No change to AFL’s mandatory concussion protocol despite Angus Brayshaw’s shock retirement

The AFL will not lengthen the mandatory 12-day concussion policy despite this week’s shock retirement by Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw.

Angus Brayshaw leaves the field on a stretcher during the 2023 AFL First Qualifying Final match between Collingwood and Melbourne. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Melbourne expects to secure salary-cap relief from Angus Brayshaw’s shock retirement, but the AFL isn’t set to change its concussion protocols for the upcoming season.

The league is next week expected to announce it has retained its current return-to-play guidelines – which sit at 12 days as a minimum return-time for AFL players.

Those guidelines will include the minimum return-to-play rules for community and elite football.

The AFL’s elite return to play guidelines are always under review, but believes if the league mandated a 21-day concussion policy there would be issues with players attempting to conceal head knocks.

The league is working with the Demons on how much of his $3 million-plus salary they can exempt from their total player payments.

Brayshaw’s retirement this week due to concussion-based issues sent shockwaves through the industry just weeks ahead of the 2024 AFL season.

The league would not comment on Friday about the ramifications of Brayshaw’s contract, which has him owed over $700,000 a season for the next five years including this year to 2028.

But Melbourne football boss Alan Richardson said the club had already had discussions with the AFL about a resolution for all parties.

Angus Brayshaw leaves the field on a stretcher during the 2023 AFL First Qualifying Final match between Collingwood and Melbourne. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Across the AFL competition club list bosses are aware their boards will want clarification on how a medically forced concussion from a player with a long-term contract would impact a club’s salary cap.

Under new rules club presidents and chief executives must now officially approve deals of six or more years in writing to the AFL as a safeguard against irresponsible deals.

If the league allowed clubs to dodge salary obligations because players had been concussed once or more it would open up a loophole teams would clearly attempt to manipulate.

But as a player officially ruled ineligible to play AFL by the league’s own doctors it gives the Demons more wiggle room to exclude some of his salary.

Angus Brayshaw turned time on his career this week after advice it wasn’t safe to continue playing. Picture: Michael Klein.

The Demons could come to an agreement with Brayshaw on a total sum he might receive and then also be able to exclude a portion of that deal each season outside the salary cap.

Richardson made clear those talks were already underway.

“We are working through that at the moment with Tom (Petroro) and ‘Gus’. In terms of some TPP relief we are working through that with the AFL. It may take a little bit of time.

“It is all a bit new, so I am pretty confident common sense will prevail and we will get a result for everyone,” he told SEN.

The AFL is also working through its own submission to the coroner over the subject of contact in training sessions after it was raised as an agenda point in the Shane Tuck inquest.

The league has commissioned a project looking at how it might work through the issue of reducing some levels of contact in training but believes it is a critical part of preparing players for each AFL season.~

The Demons will not ask the AFL to replace Brayshaw on the list despite his forced retirement coming in such exceptional circumstances.

“I have already had some early conversations with (list boss) Tim Lamb,” Richardson said.

“We are pretty comfortable with the players we have now. We have the ability to flick a few around (positionally) if we need to. Clayton (Oliver) has got himself in a really promising position and it’s given us some real comfort that we can still cover the role Gus played in the midfield. (Trent) Rivers can potentially play a role through there if needed and (Christian) Salem can do the same thing.

“Lamby and the team will get together so by mid year we look to do something and by then there might be another position on the list that is a bit more urgent.”