Wake-up call or business as usual: media framing of four concussion-related retirements in the Australian Football League

Media framing of concussion in sport continues to be important as a primary way in which the public understands brain injuries. Australia’s unique national football code, Australian Rules football, is now contending with a growing concussion problem including frequent concussion-related medical retirements in the men’s AFL competition. The 2024 season saw four retirements in just six months. As the consequences of concussion and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) expand, this study offers an opportunity to explore media framing of this cluster of retirements. It found some reporting underscored the seriousness of concussion and brain injuries in sport, but much of the coverage was news reporting that treated the player retirements as individual stories that were not linked to each other or the wider problem. This study shows how the structure of sports journalism work has the potential to downplay the consequences of brain injuries and re-normalize concussion risk in contact sport.