Safety in the football codes: A historical review of fatalities in Australian print media
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Medical Journal of Australia
Volume
213
Issue
11
First Page
501
Last Page
503.e1
PubMed ID
33200407
Publisher
Wiley
School
Exercise Medicine Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
32422
Funders
Edith Cowan University
Abstract
In Australia, four major football codes (focusing on soccer, rugby union, rugby league and Australian football) are generally considered to be high risk sports. On rare occasions, serious injury and death can occur.1, 2 The popularity of these sports for spectators and participants tends to result in a bias on the reporting and awareness of any serious events that happen. This has been further heightened by the emphasis on head trauma and concussion in recent years. At the same time, the peak bodies of the football codes in Australia, including the Football Federation Australia, Rugby Australia, the National Rugby League and the Australian Football League, have been proactive in addressing safety concerns. This includes rule changes,3 return to play protocols,4 and direct funding of research.5 Perhaps counterintuitively, positive safety management can result in the public image being presented with an unfair focus on the risks of participation.
DOI
10.5694/mja2.50856
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Jewson, J. L., Brukner, P., Gara, T. J., & Fortington, L. V. (2020). Safety in the football codes: A historical review of fatalities in Australian print media. The Medical Journal of Australia, 213(11), 501-503. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50856