Every weekend across the Mornington Peninsula, thousands of children and teenagers pull on a jumper for football, netball, basketball, cricket or football (soccer). Most weekends pass without incident, but concussion remains one of the more commonly reported injuries in junior and community sport. For parents, coaches and club volunteers, understanding roughly how often it happens — and why it’s so easy to miss — is an important first step in supporting young athletes.
This article looks at what recognised concussion guidelines and frameworks, including those used by AFL and Complete Concussions (CCMI), tell us about the frequency of concussion in junior sport, without pretending to offer a precise figure that applies to every code, age group or club. The honest answer is that the true number is difficult to pin down — and that difficulty is itself part of the story.
Concussion Is Common, But Rarely Straightforward to Count
Concussion is widely recognised as one of the more frequently reported injuries in contact and collision sports played by junior athletes, particularly football codes, but also netball, basketball and other running and jumping sports where collisions and falls occur. National and state sporting bodies, including the AFL, have developed concussion guidelines specifically because the injury is common enough to warrant a standardised, sport-wide response rather than a case-by-case approach.
What official injury counts consistently struggle to capture, however, is the full picture. Concussion doesn’t always look dramatic. There is often no loss of consciousness, no visible bleeding and no obvious limp. A young athlete might seem “a bit off” for a few minutes, shake it off, and keep playing — meaning many knocks are never reported to a coach, trainer or club at all.
Why Junior Athletes May Be Under-Reporting
Several factors make junior and community sport a particularly tricky environment for accurate concussion reporting:
- Young athletes often don’t want to let their team or coach down, especially in finals or representative matches.
- Symptoms like headache, dizziness or difficulty concentrating can be subtle and easy to dismiss as tiredness.
- Community-level games may not always have a trainer, physiotherapist or osteopath pitch-side to make an independent call.
- Parents and coaches may not always know the full range of possible concussion symptoms, which extend well beyond a knock to the head.
This is why organisations like CCMI emphasise education for coaches and parents as much as clinical management — recognising a possible concussion is the first step, long before any formal assessment takes place.
Which Age Groups and Sports Are Most Affected
Concussion in junior sport tends to be discussed most often in relation to football codes, where body contact and tackling are part of the game. However, it is not limited to one sport. Netball, basketball, cricket and football (soccer) all carry some risk of head knocks from collisions, falls, or contact with a ball or another player. Adolescents are frequently highlighted in concussion research because this age group is still developing physically, and some evidence suggests recovery timeframes can differ from those seen in younger children or adults.
Across Mornington Peninsula suburbs such as McCrae, Dromana, Rosebud and Rye, junior clubs run winter and summer sport seasons with a wide mix of ages and skill levels, which is exactly the kind of environment where a general awareness of concussion frequency — rather than assuming “it won’t happen to my child’s team” — is genuinely useful.
What the Numbers Mean for Local Clubs and Families
Rather than fixating on an exact statistic, the more useful takeaway for parents and coaches is this: concussion is common enough in junior and community sport that every club, team and family should have a basic plan for recognising and responding to it. That means knowing the signs, understanding that symptoms can appear or worsen over the following 24 to 48 hours, and having a clear pathway for what happens next if a knock to the head is suspected.
This is where structured support becomes valuable. Learning more about concussion assessment and management before an incident happens — rather than scrambling to find information on game day — helps families and clubs respond calmly and appropriately.
The Role of Testing and Assessment
Formal concussion assessment does not prevent concussion from occurring, and no testing process can guarantee a safe return to play. What structured assessment can do is support more informed decision-making around a young athlete’s recovery, using recognised frameworks such as those developed by CCMI. This may include baseline testing before the season begins, and follow-up assessment if a concussion is suspected, to help build a clearer picture of an individual athlete’s presentation over time.
For families on the Mornington Peninsula, having access to concussion testing on the Mornington Peninsula means this kind of assessment doesn’t require a long trip out of the area — it can be arranged locally through practitioners trained in current concussion frameworks.
Practical Steps for Coaches and Parents
Given how often concussion is reported in junior and community sport, a proactive approach is generally more useful than a reactive one. Some practical steps include:
- Learning the common signs and symptoms of concussion, which can include headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, sensitivity to light or noise, and changes in mood or concentration.
- Adopting a “if in doubt, sit them out” approach, rather than assessing severity on the sideline.
- Encouraging open communication so young athletes feel comfortable reporting symptoms rather than hiding them.
- Attending education sessions, such as the free concussion workshop, to build club-wide awareness among coaches, trainers and parents.
Concussion will likely remain a feature of junior and community sport for as long as contact and collision are part of the game. What clubs and families on the Peninsula can control is how prepared they are to recognise it, respond sensibly, and seek appropriate assessment when it’s needed.
Frequently asked questions
How common is concussion in junior sport?
Concussion is widely recognised as one of the more frequently reported injuries in contact and collision junior sports, though exact rates vary by sport, age group and reporting practices. Many mild cases likely go unreported, so official figures may understate the true frequency.
Which junior sports carry the highest concussion risk?
Football codes are most often discussed due to regular body contact, but netball, basketball, football (soccer) and cricket can also involve collisions or falls that lead to head knocks. No single sport should be assumed risk-free.
Why do so many junior concussions go unreported?
Young athletes may not want to leave the field, symptoms can be subtle, and not every community game has a trainer or clinician present. Education for coaches and parents helps improve recognition and reporting.
Can concussion testing prevent concussion in young athletes?
No. Concussion testing and assessment do not prevent injury or guarantee a safe return to play. They are used to support informed decision-making around recovery, alongside individual clinical assessment.
Where can Mornington Peninsula families access concussion testing?
Families in McCrae, Dromana, Rosebud and Rye can access concussion assessment locally through practitioners trained in recognised concussion frameworks, rather than needing to travel further afield.
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.