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PLAYER WELFARE

We have several Player Welfare Officers and a Player Welfare Coordinator who help make sure ANUWFC is a safe, supportive, friendly, and fun club. 

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On this page you'll find information about our Player Wellbeing Plan, insurance, and concussions. 

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PLAYER WELLBEING PLAN

Each year, we prepare a Player Wellbeing Plan to ensure we have the safest season we can. When it's complete for Season 2023, we'll add it here. 

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INSURANCE

ANUWFC players and triallists are covered by insurance when playing, training, or trialing for the club. There are two insurance policies. Below are some key things covered by each policy, however please consult the policy wording for more detail and to make sure you fully understand. The information provided here does not constitute legal advice or information, and you are ultimately responsible for your own decisions about insurance.

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Under both policies: 

  • Items eligible for a Medicare rebate (e.g. treatment in a hospital) are not covered. 

  • Physiotherapy is covered to different extents by each policy.

  • If you make a private health insurance claim for the injury, the insurance through ANUWFC will only apply to the remaining cost after the private health rebate has been applied.

  • You can claim up to 12 months after an injury.

  • You need to pay for all expenses upfront and claim them back afterwards (i.e. the insurance cannot pay directly to the healthcare provider).

  • You will need to keep original receipts and invoices for any expenses you claim. Please also keep any documents where a health practitioner diagnoses your injury.

  • For reference, an "excess" is the amount you have to pay out of pocket before the insurance will kick in.

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ANU Sport Policy

Find the full information on this policy on the ANU Sport website

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Some key covered items:

  • 100% of costs for items not eligible for a Medicare rebate (e.g. physio), with no excess, to a maximum of $20,000. You will likely need a GP referral or GP confirmation of the physio diagnosis.

  • Up to $5,000 for out-of-pocket expenses like medical aids, local transport for purposes of seeking medical treatment and other non-medical equipment

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How to make a claim

Complete an ANU Sport incident report form as soon as possible after the injury occurs, and send to ANUWFC@gmail.com

  1. ANUWFC will provide the form to ANU Sport, who will make contact with you directly. 

  2. You will work directly with ANU Sport once you have completed treatment and are ready to claim. This usually involves completing a claim form (which may require information from a doctor).

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Capital Football (FFA) policy

Find the full information on this policy on the Capital Football website

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Some key covered items:

  • 85% of costs for items not eligible for a Medicare rebate (e.g. physio), with a $50 excess (or no excess if you're a member of a health fund), to a combined maximum of $2,500. To access this, you will need to be referred by a GP (you can get the referral after you've seen the physio) and you will need a new GP referral for every six visits.

  • If you are a student and need tutoring due to inability to attend classes, the policy will cover up to $250 x 52 weeks of tutorial costs after a 7-day excess

  • Some income support or other financial support if you are completely unable to work, after a 14-day excess

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How to make a claim: 

  1. Claims are made through the insurance page of the Capital Football website. You will typically need to fill out a form, and provide supporting documentation including the referral from your GP, and any receipts.

  2. You can begin a claim and save it, returning to it later. You may find it helpful to begin the claim early, while the details are fresh in your mind. You can then upload further documents as you progress through treatment.

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For assistance with either application, including completing an incident report form for ANU Sport, get in touch with our Player Welfare Coordinator, Roxie, via ANUWFC@gmail.com 

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CONCUSSIONS

Concussion is an issue that can affect all of us in football. We all have a role in recognising possible concussion and making sure people get the right treatment. 

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You're probably aware that concussion can be common in football. Concussion is a disturbance in brain function caused by direct or indirect force to the body (not always the head). It is a serious and complex health event that can have life-long implications for players. Research has demonstrated women are more likely to experience concussion, and are likely to have more severe symptoms and outcomes from it. 

 

Player history of concussion

Concussion is more likely, and likely to be more severe, if you've had one before. ANUWFC encourages all players to share any history of concussion with their coaches and/or other players. This is an important step to help others in the club to be more alert to possible high-risk situations.

 

What to look out for: situations that may result in concussion

1. If a player collides with another player.

2. If a player collides with a piece of equipment (e.g. a goal post or the ball).

3. If a player collides with the ground.

 

Concussion can occur even if there is no contact to the head.

 

Signs and symptoms of concussion

Signs are things you might notice about a player, especially immediately after one of the situations above. Signs of concussion include:

  • Lying motionless, getting up slowly, or having slow laboured movements

  • Being disoriented, or having balance and coordination problems

  • Having a blank stare

  • Having a face or head injury

  • Most concussions do not result in someone being knocked unconscious, but if someone is knocked unconscious then you should suspect a concussion

  • If a player tells you they think they may have a concussion, you should proceed as if they have one

 

Symptoms are things that a player may experience, especially immediately after one of the situations above (but they can take up to 48 hours to appear). Symptoms of concussion can include:

  • Headache or feeling "pressure in the head"

  • Neck pain

  • Nausea, vomiting

  • Dizziness, balance problems, blurred vision

  • Sensitivity to light or noise

  • Difficulty with concentration or memory

  • Drowsiness, feeling slow or like "in a fog"

  • "Don't feel right"

  • If you experience any of these symptoms following any type of collision, please report them to your coach and/or other players if you are able to.

 

Read more about signs and symptoms in the Sports Medicine Australia Concussion in Sport Policy. 

 

What to do if you suspect a concussion

If there is a possible concussion, the player should not continue playing. The player should not return to play even if they seem or feel okay. Symptoms can begin up to 48 hours after a concussion. The player should be examined by a medical practitioner as soon as possible and before returning to the activity.

 

Memory questions

If you suspect a concussion, you can ask the player these questions. If they answer incorrectly to any of the questions, they should be removed from play immediately (noting that they could answer correctly and still have other symptoms):

  • "What venue are we at today?"

  • "Which half is it now?"

  • "Who scored last in the game?"

  • "What team did you play last week/last game?"

  • "Did your team win the last game?"

 

Severe head and spinal injuries

The Sports Medicine Australia Concussion in Sport Policy also includes information about serious head and spinal injuries and red flags to look out for. If you notice any of these red flags, please call an ambulance immediately for the player.

 

Immediate management

All players should be referred to a medical practitioner as soon as possible after a suspected concussion.

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