AFL-approved HeadCheck concussion app gets upgrade

Concussion management online app HeadCheck, developed in collaboration between the AFL, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), Curve Tomorrow and a panel of sport-related concussion experts, has been upgraded and relaunched. 

The AFL-approved free app, which is available for Apple iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) devices, is used to recognise and assist in the management of and recovery from any suspected concussion in children and now, adults as well.  

The upgraded HeadCheck app is a resource to suit participants of all ages at all levels of the game and supports the management of concussion in Australian Rules Football from recognition through to return-to-play, in line with the AFL’s concussion management guidelines. 

AFL Head of Concussion Innovation and Research, Adjunct Associate Professor Catherine Willmott, said: “The number one priority for the AFL is the health and safety of participants at all levels of the game and we take the issue of concussion very seriously.

“The HeadCheck app is a fantastic resource to help trainers, coaches, volunteers and parents to recognise the symptoms of a suspected concussion and its severity.

“I would like to thank the world-leading experts at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute led by Professor Vicki Anderson, and the panel, on working with the AFL to provide this important resource to help with concussion identification, management and recovery.”

MCRI Professor Vicki Anderson, a paediatric neuropsychologist, said: “The developing brains of children and young people respond differently to a concussion, with acute care not always managed in line with the latest research.

“The HeadCheck app is a tool based on the latest evidence from MCRI and can provide up-to-date guidance from the point of injury all the way through to full recovery, regardless of whether you are a parent, carer, coach or volunteer.”

Community football adopts minimum 21-day return-to-play protocols 

In March this year the AFL released important developments in relation to the return-to-play protocols in the concussion guidelines for AFL and AFLW and all levels of Australian Rules Football, including community football.

Under the new community guidelines, the earliest that a player can return to play after a concussion is on the 21st day after the day on which the concussion was sustained and provided that the player has safely progressed through each phase of the return-to-play program.

The AFL provides extensive resources and education opportunities for community football, including mandatory online education module as part of coach accreditation, free online webinars presented by AFL Medical Director of AFL Community and Talent Pathways, Dr Anik Shawdon and a step-by-step guide to identifying and managing players through a return-to-play program following a concussion.

The AFL's Community Football Concussion Management Guidelines are accessible here.

A timeline of how the AFL has addressed concussion and the work that has been done in concussion management can be viewed on the AFL's dedicated concussion hub.