AFL’s HIA Protocol Criticised as ‘Ineffective’ Following 10-Minute Delay for Adam Cerra’s Exit from the Field

The HIA protocol in the AFL has faced criticism following a significant incident involving Adam Cerra, who took ten minutes to exit the field after being struck high by Sam Durham.

In the early stages of the second quarter during the clash between Carlton and Essendon, Cerra picked up the ball and was met with an impact from Durham.

Despite appearing disoriented, he managed to get back on his feet and continued playing as a scuffle erupted between the two teams.

“Sam Durham made the choice to bump, and with that choice comes a level of vulnerability… If he made contact with the head, I’m not sure how you defend that,” Garry Lyon remarked on Fox Footy.

Jonathan Brown commented, “He made the wrong call there.”

Broadcast cameras captured Carlton’s medical team discussing their concerns on the sidelines as Cerra remained on the field.

“If they want him off and he hasn’t come off, then that’s a breakdown in the system… They should just pull him off if they need to assess him,” Lyon added.

The evaluation of Cerra stretched out for an additional ten minutes before he was finally taken off the pitch.

Lyon maintained his stern criticism regarding the incident.

“The situation with Cerra is absurd if he’s undergoing a test right now. That’s a systemic failure. Remove him from the game immediately and assess him… Take the decision out of his hands,” he urged.

Subsequent footage revealed Cerra seated on the bench with noticeable bruising around his right eye.

Carlton raced to a brilliant start in the first quarter, ending it with a score of 6.4 (40) to Essendon’s 1.1 (7).

By the halftime break, Essendon had made some strides, with the score standing at Carlton 8.6 (54) to 4.2 (26).

At half-time, it was disclosed that Carlton decided to conduct Cerra’s HIA as a precautionary measure.

Brown continued to voice his concerns about the bump, labelling it a “dangerous manoeuvre”.