Concussion in Australian football: Perth guide
Reviewed November 2026 by Online Concussion Clinic, a Perth-based telehealth concussion physiotherapy service. How this site is run
Concussion is common in Australian football. Since 2024, every community competition in Australia — including Perth junior and amateur football, the Perth Football League and state leagues such as the WAFL — follows the AFL's minimum 21-day return-to-play rule.
The rules at a glance
- Off and out for the day. A player with a suspected concussion must not return to that game or training session.
- Minimum 21 days. The earliest a player can play again is the 21st day after the concussion. The day of the injury is day 0, so a player concussed on a Saturday misses at least the next two weekly games.
- Day 21 is the earliest date, not an automatic return. The player must also have completed the graded return without symptoms.
- Doctor clearance. Only a medical doctor can clear a player to return to full-contact training and to play. Clubs record this in PlayHQ before the player is eligible again.
- Extra caution for players 18 and under, players who've had several concussions, and anyone whose symptoms are hard to monitor.
AFL and AFLW players have a separate, shorter elite protocol. It doesn't apply to community football.
The graded return to football
Every player works through the same stages, moving up only when the current stage causes no new or worse symptoms. Each stage takes at least 24 hours.
- Relative rest for the first 24–48 hours, then light daily activity.
- Light aerobic exercise such as walking or an exercise bike, at an easy pace.
- Return to school or work without symptoms — this comes before return to sport.
- Running and individual skills, with no contact and no risk of a head knock.
- Non-contact team training at higher intensity.
- Full contact training — only after clearance (see above).
- Return to games, no earlier than the minimum timeframe for your sport.
If symptoms come back at any stage, drop back to the last stage that felt fine and try again after 24 hours. A physiotherapist or doctor with concussion training can guide this and adjust it for you.
Perth and WA clubs
WA community leagues, including junior football, the Perth Football League and the WAFL, follow the national AFL community guidelines. Your club or league can confirm how they record clearances, and schools may have their own concussion plan for school football.
Call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department if there is:
- Loss of consciousness, or getting drowsier or harder to wake
- A seizure or convulsion
- Severe or worsening headache
- Repeated vomiting
- Neck pain or tenderness
- Double vision or loss of vision
- Weakness, tingling or burning in the arms or legs
- Increasing confusion, agitation, restlessness or unusual behaviour
- A visible deformity of the skull
For children, the emergency department at Perth Children's Hospital (Nedlands) is open 24 hours. If you're unsure, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (24 hours) for nurse advice.
Who can help in Perth
Clearance has to come from a doctor, but a concussion physiotherapist can assess you, run your graded return, treat dizziness, neck pain and headache, and work alongside your GP or sports doctor.
Browse verified concussion providers across Perth, or find one by area. You don't need a referral to see a physiotherapist privately.
Where this information comes from
- AFL. Community football to adopt minimum 21-day return to play protocols (2024), and the AFL Community Concussion Guidelines FAQs. play.afl/concussion
- Australian Institute of Sport. Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement 2024, and the Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport. ausport.gov.au/concussion
Sport rules are updated regularly, usually before each season. This page was checked in November 2026 — always check the current policy with your club, league or school. This page is general information, not medical advice.