Sports doctor Nathan Gibbs during his time with the Wallabies.
Nathan Gibbs, who has worked with some of the biggest sporting teams in Australia, including the Sydney Swans, Wallabies and NSW Origin and Australian Kangaroos, said once players had recovered from a concussion, there was no medical evidence that supported giving them extra time on the sidelines would reduce their chances of suffering another one.
Gibbs also feared making players automatically sit out a game would set a dangerous precedent, especially around AFL finals time, and send âconcussions undergroundâ.