Australian Football League To Trial New Helmets To Combat Concussions

Revolutionary new helmets, custom-built for Australian Football League players, are "being designed as the game ramps up its efforts to fight concussion," according to Sam McClure of THE AGE. The helmets, "whose design is being funded by the AFL," come as AFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Harcourt "declares the competition has barely scratched the surface in understanding concussion." According to AFL researcher Dr. Andrew McIntosh, helmets being worn in football codes are "less effective than those used more than 15 years ago." Harcourt said, "If you were thinking in terms of our understanding of concussion, if it's a 100-kilometer journey, we're probably 15 kilometers down the road. So, we've got a long way to go." Two different helmet specifications are reportedly "in the process of being developed," the "basic" and the "advanced," with the former having already been presented to AFL representatives (THE AGE, 8/16).