By not playing in the AFLW grand final this weekend, Adelaide captain Chelsea Randall shows true leadership

By not playing in the AFLW grand final this weekend, Adelaide captain Chelsea Randall shows true leadership

Chelsea Randall

Adelaide Crows captain Chelsea Randall won’t be taking to the football field in the AFLW grand final this weekend alongside her teammates.

After suffering a concussion last weekend when she collided with Melbourne’s Eliza McNamara in the first quarter, Randall has been ruled out of the final, in line with the AFL’s new concussion protocols.

The reality of being sidelined at the grand final after leading her team all season has left Randall “gutted”, but she’s taking the opportunity to offer some perspective on putting health and safety first, saying concussions need to be taken seriously.

“I decided to not take any further action,” Randall said about being ruled out of the final, in an interview with her club, the Adelaide Crows.

“Because what kind of message would that be sending to our grassroots football? Because concussion is serious. It is scary.”

Randall’s exclusion from the AFLW grand final is a massive blow to the Adelaide Crows, but as she explained on Tuesday night, seeing a young player die years earlier had awaken her to the seriousness of concussions in sport.

“For me personally, it’s not scare anyone, but to educate people,” she said.

“When I was 20, I was watching an E-Division grand final and a young man died in front of my eyes. The week prior he’d been concussed. He went to seven different doctors and got approval to play. He was the captain of his team and he received a normal bump at a centre bounce, and he never got back up.

“I decided to not take further action because, one, that story, but it’s an important message that we send at grassroots footy as well.”

The AFL’s protocols introduced this year, mean players must be stood down for 12 days if they have suffered a concussion, regardless of their recovery. Recalling her clash with Eliza McNamara last week, Randall said it was a nasty collision.

“I just remember being on the floor with my mouth pretty bloody because I’d hit my jaw,” she said.

“I remember the trainers being around me and jogged off, and the rest was history.”

While debate swirls in the AFL community around the concussion protocols, and what it means for players who are ruled out of crucial games, Randall has admirably decided to rise above and not fight the rule. Instead, she has set a prime example for future generations at all levels of football, with a clear message that one’s health is more important than any game.

Mostly, we see leaders in sport show their integrity, influence and courage on the field. We also learn from them as they publicly handle their disappointments after loses. But this week, Randall has managed to do all of that — and more — without stepping foot on the oval.

She will miss the biggest game of the season, but as captain of one of the most dominant teams in the AFLW, being visibly okay with that reality is powerful.

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