There is growing evidence that multiple concussions may increase the risk of experiencing a range of diseases and cognitive impairments later in life.

In latest episode of On Side we talk to former Wallabies player Peter FitzSimons, whose personal crusade against concussion started 15 years ago, Alan Pearce, Associate Professor at La Trobe University and Research Manager at Australian Sports Brain Bank (Victoria), and Paralympian Michael Milton about concussion in sport.

While he admits there has been “huge progress” within the contact codes, FitzSimons says the rules are still flaunted every week.

“…When you see someone clearly concussed, clearly gaga, still getting HIA (head injury assessments), which is let’s see if they’re concussed or not, and then so often they come back on the field …. Can you tell us what is was?” he asks.

“Why he was wobbling at the knees, wandering all over the place. But you’ve done the head injury assessment, it wasn’t concussion, what was it? I tell you Tim we will see those cases show up in court 10 years from now.

“Professional football codes have to get serious about observing the protocols.”

Associate Professor Pearce, a neurophysiologist, says while sports are now starting to take concussion seriously, in terms of the long-term outcomes, there’s still a hesitancy to accept the science.

“We never thought that we’d get 12 day stand down with the AFL until this year,” he said. “It’s all about small steps, it’s all about changing the attitudes of the wider community to concussion or sub-concussions, taking the injury more seriously… We will still keep calling for changes because we know that the long-term welfare will pay off in the end.”

Our most successful Paralympian with six gold, three silver and two bronze medals, Milton admits he competed in a different era – often without a helmet. Crashes were “a part of the sport” says the Australian downhill skiing speed record holder.

“[The impacts of those crashes] is certainly a concern going forward,” he admits. “When I start to think about skiing over 6,000 days in my life, averaging a crash at least once a day, you start adding up and thinking there’s probably pretty high numbers of multiple impacts that potentially could have an issue in the future.”

Our athlete educator Hayley Baker answers the question, “Do repeat offenders face tougher sanctions?”.