Your AM Headlines + The Cost Of Sport On Our Brains

HEADLINES:

• Four men have been interviewed by Victoria Police detectives this week as part of investigations into the sexual assault allegations linked to the Sydney Swans AFL club.

• Police are investigating after a man was shot dead in Sydney’s west in what detectives believe was a targeted daylight attack.

• Consent advocate Chanel Contos has told National Press Club that big tech is radicalising young men into harmful sexual behaviour, and is pushing for a ban on social media algorithms.

• The world is on track to exceed 1.5 degrees of global warming within years, according to a new UN report.

• So it turns out we’ve all been drinking water wrong.

• And good news for animal lovers about the New Zealand kākāpō.

New research suggests the real damage in contact sports might not be happening on game day, but during training, and it's raising urgent questions for anyone with a kid on a footy field this weekend. On this episode of The Quicky, we look at the degenerative brain disease increasingly turning up in Australian football codes, from AFL and AFLW to soccer, and why doctors believe the cumulative hits from years of junior sport could matter more than any single big hit.

We hear from leading neurologist Dr Rowena Mobbs on what parents and clubs can actually do about it, and why the answer isn't pulling your kid off the field.

Important concussion advice from Dr Rowena Mobbs, neurologist at Mater Hospital Sydney:

- Keep brain health front of mind.
- Carefully observe the athlete if a concussion is suspected and follow the protocols.
- Know the red flags that may indicate a more serious brain injury: Neck pain - Increasing confusion, agitation or irritability - Repeated vomiting - Seizure or convulsion - Weakness or tingling/burning in the arms or legs - Deteriorating conscious state - Severe or increasing headache - Unusual behavioural change - Loss of vision or double vision - Visible deformity of the skull - Loss of consciousness.
- If you see these signs, seek emergency care."

For more information, check out The Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport.

For anyone concerned about CTE, ConneCTErs Australia run a national support service, visit this link.

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