Australian Rules Football is one of the most violent sports in the world. 36 players hurtle across the field, exposed to blindside cuffs, erring elbows, shoulder collisions, and culpable knee-jerks. With just a mouthpiece and a cap, albeit padded, to protect them, collisions are not just cringe-inducing, they’re a common part of the games. And they’re also responsible for long-lasting damage to players’ bodies.
For the athletes retiring during their 30s and 40s, complaints about memory loss, problems with paying attention, and issues with anger management are far from rare. Alan Pearce, a neurophysiologist, stepped in to help, measuring brain waves to determine if everything was functioning as it should.
The Australian Football League took note of the situation and handed Pearce AU$30 000 grant in 2015 to cover the cost of additional testing. But after the neurophysiologist spoke about his findings on the cognitive issues former players were facing on a television show, he was told he’d crossed a line. Paul McCrory, a neurologist, was not impressed with the public release of this information, and Pearce very soon lost his laboratory space, greatly hindering his ability to properly conduct his research.
Retired AFL players are starting to coming forward with dreadful reports of battling with serious levels of cognitive deterioration in what should be the prime of their lives. And the League in and for which they endured this damage is trying to downplay their culpability by refusing to acknowledge any link between being hit in the head and suffering brain trauma as a result.
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