Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has given an update on defender Marcus Adams, who has been placed on the inactive list for the 2023 season as he continues to deal with the ongoing affects of concussion.
Adams suffered a head knock in Round 21 last season and subsequently suffered delayed concussion symptoms. Following the incident in August, Adams is still experiencing symptoms on the eve of the 2023 season and is unlikely to feature for the Lions this year.
Speaking to The Age, Fagan detailed Adams' experience with concussion over the last few months, admitting that seeing the 29-year-old recover enough to "enjoy life every day" superseded his return to the footy field.
โI'm just hoping that he can get to a point where he can enjoy life every day, and not be living like he has been over the last three or four months,โ Fagan said to The Age.
โHe has his good days and his bad days. Sometimes he feels like he's making progress, then he'll have a day of headaches, days where he can't look at a screen, that sort of thing, so it's a slow work in progress.โ
Fagan admitted that the AFL are in a difficult position as they face potential class action regarding concussion from former players.
Last week it was reported that a Melbourne law firm is preparing to seek compensation on behalf of a number of former AFL and AFLW players who have suffered life-altering head knocks, potentially costing the league millions.
โI think the AFL are in a terribly difficult position,โ Fagan said.
โThere's no game, whether it be ours, or soccer or rugby that's safe from concussion. I'm not an expert on concussion, but the only way to stop people getting concussions is not to play the game any more.
โThe AFL tried their hardest to make the game safer, and that's all you can ask of them. It's a ballistic game. No one wears protection, it's got no slower, it's contact from all directions.โ
The AFL announced a change to concussion rules in 2021, mandating players who have suffered a concussion must be sidelined for at least 12 days, but the league is still facing calls to do more when it comes to head knocks.
