Immortal Andrew Johns has made the stunning admission that a series of concussions and head knocks during his playing career could have been a factor in being diagnosed with a form of epilepsy.
Andrew Johns spoke to his brother Matthew on Fox Sports about living with epilepsy and how it may have been caused. The 44-year-old is not allowed to drive and can only surf with a companion after recently seeing specialists in Melbourne to get to the bottom of his condition.In a candid interview with his brother Matthew on Fox League on Sunday night, Johns spoke of the potential links between the brutality of his rugby league playing days and his medical condition.“They think maybe a contributor could be some of the concussions I’ve had and ... continual head knocks,” Johns said of his epilepsy diagnosis.
The issue of concussion has been a burning topic in recent years with the NRL strengthening its protocols in the handling of head knocks, including ruling teams must have two doctors at each game this season and placing independent spotters in the crowd to monitor players suffering from head trauma.Credit:At least three players – including former representative winger James McManus – have started legal action against the handling of their head injuries during their playing days.