Robbo: Nathan Murphy shouldn’t still be playing footy

There aren’t many Magpies that are more loved than Nathan Murphy. But as MARK ROBINSON writes, the defender is risking his future for this game.

Nathan Murphy goes down. Picture: Getty Images

Even if you don’t know Nathan Murphy, you’ve got to love him.

He plays footy with flair and instinct. He’s brave above his head, he’s fearless and adept with his tackling and when he gallops at full speed, with his customary long hair flailing below his headband, he has the uncanny knack of timing his intercepts or third-man-up efforts to the precise moment needed for impact.

And good luck one-on-one, for he wins more than he loses.

Little wonder the Collingwood cohort love him - mainly his coaches and teammates.

But he shouldn’t be playing footy.

Of all the summer AFL announcements, the December 20 missive that declared the AFL’s concussion panel had passed Murphy to play in 2024, was the most astonishing.

Here is a bloke who has had 10 concussions through his junior and senior footy career, is at risk of long-term brain damage with further head knocks and the AFL, the AFLPA and most importantly Collingwood are putting him in a position where long-term damage is a possibility.

Nathan Murphy hits the deck after his latest concussion in the grand final. Picture: Getty Images

Ultimately, it was his decision to play on after suffering yet another concussion in last year’s Grand Final, and certainly the AFL, the AFLPA and the Pies did not deter him.

Perhaps they should have.

Crucially, when Murphy fronted the AFL’s concussion panel in the off-season it gave him the green light to play.

Asked who was on the panel and what the reasoning was behind the decision, the AFL would not release information on the why.

“The AFL chief medical Officer, Dr Michael Makdissi, coordinates the multi-disciplinary Concussion Panels that are made up of multiple members with expertise and experience relevant to the player’s condition being considered,’’ AFL spokesman Jay Allen said.

“This means that different people sit on different panels and any given panel may include neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, sports physicians, physiotherapists with expertise in neurorehabilitation, etc.’’

Thus, a bunch of experts said, despite the increased risk of long-term impairment, that everything was hunky dory.

It’s hard to argue against experts.

It’s easier to look at clinical research and the data found.

Released in December, 2023, an Oxford University study of 15,000 participants found that people who had suffered three or more concussions had “significantly worse cognitive function, which got successively worse with each subsequent concussion after that”.

Clearly, 10 concussions is not the cut off number for Murphy. What is then? 12? 13? 20?

Murphy is well and truly in the red zone.

Murphy is continuing his career despite the risks. Picture: Getty Images

A week after the Oxford University findings were announced, the Pies said in a press release: “The club doctor, Nathan and his parents appeared before the Collingwood Football Club board and the board - on the basis of the recommendations of the medical concussion panel convened by the AFL, recommendation of the club doctor and awareness and acceptance of risk associated with future concussions confirmed by Nathan and his parents - agreed on those bases that Nathan should be able to continue his career as a player at Collingwood.”

Read that again.

The Pies conceded there was an “awareness and acceptance of risk associated with future concussions”, yet still agreed Murphy could play on.

Is it up to Murphy to accept the risks or is it Collingwood’s responsibility to decide that the risks are too real?

Yes, they love him, but some tough love perhaps was needed.

God forbid Murphy is KO’d in Round 3 and it’s a doozy. It wouldn’t be Collingwood’s fault, however, because Murphy “accepted the risks”.

In essence, the Pies have allowed Murphy to roll the dice when the club shouldn’t have put the dice in his hands in the first place.

Some experts would say the Pies should’ve stopped Murphy from playing.

The concussion debate is rearing.

Last week, the Australian Institute of Sport recommended that players in community sport be stood down for at least three weeks if they have suffered a concussion.

In the AFL, it is 12 days.

The history of repeated head knocks is grim. Suicides are linked to head trauma (Danny Frawley and Shane Tuck) and more and more former footballers are reporting symptoms of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), which is a range of dysfunctionality.

Murphy at pre-season training. Picture: Brendan Beckett

In the women’s game, four women who loved playing Australian rules are now dead, either from their own hand after suffering concussions or instantly after suffering head knocks on the field.

They were Heather Anderson, Jacinda Barclay, Maggie Varcoe and Elisabeth Memos.

Two of them had brain bleeds (Varcoe and Memos) and the post mortem of the other two (Anderson and Barclay) found they had chronic neuropathological impairments which is significant brain damage.

Sadly, history repeats itself.

To allow Murphy to continue to play arguably sends a wrong message to all levels of football.

That it’s OK if you’ve suffered 10 concussions because the AFL said it was OK.

It can’t be. Every case is different for sure, but when should alarm bells be heard? Oxford University said three.

The AFL’s HIA testing, which is completed for potentially concussed players during a match, also initially failed Murphy.

Post Grand Final last year, Murphy said: “I passed the test, but I ruled myself out. I had a bit of blurry vision, and with my concussions, I kind of get them delayed. I know the concussion test off by heart now … I’ve done that a couple of times now, where I’ve passed it, then we’ve ruled me out.”

Of course he knows it off by heart.

Fingers crossed he doesn’t need another one. If he does, what does Collingwood do then?