Are 2 mid-career AFL retirements a sign Australian athletes are taking brain health more seriously?
The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, following Angus Brayshaw’s in February and a number of other high-profile footballers in recent years, signals a shift in how athletes view brain trauma risks in sport.
- The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, following Angus Brayshaw’s in February and a number of other high-profile footballers in recent years, signals a shift in how athletes view brain trauma risks in sport.
- Rather than downplaying or ignoring the potential damage being done to their health by a career filled with brain trauma, some athletes are now choosing to end their careers early.
Why do athletes risk their brains?
- For decades, sports have fostered a win-at-all-costs culture, with a pseudo-military flavour of sacrifice and duty to one’s teammates.
- This has given rise to athletes ignoring or downplaying injuries whenever possible to continue the game.
- Media commentators also celebrate athletes who return to the field after sickening collisions as “courageous”, having “no fear”, or “gaining respect from teammates and opposition”.
A shift in attitude?
- Murphy’s retirement and acknowledgement of his long-term brain health is one sign the culture of valorising injury and risk may be changing.
- But there is other evidence of a shift.
- Australian research shows risky attitudes and behaviours toward concussion have begun to dissipate over recent years.
- However, a 2021 follow-up study, using the same survey in a separate group, showed significant improvements towards concussion.
Are more retirements to come?
- In the meantime, the current group of athletes – professionals and amateurs alike – must weigh up the costs of participation in high contact games.
- It’s in the best interests for the longevity of these sports – and the athletes we love to cheer on.
- Alan is a non-executive unpaid director for the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
- He has previously received funding from Erasmus+ strategic partnerships program (2019-1-IE01-KA202-051555), Sports Health Check Charity (Australia), Australian Football League, Impact Technologies Inc., and Samsung Corporation, and is remunerated for expert advice to medico-legal practices.