Andrew Johns defends Knights over concussion link to epilepsy

Andrew Johns made a stunning admission that continuous head knocks and concussions could have contributed to his frontal lobe epilepsy.

But it doesn’t mean he blames the game.

In a raw and honest interview on Sunday Night with Matty Johns, Johns revealed the scary impact of his diagnosis as well as having to give up his driver’s license and not being able to surf alone.

The 44-year-old said his doctor believes concussions and continual head knocks could be a contributor to the epilepsy, but Johns has since said he does not blame the NRL or his beloved Newcastle Knights.

“I was looked after better than anyone at Newcastle,” Johns told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“[They] treated me like their son. [They] went above and beyond. I had full trust in them and still have full trust in them. The connection between epilepsy and concussion, they don’t know for sure if it’s 100 per cent. It may have contributed but they don’t know for sure. I suffered concussions 20 years ago. We didn’t know the damage being done then.”

The NRL is more aware than ever before of the affect concussion could have on the long term health of its players.

Safety protocols are increasing each year, as well as education on how to spot a concussion and recovery procedures.

However, there is a possible link between concussion and epilepsy, with fellow Immortal Wally Lewis also suffering from the condition. He was diagnosed in 1985.

Lewis said Johns had reached out to him for support and advice after his diagnosis.

“He was lost when he first contacted me,” Lewis told Fairfax.

“Having been there before, I knew exactly how he felt. There’s a couple of differences between us, one being the positioning of where it is in the brain. But it was a good conversation between two blokes who have been down the same path.

“I said to Joey, ‘You’re going to hear from other people about the head knocks from footy but it doesn’t really matter: it’s here and you basically have to deal with it now’. Joey had a lot of questions to ask and I tried to answer them as accurately as possible.’’

Johns’ interview on Fox League has brought the topic of concussion up for discussion, with Dragons player James Graham voicing a questionable opinion on the subject.

Graham told media on Monday that head knocks need to be accepted in rugby league and if not, players should consider playing Oztag.

“It’s my life, I’ll do what I want to... well, within certain realms. What’s the alternative? I kind of like what I’m doing. The consequences of that are sometimes you get hit on the head,” he said.

“You’ve got to go and play Oztag if you don’t fancy playing league anymore. But I wouldn’t get paid and I probably wouldn’t have as much fun.”