AFL’s tepid response to Geelong’s secret waiver neglects the true cost of concussion

The AFL, AFLPA and Geelong have come under scrutiny over the Cats’ deal with a player who had a history of concussions in Australian rules football. Photograph: Jason O’Brien/AAP

The waves may be famous on the Victorian surf coast but it was Geelong’s waiver that wiped out the AFL this week, as the sporting juggernaut was submerged by the weight of the concussion crisis.

A Cats player signed a legal document with the club two years ago that would preclude liability for Geelong in any future concussion-related lawsuit.