Harry McKay should not be playing in Friday night’s game against Port Adelaide.
A week after AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon declared player safety was “priority No.1, 2 and 3″, the decision to allow the Carlton forward to play seems a glaring contradiction.
Carlton’s Harry McKay on all fours after copping a knock in the third quarter against North Melbourne.Credit: Getty Images
McKay went down late in the third term following a head clash in a marking contest against North Melbourne on Sunday. He appeared dazed and completely out of it. Rather than leave the field immediately for a concussion test, he stayed in the action and kicked a goal just minutes later. The Blues’ doctors were in the rooms with another player at the time of the incident.
Although he was eventually checked off-field by Carlton’s medical staff – which copped a “please explain” from the AFL – McKay remained active and kicked his second goal of the game, helping to seal the victory against the Roos.
Coach Michael Voss defended the club’s handling of McKay, saying he went into the correct protocols but was cleared to keep playing. A Blues spokesperson confirmed McKay had since passed further tests.
But the fact that McKay has been cleared to play this week, despite such visible signs of a head injury, underscores a shocking inconsistency in the AFL’s concussion guidelines.
The league has a history of intervening in similar situations to........