AFL Vic News | The AFL has released updated guidelines on the Management of Sport-Related Concussion in Australian Football at all levels of the game outside AFL and AFLW.

The guidelines, designed to help those involved in the game including medical staff, volunteers, coaches, players, parents and administrators, outline the steps in the initial management of a suspected concussion and the stages for return-to-play following concussion.

In following the guidelines, the earliest that a player may return to play (once they have completed a graded loading program and have obtained medical clearance) is on the 21st day following the concussion (where the day of concussion is designated day “0”).

This means that a player who is concussed in a match on a Saturday will miss at least the next two Saturday matches and will only be able to return to play on the third Saturday (i.e., the 21st day after the concussion was sustained) if they have recovered according to the protocols and have been medically cleared to return to play. In many cases, recovery will be slower than the minimum 21 days.

Click here to read the full article and access the Community Guidelines