The AFL has today launched a new feature in PlayHQ to help leagues, clubs, players and families manage concussion across community football.
Following extensive consultation with leagues and clubs, the feature is now live nationally and allows clubs and leagues to enter suspected concussions for players, making them immediately ineligible for selection and triggering email notifications outlining the steps they need to complete to manage their safe return to play.
Players, or their parent/guardian, will need to successfully complete the clearance process by making declarations through their PlayHQ profile to reactivate their selection eligibility, which includes:
Players who suffer a concussion – must declare that it is at least 21 days since the concussion, and they have completed all the return to play requirements.
Players who did not suffer a concussion – must declare that a doctor has cleared them of suffering a concussion. In these situations, a club administrator, via PlayHQ, must confirm they have sighted the medical clearance before the player is eligible for selection.
In 2024, the AFL introduced a new policy that states all players who suffer a concussion must sit out a minimum of 21 days before returning to play, which applies to all levels of Australian Rules Football below the elite AFL and AFLW competitions.
The new functionality is a key initiative under the AFL’s Strategic Plan for Sport-Related Concussion in Australian Football and follows the release of the AFL PLAY Concussion Hub, which was launched on the AFL Play website in April.
Home to all AFL community concussion resources, the AFL PLAY Concussion Hub has translated policies and community guidelines into simplified, engaging and easy to understand content, empowering everyone in local footy with the knowledge and tools they need to recognise, respond to, and manage concussion.
As part of the new functionality in PlayHQ, if a player is suspected of suffering a concussion, they or their parent/guardian are automatically directed to the AFL PLAY Concussion Hub via email communication, which contains information to help support and educate.
Since its launch in April, there has been a nearly 200 per cent increase in people visiting the Hub webpage, with participants finding the resources or information they need more efficiently.
AFL Executive General Manager of Game Development Rob Auld said this new feature in PlayHQ was designed to make the game safer for local footballers.
“On behalf of the AFL, I’m proud to release this new functionality in PlayHQ, which will help clubs, leagues, players and parents manage concussion incidents in local football and support the health and wellbeing of participants,” Auld said.
“While we don’t want concussions to occur, we know like all contact sports, accidents will happen from time to time, so when they do, it is imperative we have the right processes and tools in place for the local footy community to manage players’ safe return to the field.
“This initiative comes off the back of the AFL PLAY Concussion Hub, which is another big piece of work that sits under the AFL’s Strategic Plan for Sport-Related Concussion in Australian Football.
“We strongly encourage all clubs and leagues to utilise this new feature that’s now live and available in PlayHQ, as well as access the AFL PLAY Concussion Hub for support, resources and educational guidelines.”
AFL Chief Medical Officer Michael Makdissi said the update to PlayHQ, coupled with the AFL PLAY Concussion Hub, will promote safe return to play steps for participants.
"The AFL PLAY Concussion Hub is a valuable resource for the football community that offers simple, comprehensive, and up-to-date information on concussion in sport. It helps players, parents, coaches, and trainers understand the key steps needed to optimise recovery.
"The update to PlayHQ is also exciting, as it will assist players in following the community concussion guidelines and promote a safe return to play.”
Tim MacKinnon, Chief Executive Officer of PlayHQ said that the new online automated system puts player safety first.
“PlayHQ's concussion management feature automates the protocols that keep players safe while removing the administrative burden from volunteers. The moment a concussion is suspected, the system takes over – managing the minimum 21-day recovery period, tracking clearances, and ensuring no player returns until they’re genuinely ready. Technology can improve safety and transform a fragmented, paper-based process into an automated system with player safety at its core."
The AFL has made many changes spanning more than 10 years to improve player health and safety including:
- Releasing Community Concussion Management Guidelines (first released in 2011 and updated in 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2024) with support materials. The latest version of the AFL’s Community Concussion Guidelines and support materials can be accessed here.
- Enforcing a stricter stance both within the Laws of the Game and the National Community Football Policy Handbook around head high bumps, bumping players with their head over the ball, dangerous tackles, and potential to cause serious injury.
- Mandatory concussion education for coaches as part of accreditation and development of Tackle Curriculum (here) to provide coaches with the knowledge and resources they need to teach tackling safely and effectively.
- Delivering live and on-demand webinars to the community to educate on concussion management.
- Establishing and refining AFL Junior Rules (here) that gradually introduce contact / tackling and help kids learn and develop in a safe environment.
- Establishing the Prep to Play to program (here). This program, developed in conjunction with Latrobe University, has been shown to reduce concussion by improving safe execution of ground balls, aerial contests, tackling and being tackled.
- Developing the Headcheck App (here). The app, developed in conjunction with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, assists and guides players and parents in concussion management.