Little hits in sports may be just as dangerous as concussions – and can lead to brain damage

Little hits in sports may be just as dangerous as concussions – and can lead to brain damage

The growing awareness of the long-term consequences of repeated head trauma in contact sports has sparked renewed debate over the safety of participation in activities like Australian rules football. Recent media coverage, including a compelling episode of *Four Corners*, has highlighted the alarming rise in diagnoses of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among former athletes. This neurodegenerative disease, which can only be identified post-mortem, has become a focal point for discussions on how best to protect players from cumulative brain injuries.

The report revealed that more than a third of the brains donated to the Australian Sports Brain Bank were from individuals who died by suicide, many of them relatively young. This statistic underscores a troubling trend, suggesting that the impact of repeated minor head impacts—often dismissed as insignificant—may carry severe, even fatal, consequences. The case of Nick Lowden, a 23-year-old Victorian footballer who took his own life, exemplifies this concern. Posthumously diagnosed with Stage II CTE, Lowden's condition highlights the early onset of the disease, which has been observed in athletes as young as 20 in Australia and even younger in other countries.

The implications of these findings extend beyond individual tragedies. They challenge the current approaches taken by governing bodies within the sport to mitigate brain injury risks. While efforts have been made to reduce the incidence of concussions through rule changes and improved protocols, the focus remains largely on addressing visible injuries rather than the insidious nature of sub-concussive impacts. These are the countless small collisions that occur during routine gameplay, often going unnoticed yet contributing significantly to the overall burden of brain trauma.

Historically, concerns about the effects of repeated head impacts date back several decades. Research into the subject began as early as 1928, with studies examining the long-term effects of head trauma in athletes. In Australia, discussions around this issue emerged as early as 1936, indicating that the problem is far from new. Despite this, public awareness and regulatory responses have lagged behind the scientific understanding, leading to calls for greater transparency and accountability from sports organizations.

The AFL, which oversees the premier league of Australian rules football, has acknowledged the need for continued vigilance regarding player safety. Laura Kane, an AFL executive responsible for player health and concussion management, emphasized that while the organization prioritizes safety, it does not aim to communicate every possible risk associated with the sport. Instead, she stressed the importance of governance and collective responsibility among all stakeholders in contact sports. This stance reflects broader challenges faced by sports leagues globally, where balancing competitive integrity with player welfare remains a complex task.

As the legal landscape evolves, former players are increasingly seeking recourse through class-action lawsuits. These legal battles could provide further insight into whether governing bodies adequately addressed known risks prior to implementing current safety measures. The outcome of these cases may influence future policies aimed at reducing both concussions and the less visible, yet potentially more damaging, sub-concussive impacts that contribute to conditions like CTE.

Moving forward, the emphasis in contact sports is likely to shift toward strategies that specifically target the prevention of these subtle, repeated traumas. Innovations in equipment design, rule modifications, and enhanced monitoring systems may offer pathways to safer environments for athletes. However, achieving meaningful change will require ongoing dialogue between scientists, medical professionals, and sports administrators, ensuring that the lessons learned from past incidents inform proactive measures to safeguard the long-term health of participants.