The Melbourne Football Club has been officially reprimanded by the AFL for its mismanagement of AFLW forward Eden Zanker, who suffered a concussion during last week's qualifying final loss to the Brisbane Lions.
Match Incident and Failed Assessment
The controversy unfolded during the crucial final at Ikon Park. Eden Zanker received a heavy bump in the first quarter, prompting team trainers to escort her from the field for a mandatory Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
After passing a SCAT6 test, Zanker was surprisingly cleared to return to the field during the second quarter. However, this decision was short-lived. Just before half-time, her concussion was confirmed, and she was pulled from the game for good, despite the earlier test result that had cleared her.
AFL Investigation and Official Reprimand
Following an investigation, the AFL released its findings on Saturday, just hours before Melbourne's cut-throat semi-final against Adelaide. A league spokesperson confirmed the club had breached official concussion protocols.
The AFL has issued a reprimand to Melbourne and will provide further training to the club's doctors ahead of their next match. The league emphasised that the health and safety of players is paramount and requires strict adherence to the guidelines. They also stated that learnings from this breach would be considered in the upcoming annual review of the AFL and AFLW concussion guidelines.
As a direct result of the head knock, Zanker is now in concussion protocols and will not play in the semi-final against Adelaide.
Confusion and Commentary Surrounding the Case
The situation created significant confusion during the broadcast. Channel 7's commentary team expressed uncertainty about Zanker's availability for the following week, given she had technically passed the SCAT6 test.
Boundary-rider Nat Edwards initially reported, "She actually passed the SCAT6 test, so she was cleared, but out of extra caution, the Dees have decided to bench her for the rest of the game."
This prompted immediate questions from commentator Kate McCarthy, who highlighted a grey area in the protocols: "That’s a grey area, because is she out with concussion? If she’s passed the test, she’s not out with concussion, and could play next week. That’s very confusing."
Edwards later added that the club itself was "unsure" about Zanker's playing status for the following week, underscoring the ambiguity of the situation.
