Long careers increase risk of brain damage, but is informed consent enough?

The signing of a secret document by Geelong defender Jake Kolodjashnij, intended to shield his club from legal liability over future concussions, has ignited a significant debate about the long-term consequences of playing high-collision sports. This issue extends beyond ethical considerations and potential conflicts of interest, such as that faced by AFL chairman Craig Drummond, who was Geelong's president at the time.

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I say 'holy f***' a lot.

Neurophysiologist and concussion researcher Alan Pearce from Swinburne University has found a direct correlation between the duration of an athlete's participation in contact sports and their likelihood of developing brain trauma. "I say 'holy f***' a lot," Pearce admitted, describing his realization as he analyzed the data. "As I progressed with the increasing of the numbers, I began to realise that there is a spectrum of damage that players were getting." He emphasized that this is an inevitable outcome for those who play these sports for extended periods.

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As I progressed with the increasing of the numbers, I began to realise that there is a spectrum of damage that players were getting.

Pearce's research, published in the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology, studied 113 retired male professional Australian rules, rugby league, and rugby union players. The study revealed that the total length of a player's career, rather than the duration of their professional career or the number of concussions sustained, was the critical factor. This means that even playing at amateur levels for many years can lead to significant brain trauma. Some participants had played for as long as 35 years across various levels.

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This is something that's going to happen to everyone who plays this sport for a long period of time.

The damage is not solely attributed to major concussions but also to the cumulative effect of constant sub-concussive blows. This raises critical questions about the acceptance of a certain level of brain damage in professional contact sports. "So, how do we accept a certain amount of damage that is not going to significantly affect the rest of their life or even cut their life short?" Professor Pearce questioned. The implications are profound: signing a professional contract in sports like Australian Rules football may mean an athlete is unknowingly agreeing to potential future brain damage, alongside other risks like career-ending injuries.

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So, how do we accept a certain amount of damage that is not going to significantly affect the rest of their life or even cut their life short?