I AM about to outrage some of you, my good readers, by admitting that not only do I not follow Australian Rules football or join in with footy tipping groupies, but I actually think it is a brutal game to watch, let alone play.
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Rob and I loved watching our son play soccer as a boy, but when he chose to play football later we struggled to join with other parents and barrack, always very concerned that he was putting himself in danger.
Perhaps he caught our anxiety, or perhaps he realised himself that this was a very different game to soccer.
He never really developed that "killer instinct" which the ‘best’ players demonstrate.
Our son loves to follow his footy team, and his son loves to accompany him when they head off to watch the Big Boys in action on the MCG or wherever, but his son has also rejected actually playing the game in favour of tennis.
I can never understand why there is not a very clear rule that helmets must be worn when playing football at any level.
Studies are now emerging of the long-term effects of acquired brain injuries on football players, long after they have ceased playing.
Helmets must be worn on bikes; seat belts must be worn in cars.
Both have been shown to be extremely effective in slowing down the rate of head injuries.
Let’s do the same for our football players, both children and adults.
It is initially up to parents to take the lead.
Clubs will follow if enough pressure is applied.
I realised recently that if there has to be a choice between a battlefield for young men or an aggressive, testosterone-fuelled football field, I would choose the football field any day.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if world leaders worked that out, and preferred to keep violent conflicts on a green and hallowed football field, rather than a green and hallowed battleground?
If only that view were supported by the rest of the world. We wish!
None of our grandsons plays Australian Rules football, although they all have a team they avidly follow.
Our grandchildren, both boys and girls, participate in a number of sports including tennis, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, swimming and netball. Good for them!
Children learn much about life when they participate in team games.
Learning to win and lose and sharing the camaraderie of winning and losing is all part of preparing the child to become the adult, preparing them for the teamwork needed as they move into a working environment.
Team games are about supporting and caring for each other.
Clip those helmets on. Let’s keep our footballers safer as well as healthy.
