LEADING sports medico Dr Peter Larkins says Carlton defender Simon White's lucky escape from a serious neck injury reinforces the importance of the AFL's head over the ball ruling.
White fractured the C3 vertebrae playing in the VFL on Saturday when he was collected high.
Details of the incident are sparse but it is believed he was on the ground and a tackle caused his head to be twisted.
White will make a full recovery after being cleared of spinal damage but will wear a neck-to-chest brace for six weeks.
Larkins said the incident, combined with the spinal cord injury sustained by former Geelong VFL-listed player Casey Tutungi that resulted in quadriplegia last month, emphasised how important the rule was.
"The whole purpose of this rule is to try and prevent spinal injuries and fortunately Simon White's isn't … but it could have very easily been," Larkins told AFL.com.au.
"We're only a centimetre or two away at any time one of these neck jarring incidents occurs.
"This is why we have to continue our vigilance with the rules committee in relation to protecting players' head and neck.
"The AFL has certainly been very much aware of the potential danger to the neck and hence we've seen the Tribunal be very harsh on players who do run into an opponent when that opponent is unaware they're going to be hit."
The rule, which states that "an automatic free kick to a player who is bumped front on with head over the ball or if any high contact is made in any way [it is] automatically reportable" was brought in for the 2007 season.
It came about after a submission by then Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams, who was concerned about on-going the safety of players.
At the time, congestion and numbers around the ball were increasing, with the desperation of players making it more likely for accidental but dangerous contact to be made.
It is now enforced across the nation, from the highest level of the game down to grassroots football competitions.
AFL umpires boss Jeff Gieschen said the introduction of the rule had made the game safer.
"We don't apologise for the fact that we really want to try and protect the players' head at all times," Gieschen said.
"I think there is a far greater awareness from the players that the rule is in place and that any contact to the head is likely to one, become an automatic free kick, and two, land them in hot water in terms of whether it goes further to match review panel or Tribunal.
"There's always going to be pure accidents we can't prevent – what we can do is provide leadership on what is acceptable and what's not.
"For that reason, our game is a lot safer than it used to be 10 or 12 years ago."
Earlier on Wednesday, Carlton coach Mick Malthouse said White's injury reinforced how important it was for the rules to ensure the head and neck area were protected "as best we possibly can".
"Sometimes we take it for granted that these are strong young men running around that nothing can happen to," Malthouse said.
"I don't want to make it too dramatic – it is a reinforcement of the rule and thankfully it is at the AFL and hopefully that will filter down.
"It is not a Mickey Mouse rule; it is a rule that is there for the safety of players."
Jennifer Phelan is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenPhelan.
