ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the research of neuropsychological assessment in the contact sports of Rugby League (RL) and Australian Rules Football. Similar to studies conducted in American football, research on Australian Rules Football (AFL) players has also examined the sensitivity and utility of neuropsychological assessment in the management of concussion, while attempting to gain a better understanding of the functional deficits resulting from the injury. Similar to prospective studies in American football, both AFL and RL concussion research has suggested that the majority of such injuries present with brief periods of amnesia or confusion, with incidents involving a loss of consciousness occurring infrequently. The antecedents of neuropsychological assessment in AFL can be traced back to the use of standard neurological screening techniques in the 1980s. AFL is unique to Australia with the first recorded match contested in 1877. The game was originally developed by Irish settlers, hence it shares many characteristics of Gaelic football.
