I was reading Craig O'Donoghue's write up in the West online and AFL concussion ëxpert" Peter Jess is suggesting that Nat Fyfe should take 30 days off and get a full specialised brain scan to find out if he has sustained any long term damage from repeated blows to the head after this and other recent concussions as well as some earlier in his career. There is mention made of Nat's fear of concussion above all other injuries. I've made the observation previously that Nat, after copping behind the play whacks, just gives a disdainful look at the perptetrator as if to say "Why are you doing this?" After copping the whack and being shown on TV replays sitting on the bench looking at what I assume were replays of this incident, he had that same perplexed expression.
I'm left wondering myself, after reading Jess' comments if Nat may walk away into premature retirement as other lesser lights have done. I don't doubt his commitment the Freo cause but his long term health is really more important and if Slugger Reid's bump has hastened this in happening then maybe a 2 match ban is extremely light. We all were justifiably enraged by Gaff's assault on Andy Brayshaw and felt that 7 weeks, whilst long, may have been lenient. Yet Andy has recovered and whilst I believe he may suffer some level of discomfort in later years. it shouldn't affect his long term quality of life. Fyfe on the other hand has been knocked out and unknown damage done to his brain yet Reid only cops 2 weeks.
Bearing this in mind I firmly believe that if a concussion is effected from a deliberate act, such as Reid's, then a minimum 7 match minimum automatic suspension should be imposed. Obviously accidental clashes do occur but if the contact is deliberate then this long ban should happen.
