Seven years ago, I saw Will Pucovski’s first innings for Victoria and like many others relished the thought of watching him on the big stage for the next 15 or more years.
Light as our hearts were then, they are even heavier now as the time has come for authorities – Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia – to call time on his career. Enough is enough. It can and must be their decision. It cannot be left to the player alone. If they don’t pick him, he can’t play.
Will Pucovski after he was struck by a ball from Riley Meredith on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
In the same vein, St Kilda should stand down Jimmy Webster now, forgoing the right to mount a defence at the tribunal – there isn’t one – and regardless of that tribunal’s verdict. Enough is enough. The Saints should – but won’t – take the initiative. For as long as they don’t pick him, he can’t play.
These may seem like extreme measures. Concussion is an extreme matter. That’s why sporting authorities must step in. They all say they believe concussion is a grave issue, the most burning in sport. The time has come for them to put their money where their mouths are, lest they be thought mealy.
To date, all progress to reduce the incidence of concussion in sport and mitigate its effects has been slow, cautious and incremental. For concussed players, science is consulted, medical panels convened, the mandated time out lengthened (but in footy somehow always fitting neatly into gaps that minimise the number of games missed).
For perpetrators, the stigma has grown, suspensions gradually have been lengthened. Webster can expect to be hit hard, though however hard he is hit, it won’t be as hard as he hit Jy Simpkin.
Jimmy Webster bumps Jy Simpkin on Sunday.Credit: Fox Footy
Implicitly, we’re being asked to believe that soon we will arrive at a nirvana where this problem will resolve itself. The threat to at-risk players will be marginalised. Careless or thoughtless players will be deterred. Then another player is helped from the sports field, eyes rolling, not or barely able to stand on their own feet.
Of course, not all concussions are the same. Of course, the Pucovski and Simpkin cases are not identical. One is playing a contact sport, one not. One has a long history of concussion, the other not. What happened to Pucovski might be called an occupational hazard, which is why after a double-digit number of concussions it is time for him to find another occupation.
Sport authorities must ban the victims and the perpetrators of concussion
9
0
04.03.2024
Seven years ago, I saw Will Pucovski’s first innings for Victoria and like many others relished the thought of watching him on the big stage for the next 15 or more years.
Light as our hearts were then, they are even heavier now as the time has come for authorities – Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia – to call time on his career. Enough is enough. It can and must be their decision. It cannot be left to the player alone. If they don’t pick him, he can’t play.
Will Pucovski after he was struck by a ball from Riley Meredith on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
In the same vein, St Kilda........
© The Sydney Morning Herald
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Andrew Mitrovica
Mort Laitner
Rami G Khouri
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
