AFL clears Hawthorn over Mitch Lewis concussion, bans combat boxing sessions
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has been critical how the AFL has gone about its ban on combat boxing sessions and sparring between players.
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Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has hit out at the AFL for telling clubs how they can and can’t train after the league’s ban on combat boxing sessions and sparring between players.
The AFL confirmed on Thursday it had told club footy bosses it was banning one-on-one boxing for men’s and women’s footy.
The league’s ban came as it cleared Hawthorn of any wrongdoing after young forward Mitch Lewis was left concussed during a club boxing session in June, following an investigation.
Cautioning the AFL against being too “arbitrary”, Beveridge said just because one club “gets it wrong from a risk management point of view” it didn’t mean every club was “vulnerable”.
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“There is a couple of things there. The AFL should never be in the business of telling clubs how they can train and how they can’t train,” Beveridge said.
“So it is really important that the messages out of AFL house aren’t too directive and too arbitrary around what you can and can’t do.
“Our boxing coach Johnny (Sfyris) does a magnificent job with our players one-on-one, there is a lot of sparring with mitts.
“Just because one club gets it wrong from a risk management point of view, it doesn’t mean that every other club all of a sudden becomes vulnerable and needs to eliminate the risk.”
The league said boxing could continue to be a part of training sessions “provided that a set of recommendations from the AFL be applied and that all sessions are managed by suitably qualified personnel”.
Beveridge said boxing was an important part of the Bulldogs’ training program and the club would continue to include it.
“So we will continue boxing with Johnny and it’s a really important part of our program, an important conditioning aspect of what we do,” the Bulldogs’ premiership coach said.
“We don’t spar player-to-player … but we will definitely be continuing on with what we do with our boxing coach who does a great job with us.”
Hawks in the clear over Lewis KO
The AFL has cleared Hawthorn of any wrongdoing in a player concussion incident the day after it told clubs it was banning boxing sessions at training.
The Hawks were investigated by WorkSafe and the league’s integrity unit after young forward Mitch Lewis was concussed during a sparring session under coach Alastair Clarkson’s watch.
The Hawthorn players were not wearing headgear during the June 6 incident and after Lewis was hit in the head he did not return to senior action until Round 18 against Melbourne on July 18.
But the AFL released a statement on Thursday, saying “no sanction was applicable”.
“Hawthorn has informed the AFL that WorkSafe has completed its investigation of the incident, is satisfied with Hawthorn’s response and intends to take no further action,” the AFL said.
“The AFL determined that the training incident does not breach any applicable AFL Rule.”
The AFL told club footy bosses on Wednesday that it was banning one-on-one boxing for men’s and women’s footy.
“Combat boxing sessions, sparring between two players and/or players and officials, are strictly prohibited,” the league told clubs.
“Boxing training can continue to be a part of training sessions, provided that a set of recommendations from the AFL be applied and that all sessions are managed by suitably qualified personnel.
“These new measures have immediate application and are part of the ongoing efforts of the AFL and Clubs to protect the health and safety of the players,” AFL EGM of Football Andrew Dillon said.
“With the introduction of these new measures, the risk of this sort of incident occurring in the future will be significantly reduced.”
The Hawthorn players were not wearing protective head gear during the boxing session, which Hawks premiership coach Alastair Clarkson interrupted to ask for more intensity and toughness from his players.
Clarkson last month described the incident as a “genuine accident”.
“This was a low punch that was a body punch and it unfortunately resulted in Mitch being concussed … he was knocked out, he was just concussed and rattled a little bit,” Clarkson said.
“These types of things happen – not on a frequent basis, but they do happen.
“Part of the things we do, whether it’s on-field or off-field, is, in actual fact, to prepare our players to protect themselves in a way that allows them to play a collision sport and do it as safely as they possibly can.
“To prepare them to do that, sometimes you have to put a little bit of risk into your training, whether that’s on-field or off-field.
“Now, we want to mitigate that risk as much as we possibly can and, in this instance, it was just a genuine accident … the last thing we want to do is have a player unavailable because we’ve hurt one another at training.”
AFL Players’ Association general manager of legal and player affairs James Gallagher said the players association was satisfied the incident at Hawthorn had been adequately investigated and supported the league’s steps to ensure it did not happen again with its sparring ban.
Gallagher said the football industry needed to do everything it could to ensure the risk of concussion and head trauma was reduced.
“The AFLPA is satisfied the incident has been thoroughly investigated, particularly given the involvement of Worksafe, and is supportive of the steps taken to ensure an incident like this does not happen again in the future,” Gallagher said.
“Concussion is a serious issue for our members and the industry must do everything possible to mitigate the risk of head trauma.”
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