In February 2025, The Community Concussion Research Foundation sent an eye-opening statement to all MP’s within the Australian Parliament highlighting the immediate need for government regulation to deliver better outcomes for the Australian population and to protect anyone participating in contact sport. A summary of the key points are included below.
A copy of the full, un-edited statement can be accessed here: To all MPs in the Australian Parliament
A copy of the supplementary documentation provided to MPs can be accessed here: Safety in Collision Sports
Australia’s TBI Crisis: A Public Health Failure
By the Community Concussion Research Foundation (February 2025)
Australia is globally renowned for its public health leadership—tobacco control, road safety, cancer screening. Yet when it comes to safety in collision sports, we are lagging badly.
Australia now holds the world’s highest incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), with an estimated 200,000 new cases per year. Half of these occur in contact sports.
- 750,000 Australians (3% of the population) live with brain injuries.
- 2 out of 3 sustained their injury before age 25.
- Children take twice as long to recover from concussions compared to adults.
- By age 16, over 20% of Australian children have experienced a concussion (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute).
The Global Shift to Safety
Other countries are acting. The U.S. and U.K. have reduced their TBI rates:
- The U.S. now has twice as many children playing non-contact Flag Football as tackle football.
- The U.K. has banned heading in junior soccer, introduced national concussion protocols, and adopted a “concussion passport” system.
Australia, by contrast, continues to allow peak sports bodies to self-regulate, with inconsistent medical responses and no national database.
AFL and Rugby: The Leading Causes of Sports TBI
Australian Rules Football (AFL) and Rugby have the highest concussion rates of any team sports in the world. Since 2000, more than five million Australians have participated in these sports.
- 10 years of playing a collision sport = high probability of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).
- CTE is linked to suicide, early-onset dementia, and mental health decline.
- Between 2011 and 2019, concussions in local football rose 89%, compared to a 29% increase in injuries overall (AIHW).
The Silence and Denial
Up to 90% of sports concussions go unreported, and there is no national system to manage this epidemic.
“Until about 2000, we thought concussion was reversible. Now we know it causes lifelong damage.”
— Dr. Peter Brukner, AFL/Olympic doctor
What the Experts Say
- Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (2023): Urges no-contact sports for children under 14.
- Prof. Willie Stewart (Scotland): Football-dementia risk is “phenomenal.”
- Dr. Bennet Omalu (USA): “Letting kids play football is akin to child abuse.”
- Dr. Chris Nowinski (CLF): “There is no reason for children to play adult forms of contact sport.”
Trends and Public Response
- February 2024: Australian Private Schools shifted toward indoor and recreational sports.
- Participation shift: Soccer now has twice the participants of AFL, basketball 50% more (SportAus Ausplay).
Government Inaction
The 2023 Australian Senate Inquiry confirmed the seriousness of the problem.
The 2024 Government response? “Agree in principle” — but no new action:
- No national concussion protocol.
- No consistent hospital or GP responses.
- Continued self-regulation by sports bodies.
AFL: A Billion-Dollar Industry with a Broken Safety Record
Despite its commercial success, the AFL has:
- Delayed data release on concussion research involving 500+ players.
- Defended class actions by blaming players and clubs.
- Maintained outdated concussion protocols (6 days pre-2021, now 12 — best practice is 21+).
- Encouraged junior tackling from age 11, against medical advice.
- Neglected former players who lack support, insurance, or legal protection.
A Better Future: What Needs to Change
“Save the player, save the game.”
To address this crisis, we must implement the following:
- Independent National Sports Health & Safety Commission
- National TBI Awareness Strategy and Information System
- Concussion Passport for all players
- Baseline and end-of-season brain testing for contact sports
- Rule changes: safer tackling, red card system, non-contact junior formats like AFL9s
- Retired player care: lifelong support and advocacy
- Legislative reform: workers’ compensation and insurance coverage for brain injury
Final Word
Concussion is not just a knock to the head. It’s a potential lifetime sentence.
“If you pay lip service to concussion, the result is dead people walking.”
Let’s lead the world again—this time in sports safety.
