{"id":91155,"date":"2026-09-08T15:12:57","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/91155\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T15:12:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:12:57","slug":"concussion-summit-bans-media-ahead-of-secret-melbourne-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/91155\/","title":{"rendered":"Concussion summit bans media ahead of secret Melbourne talks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Media have been banned from attending the International Sports Concussion Conference in Melbourne in a bid to keep secret its talks on brain trauma research and player care.<\/a><\/p>\n

Professor Vicki Anderson confirmed to this masthead that media were not welcome at the two-day event, even if they purchased a $699 ticket.<\/p>\n

The ban comes as the AFL on Monday confirmed this masthead\u2019s report in April that <\/a>new contact training limits would be introduced for next pre-season.<\/p>\n

The new caps include a maximum 120 minutes per week of high-intensity contact training including practice matches post-Christmas.<\/p>\n

World Rugby limits teams to 15 minutes per week across a maximum of two days per week in-season including zero full contact training on Mondays and Friday to allow for full recovery. <\/p>\n

The NRL limits contact training to 50 minutes on short turnarounds between games in-season.<\/p>\n

The AFL is still considering in-season limits.<\/p>\n

The AFL policy was handed to clubs on Monday as neurological experts including the chief medical officers from the NFL and AFL prepare to discuss the latest concussion \u201clearnings relevant from elite collision sports through to junior participation\u201d at the conference across the next two days.<\/p>\n

But the information will be kept in-house with Anderson adamant \u201cthe space we have is limited\u201d at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins Street.<\/p>\n

In 2016 at a Concussion in Sport Group conference, former AFL concussion adviser Paul McCrory said chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was \u201ccarry-on and hoo-ha\u201d from the United States and was adamant brain bleeds and bruising doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

The 2026 concussion conference comes at a crucial time for contact sports in Australia after this masthead revealed Geelong signed Jake Kolodjashnij to a secret concussion waiver in 2024 in breach of AFL rules.<\/p>\n

The Cats were fined $140,000 for the blunder, while AFL Commission chairman Craig Drummond was forced to apologise for the error while he was president at Geelong.<\/p>\n

The expose prompted a review from the AFL and AFLPA of the league\u2019s concussion management systems and protocols including the lack of a group insurance policy covering players\u2019 head trauma.<\/p>\n

Kolodjashnij\u2019s career hangs in the balance as he attempts to secure fresh clearance from Geelong\u2019s new doctor on his worrying concussion history, including three concussions within a 12-month period in 2022-2023.<\/p>\n

One of the concussions stemmed from a low impact hit, while he endured a slow recovery from two of his brain traumas.<\/p>\n

The AFL\u2019s concussion panel could not confirm whether it was safe for Kolodjashnij to play on at the top level due to concerns about potentially permanent damage from more brain trauma. <\/p>\n

Former Geelong chief medical officer Dr David Long, who was at the club at the time, has since moved to Richmond for the 2026 season. <\/p>\n

\"Kolodjashnij<\/p>\n

In the latest Players\u2019 Association survey, 82 per cent of AFL players said they had high levels of concern about the long-term impacts of concussion.<\/p>\n

The AFL will introduce contact training limits for the AFLW season following more research.<\/p>\n

The new contact training caps were a recommendation stemming from the Victorian Coroner\u2019s 2023 investigation into the death of former Tiger Shane Tuck.<\/p>\n

The AFL said the three-year delay on the limits allowed it to properly assess how much contact training was appropriate.<\/p>\n

Under the new AFL rules, high intensity contact training will be banned on consecutive days.<\/p>\n

AFL health boss Laura Kane said head trauma was a risk for Australian rules footballers.<\/p>\n

Kane said the new contact training limit rules were an \u201cimportant step\u201d, but could evolve. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe framework is based on world class medical advice and is constantly evolving as we deepen our learning and understanding,\u201d Kane said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe prevention and management of head trauma, and the introduction of AFL pre-season contact training limits is a further step towards achieving our goal of being a global leader in brain health and concussion and head trauma.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe AFL has undertaken an extensive data collection and consultation process in order to introduce contact training limits which balance player welfare with elite performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile this process was being worked through, the AFL prioritised safer training design and worked directly with clubs to reduce the risk of concussion and head trauma through the adjustment of training drills and techniques on an ongoing basis. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe introduction of contact training limits for the upcoming AFL pre-season is a further important step in improving player safety by the imposition of strict maximum levels of contact training.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe AFL will continue to monitor and refine these limits based on data and practical feedback from clubs. It is critical they are tailored to the needs of our players from both a safety and competitive preparation perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Media have been banned from attending the International Sports Concussion Conference in Melbourne in a bid to keep…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91156,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[158204,153312,158113,158206,158212,48253,74891,5859,158158,54838,158162,17327,158202,158214,46724,158120,104193,39152,82503,37032,158143,158171,62509,158126,158116,40286,147660,48272,38640,158179,158189,77,158135,105423,158196,158147,158161,158128,44820,158152,158146,39734,1572,158150,23,158198,158194,158131,158211,13453,158142,158115,36917,158205,21547,158124,46993,38042,158200,158172,158213,158209,158137,158117,158169,158192,34357,158164,158170,158127,158134,158112,158177,9715,158199,158195,1416,158148,7812,158155,60904,158175,158167,158138,158159,158168,158157,158173,6131,158166,158203,158184,150,260,37045,158178,158144,158125,158154,158149,158151,158132,99635,158130,158141,95938,158174,37298,158122,158133,72956,8208,158207,1440,158163,158210,158118,158111,158140,158197,64968,74987,139732,43276,158190,158145,64451,37989,158186,158191,39770,158208,158136,53447,39868,79868,74626,46061,126827,41879,158201,45726,41212,158176,158181,61193,105984,158165,158182,158121,158185,158153,158193,158119,39917,53012,158123,36556,158114,158183,39512,158160,158187,39407,37517,158180,158156,50954,30570,158188,158139,158129],"class_list":["post-91155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-melbourne","tag-s-2023-investigation","tag-s-career","tag-s-concussion-management-systems-and-protocols","tag-s-concussion-panel","tag-s-new-doctor","tag-s-report","tag-74891","tag-5859","tag-120-minutes","tag-15-minutes","tag-2022-2023-one","tag-17327","tag-2026-concussion-conference","tag-50-minutes","tag-46724","tag-a-699-ticket-the-ban","tag-a-12-month-period","tag-a-bid","tag-a-concussion","tag-a-crucial-time","tag-a-further-important-step","tag-a-further-step","tag-a-global-leader","tag-a-group-insurance-policy","tag-a-low-impact-hit","tag-a-maximum","tag-a-recommendation","tag-a-review","tag-a-risk","tag-a-secret-concussion-waiver","tag-a-slow-recovery","tag-afl","tag-afl-commission-chairman-craig-drummond","tag-afl-players","tag-afl-policy","tag-afl-pre-season-contact-training-limits","tag-afl-rules-the-cats","tag-an-extensive-data-collection-and-consultation-process","tag-an-important-step","tag-an-international-sports-concussion-conference","tag-an-ongoing-basis","tag-anderson","tag-april","tag-association-survey","tag-australia","tag-australian-rules-footballers-kane","tag-brain-bleeds-and-bruising","tag-brain-health-and-concussion-and-head-trauma","tag-brain-trauma-research-and","tag-breach","tag-carry-on-and-hoo-ha","tag-cats-player-jake-kolodjashnij-in","tag-cent","tag-chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy","tag-clubs","tag-collins-street-in-2016","tag-concern","tag-concerns","tag-concussion-and-head-trauma","tag-concussion-summit","tag-concussion-the-afl","tag-consecutive-days-afl-health-boss-laura-kane","tag-contact-sports","tag-contact-training","tag-contact-training-limits","tag-crucial-talks","tag-cte","tag-elite-collision-sports","tag-elite-performance","tag-former-afl-concussion-adviser-paul-mccrory","tag-former-geelong-chief-medical-officer-dr-david-long","tag-former-tiger-shane-tuck-the-afl","tag-fresh-clearance","tag-friday","tag-full-recovery","tag-games-in-season-the","tag-geelong","tag-geelong-the-expose","tag-head-trauma","tag-head-trauma-kolodjashnij","tag-high-levels","tag-high-intensity-contact-training","tag-his-brain-traumas-the","tag-his-worrying-concussion-history","tag-in-season-limits-the","tag-international-sports-concussion-conference","tag-its-talks","tag-jake-kolodjashnij","tag-junior-participation","tag-kane","tag-kolodjashnij","tag-learnings","tag-media","tag-melbourne","tag-monday","tag-mondays","tag-more-brain-trauma","tag-more-research-the-new-contact-training-caps","tag-nathan-buckley-talks","tag-neurological-experts","tag-new-contact-training-limits","tag-next-pre-season-the-new-caps","tag-our-goal","tag-our-learning-and-understanding","tag-player-care","tag-player-safety","tag-player-welfare","tag-players","tag-post-christmas-world-rugby-limits","tag-potentially-permanent-damage","tag-practice","tag-president","tag-professor-vicki-anderson","tag-richmond","tag-safer-training-design","tag-secret-melbourne-talks","tag-short-turnarounds","tag-sofitel-melbourne","tag-sport-group-conference","tag-strict-maximum-levels","tag-teams","tag-the-2026-season","tag-the-adjustment","tag-the-afl","tag-the-afl-and-aflpa","tag-the-aflw-season","tag-the-balance","tag-the-ban","tag-the-blunder","tag-the-chief-medical-officers","tag-the-club","tag-the-concussion-waiver-saga","tag-the-concussions","tag-the-conference","tag-the-death","tag-the-effect","tag-the-error","tag-the-framework","tag-the-imposition","tag-the-information","tag-the-international-sports-concussion-conference","tag-the-introduction","tag-the-lack","tag-the-latest-concussion","tag-the-latest-players","tag-the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