‘When is enough enough?’ Doctor questions Pucovski’s cricket future after latest blow

Former Cricket Australia head doctor Peter Brukner has questioned whether Will Pucovski may be headed towards medical retirement like Melbourne’s AFL star Angus Brayshaw after suffering another concussion.

Brukner has also questioned the value of helmets preventing concussion after Pucovski was subbed out of Victoria’s Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania on Sunday following a nasty blow to the head.

“It’s a very difficult one, isn’t it? We’ve just had the Brayshaw retirement, which was sad, and I think, it’s the same sort of principle. I really feel for Will and his family,” Brukner told this masthead.

“You get all the testing done and the best medical advice, but there comes a time really where you’ve got to think, ‘When is enough, enough?’”

Pucovski, 26, who suffered his 12th concussion according to Cricket Australia figures, ducked into a short ball from Riley Meredith and then buckled at the knees and went to ground.

Medical staff ran onto the field as Pucovski, 26, lay on the ground for some time before gingerly getting to his feet. He was eventually able to walk from the ground unassisted.

Will Pucovski is helped from the field.

“I’m giving a lecture on concussion this weekend, and I was talking to someone about it,” Brukner said. “I was reminded of the fact pre-helmets, almost no one got hit in the head. And now there’s not a Test match that goes by without a hit in the helmet. What’s changed?”

The first movement of players pre-helmets was usually back and across to step inside the short ball. Since helmets players tend to push forward looking to score more freely off the front foot.

“Now they feel as though they’re indestructible,” Brukner said. “They can just look at the ball straight on and if they miss it hits their helmet. Even talking to the players who straddled the pre- and post-helmet era, they’ll say the same thing, they rarely got hit until they wore a helmet.

“I’m not suggesting we give helmets away, but we need to think about technique. Helmets are obviously very good at preventing serious head injury, like fractured skulls.

“They’re not good at preventing concussion. That’s the American football experience as well. I think you’re more likely to take risky behaviours on the field. It’s a real problem.”

Batting at number three it was just his second ball of Victoria’s second innings after Nic Maddinson (109) and Marcus (76) had an opening partnership of 178.

Little more than a month ago Pucovski was struck on the helmet batting for the Victorian second XI against South Australia in Adelaide and retired hurt but later returned to the crease and completed his innings after passing a concussion Test. He made 89.

In his previous Shield match last month Pucoviski scored a composed 131, batting for more than five hours against NSW.

Pucovski made his Test debut three years ago against India, scoring a polished 62, but was later ruled out for the remainder of that season after suffering a shoulder injury in the field.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.