The AFL has apologised to past players who were “let down” by the league’s concussion research project after an independent review criticised the under-funded and under-resourced study.
The review also found some AFL players still dumb down their baseline concussion testing in pre-season to reduce the chance of a concussion diagnosis on game day.
The 260-page report was highly critical of the AFL and Florey Institute’s ‘Past Player Project’.
The review found there was a delay of several years between some former players’ initial consultation with associate professor Paul McCrory and their results being reported back to the AFL.
Dr McCrory’s “tardy” reporting was exacerbated by delays from the AFL.
“In extreme cases … the delay spanned several years and caused considerable frustration and confusion for the individuals who were waiting to hear back on the results of the further assessments they had undertaken,” the report said.
” …The delays were aggravated by further delays in the AFL reporting back to the individuals after receiving correspondence from [associate professor] McCrory.”
Dr McCrory had initial consultations with some players in 2015, with a further MRI in 2015, but didn’t report back to the AFL chief medico until May 31, 2019.
The review criticised the program’s lack of governance, stewardship and co-ordination.
“The program suffered from poor planning and that treatment was generally not provided in a timely way … the AFL dedicated very limited human resources to the project which slowed down the project and caused various delays,” the report said.
“Had the project been better resourced, it is possible that many of the problems identified below could have been mitigated, if not avoided.”
The review recommended the project be completed if possible and the participants informed of the outcome, as appropriate.
The past players survey was launched in June 2014.
By November it had 404 responses and by March 2015, there were approximately 546.
The league “facilitated clinical treatment for approximately 95 retired AFL players” at a total cost of $181,102.
The AFL provided a copy of the review to the State Coroner conducting the Coronial Investigation of the death of former Richmond footballer Shane Tuck.
“The AFL accepts the principal criticism of the review directed to it of underfunding and under-resourcing of some of its historical concussion research and clinical care,” AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said in a statement.
“The panel has recommended that the AFL take steps to improve the clinical care aspects for past players and we will act on that recommendation as soon as possible and will consider and respond to all other recommendations in the report.
“The AFL apologises to the past players who gave up their time in the hope of better understanding their own conditions and to assist with the research for the benefit of current and future players and were let down by the manner in which some of the research and clinical programs were at times conducted.”
The AFL commissioned the independent review into plagiarism allegations against Dr McCrory, and other issues connected with research and medical work on sports-related concussion.
Plagiarism was identified but the panel found it did not “affect or taint” Dr McCrory’s work for the AFL, including its concussion guidelines, largely because they didn’t “involve the falsification or fabrication of relevant research.”
The Victorian coroner is investigating the link between concussions from repeated head knocks and lasting brain injuries, as well as guidelines in the AFL and boxing to protect players’ heads, following the deaths of ex-AFL players Shane Tuck, Danny Frawley and Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer.
