KO'd Polak urged to rethink Courtney Walsh
The Australian
June 28, 2010 A FORMER teammate of Graham Polak has urged him to consider his future after the Tiger was knocked unconscious at VFL level on Saturday.
The collision came almost two years after he nearly lost his life when hit by a tram.
Polak will have scans this week to assess the extent of damage after he collapsed following a head hit on Saturday when playing with Richmond's VFL-affiliate Coburg at Chirnside Park. The 26-year-old was running to a marking contest when he clashed heads with former Hawk Mitch Thorpe, now playing with Werribee.
Former teammate Nathan Brown was uncomfortable after watching footage that showed Polak was unconscious as he fell face-first to the ground, where he was immediately attended to by concerned medical staff.
He was then carried from the ground on a stretcher, with the impact so severe that neither player was able to return to the match. Polak spent some time on the bench before being sent home.
In a statement, the Tigers said Polak was cleared of any damage when assessed by club doctor Greg Hickey yesterday.
Richmond will continue to monitor his condition through the week before deciding whether he will play for Coburg next weekend.
Brown said Polak, who suffered a life-threatening brain injury when struck by a tram while crossing a road in June, 2008, should consider whether it was worth putting his health in jeopardy by continuing to play football.
"There would have to be (great concerns)," Brown said. "He is just a terrific guy, but you have to think about his family, you have to think about his girlfriend, who he has married. You don't want it to interfere with the rest of his life."
Notable in the incident was that Polak was not wearing a helmet, something he did when returning to the game last year at VFL reserve level during his recovery.
Brown, who retired at the end of last season, yesterday implored Polak to don the helmet should he continue to play.
"He probably should have played with the helmet," Brown told The Footy Show.
Following Saturday's game, Coburg coach David Newett told The Sunday Age that he was not certain whether a helmet would make a difference.
"I don't know if that's going to help him at all. It was just what the doctor recommended to him when he returned to footy," Newett said.
"There was a great deal of concern for Graham knowing his history."
Polak, who struggled with his game awareness and peripheral vision in the early stages of his comeback at VFL reserves level last year, improved to the point where he returned at AFL level with Richmond in round 21.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/kod-polak-urged-to-rethink/story-e6frg7mf-1225884943395
