Retired Western Bulldogs hero Liam Picken has explained his decision to donate his brain for CTE research after suffering numerous concussions throughout his career.
Picken was forced to retire at the beginning of last year following ongoing concussion symptoms which he experienced after collisions during his 198-game AFL career.
Now 33, the 2016 AFL Premiership winner has announced he will donate his brain to research into CTE when he dies.
"I suffered three big concussions and unfortunately in the last couple of years I've suffered two heavy concussions, so the decision was pretty easy in the end," Picken told Today.
"I was injured for a long time. It impacted my eyes and my vision, my hearing and just the way you function. Your brain just sort of switches off until you can go through the recovery process and rehabilitate it."
Picken said while the damage done to his brain from repeated concussions cannot be undone, he is confident that he can still live a full life.
"With all the medical opinions and specialists I've seen, they've been really positive and optimistic about my future so I'm not really worried about it at all," he said.
"I'm very mindful of what other players go through but in saying that, I don't really have too much concern.
"It's just about being informed about the situation. I was lucky, through my concussions being involved in different research projects, to be able to understand the way the brain functions."
Despite his experience and his vow to donate his brain to research, Picken warned people about over-reacting on the potential dangers of playing Aussie Rules, and instead encouraged athletes and organisations to take the chance to be proactive in combating the problem - which includes the possibility of updating the rules of the game.
"We can't jump to too many conclusions. Sport is amazing. Football communities around the world - over a million people play football - so I think that's a great benefit to society," he said.
"It's just these issues, we have to get on top of it and these guys that have issues they need to be supported.
"It'll be a really great opportunity for all these sporting bodies to get on the front foot and get together and roll out a strategy for the next 10 years.
"They've just got to look at any opportunity to make the game safer, and if that means reducing or modifying the rules I think we just have to look at it and be really strong with that."
Picken also made some suggestions on ways that the AFL may consider revamping the rule book to better protect players.
"There's some elements of AFL football that you'll never take the risk out and I think that's what everyone signs up for," he said.
"But [they could] look at other opportunities to maybe penalise people that hit other guys in the head really hard so we don't get that through lower levels and obviously through AFL."
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/western-bulldogs-liam-picken-to-donate-his-brain-to-research-concussions-cte/00719fcf-71bf-4d3e-b010-4e1e2869c5b6
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