Weekend sport is a big part of life on the Mornington Peninsula, from junior football and netball at the local oval to weekday cricket and basketball training. Alongside all the fun and fitness, parents and coaches are increasingly aware that head knocks are a normal part of contact and collision sport, and that knowing how to respond matters.
Concussion can be confusing territory for families. Symptoms are not always obvious straight away, and every child responds differently to a knock. This article walks through what parents, coaches and community clubs across McCrae, Dromana, Rosebud and Rye should know about recognising concussion and supporting a young athlete through recovery.
What Concussion Looks Like in Young Athletes
Concussion is a brain injury caused by a knock to the head, or a jolt to the body that transmits force to the head. It does not require loss of consciousness to be serious. In junior sports players, signs can include headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, sensitivity to light or noise, or simply “not looking right” on the field. Some symptoms appear immediately, while others may take hours, or even a day or two, to become noticeable.
Because young brains are still developing, children and adolescents are generally considered more vulnerable to the effects of concussion and can take longer to recover than adults. This is why community sport guidelines, including those used in AFL and other codes, take a cautious approach whenever a head knock is suspected.
The Golden Rule: If in Doubt, Sit Them Out
Coaches and team officials are often the first to see a collision happen, which puts them in an important position. Recognised concussion frameworks, including the Complete Concussions (CCMI) approach, are built around a simple principle: if there is any suspicion of concussion, the player should be removed from play immediately and not return that day, even if symptoms seem to clear quickly.
This applies regardless of the score, the game situation, or how much the young athlete wants to keep playing. A cautious first response supports the rest of the recovery process and reflects current thinking across junior AFL, netball, football (soccer), basketball and cricket.
Why Baseline and Post-Injury Assessment Can Help
One of the challenges with concussion is that there is no single blood test or scan that confirms it in every case. This is where structured assessment tools, used by trained clinicians, become useful. Baseline testing, done before the season starts, gives a picture of how a young athlete normally performs on measures like balance, memory and reaction time. If a head knock occurs later in the season, that baseline can be compared against a post-injury assessment to help build a fuller picture of what has changed.
It is important to understand that this kind of testing does not diagnose concussion on its own, and it does not prevent concussion from happening. What it does is support clinicians, families and athletes in making more informed decisions about recovery and return to sport, alongside a broader clinical assessment. For families wanting to understand this process in more detail, our page on concussion testing on the Mornington Peninsula explains how baseline and follow-up assessments fit together.
Supporting a Safe Return to School and Sport
Recovery from concussion is rarely a straight line, and rushing back into full training or contact sport before the brain has had time to recover is generally discouraged in current guidelines. Most recognised frameworks describe a graduated approach, where light activity is gradually increased in stages, with a return to school and normal cognitive load often coming before a full return to contact training.
Some practical points for parents and clubs to keep in mind:
- Symptoms can be made worse by screen time, bright lights, loud environments and heavy schoolwork in the early days after injury.
- Rest does not mean total isolation. Most current guidance favours a short period of relative rest followed by a gradual, symptom-guided return to normal activities.
- Return-to-sport decisions should involve a clinician with training in concussion management, not just a “feels fine” check from the sideline.
- Younger athletes generally need a more conservative timeline than adults, and every recovery is individual.
Clinicians trained through frameworks like Complete Concussions can help guide families through this staged process, working alongside GPs and school staff where needed.
Building a Concussion-Aware Club Culture
Community clubs across the Peninsula play a real role in how concussion is understood and managed at grassroots level. Clubs that have a clear concussion policy, train coaches to recognise warning signs, and encourage open conversations between players, parents and coaching staff tend to create an environment where head knocks are taken seriously rather than brushed off.
This does not need to be complicated. Simple steps like having an agreed sideline process, keeping emergency contact details up to date, and knowing where to refer a family for assessment can make a genuine difference to how confidently a club handles these situations.
Where to Get Support Locally
If your child has had a suspected head knock during training or a game, or you would like to understand baseline testing before the season starts, our team at The Seaside Osteo works with families across McCrae, Rosebud and Dromana to support informed, individualised concussion care. You can learn more about our approach to concussion assessment and management, or come along to our free concussion workshop to hear directly from a trained clinician about recognising and responding to head knocks in junior and community sport.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do straight away if my child gets a head knock during a game?
Remove them from play immediately, even if they say they feel fine, and do not let them return to the field that day. Watch closely for symptoms over the following hours and seek assessment from a clinician trained in concussion management, especially if symptoms worsen.
How long does concussion recovery usually take for young athletes?
Recovery varies from person to person, and children and adolescents often take longer than adults. Most guidelines describe a gradual, symptom-guided return to school and sport over a period of days to weeks, under the guidance of a trained clinician.
Does baseline concussion testing prevent concussion from happening?
No. Baseline testing does not prevent concussion or guarantee a safe return to play. It provides a pre-injury reference point that can support a clinician’s assessment if a head knock occurs later, helping inform decisions alongside a full clinical review.
Can my child go back to school before returning to sport?
Often yes. Many recognised frameworks suggest a gradual return to normal cognitive activities, like schoolwork, can begin before a full return to contact training, provided this is guided by a clinician and adjusted to the individual’s symptoms.
When should we see a clinician after a suspected concussion?
It is generally recommended to have any suspected concussion assessed by a health professional as soon as practical, and definitely before returning to any contact training or match play. This helps ensure recovery is monitored appropriately and any red-flag symptoms are identified early.
Concussion testing on the Mornington Peninsula
To learn more or arrange concussion testing, assessment or return-to-play support, visit our concussion testing page or book an appointment online with The Seaside Osteo in McCrae.
This article is general information for Mornington Peninsula families and is not a substitute for individual medical assessment. If you suspect a concussion, seek advice from a qualified health practitioner, and call 000 if there are emergency warning signs.