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In October the A-Leagues raised their minimum concussion stand-down from eight days to twelve. It came five years after the AFL and three and a half after the NRL, and it was announced the night before the season opener with nobody quoted. Starting with 18-year-old Will Dobson playing on after a two-minute check, this monologue looks at why football took so long and who actually controls the game’s concussion rules. It then sets the A-Leagues against the AFL and NRL on independent spotters, off-field assessments and cover for concussed players. It finds that twelve days brings football level on the stand-down, but it still trails the other codes on everything that decides whether a concussed player leaves the field in the first place.

1:55 - William Dobson’s head injury and the questions it raises about on-field assessment.

3:46 - What changed in the new policy, including return-to-play requirements.

5:37 -A separate rule change addressing time-wasting when a goalkeeper is injured.

7:32 -Why the A-League took longer to change its policy, with a look back at earlier reviews.

11:23 -Comparing stand-down periods across the A-League, AFL, NRL and rugby.

12:43 -How football’s governing structure may slow concussion-rule changes.

18:12 -The debate over temporary concussion substitutes and longer head-injury assessments.

24:03 -Recent A-League head-injury examples and concerns about match-day assessments.

26:55 -Why the 12-day policy announcement attracted little attention.

28:52 - Comparing how the A-League, NRL and AFL monitor and manage head injuries.

34:34 - Remaining gaps, including short on-field assessments and repeated head impacts.

36:55 - Three proposed steps for the A-League: explain the policy publicly, add independent medical oversight, and publish data.

38:17 - Closing thoughts on the policy’s progress and what still needs to change.

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Dr Francisco Javier López Frías, an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at Utah State University. Trained in philosophy at the University of Valencia, where he earned his PhD in Philosophy, Ethics and Democracy, Javi is internationally recognised for his work on the ethics of sport, particularly doping, human enhancement technologies and the “spirit of sport”. With more than 100 academic publications and over 1,000 citations, he is one of the leading voices in his field.

02:30 – Journey into Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

06:00 – Super League Split

09:40 – Ethical Questions in Sport

21:35 – Technology in Sport and ‘Cheating’

38:27 – ‘The Spirit of the Game’

51:30 – What Message Enhancements in Sport Send?

105:00 - Dr Francisco Javier López Frías Book

Dr Lopez Frias:

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.is/citations?user=z3_i9-AAAAAJ&hl=en

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Dr Parry is a Principal Academic at Bournemouth University and formerly led the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s UK Media Project. An award-winning writer and educator, he is also a recipient of a UN Day Media Award. His research explores how the media shapes our understanding of sport, from masculinity and rugby culture to the language we use around head injuries.

Today, we’ll explore why the words we use to talk about concussion matter, how the media shapes public attitudes, why athletes still struggle to speak up, and the big question: is all this conversation translating into meaningful change?

01:30 - Dr Parry Journey into Research of Media Representation

03:35 - Why Does Language Around Injurie’s Matter

10:50 - Does the Media Reflect or Create What Society Thinks About Concussion?

14:50 – Cultures, Complexities and Pressures on Athletes

21:00 – Concussion and Media Fatigue

26:00 – Implementation of Change

28:30 – Look at Effects on Family with Repetitive Head Impacts

34:10 – Organisation and Cultural Lag

40:40 – If We Could Change Few Things What Would It Be

45:10 – Favourite Sporting Moments and Where to Find and Help Support Dr Parry

Dr Keith Parry

https://staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk/display/kdparry

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Dr Moore is the founding Director of England’s National Football Museum, which he built from the ground up over more than twenty years, bringing together world-class collections, including the FIFA Collection. He opened the museum in Preston in 2001 before relocating it to Manchester in 2012, where it attracted over half a million visitors annually. He has advised sports museums internationally and written extensively on football history and museum culture.

His latest book, Heading for Trouble: Football’s Head Impact Crisis – And How We Save the Game, published by Bloomsbury Sport, draws on research and interviews with former players and neurological experts to explore the links between repetitive heading and brain disease, football’s slow response, and how the game can protect its players while preserving everything we love about it.

02:00 - Running a Sports Museum,

04:24 - Writing a Book on Football & Concussion?

08:00 - How Heading Became Part of the Game

15:45 – Concussion, CTE & Repetitive Heading Impacts

21:10 – Differences in Men, Women and Children

32:20 – Who Creates the Rules and Changes the Rules

36:40 – Ball Size, New vs Old

41:20 – Personal Views on Changing Rules for the Game

45:20- Favourite Sporting Moment and Piece of Memorabilia from a Museum

49:50 - Purchasing the Book and Supporting Dr Kevin Moore’s Work?

Dr Kevin Moore

https://doctorkevinmoore.org

https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/heading-for-trouble-9781399428248/

Audio Book on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/1iA6Tpl5kqida5p0VJnZcN?si=32466a2f1b524e1d

Twitter: @first concussion

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Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

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Dr Hardwicke is a Senior Lecturer in the Sociology of Sport at Nottingham Trent University and a leading UK voice on brain injury in sport. A former competitive cyclist who suffered a brain injury himself, he now works with colleagues on how to better care for former athletes living with neurodegeneration and their families. Through his research and his writing for the British Journal of Sports Medicine and The Conversation, he challenges sport to focus on preventing brain injuries rather than only managing them after they happen.

01:30 – Journey into Concussion and Sociology Research

09:30 - What is a Concussion in Sociology Research

13:00 - “Knowledge Doesn't Equal Safety" Paradox

20:00 - Brain Injury in Women’s Sport and Misconceptions

30:08 - Suspected CTE and Families Research

46:15 – Children and Brain Injury

54:53 - Where to Find Dr Jack Hardwicke

Dr Jack Hardwickie

https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/science-technology/jack-hardwicke

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=riOu_9AAAAAJ&hl=en

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Professor Stern is a Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Anatomy & Neurobiology at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. As co-founder of the BU CTE Center and former Director of Clinical Research, he has spent nearly two decades pioneering ways to detect and diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) during life, while uncovering the long-term neurological impact of repetitive head trauma in former athletes. His ground-breaking work includes major projects such as the landmark DETECT and DIAGNOSE CTE studies, the Head Impact & Trauma Surveillance Study, and numerous investigations into biomarkers and diagnostic criteria for concussion and CTE. With more than 250 peer-reviewed publications, key advisory roles with the NFLPA and NCAA, and recognition such as the 2025 Leon Thal Prize for Research Excellence, Professor Stern is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts shaping modern concussion and CTE science.

06:50 - Dr Robert Stern’s Journey into Neurology, Neurodegenerative Disease and Repetitive Head Impacts

13:00 - What Does Boston University CTE Do?

15:55 – Repetitive Head Impacts

20:45 – Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

24:35 – Dementia

28:25 – Neurological Disease’s and Clinical Testing In vivo

32:24 – Biomarkers, Diagnosis Dementia and Growth in the Field

40:00 – Nocebo Effect and Understanding/ Misunderstanding of What is Known

45:35 - Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome and Diagnostic Criteria

01:02:00 – Summary of Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome

01:07:00 – How to Help and Support Dr Stern’s Work

Professor Robert Stern:

https://www.bu.edu/cte/

https://www.bu.edu/cte/profile/robert-stern/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=42mlewcAAAAJ&hl=en

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Dr Daneshvar is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, Chair of physical medicine and Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation, and Co-Director of Sports Concussion at Mass General Brigham, whilst also a long-time collaborator with the Boston University CTE Centre. Lastly, Dr Daneshvar earned the National Neurotrauma Society's 2024 Rising Star Award, whilst publishing more than 100 papers and being cited over 18,000 times by his academic peers. One of those articles is “Prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy at death in National Football League players: retrospective population-based cohort study, 2008-21” The topic of today’s conversation.

01:15 - Journey into Neurosciences and Brain Injury

02:50 – What is and Difference Between Concussion and CTE

05:16 - “Prevalence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy at Death in National Football League Players: Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study, 2008-21” What are the major findings? How was it conducted…. Etc

09:10 – Extrapolation of CTE in Populations & Correlation Against Death Certificates

12:13 – Stage’s of CTE

15:10 - Accelerometer Data as a Predictor of CTE vs Career Length

18:10 - Significant Challenges in Conducting Studies Around CTE

23:10 – Risk Reduction

27:40 - How Can we Help Support Dr Daneshvar Research

Dr Daniel Daneshvar

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YF2omqkAAAAJ&hl=en

Prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy at death in National Football League players: retrospective population-based cohort study, 2008-21 : https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100418

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Dr Buckland is Head of the Department of Neuropathology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney. He founded and directs the Australian Sports Brain Bank, established in 2018, which has since become a leading centre for research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He is also a co-founder of Brainstorm, a brain cancer research initiative at RPA, and leads research across gliomas, neurodegenerative diseases and molecular neuropathology.

01:17 – Dr Buckland’s Journey Neuropathology and What is Neuropathology

04:25 - Concussion, repetitive head impact

07:50 – What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

10:20 – How is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Diagnosed

13:00 – Separating Different Types of Neurodegenerative Disease

16:54 – Does Response Relationship

19:00 -Brain Donation and Difficulties in Approaching Donations

23:00 – Brainstorm and Cancer

Google Schoolar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=A4mEg3QAAAAJ&hl=en

Australian Sports Brain Bank: https://brainbank.org.au

BrainStorm: https://brainbenefit.org/causes/brainstorm-at-rpa/

Twitter: @first concussion

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