Long careers increase risk of brain damage, but is informed consent enough?

Geelong defender Jake Kolodjashnij's signature on a document releasing his club from legal risk over future concussions has exposed ethical and legal concerns. This incident raises questions about the risks associated with participating in high-collision sports like Australian rules football, especially at the elite level. Neurophysiologist Alan Pearce from Swinburne University found that the longer professional athletes participate in contact sports, the greater their chance of sustained brain injuries and chronic pain.

The length of an athlete's career, not the number of concussions, was the primary factor in the damage observed in a study of 113 retired male players. Pearce suggests that players should be informed about the risks they take when signing a professional contract, similar to how surgical consent forms protect doctors from liability for foreseeable events.

While such a consent form would not absolve clubs and the AFL of responsibility, it could provide transparency and protect players from unforeseen consequences. The AFL has acknowledged the need to improve concussion monitoring and limit contact training, but there is no explicit mention of the risks of the game in contracts or collective bargaining agreements.

Former Geelong player Max Rooke is leading a class action lawsuit against the AFL and 11 clubs, alleging brain damage caused by the organization and its clubs.