Baldivis and Warnbro to face off in Concussion Cup

In a move that could set a precedent for football across Australia, the Baldivis Brumbies and Warnbro Swans will face off in a Concussion Cup clash on Saturday.

The Perth Football League’s round 9 Baldivis home game at 2.40pm, June 12, will raise awareness for the issue, with the teams hoping it will be adopted across the league.

Brumbies coach Michael McCann said although football teams regularly used their games to highlight various causes such as mental health and road safety, the match would be the first one in Australia to raise awareness of concussions.

Mr McCann said he hoped the one-off match would become a regular round in the Perth League and be taken up by other leagues and levels of football.

In Between the Ears co-founder Brendan Verrier, who has suffered from concussions, said it was a great initiative, not only for athletes, but for parents and clubs to understand the seriousness of concussions in sport. “It’s important for young kids to be educated, because if not taken seriously, consequences can happen not only on the field but also later on in life,” Verrier said.

“Even just the small act of missing a week or two can make a big difference, so if in doubt sit it out.

“Making smart choices on and off the field can really dictate whether serious complications will occur later on in life.”

Mr Verrier said he hoped the match would improve understanding of what a concussion was and help break the misconception that they only occur when a person loses consciousness.

“In fact, 80 per cent occur when you don't lose consciousness,” he said.

“The ones that go unreported are the ones that can have the most impact because you probably will play the next week because you didn’t get knocked and so you think you’re fine.”

Brendan’s brother Steven, captain of the Baldivis Brumbies, said the club was keen to play the match.

“There’s really no ceiling for where this can go. We’d like every other club to get behind this,” he said.

Warnbro captain Hayden Davis said the public was still learning about concussions and hoped the game would educate younger generations of footy players.

Blurred co-founder and former Peel Thunder player Keegan Power has had to step back from football for the last two years.

“I was left with post-concussion syndrome and I suffered from symptoms such as vertigo and prolonged headaches,” Power said.

Power said the Cup was about getting people to talk to and educate each other.