Josh Carmichael, a young player for Collingwood, faces an uncertain future as he awaits a crucial decision from an independent concussion panel.

Carmichael sustained a knock while playing for Collingwood’s VFL side in May and has since been struggling with persistent concussion symptoms. He has been sidelined from football since early May and has been placed on the club’s injury list due to the delayed effects of the concussion.

The 24-year-old, who was selected in the 2022 mid-season draft by the Magpies, has played eight AFL games. This isn’t his first encounter with concussion; he missed a significant portion of the preseason following a head knock in December.

Carmichael’s initial concussion with the club occurred during Collingwood’s first VFL final in August 2023. This week, an independent panel will evaluate his head trauma and make a decision on whether he can return to the AFL under a concussion management plan or if he will be forced to retire.

This situation follows the recent retirement of Carmichael’s teammate Nathan Murphy, a premiership defender who was medically retired due to concussion. Murphy’s career ended after sustaining excessive head trauma throughout his 57 AFL games, culminating in a concussion during the 2023 grand final.

Carmichael’s plight reflects broader concerns within the AFL regarding player welfare and the management of head injuries, with several players, including Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw and young Bulldog Aiden O’Driscoll, also retiring in 2024 due to the ongoing impacts of concussion.

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