Former Gold Coast and Melbourne defender Kade Kolodjashnij has opened up on his battle with concussions that forced him into premature retirement.
Speaking on Bob and Andy SEN on Wednesday afternoon, the former fifth overall pick of the Gold Coast Suns spoke candidly on how tough it was to battle through the repeated head knocks he endured.
“It’s been bloody tough to be honest with you,” Kolodjashnij admitted.
“The first few (concussions) were the toughest after playing pretty much every game through my first three seasons and finding myself on the sidelines. But at that time I was still pretty optimistic I would get back.”
Kolodjashnij spoke of the progressive nature the head knocks took on him as a person.
“In the early days I’d cop knocks and get back and I’d be fine,” Kolodjashnij said.
“Then as my career went along I just wasn’t pulling up well from these knocks. At the time I had very blurry vision, I just couldn’t process information, even out on the field I’d try to keep playing after a knock and just couldn’t read the play like I normally would.
“My symptoms were prolonged. I’d wake up the next day and have those really bad headaches and I’d struggle to get out of bed at times.”
One discussion the 25-year old Kolodjashnij had with the Melbourne club doctor in particular illustrates the trauma he endured.
“I remember telling the club doctor I felt my brain had been re-wired with the way it processes information,” Kolodjashnij said.
After 80 games in seven seasons for the Suns and Demons, Kolodjashnij believes it’s the right decision to walk away.
“I’ve had about 10-15 concussions in my career and it just gets harder and harder to try get back and with the knocks I’d get, the symptoms would get worse. The last knock took me about six months to get back just exercising,” Kolodjashnij said.
“To come to the decision I have today to retire, it all comes back to my health and wellbeing which is a priority in my life right now.
"There’s a lot of my life left to live so I’m just looking forward to that now.”