If you were able to tear yourself away from the Ashes and indulge in your usual Saturday night footy feast, you would’ve seen the alarming sight of a young lost boy at Etihad Stadium.
No, this wasn’t in the crowd or the car park, but in the middle of the field.
22-year-old St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton was levelled by Port Adelaide’s Tom Jonas in the second quarter. His head rocked back and he slumped to the turf.
That same player was interviewed by former Geelong skipper Cameron Ling, now working as a boundary rider, as the players were leaving the field at halftime.
In response to a question about the Saints’ effort late in the second quarter, Roberton’s answer was normal, until he stopped mid sentence, scratched the back of his head and told a national audience, “I don’t know where I am.”
Roberton then looked around as if he really was completely unaware of his surroundings.
It was like a football field with bright lights, aka his office, was completely foreign to him.
Ling asked whether his interview subject was alright and Roberton mumbled, “yeah.”
Yeah! Yeah? My goodness.
‘Yeah’ is the reason Roberton stayed on the field for so long after the incident.
The collision occurred with 7:16 left in the half. That means for seven minutes and 16 seconds a 22-year-old was able to run around a professional sporting field without knowing whether he was at Etihad Stadium or in the departures lounge at Etihad Airways bound for Disneyland.
Saints coach Scott Watters, while conceding their procedures would have to be looked at, defended his medicos after the game by saying the head trainer spoke to the player and he indicated he was ok.
He also told the same to Ling… moments after revealing he had absolutely no idea where he was.
The blame shouldn’t lie with the head trainer though and the medicos did their job at halftime by subbing him off under the concussion rule.
It’s not always easy to tell if someone is concussed straight away.
The head trainer obviously didn’t get the same startling revelation Roberton offered to Ling.
The problem, as Watters alluded to, isn’t just the process, but some of the rules.
The good old fashioned bump, mourned every time it is penalised, is just part of the game.
Jonas ran past the ball to make contact with Roberton with the intention of stopping him from chasing the pill.
Those types of collisions in rugby union or rugby league would result in a sin-bin (maybe with the NRL, who knows what they’d do).
The sad stories of former players who now have minds failing them has thrown the spotlight on how head injuries are thought of and treated.
The NRL tried to act by banning the shoulder charge and that was met by a chorus of scorn from current and former players and supporters.
Those arguments can surely no longer be valid.
Concussion and its effects were laid bare on Saturday night.
It wasn’t shoved on display via a wobbly human on your tv screen or a prone figure on the turf, but a 22-year-old, who seven minutes earlier had been given the all clear, telling a national audience “I don’t know where I am”.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Sadly, some of the worst injuries are the result of seemingly innocuous collisions with no malice intended. Obviously the worst being Neil Sachse's injury whilst playing for Footscray in the seventies. An absolute tragedy. Praise for players like North's Firrito for pulling out of a collision with Brandon Ellis's head a couple of weeks ago too. That could've been much worse. I think most players are as careful as they can be despite the split second reaction time needed. That's why we honour the best & 'fairest'.
Tas Rules
Guest
I know people who go off to work in pain everyday. Professional sportspeople are NO worse off than a lot of other people who do physically hard work. Farmers, Tradies, Carpet layers, Plasterers etc etc. The difference is that the Professional sportsperson has Doctors & Physios' on tap. Plenty of people get injured at work & have to try to change their jobs to do something their bodies can handle better. Not everyone sits in an office all day. Like every workplace, the boss needs to make it as safe as possible. Injuries of some sort will still happen.
Horatio
Guest
True but that was 2 in a row...
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Hence insurance premiums for U25s...
MrT
Guest
I think - from memory - Kurt Tippett sat out for several weeks last year after a couple of concussions in short succession.
Geronimo
Guest
The NRL response http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/doctor-slams-nrl-over-concussion-cases-20130722-2qewg.html
Geronimo
Guest
The interesting thing is that most of these concussed players play the next week - Berrick Barnes for the wallabies is the only exception I can think of...
Franko
Guest
Again, it looked to me as if the StKilda player was bracing for contact. I understand the game wants to rule out blindsides, but if two guys go in for a bump and one comes off worse, should the stronger man be punished? Reminds me very much of the Choppy Biglands hit from a few years ago, all apeared fair to me. I think Jonas should probably get 1-2 because the St Kilda bloke wasn't fully stood up, however Jonas kept his feet on the ground, tucked in his elbow and the ball was within 5m. That hit from Byron: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1XH5iTHPYo
Luke Doherty
Roar Guru
True Minz, such a difficult line to draw between protection and management. Very tough gig being a medico given the current spotlight on head injuries.
Luke Doherty
Roar Guru
True, I was genuinely stunned by the penalty given previous form, but i was also making the point that no-one can deny the toll a game or collisions can take on a player who has no idea where he was.
Connor
Roar Rookie
Whoever bumped him deserved the three weeks. Just too reckless.
fadida
Guest
Maybe someone told them. But they forgot :)
Horatio
Guest
So your rant was proven incorrect and there will be a suspension. I know you are a RL person but there was a penalty forthcoming. I am not defending St Kildas procedures but the AFL system has worked pretty well this year and some players have been suspended for high bumps. Earlier in the season there were complaints about the NRL not sending anyone off and that came to a head (apologies ) in SOO. Remember how Greg Inglis poleaxed Craig Youngs boy that ended his career and he went on report only. And I am yet to find an explanation for George Smith's staying on the field in the Lions test...Having said that, the Rugby Union seem to have been the strongest on this issue. I remember Broncos forward whose name escapes me who went on to play for the Brumbies at their peak being totally surprised how RU took concussion seriously compared to RL. How many RL players have been replaced from the game completely after failing a concussion test this year? None that I can recall
Horatio
Guest
NFL has had that head first rule for many years...
Luke Doherty
Roar Guru
Hi all, just an update. Jonas looking at a four match ban for rough conduct. He'll get 3 with an early plea.
onside
Guest
I had in mind the soft moulded types worn by rugby players, but Mr T has answered that.
Australian Rules
Guest
Hadn't realised that - cheers.
Griffo
Guest
Actually I think you'll find there are numerous neuropsychological studies to suggest young men and boys are particularly bad at risk assessment. It's been suggested that mental maturity isn't attained til about the age of 25
dockersfan
Guest
You have got to be kidding me? Is a bung knee the same as not being able to feed yourself because you have alzeihmers at 40 years of age? Get real. That's all that needs to be said. Completely missed the point. No one, myself included, could truly understand what it would be like to start losing your memories and your life at 40, but having seen the interview with Greg Williams it sounds horiffic. Give me a bung knee/shoulder/back over mental retardation anyday. Anything they can do to help protect the head can be nothing but for the good of the game.
josh
Roar Rookie
The NFL (since last year) has penalties for going into tackles helmet first.