Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast

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This episode picks up where our last one left off, brief update new developments in the Geelong concussion waiver case. But the real focus is bigger than one club: we're unpacking what "they accept the risk" actually means, why professional sport gets treated as a calling rather than a job, and what that costs players when it comes to consent, tax structures, and basic workplace protection. We'll hold both sides of that argument up fairly, and test it against how any other Australian workplace would be judged for doing the same thing.
 
 
03:44 – New Developments
08:44 – The Debate on Player Accepting the Risk 
14:27 – Vocation vs Job Perspective in Sport
20:29 – Taxation and Financial Structures in Professional Sports
23:20 – Workers Compensation and Athlete Protections
28:10 – Taxation and Risk
32:53 - Comparative Analysis of Workplace Safety and Sports
38:51 – Conclusion
 
 
REFERENCE LIST
1. “Geelong to face significant financial sanction over concussion waiver.” SEN, 8 August 2026. https://www.sen.com.au/news/2026/08/08/afl-2026-afl-ceo-andrew-dillon-speaks-on-geelongs-secret-concussion-waiver-with-jake-kolodjashnij
2. “Timeline becomes clearer as Geelong Cats prepare response to AFL's please explain over Jake Kolodjashnij concussion waiver.” AFL.com.au. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1582383/timeline-becomes-clearer-as-geelong-cats-prepare-response-to-afls-please-explain-over-jake-kolodjashnij-concussion-waiver
3. “Geelong ‘welcomes’ AFL please explain as captain responds to concussion waiver debacle.” Yahoo Sport Australia / Zero Hanger. https://au.sports.yahoo.com/geelong-welcomes-afl-please-explain-013608927.html ; https://www.zerohanger.com/geelong-cats-patrick-dangerfield-captain-responds-to-concussion-waiver-debacle-backs-in-ceo-181057/
4. “Cats board hold crisis meeting over concussion deal.” AAP, via Inverell Times / Moree Champion. https://www.inverelltimes.com.au/story/9327256/cats-board-hold-crisis-meeting-over-concussion-deal/
5. “Cats board meets to discuss concussion controversy.” K ROCK 95.5. https://www.krock.com.au/national/geelong-cats/cats-board-meets-to-discuss-concussion-controversy/
6. “AFL delivers fresh concussion saga statement.” Zero Hanger, 11 August 2026 (Andrew Dillon's 'club obligations' memo; Craig Drummond's full statement). https://www.zerohanger.com/afl-delivers-fresh-concussion-saga-statement-181096/
7. Nichol, Matt. “Not-for-profit organisations and the tax status of professional sport: Revisiting the exemption status of the Australian Football League and its clubs.” CQUniversity. https://acquire.cqu.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Not-for-profit_organisations_and_the_tax_status_of_professional_sport_Revisiting_the_exemption_status_of_the_Australian_Football_League_and_its_clubs/28755494
8. Nichol, Matt. “Australia's major sports codes are considered not-for-profits – is it time for them to pay up?” The Conversation / CQUniversity. https://theconversation.com/australias-major-sports-codes-are-considered-not-for-profits-is-it-time-for-them-to-pay-up-250914
9. “Sporting organisations.” Australian Taxation Office (confirms sporting tax-exemption category distinct from registered charity status). https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/not-for-profit-organisations/your-organisation/does-your-not-for-profit-need-to-pay-income-tax/types-of-income-tax-exempt-organisations/sporting-organisations
10. Windholz, Eric. “Why sports stars get less support than other injured workers – and how we can fix it.” Monash Lens / The Conversation. https://lens.monash.edu/why-sports-stars-get-less-support-than-other-injured-workers-and-how-we-can-fix-it/ ; https://theconversation.com/why-sports-stars-get-less-support-than-other-injured-workers-and-how-we-can-fix-it-200702
11. “Injured sports stars are not entitled to workers' compensation. How we can fix the problem.” SmartCompany (Eric Windholz). https://www.smartcompany.com.au/people-human-resources/injured-sports-stars-not-entitled-workers-compensation/
12. Windholz, Eric. “Professional athletes and injury insurance: A better way forward.” Sport, Business and Management, 2025. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1037969X251337131
13. “The future of injury insurance and workers' compensation in Australian sport.” Monash University Faculty of Law. https://www.monash.edu/law/news/articles/2021/the-future-of-injury-insurance-and-workers-compensation-in-australian-sport
14. “WHS and pro athletes: the next frontier in regulation.” Citation Group. https://citationgroup.com.au/resources/whs-and-the-professional-athlete-the-final-frontier-for-workplace-regulation/
15. “Chapter 4: Coverage and eligibility for benefits” and “Table 4.4: Treatment of sportspersons and sporting injuries.” Safe Work Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/book/comparison-wc-arrangements-29ed/chapter-4 ; https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/book/comparison-workers-compensation-arrangements-australia-and-new-zealand-2021-28th-edition/chapter-4-coverage-and-eligibility-benefits/table-44-treatment-sportspersons-and-sporting-injuries
16. Riewoldt, Nick. “What happens during AFL contract negotiations?” ESPN, 2016. https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/16111020/nick-riewoldt-happens-afl-contract-negotiations
17. Riewoldt, Nick. “My experiences with concussion.” ESPN, 2016. https://www.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/15180632/my-experiences-concussion
18. “Don't knock concussion protocols: Riewoldt.” AFL Players' Association. https://www.aflplayers.com.au/news-feed/stories/dont-knock-concussion-protocols-riewoldt

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NOTE: This episode reports on matters covered in the media and public statements; it does not allege guilt or wrongdoing by any individual or organisation named. Information is current as of recording and may have changed since.
A factual look at the AFL's 2026 concussion-waiver case involving Geelong and Jake Kolodjashnij: what the reporting shows happened, how the AFL and AFLPA responded, and what it raises about consent, governance, and accountability in professional sport.

04:00 - Introduction to Episode 
06:30 - What is Said to Allegedly Happen
13:45 - Geelong’s Own Clubs Doctors 
20:10 – The Money Question
24:00 – Is there Double Standards with Hollands Case and Port Adelaide?
29:35 – Risk to the Player 
35:10 - Consent in Professional Sport
40:16 – 2001 CISG/ Jordan Lewis Concussion 
44:50 – Athletes Can Not See Past Next Week
  
REFERENCE LIST
1. Clark, Jay. Report via CODE Sports (video), summarised in “Shock concussion report as club's ‘secret deal’ with player sets ‘dangerous example’,” AFL Daily / NewsBeep, 2026. https://www.newsbeep.com/au/844998/
2. “AFL club had secret concussion deal with player: report.” AAP, syndicated via Newcastle Herald. https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/9325028/afl-club-had-secret-concussion-deal-with-player-report/
3. Edmund, Sam. “Revealed: Victorian giants named in secret concussion deal.” SEN, August 2026. https://www.sen.com.au/news/2026/08/05/afl-news-concussion-bombshell-secret-deal-afl-aflpa
4. “AFL and AFLPA release statement: Victorian club at centre of secret concussion deal revealed.” Zero Hanger, 2026. https://www.zerohanger.com/victorian-club-at-centre-of-concussion-deal-revealed-180859/
5. “Geelong avoids sanction over player concussion deal.” AAP wire report. https://www.bunburymail.com.au/story/9325028/geelong-avoids-sanction-over-player-concussion-deal/
6. “Geelong Cats receive please explain letter from AFL over concussion deal.” AFL.com.au. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1578601/geelong-cats-receive-please-explain-letter-from-afl-over-concussion-deal
7. “Cat identifies himself as concussion waiver player.” AAP, via Moree Champion. https://www.moreechampion.com.au/story/9326238/cat-identifies-himself-as-concussion-waiver-player/
8. “Geelong's Jake Kolodjashnij outs himself as player who signed AFL concussion waiver.” Guardian Australia via AOL. https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/geelong-jake-kolodjashnij-outs-himself-091217000.html
9. “Top-six hunting Cats coach kept out of concussion case.” AAP, via Moree Champion / Inverell Times. https://www.moreechampion.com.au/story/9326222/top-six-hunting-cats-coach-kept-out-of-concussion-case/
10. “I apologise for the mistakes made: AFL Chair Craig Drummond sorry for Jake Kolodjashnij affair while he was president of Geelong Cats.” AFL.com.au. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1578906/i-apologise-for-the-mistakes-made-afl-chair-craig-drummond-sorry-for-jake-kolodjashnij-affair-while-he-was-president-of-geelong-cats
11. “AFL chairman, CEO break silence on Cats concussion saga.” AAP, via Moree Champion / Inverell Times / Katherine Times. https://www.moreechampion.com.au/story/9326329/afl-chairman-ceo-break-silence-on-cats-concussion-saga/
12. “Caroline Wilson grills Andrew Dillon over Geelong concussion saga.” 3AW. https://www.3aw.com.au/caroline-wilson-grills-andrew-dillon-over-geelong-concussion-saga/
13. “AFL CEO Andrew Dillon speaks on Geelong-concussion-deal saga, potential punishments.” Zero Hanger. https://www.zerohanger.com/afl-ceo-andrew-dillon-speaks-on-geelong-concussion-deal-saga-potential-punishments-180967
14. “AFL club Geelong under scrutiny over alleged concussion deal with player.” AOL / PA Media. https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/afl-club-geelong-under-scrutiny-063851000.html
15. Rooke v Australian Football League & Geelong Football Club, Third Party Notice, Supreme Court of Victoria, filed 18 September 2025 (Geelong's claim against twelve named former club doctors: Hugh Seward, Peter Larkins, Andrew Irwin, Chris Bradshaw, Geoff Allen, Drew Slimmon, David Long, James McLaren, Peter Ryan, Gregory Lindquist, Jeanne McGivern, Kendall Brooks). https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-10/Rooke%20-%20Third%20Party%20Notice%20%5BRedacted%5D.pdf
16. “Australian Court Dismisses, In Part, Concussion Claim Against AFL.” Sports Litigation Alert. https://sportslitigationalert.com/australian-court-dismisses-in-part-concussion-claim-against-afl/
17. “2023 Geelong Football Club season.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Geelong_Football_Club_season
18. “Jake Kolodjashnij.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Kolodjashnij
19. “Kade Kolodjashnij.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kade_Kolodjashnij
20. “Clubs to get cap relief for medically retired players.” AFL.com.au, June 2024. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1153880/clubs-to-get-cap-relief-for-medically-retired-players
21. “AFL grants club relief for concussed, medically retired players.” Zero Hanger, June 2024. https://www.zerohanger.com/afl-grants-club-relief-for-concussed-medically-retired-players-152023/
22. “AFL bans new Blue for illicit drugs policy breach.” AFL.com.au, Nov 2023. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1064667/afl-bans-new-carlton-blues-recruit-elijah-hollands-for-illicit-drugs-policy-breach
23. “Hollands victim of mental health episode, not substance related.” SEN, April 2026. https://www.sen.com.au/news/2026/04/17/afl-2026-carlton-elijah-hollands-vision-collingwood-game-concerning-footage
24. “Carlton cop big fine from AFL for Hollands mishandling.” ESPN, May 2026. https://www.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/48682566/afl-news-carlton-elijah-hollands
25. “Blues speak after copping hefty fine for Hollands affair.” AFL.com.au, May 2026. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1513236/afl-announces-outcome-of-investigation-into-elijah-hollands-for-carlton-blues-against-collingwood-magpies
26. “Power hit with huge AFL fine over concussion error.” ESPN. https://africa.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/38130230/afl-port-adelaide
27. “Nigel Lappin.” Wikipedia; “Lions get Lappin up for '03 Grand Final despite broken ribs.” AFL.com.au. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Lappin ; https://www.afl.com.au/news/89240/lions-get-lappin-up-for-03-grand-final-despite-broken-ribs
28. “2004 AFL Grand Final.” Grokipedia. https://grokipedia.com/page/2004_AFL_Grand_Final
29. “Trent Croad.” Wikipedia; “Injury forces Croad into retirement.” Hawthorn FC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Croad ; https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/759776/injury-forces-croad-into-retirement
30. “Bulldogs veteran plays down broken back.” ESPN, 2016. https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/17690413/bulldogs-veteran-plays-broken-back
31. “Bulldog defender played finals series with a broken back.” AFL.com.au, 2016. https://www.afl.com.au/news/59655/bulldog-defender-played-finals-series-with-a-broken-back
32. “Bulldogs' bionic man retires after remarkable 15-year career.” AFL.com.au, 2019. https://www.afl.com.au/news/133337/bulldogs-bionic-man-dale-morris-retires-after-remarkable-career
33. “‘Would like to know why’: AFL questioned over failed intervention during major concussion.” Zero Hanger, 2026. https://www.zerohanger.com/would-like-to-know-why-afl-questioned-over-failed-intervention-during-major-concussion-179113
34. “Timeline of how the AFL has addressed concussion.” AFL.com.au. https://www.afl.com.au/concussion/timeline
35. “Ex-AFL player challenges league over concussion compensation.” Insurance Business Australia. https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/workers-compensation/exafl-player-challenges-league-over-concussion-compensation-574064.aspx
36. “Former Western Bulldog Aiden O'Driscoll not giving up on AFL dream.” The Nightly, 2025. https://thenightly.com.au/sport/afl/former-western-bulldog-aiden-odriscoll-not-giving-up-on-afl-dream-seeks-second-opinion-on-medical-retirement-c-18273634
37. “Duties and Loyalties of AFL Club Doctors: A Hopeless Conflict of Interest.” Polaris Lawyers. https://www.polarislawyers.com.au/legal-compass/duties-and-loyalties-of-afl-club-doctors-a-hopeless-conflict-of-interest
38. “Why the AFL Is Its Own Worst Enemy When It Comes to Concussions, Tribunals and Player Safety.” Melbourne Sports Law Association. https://www.melbournesla.com/sports-law-forum/q7spsuhe52wr7fajn5qlvlxpl1xrn8
39. “AFL rules out using neutral doctors during games.” ESPN. https://www.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/40135833/afl-rules-neutral-independent-doctors-jeremy-cameron-concussion
40. “'Additional safeguard': AFL makes concussion changes.” ESPN. https://africa.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/48107582/afl-concussion-changes-lawsuit-arc-doctors
41. “Concussion sufferers launch class action against AFL.” ESPN. https://africa.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/35854961/afl-sued-former-players-class-action-concussion
42. Deubert, Christopher R., and I. Glenn Cohen. “Club Doctors.” Football Players Health Study, Harvard Law School. https://footballplayershealth.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/07_Ch2_Club_Docs.pdf
43. “Goldman's dilemma.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldman's_dilemma
44. Connor, J., et al. “Would they dope? Revisiting the Goldman dilemma.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.n

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Note: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. While I’ve done my best to accurately interpret the cited journal articles, please read the original sources yourself for full context before drawing conclusions.
This episode picks up where last week's left off — not questioning the "probable CTE" label itself, but asking what to do given the uncertainty around it. We dig into why a child's developing brain (myelination, the hippocampus) may respond to repeated heading differently than an adult's, then lay out the strongest evidence for restricting heading in kids under 12, including real-world results from youth hockey's body-checking bans. We give equal time to the case for caution, including genuine peer-reviewed findings that complicate the picture. We also break down an angle rarely covered: the physics of the ball itself, using a Guinness World Record Premier League shot to show why "the ball got lighter" doesn't necessarily mean heading got safer. Finally, we look at what happens when rule changes are actually tried, and the kind of resistance to change that has nothing to do with the science at all.
 
02:45 - Segment One: Why a Child’s Brain Is Different
07:15 - Segment Two: The Case For Changing the Rules
15:40 - Segment Three: The Case Against — Or At Least, For Caution
21:25 - Segment Four: The Ball Itself — Why “It’s Not Heavy and Wet Anymore” Doesn’t Settle It
27:30 - Segment Five: What’s Already Been Tried
31:30 - Segment Six: The Old Guard — Resistance That Isn’t About the Science
 34:30 - Segment Seven: Where This Leaves Us
 
* Dr Julie Stamm Episode 28: Kids, Youth Sport and Concussion with Dr Julie Stamm
* Dr Julie Stamm Episode 66: The Brain on Youth Sports, Athletic Trainers and Concussion Research with Dr Julie Stamm
* Dr Robert Cantu Episode 81: Concussion, CTE and Repetitive Head Impacts with Dr Robert Cantu
 
 
Twitter: @first concussion
Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast
Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion  
Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

Episode — Reference List
1. Stamm, J.M. The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future. Rowman & Littlefield, 2021.
2. Mackay, D.F., Russell, E.R., Stewart, K., MacLean, J.A., Pell, J.P., Stewart, W. Neurodegenerative disease mortality among former professional soccer players. New England Journal of Medicine. 2019;381(19):1801–1808.
3. Russell, E.R., Mackay, D.F., Stewart, K., et al. Association of field position and career length with risk of neurodegenerative disease in male former professional soccer players. JAMA Neurology. 2021.
4. Cantu, R.C. Concussion and Our Kids: America’s Leading Expert on How to Protect Young Athletes and Keep Sports Safe. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
5. Emery, C.A., et al. Body checking and injury rates in youth ice hockey: comparison of Alberta and Quebec leagues. JAMA. 2010.
6. Black, A.M., Macpherson, A.K., Hagel, B.E., et al. Policy change eliminating body checking in non-elite ice hockey leads to a threefold reduction in injury and concussion risk in 11- and 12-year-old players. British Journal of Sports Medicine / cited via PubMed. 2016.
7. Krolikowski, M.P., Black, A.M., Palacios-Derflingher, L., et al. The effect of the zero tolerance for head contact rule change on the risk of concussions in youth ice hockey players. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016.
8. Reduction of high school ice hockey injuries with implementation of new checking/boarding rules. PubMed-indexed study, referenced 2021.
9. Hutchison, M.G., et al. Concussion characteristics in the National Hockey League before and after the introduction of Rule 48. JAMA Network Open. 2023.
10. The impact of body checking on youth ice hockey injuries (Pee Wee/Bantam age-group analysis). Referenced in Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, via SAGE Journals.
11. Rodrigues, A.C., Lima, M.D.M., de Souza, L.C., Furtado, C., Marques, C.E., Gonçalves, L., Lima, M.V., Lasmar, R.P., Caramelli, P. No Evidence of Association Between Soccer Heading and Cognitive Performance in Professional Soccer Players: Cross-Sectional Results. Frontiers in Neurology. 2019;10:209.
12. Auger, J., Markel, J., Pecoski, D.D., Leiva-Molano, N., Talavage, T.M., Leverenz, L., Shen, F., Nauman, E.A. Factors affecting peak impact force during soccer headers and implications for the mitigation of head injuries. PLOS ONE. 2020;15(10):e0240162.
13. Koizumi, A., Hong, S., Sakamoto, K., Sasaki, R., Asai, T. A Study of Impact Force on Modern Soccer Balls. Procedia Engineering. 2014;72:423–428.
14. Kirkendall, D.T., Garrett, W.E., et al. Heading in Soccer: Integral Skill or Grounds for Cognitive Dysfunction? (Review discussing ball physics, F = ma, and leather-vs-synthetic ball history.)
15. Guinness World Records. Fastest shot on goal in English top division football (soccer) — David Hirst, Sheffield Wednesday, 183 km/h, 16 September 1996.
16. The Ringer. What happens when soccer bans heading? 2017. (Twellman, Barker.)
17. WBUR Only A Game. (Don’t) use your head. 2015. (Comstock.)
18. BBC coverage of grassroots English heading-ban trials and the Raúl Jiménez injury, 2020.
19. Scottish Football Association public statement on proposed under-12 heading ban, following Mackay et al. 2019.

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This episode unpacks what "probable CTE" actually means — where the term comes from, what the science can and can't currently tell us, and why a single case (former Socceroos captain Paul Wade) has reignited debate about diagnosing a disease that's only ever been confirmed after death. It walks through the genuine case for and against using this label in living patients, and why the language we use around it matters.
Note: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice or a diagnostic tool. While I've done my best to accurately interpret the cited journal articles, please read the original sources yourself for full context before drawing conclusions.
 
06:00 - Segment One: What Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Actually Is
 
09:45 - Segment Two: Why You Can't Diagnose It in the Living — Yet
 
12:00 - Segment Three: "Probable CTE" — Where the Term Actually Comes From
 
17:09 - Segment Four: Why This Topic Divides Even the Experts — The Dose-Response Problem
 
21:30 - Segment Five: The Case For Diagnosing Probable CTE in Living Patients
 
24:00 - Segment Six: The Case Against — Or At Least, the Case for Caution
 
29:27 - Segment Seven: Why the Words We Use Actually Matter
 
32:50 - Segment Eight: Where This Leaves Us
 
 
Episode — Reference List
1. Martland, H.S. Punch drunk. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1928;91(15):1103–1107.
2. McKee, A.C., Cairns, N.J., Dickson, D.W., et al. The first NINDS/NIBIB consensus meeting to define neuropathological criteria for the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Acta Neuropathologica. 2016;131(1):75–86.
3. Bieniek, K.F., Cairns, N.J., Crary, J.F., et al. The second NINDS/NIBIB consensus meeting to define neuropathological criteria for the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. 2021;80(3):210–219.
4. Mez, J., Daneshvar, D.H., Kiernan, P.T., et al. Clinicopathological evaluation of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in players of American football. JAMA. 2017;318(4):360–370.
5. Montenigro, P.H., Baugh, C.M., Daneshvar, D.H., et al. Clinical subtypes of chronic traumatic encephalopathy: literature review and proposed research diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. 2014;6(5):68.
6. Cantu, R.C., Budson, A.E. Management of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2019;19(10):1015–1023.
7. Katz, D.I., Bernick, C., Dodick, D.W., et al. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke consensus diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Neurology. 2021;96(18):848–863.
8. Dickstein, D.L., Pullman, M.Y., Fernandez, C., et al. Cerebral [18F]T807/AV1451 retention pattern in clinically probable CTE resembles pathognomonic distribution of CTE tauopathy. Translational Psychiatry. 2016;6(9):e900.
9. Arena, J.D., Stewart, W., Schneider, A.L.C., et al. Performance of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome criteria in identifying individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Nature Medicine. 2026;32:2037–2046.
10. Iverson, G.L., Gardner, A.J. Risk for misdiagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy in men with anger control problems. Frontiers in Neurology. 2020;11:739.
11. Iverson, G.L., Gardner, A.J. Risk of misdiagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy in men with depression. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. 2020;32(2):139–146.
12. Iverson, G.L., Gardner, A.J. Symptoms of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome are common in the United States general population. Brain Communications. 2021;3(1):fcab001.
13. Grashow, R., Weisskopf, M.G., Baggish, A., et al. Premortem chronic traumatic encephalopathy diagnoses in professional football. Annals of Neurology. 2020;88(1):106–112.
14. Eagle, S.R., et al. Interaction of medical conditions and football exposures associated with premortem chronic traumatic encephalopathy diagnosis in former professional American football players. Sports Medicine. 2024;54:743–752.
15. Stewart, W., Buckland, M.E., McInnes, K., et al. Primum non nocere: a call for balance when reporting on CTE. Lancet Neurology. 2019;18(3):231–233.
16. Hazrati, L-N., Schwab, N. Embracing the unknown in the diagnosis of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Neurology. 2021;96(18):835–836.
17. McKee, A.C., et al. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE): criteria for neuropathological diagnosis and relationship to repetitive head impacts. Acta Neuropathologica. 2023;145(4):371–394.
18. Atherton, K., Han, X., Chung, J., et al. Association of APOE genotypes and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. JAMA Neurology. 2022;79(8):787–796.
19. SBS News. Former Socceroo becomes first Australian footballer to share probable CTE diagnosis. July 2026.
20. beIN SPORTS. Former Socceroos captain reveals probable CTE diagnosis. July 22, 2026.
21. The Washington Post. Ex-Socceroos captain Paul Wade says he has probable CTE, urges no heading for junior players. July 22, 2026.

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Dr. Schmidt is the Georgia Athletic Association Endowed Professor at the University of Georgia and Co-Director of the UGA Concussion Research Center. Her research program focuses on the continuum of concussion management, including injury assessment, clinical recovery, rehabilitation strategies, and evidence-based return-to-activity protocols. She is particularly recognised for advancing the evidence surrounding post-concussion return-to-drive decision-making, an emerging area of clinical importance given the cognitive, visual, and motor demands of driving following mild traumatic brain injury. Her sustained contributions to concussion science were recognised in 2025 with her induction as a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), one of the profession's highest distinctions. With more than 3,500 citations in the scientific literature, Dr. Schmidt's work has substantially influenced contemporary concussion research, clinical guidelines, and interdisciplinary approaches to patient care.
 
01:10 - Journey into Concussion and Return-to-Driving
05: 15 -What is a concussion?
06:50 - Why Don’t We Really Think of Concussion and Return-to-Drive?
09:00 – Drink Driving Paradox and Concussion
11:30 – Messaging Around Return-to-Drive
15:10 – What Does Return-to-Drive Protocols 
21:00 – Development of Protocols 
28:00 – Heavy Machinery 
34:00 - Where to Find and Help Dr Julianne Schmidt’s Work
  
Twitter: @first concussion
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Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com