VAFA: Harry Hill’s bid to play in grand final scuppered by concussion protocols

AFL Victoria has revealed its verdict on a bid by one of local footy’s best players to avoid missing playing in a grand final by one day. Here’s what we know.

Old Brighton captain Harry Hill. Picture: Josie Hayden

A Victorian Amateur Football Association club’s desperate bid to have its captain return earlier than permitted from concussion for a grand final appears certain to fall short.

Reports emerged on Thursday night suggesting Premier men’s club Old Brighton had hoped Harry Hill would return for the Friday grand final eve public holiday, 20 days after suffering a head knock.

Hill was concussed in an innocuous incident in the final game of the home-and-away season against St Kevin’s on September 7, spending the night in hospital.

Earlier this year, the AFL introduced a minimum 21-day stand down period for all local footballers, compared to the 12 enforced at the highest level.

Hill suffered memory loss on the night of the head knock but felt fine the following day and has since reported no symptoms.

He has undergone a full concussion test and on Thursday was cleared by his doctor to enter full training next Monday.

Hill has told the club he has been thorough in monitoring his health and has experienced no issues.

“There is no special exemption,” an AFL spokesperson said when asked whether an exemption could be given to a player.

“The earliest that a player may return to play (once they have completed a graded loading program and have obtained medical clearance) is on the 21st day following the concussion.

“The health and welfare of players at all levels of our game is the AFL’s key priority which is why we have six people working on brain health and the AFL has released a number of important developments in relation to the return-to-play protocols in the concussion guidelines for AFL and AFLW and all levels of Australian Rules Football, including community football, in recent years.”

Hill is regarded as one of Old Brighton’s greatest players.

A younger Harry Hill. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Appointed captain at the age of 20, he has been the Tonners’ best and fairest four times, finished runner-up on three occasions, and won Premier and Premier B competition medals.

The midfielder represented the VAFA this year.

“I feel sick for him, he was a really young skipper when he was put into the role, he’s carried the club, brought great culture and driven success,” Old Brighton coach Marcel Bruin said at the time of the incident.

“If there was anyone who deserves the opportunity of playing finals, it is him, but his health is paramount.

“Harry has been lucky, he hasn’t had that many injuries that have kept him out of the game, he just loves football and loves this group.

“The cultural figure, the talent that he is and the amount of care and empathy he has for the rest of the group – they’re a really connected playing group so they care about anyone that gets injured.

“They knew immediately that the protocol that has come in there this year was going to sting him.”

In June, former Old Brighton coach Dan Donati described Hill as “the complete package’’.

“He’s a generational leader,’’ he said. “He’s one of those guys who constantly thinks about everybody else except himself but keeps himself to such high standards all the time.

“He connects the group. He trains hard, he speaks with passion and he thinks about the world like someone who’s 45. And the way he plays his footy … he’d be in traffic with the footy and you’d blink and then he’d be out of traffic and hitting a target. He’s hard, he’s tough, he’s a star.’’

Old Brighton awaits the winner of this weekend’s preliminary final between St Kevin’s and Old Scotch.

Both games will be live streamed on KommunityTV through the Herald Sun website.