AFL legend Malcolm Blight says footballers might be forced to wear helmets as legal action looms

MALCOLM Blight has forecast that helmets could be made mandatory in the AFL as former players look at a class action against the league.

Former Hawthorn great John Platten believes he is suffering the long-term effects of multiple concussions. Picture: Michael Klein.

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MALCOLM Blight has forecast that helmets could be made mandatory in the AFL as former players look at a class action against the league.

With former Saint and Bulldog Nicky Winmar the latest ex-player revealed to have suffered symptoms of damage to his brain following a series of head knocks and/or concussions during their careers, Blight said the AFL needed to take action to protect itself and the players.

“I’ve got a feeling that in the not-too-distant future, perhaps within five years, legally the AFL might have to protect the welfare of its players by introducing a rule to wear compulsory helmets,’’ AFL legend and dual Adelaide Crows premiership coach Blight told Sportsday SA.

“That would be every player in the competition. And if you think I’m silly, think of what happened in 1943 in the NFL when helmets were made compulsory for the gridiron players.

“Think of every kid that plays cricket now. When I played in the 1960s and 70s there were no helmets. Everyone wears helmets now.

“There are helmets being worn in rugby league, rugby union and even some players in the AFL.

“To protect the AFL’s integrity of the welfare of the players and to keep it out of the courts I think someone in the AFL should be looking at compulsory helmets.

“You can’t keep getting concussions and all the tests of the concussions (from former players) looks bad, it looks bad for our game.

“Do I agree with it, no, but I think someone has to look at it.’’

Winmar’s manager Peter Jess this week revealed the dual All-Australian had suffered problems with mood swings, anger management and memory loss — issues that pointed to structural and functional damage to his brain.

“I’ve been dealing with Nicky over a long period of time and over the past couple of years he’s been concerned about what we recognise as some of the symptoms of structural and functional damage to the brain,” Jess told radio FIVEaa.

“Such as he has spells where he loses his balance, he has spells where he can’t recall things. He has problems in terms of mood swings, he has problems with anger management.

“So we’ve been getting those tested and the first test came back that he does have some problems.”

John Platten during his playing days for Hawthorn. He looks set to join the class action.

Former Saint Nicky Winmar is among those who have revealed they are showing signs of structural and functional damage to his brain. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Jess is front and centre of a planned class action — related to the treatment of concussions and head knocks — likely to be against the AFL and potentially the league’s clubs and their doctors.

Former Essendon and Geelong ruckman John Barnes and Hawthorn Brownlow Medallist John Platten look set to be among those involved in the class action.

“Basically what happens is that when we determine who the defendants are, it will be a matter of fact — and that’s up to our legal people,” Jess said.

“But I don’t think there’s any question that it will be the AFL or the VFL as it was.

“It’s probably likely to be the clubs, it’s likely to be club doctors — and it could well, depending on what the set of circumstances are, it may well go beyond that.”

Crows great Mark Ricciuto said “the biggest risk in football at the moment is all the litigation around concussion’’.

“It’s been in American sport and it’s coming here,’’ he told Triple M.

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