Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Roos wants AFL to bring in concussion sub

It seemed the green vest was a thing of the past in AFL but if Paul Roos has his way there might be a new form of substitute lurking on the bench.

Former Melbourne Demons coach Paul Roos saw the effect concussions can have on a team roster first hand and he's keen to see an AFL rule change as a result.

Roos believes the AFL should consider adding a 23rd man to team lists as a 'concussion sub' as early as the 2018 season.

"If we are going to take this issue seriously, there has to be an extra concussion player -- a 23rd man," Roos told News Corp Australia.

"We probably can't do it for this year, but it's something the AFL needs to look at as we get a better understanding of the issue.

"We need to take concussion more seriously and in doing that more players will be ruled out in the future, so let's not let it impact on games.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"What we noticed (last year) is that we lost a lot of players (during games), and to be fair the doctors have to make some pretty quick calls with the strict protocols.

"We've seen situations like this impact on games. But under this idea if you lose a player (to concussion) you could have a 23rd player on standby to come on."

While Roos suggested a concussion sub could be a great move for teams he ridiculed the notion of breaking the game down into zones on the field.

"I have seen in it in the TAC Cup and it is ridiculous," he said.

"I saw them play one game down at Frankston and it was a windy day. It was blowing to one end and they simply couldn't move the ball out because the forwards were 120 metres away."


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world