Mitch Owens clutches at his shoulder.

Saints lose tall to worrying injury,sparking calls for AFL action;superstar out for months;Dons whacko for Kako

The pre-season injury carnage continues to worsen,amid calls for the AFL to clamp down on a certain act. Meanwhile,club doctors will have extra powers this year to stop play to take players off the field for head injury assessments.

  • Jon Pierik,Andrew Wu,Scott Spits andRoy Ward

Latest

Sam Lalor.

The AFL has dropped the ball on its first major test of 2025

No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor was left concussed and with a fractured jaw after an ugly incident against West Coast,but the man who pushed him in the back escaped punishment of any kind. The AFL got this decision wrong.

  • Jon Pierik
Grant Cook with wife Colleen and children Carter and Mia.

Grant died after a rugby league match in 2016. Nine years on,his family believe he didn’t have to lose his life

Grant Cook’s family were devastated by his death and have received an out-of-court settlement after suing the ruling body.

  • Adrian Proszenko
Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch was concussed in a collision with a teammate at pre-season training.

AFL hands out club rankings amid ‘confusion’ on pre-season training

A memo to all 18 clubs,which revealed match-simulations in pre-season produced the highest rate of concussions,prompted Port Adelaide chairman David Koch to fire back in an email that criticised the league for an inconsistent approach.

  • Sam McClure
Former Aussie rules umpire Ian Stewart is calling for policy changes and funding to support athletes in receiving holistic healthcare following the impacts of concussions.

An umpire was viciously assaulted. Thirty-four years later,he’s still suffering

As Ian Stewart reflects on the damage caused by an angry player,a Queensland academic explains why decision-makers shouldn’t be surprised by “concussion crises”.

  • Nick Wright
Wally Lewis celebrates an Ashes win in 1988.

‘It controls everything’:His dad’s message keeps King Wally’s fight alive

A caring sledge from his father stuck with Wally Lewis,as he continues to advocate for changes to improve player welfare.

  • Nick Wright
Advertisement
Nelson Asofa-Solomona flattens Lindsay Collins.

This rule change would be win-win for the NRL

A tweak to the kick-off rule could have a positive impact on rugby league.

  • Roy Masters
Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon.

Ex-Bulldogs president Peter Gordon assists Pucovski concussion case,requests medical records

The prominent lawyer has provided advice to the AFL on its duty of care in concussion matters and is now assisting Will Pucovski,whose promising cricket career was cut short after he sustained repeated blows to the head.

  • Daniel Brettig
Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s tackle on Lindsay Collins.

The case for changing kick-offs in the NRL is open and shut

More concussions suffered from kick-offs show that the game must change the rules,and quickly.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Angus Brayshaw.

Demons counting the cost of Brayshaw’s forced retirement

Not until they saw his name on the Brownlow Medal running sheet did the AFL hierarchy realise Angus Brayshaw would be breaking his self-imposed public silence.

  • Caroline Wilson