Crows AFLW player Courtney Cramey says she’ll ‘happily’ hand over brain for post-mortem concussion research
Dual Adelaide AFLW premiership star Courtney Cramey, who passed head knock tests on the eve of both the Crows’ grand final wins, says she’s happy to donate her brain for concussion studies.
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Crows star Courtney Cramey has revealed she plans to donate her brain for post-mortem research following “two or three” serious head knocks during her career.
And the two-time premiership player said she may have been forced to sit out both of Adelaide’s AFLW grand final victories under the new concussion rules.
Speaking on The Advertiser’s women’s football podcast, CJ and the Noff, Cramey said she took and passed a concussion test on the eve of the 2017 and 2019 grand finals.
But under the AFL’s new head knock policy, brought in this season, the defender would have needed to pass the test five days before the game.
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And Cramey believed she may not have passed the series of computer tests, which record memory and reaction time, if they were performed five days out from the flag deciders.
“I actually said to our doctor this Saturday … that I’ll happily put my brain forward (for research),” Cramey said.
“They can only test post-mortem on the brain as to whether there’s signs of that CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), so I said I’d happily hand my brain over for research.
“I’ve been in a position where I have copped a few head knocks.
“(But) the AFL has recently brought in that new rule – I think it’s a five-day return to play concussion.
“If that rule was in at the start of AFLW I wouldn’t have two premierships.
“I’ve had to pass concussion tests on the eve of both AFLW grand finals that we’ve won.
“To say that I’m happy that rule wasn’t around is an interesting one.
“(I) get random headaches now and then, but who knows if that’s linked to the two or three significant concussions I’ve had.
“But I am pretty strong about concussion and that it’s pretty serious.”
Cramey’s comments come as the AFL invested $100,000 in the development of a customised mouthguard able to monitor the impact of heavy hits on players.
Players at four AFL clubs and four NRL clubs trialled the motion-sensing mouthguards last year.
Two AFLW clubs and eight AFL clubs are using them this season.
Cramey said Crows AFLW players had special “pieces” taped to the back of their ears during a match against Western Bulldogs in 2017 as part of La Trobe University and AFL concussion study.
But she never received the results.
“I actually got a head knock and it (the ear piece) fell off, so I’m not sure what research they got out of that one,” Cramey said.
“Obviously there’s a couple of AFLW sides and AFL men’s sides trialling this mouth guard piece.
“It’s a pretty serious issue and I’m glad the AFL are taking measures to look into it further.”
Cramey missed the Crows’ eight-point loss against Carlton in the grand final rematch at Richmond on Sunday with a calf injury.
But she hoped to be fit for the must-win clash against the Kangaroos in Hobart this Saturday.