Retired Melbourne Storm star Christian Welch has given his say on the newly-studied concussion headgear that Manly Sea Eagles forward Jake Trbojevic will wear in the 2026 season.
Welch suffered eight concussions in his NRL career and is open to the idea of players trying the unique equipment in a bid to make the game safer.
It will see Sea Eagles fan-favourite Trbojeivc using the headgear for the first time in an attempt to prolong his NRL career.
The State of Origin representative is an advocate for the headgear brand and is hopeful it benefits players who are susceptible to brain-related injuries in contact sports.
This year, we will see Trbojevic wear 'GameGear' apparel, designed to prevent concussions and other brain-related injuries that occur during the game.
Having suffered some frightening concussions mid-game last year, Trbojevic is willing to do anything it takes to reduce the chance of bringing his NRL career to a premature close.
As per The Daily Telegraph, Trbojevic said the data behind the headgear was what drove him to make the decision.
"I've never worn a headgear, and this one is a little bit different, but as I said there is a lot of research behind it, so to me it was silly if I didn't give it a go," he said.
"The fact that there is research behind it, when you get head knocks that your brain doesn't accelerate as much, I think that sort of just won me over the line. I was just all in, so I'm giving it a go and I don't really care what it looks like," Trboejvic told DT.
GameGear will run an independantly ran field trial collaborating with Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia, to determine the performance of the headgear.
The trial is expected to take two years and over 600+ participants over the age of 16 to take part in NRL and AFL pathways, from junior to professional competitions.
Welch went to X (formerly known as Twitter) to give his opinion on the headgear, saying "If there's a small chance it makes our game safer, happy days, time to let the study play out."
AFL star and 2002 Brownlow Medal winner Simon Black is also backing the headgear to make a change in contact sports, advocating for the trial that will be tested amongst junior Australian football.
With Welch finishing his career with eight concussions, and Trbojeivc's run with three-consecutive head-knocks in one season, discussion around player welfare is paramount moving into the 2026 season.
