‘Faith and trust’: Coach hits back at doctor critics
‘Faith and trust’: Coach hits back at doctor critics
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has warned against ill-informed scrutiny of club medical staff in the wake of Melbourne star Christian Petracca’s season-ending injuries and says players will always be asked to push through the pain barrier with only head knocks a black and white doctor’s call.
The Demons were criticised for allowing Petracca to play on for 21 minutes last Monday against Collingwood before being sent to hospital where it was revealed he had a lacerated spleen and punctured lung.
Petracca, who won’t play again in 2024, said it was “my decision” to go back on and the Demons also declared they had “full confidence in how our medical team responded and the procedures they followed”.
“Their expertise and swift actions have been crucial in managing Christian’s injury and subsequent recovery,” football boss Alan Richardson said.
On Friday, Beveridge said the AFL community should be “careful of how we scrutinise our medical practitioners”, adamant staff at all clubs did an “unbelievable job”.
“The pressure in this industry on many roles is extreme … we are caring for our medical practitioners as much as our players and making sure they are OK because their decisions are being scrutinised more than anyone else’s,” he said.