Ask Stirling Mortlock how many concussions he would have had in his day and the Wallabies great offers a ballpark figure of "roughly 10".
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"I had a couple of times when I had to have time away from the game. I couldn't sleep well, couldn't concentrate very well," the former ACT Brumbies captain said. "So I know the issues only too well with concussion."
Which is why Mortlock's investment firm XV Capital has signed an equity agreement with EyeGuide Technologies, whose technology is revolutionising how concussions can be identified and managed.
EyeGuide offers a 10-second sideline digital eye test to assist those suffering sporting concussions, head injuries, fatigue, and other mental health issues.
Current protocols rely on players answering questions about how they feel, balance testing, and video analysis to determine whether the player lost consciousness or stumbled.
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But EyeGuide offers a model far more complex than a footballer remembering what day it is - all with cutting edge technology a club or school can have waiting in its change rooms.
A player who has suffered a head knock follows a dot which moves in two adjacent circles on the screen while a camera captures 1200 images of the player's eye movement. This assessment of their eye movement is used as an indicator of their brain function, and can be compared to a baseline test result to assess the neurological impact of a head knock.
Mortlock says the ambition of the partnership is to have EyeGuide devices made available to sports participants of all levels at sports clubs and schools across Australia, providing players with baseline readings and a neurological passport for the remainder of their careers which allow them to track impairment caused by a head knock.
EyeGuide has already been used by World Rugby in Europe's United Rugby Championship, with two packages ranging from about $6500 to $12,500 available which, Mortlock says, offers "a really low per-user fee" when considering the amount of players it could provide with testing.
"Obviously we see the value in helping out the top end of the game, but we see it significantly to dovetail into protocols to assist with community teams where there's probably a doctor available, but they're thin on resources," Mortlock said.
"This is an objective tool that can help integrate within protocols and in particular, can provide that neurological pathway for every single participant and help with return to play protocols. Kids, players, all participants, have that neurological passport and it's there forevermore. Long-term, there's a lot of value in that.
"That's a great thing to have. If I had this and had seen there was a drop-off over time, there would then be a really well-informed discussion I would be having with my family and coaching staff. At the moment, you don't have that data point, that objective tool."
The lasting impact of a concussion and research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy has forced a dramatic overhaul of protocols across sporting codes.
The NRL is now enforcing 11-day stand down periods for players after suffering a concussion, with rugby league's change coming as the AFL is hit with a class action against the league lodged in Victoria's Supreme Court, with injured players seeking up to $1 billion in damages.
"I was very lucky that I got to see the best specialists, I got the best care and the best help at the time, and never went back on the field at a time I shouldn't have," Mortlock said.
"I'm thankful for the quality of care I received, but I do think something like this would have been so much simpler to show a result to my teammates or my family and say 'There's no way I'm playing'. It's just an objective data point that helps quantify what's going on.
"From my perspective, if we had access to this technology in my era, it would have been a fantastic objective tool to help with diagnosis but just as importantly, return to play protocols. More importantly for me, it would have provided peace of mind and comfort for my family.
"A broken bone or a torn muscle, you can have a scan or something to help diagnose that straight away. When you look at brain health, it's very problematic and tough to objectively quantify what's going on.
"This is a great tool to help in regards to helping with brain health and return to play protocols."
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Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
