December 10th 2024.
A concerned mother from Northern Territory is advocating for a change in regulations to make it mandatory for the AFL to have at least one qualified person to administer pain relief at all matches. This comes after her daughter, Tayla, suffered a horrific injury during a match in Darwin on November 30th.
Tamara Hart, Tayla's mother, heard her daughter's agonizing screams as she went down after what seemed like a regular tackle. The sound of bones snapping echoed across the field, leaving everyone in shock. Despite the presence of AFL NT staff and trained first aiders, it is not a requirement for them to be able to administer pain relief.
According to an AFL NT spokesperson, as a community competition, NTFL Club-based sports trainers are qualified in first aid. However, administering pain relief, such as the 'green whistle', requires specific qualifications. The National Community Football Policy Handbook states that each controlling body or club in Australia must ensure the presence of at least one person with appropriate medical qualifications at every match or training session.
For AFL/AFLW matches, this person must be a qualified medical professional or have completed an AFL-approved Level 2 Sports Trainer Course. However, this course does not include training for administering the 'green whistle', an opioid-free pain relief commonly used in sports clubs. It is also necessary to have a well-stocked first aid kit on-site.
Tayla's mother, Tamara, shared her heart-wrenching experience of the moment she was informed that there was nothing the AFL NT staff could do to ease her daughter's pain. She had rushed to her daughter's side on the field, where Tayla lay in excruciating pain with a broken leg.
Tamara recalled how her daughter's bones were only a few centimeters away from piercing through her skin, and the sight was horrifying. Tayla, who plays for both the Darwin Buffettes in the NT and the Essendon Bombers in Victoria, was initially in shock but eventually broke down from the unbearable pain.
It was devastating for Tamara to witness her daughter suffer in agony, knowing that none of the AFL NT staff present could offer her any pain relief. "As a mother, hearing your child scream like that and not being able to do anything, it was horrible," Tamara said. She added that she would have driven her car onto the field and taken Tayla to the hospital herself, but her daughter's condition was too severe for that.
Unfortunately, Tayla had to wait for two hours for an ambulance to arrive and take her to the nearest hospital, which was only 20 minutes away. Luckily, a medic from St John's Ambulance arrived at the scene an hour after Tayla's injury and administered the 'green whistle'. However, it was a long wait for the ambulance to arrive, and Tayla had to endure the pain until then.
After six days in the hospital, Tayla was discharged and is currently recovering at home, but her AFL career has been put on hold. Tamara is confident that her daughter will make a full physical recovery, but she fears the lasting mental and emotional scars from the hour Tayla spent lying on the field without any pain relief.
In response to this incident, Tamara started a Change.Org petition, calling for changes in the minimum medical qualifications required for staff at AFL matches. Her goal is to ensure that there is always someone on-site who can provide immediate pain relief for serious injuries.
The petition has received over 1500 signatures in less than two weeks, and Tamara believes it is essential to have someone qualified to administer pain relief at matches. She stated, "My daughter was in excruciating pain, and as a parent, it was one of the most horrible things to see. I don't want it to happen to other children."
An AFL NT spokesperson stated that the safety and well-being of all players are their top priority, and they will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure player safety. To stay updated on the latest news, sports, politics, and weather, download the 9News app on your smartphone from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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