A Geelong medico checks on Jeremy Cameron after his head hit the turf heavily on Friday night. IMAGE: CHANNEL SEVEN.
The AFL might have come a long way in how seriously it takes the issue of head injury and concussion, but Friday night showed emphatically that it still does not take it anywhere near as seriously as it should.
When Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron’s head bounced off the Kardinia Park deck like a Spalding basketball, following his failed attempt to take a big pack mark, almost everyone who watched the incident assumed that he would have to be taken from the ground as soon as possible for a head injury assessment at a minimum.
After all, Cameron was lying on the ground dazed for quite a few seconds after the incident, before finally getting back to his feet during the Cats’ thrilling loss to Port Adelaide.
And Cameron had suffered a particularly nasty concussion 11 months ago when teammate Gary Rohan accidentally collided with him in a sickening clash, forcing him to miss the next two games.
But to the dismay of everyone watching the gripping Cats-Power contest, Cameron was allowed to stay out on the ground for the final 10 minutes of the match despite repeated attempts of Geelong medical staff to assess him.
Lo and behold, after playing out the game, Cameron reported delayed concussive symptoms on Saturday morning and has entered protocols, ruling him out of the Cats’ next game against Gold Coast in Darwin on Thursday night.
Can you imagine, then, if the umpire did allow the advantage in the final two minutes which ended up with Cameron kicking a goal and getting Geelong back to within a point? And if the Cats went on to win after that?
It would’ve been a scandal.
Does anyone really believe that if Cameron suffered that head hit in the first 10 minutes of the game, he wouldn’t have been taken from the field? Or if it was someone like Jhye Clark or Brandan Parfitt copping that knock at the time Cameron did, they wouldn’t have been dragged down to the rooms?
The AFL is an organisation obsessed with “the optics”, and this was an absolute PR disaster for them because it further perpetuated the perception that the league’s strict concussion rules will be enforced unless it involves a marquee player in a tight game in the final quarter.
PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE TO THRIVE BY BECOMING AN OFFICIAL FOOTYOLOGY PATRON. JUST CLICK THIS LINK.
After it was revealed that Cameron had suffered symptoms roughly 12 hours after the game ended, the AFL handed down a hefty fine to the Cats, right? Wrong! The AFL ticked everything off, saying they were “comfortable” with how it played out, would you believe.
“The optics” get worse and worse for Andrew Dillion, Laura Kane and co.
Geelong’s statement on the matter didn’t pass the pub test either.
“As per the AFL’s concussion guidelines, Geelong medical staff immediately attended Cameron and conducted a HIA on ground, where he reported no symptoms and satisfied all AFL requirements,” the statement read.
“After further review of the video footage, and in consultation with the spotters in the ARC (AFL Review Centre), it was decided there was no criteria to remove Cameron immediately from the field for further assessment.
“Cameron was monitored and assessed again on Saturday morning, where he reported some concussive symptoms on repeat SCAT6 (assessment) and a diagnosis of delayed concussion was made.”
How on earth could the optics-obsessed AFL find there was no reason to take Cameron from the field immediately?
This is the same organisation that got involved and forced Bulldogs midfielder Tom Liberatore to sit out matches, even though he actually did pass multiple concussion tests, after his dramatic on-field collapse against Essendon. Those pesky optics!
It does not stack up.
Given how often we see players depart the field for head knocks, some of which are even milder than the one Cameron suffered, and the fact that Cameron lay there stunned for a few seconds, on top of the champion Cat’s recent concussion history, he had to be yanked from the field, no ifs, buts or maybes.
Calls have long been made for the AFL to have an independent medical practitioner present at every game to be in charge of the head injury assessment process so as to dispel any perception that club medical staff might go easy on their player, especially if he is a superstar and the game is in the balance.
But this latest debacle involving Cameron, which the AFL is clearly completely OK with, shows that maybe a league-appointed independent doctor wouldn’t make a jot of a difference at all.
Because as it stands the rule is very clear: if you’re one of the league’s best players and your team is a chance of winning the game, you’re right to go, even if you get up after copping an elbow to the face ala the one Tony Lockett infamously delivered to Peter Caven!
