Paul Green dies aged 49

[Canard]

Whether we like or not, I think that's probably the position all contact sports are going to have to embrace if they are they are to continue.

There's already pretty strong rumblings within medical institutions and parts of academia to at least ban kids from participating in contact sports, so it's only a matter of time before that sentiment permeates through the general public. I also think that we should be prepared for that sentiment to morph into a push to ban most contact sports completely.

I've already encounter people whom argue that allowing such sports to be broadcast on TV glorifies a dangerous practice that shouldn't be encouraged. To be very clear, those people weren't random crackpots on the internet either.

Anyway, the coming decades are going to be very interesting times for contact sports.

Our understanding of it was pretty poor though.

People thought headgear or helmets would prevent concussion, for example.

I agree that it's going to be a different conversation for contact sports, but I trust, as it always does that money wins in the end.

I certainly don't have any issues with the players health being looked after though, and I'm sure no reasonable person would.

I mean I'm old enough to remember players being given a quick spell on the sideline, some smelling salts and told to get back out there after a big head knock.

 

[T-Boon]

It’s a very hard one and I must admit that I am even stumped for the rule changes that could save the game (not that it is on its own).
I don’t even know if one on one tackles are preferable to gang tackles in this debate.
Some basics though are:
1. Anything even vaguely a head slam needs to be dealt with severely.
Moses was on the end of a couple of head slams at the end of the season and Voss was idiotically defending the tackler.
2. I don’t know - go back to a 5 metre rule.

 

[Smug Panther]

not to mention UFC which is brutal! People die racing cars and bikes for money, its not about the risk, its about the risk mitigation and informed choice.

It's a million times safer than boxing

 

[The Predictor]

Paul Green being found to have suffered from a severe case of CTE does not necessarily mean that it caused his suicide, and I find the willingness of people to jump to the conclusion that it did to be quite a dangerous precedent.

That's not to say that it wasn't a, the main, or only, factor, or to say that it's impossible that brain damage as bad as this could be enough in of itself to push somebody to do such a thing. However correlation doesn't equal causation, and it'd take significantly more evidence than that that has been provided to support such a claim.

I think it's more than safe to say that CTE plays absolutely no part in the vast majority of suicides, and to negate other possible factors in such a publicised case would be a mistake. It's an especially bad idea when considering that many people are only doing so because it's a convenient thing to blame, or simply because some people find it emotionally distressing to believe that other potential factors could have played a significant part in his decision making.

I'm genuinely sorry if anybody finds this post upsetting, but unfortunately hard subjects like this need to be discussed in a frank, even cold, manner sometimes.

I’m sure Danny Frawley who was an afl player, drove his Ute straight into a tree and died, he was diagnosed with CTE ?

 

[The Predictor]

Whether we like or not, I think that's probably the position all contact sports are going to have to embrace if they are they are to continue.

There's already pretty strong rumblings within medical institutions and parts of academia to at least ban kids from participating in contact sports, so it's only a matter of time before that sentiment permeates through the general public. I also think that we should be prepared for that sentiment to morph into a push to ban most contact sports completely.

I've already encounter people whom argue that allowing such sports to be broadcast on TV glorifies a dangerous practice that shouldn't be encouraged. To be very clear, those people weren't random crackpots on the internet either.

Anyway, the coming decades are going to be very interesting times for contact sports.

Decades? I don’t think it will be that long before a decision is made

 

[taste2taste]

Paul Green wouldn't of been a player I would have guessed as being at high risk of CTE. I can't remember him being knock out but we'll never know how many subconcussions he may have suffered.

I thought ch 7 recent spotlight episode was interesting, looking at Mario and Jeff Fenech. Mario was in advanced stages of dementia while Jeff, who would have had thousands more hits to the head was ok. I guess everyone's brain reacts differently.

I'm guessing park footballers would also be at huge risk, I played for the local team for 10 years, I would have had about 5 big knocks to the head and was KO'd once but many on my team would have had dozens of high impact head knocks and concussions.

 

[taste2taste]

I remember Steve Mascord ( by far the best league journalist ) wrote an article about 10 years ago predicting within the next century league would become oztag.

He used the example, it wasn't too long ago you could go down to the town square and watch a beheading or stoning, it was considered normal but we now look back on it and are sickened. The same will happen with league, in 100 years people will look back on it and be shocked such a brutal sport was considered normal.

 

[beave]

Paul Green wouldn't of been a player I would have guessed as being at high risk of CTE. I can't remember him being knock out but we'll never know how many subconcussions he may have suffered.

I thought ch 7 recent spotlight episode was interesting, looking at Mario and Jeff Fenech. Mario was in advanced stages of dementia while Jeff, who would have had thousands more hits to the head was ok. I guess everyone's brain reacts differently.

I'm guessing park footballers would also be at huge risk, I played for the local team for 10 years, I would have had about 5 big knocks to the head and was KO'd once but many on my team would have had dozens of high impact head knocks and concussions.

He copped a very bad eye socket/cheek facture injury when he played for Parra in 2001, from memory he got plates put in his face it was that bad.

I can't remember specifics about head knocks when he was at NQ as it was 23 odd years ago but he was was very small so he gave up a size and weight advantage to most players he ran at and made tackles on so I can't imagine that would have helped either.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

As I mentioned before what about boxing. Your aim is to KO the bloke....
1 boxer around the globe dies in the ring per MONTH
90% of boxers end up with some sort of brain damage (can be f all, yes..)
All this talk about sports where you accidentally get hit in the head though....

Paul Gallen is buggered...

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

One former player our game needs to monitor is Shaun Valentine. He suffered numerous concussions in 2000 and was forced into retirement at a young age. An article he was quoted in a few years ago said he'll put his keys down and forget where they are just minutes later. It got me worried as my memory is just as bad. I've had quite a few head injuries over the years.

 

[taste2taste]

One former player our game needs to monitor is Shaun Valentine. He suffered numerous concussions in 2000 and was forced into retirement at a young age. An article he was quoted in a few years ago said he'll put his keys down and forget where they are just minutes later. It got me worried as my memory is just as bad. I've had quite a few head injuries over the years.

If if makes you feel any better I loose my phone at least 5 times a day Head knocks are unavoidable in life, the only way to avoid them would be to lie in bed 24/7

 

[Perth Red]

Paul Green wouldn't of been a player I would have guessed as being at high risk of CTE. I can't remember him being knock out but we'll never know how many subconcussions he may have suffered.

I thought ch 7 recent spotlight episode was interesting, looking at Mario and Jeff Fenech. Mario was in advanced stages of dementia while Jeff, who would have had thousands more hits to the head was ok. I guess everyone's brain reacts differently.

I'm guessing park footballers would also be at huge risk, I played for the local team for 10 years, I would have had about 5 big knocks to the head and was KO'd once but many on my team would have had dozens of high impact head knocks and concussions.

It is a worry, I played American football for 5 yeras and barely a game would go by that I wouldn’t be blurry at some point in it. The joys of playing linebacker back in the day when we led with our helmets into tackles and blocks!

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

If if makes you feel any better I loose my phone at least 5 times a day Head knocks are unavoidable in life, the only way to avoid them would be to lie in bed 24/7

Most of mine were sustained when I was a kid. I've never been normal, so I think they had an impact. It's part of life. I'm still alive so I cannot whinge. Plenty of kids don't get to their 18th birthday.

 

[The Predictor]

Paul Gallen is buggered...

He prefers the $$$$ over his sanity, his choice, no sympathy from me

 

[taste2taste]

It is a worry, I played American football for 5 yeras and barely a game would go by that I wouldn’t be blurry at some point in it. The joys of playing linebacker back in the day when we led with our helmets into tackles and blocks!

Is anyone aware of any studies done on park footy players ? I thought I saw one a few years ago done on English rugby club players but can't seem to find it now.

 

[Perth Red]

Is anyone aware of any studies done on park footy players ? I thought I saw one a few years ago done on English rugby club players but can't seem to find it now.

Mayo clinic released a report in 2015 showing 32% of brains they looked at who played contact sports had some level of CTE pathology. That’s not dementia necessarily but some changes in brain pathology. Like a lot of studies at moment it was small sample size of just 66 male brains. Until we can detect confidently in the living the sample sizes are going to be small unfortunately.

 

[Generalzod]

t’s a very hard one and I must admit that I am even stumped for the rule changes that could save the game (not that it is on its own).
I don’t even know if one on one tackles are preferable to gang tackles in this debate.
Some basics though are:
1. Anything even vaguely a head slam needs to be dealt with severely.
Moses was on the end of a couple of head slams at the end of the season and Voss was idiotically defending the tackler.
2. I don’t know - go back to a 5 metre rule.

5 metre rule might work, inertia can also cause brain damage.

 

[The Predictor]

Rugby League unfortunately is f**ked!!!! Enjoy it while we can

 

[LineBall]

It’s a very hard one and I must admit that I am even stumped for the rule changes that could save the game (not that it is on its own).
I don’t even know if one on one tackles are preferable to gang tackles in this debate.
Some basics though are:
1. Anything even vaguely a head slam needs to be dealt with severely.
Moses was on the end of a couple of head slams at the end of the season and Voss was idiotically defending the tackler.
2. I don’t know - go back to a 5 metre rule.

It is a tough one, but very interesting. Even such things as the kick off to start or restart play may become a thing of the past if they want to reduce the risks from big impacts.

Twenty years from now the game may be unrecognizable compared to its current form.

 

[Perth Red]

Rugby League unfortunately is f**ked!!!! Enjoy it while we can

No it isnt, what we will see is lots more uptake of non tackle versions of the game, especially at Jnr level. Fair play to NRL, buying into touch footy 10 years ago could be one of the best investments ever in time to come!

There will always be contact sport just like their will always be people wanting to jump our of airplanes, get in a boxing ring, throw their car around a track or do any of the myriad of other dangerous hobbies in the world.

Gladiatorial aspects of sport is what the couch potatoes love and there will always be a demand to watch it. whilst that demand exists there will always be players willing to take the risk for healthy financial reward.