EyeGuide Technologies, in partnership with Global Wellness Tracking and launch partners Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League and Essendon District Football League, have announced the launch of the Baseline Your Brain initiative.

The initiative is set to provide access to a baseline brain health test for over 30,000 junior and senior Australian Football players in Victoria through a 10-second eye test monitoring brain health.

The EyeGuide test, which is currently used in 10 countries including the US, UK, South Africa and Japan across football codes and combat sports, requires an athlete to follow a moving object on an iPad to analyse, rank and score their brain health and is often used in conjunction with SCAT testing for concussions to gather data.

Discussing the launch of the initiative and providing support for grassroots athletes of all ages, EyeGuide CEO, Shane Keating, told Ministry of Sport the program will provide greater access, education, and data into brain health for all involved.

“The professionals are fortunate to have great doctors but that’s not the case at grassroots football where its very time poor and budget constrained,” Keating told Ministry of Sport.

“This program is about making the technology as accessible for people at the grassroots level, with a small cost for people to baseline their brain, that provides a point to educate people on what to do and gives them a little piece of mind if they do have a head knock.

“There’s the whole process in place for them now of EyeGuide tests, GP visits, allied healthcare network support to help them out if a head knock happens,” he said.

On the long-term implications for this initiative, Keating said it will have a lasting impact of the entire sporting career of young Australians.

“The number one thing is about education and that’s why we’re starting early so we can educate people coming through youth sport,” Keating said.

“If we can educate them there, they will be much better placed throughout their sporting career.

“What we can do is give people a scorecard of their brain health, if we baseline them early, due to the nature of football, there will be some head knocks from time to time, but if we can give people data on their baseline early, the ups and down, and where they are at on the journey, hopefully that gives them confidence they are getting looked after or prompts them to get into the allied healthcare network to get the help they need,” he said.

When asked about the contribution of the testing data for studies into concussions, CTE and brain health, Keating said: “In general, the science of concussion has been reliant on a lot of subjective data over the years, so our number one priority is to provide more objective data.”

“Whether that’s for a community sports club on game day or a scientist or researcher doing a comprehensive study, we’ll be able to provide more objective data and hopefully that brings a bit more objectivity, a bit more science, and a bit more answers,” he said.

At the launch of the Baseline Your Brain initiative, Geelong Cats athlete, Joel Selwood, said: “We need to be smarter about how we manage concussions, particularly at community football level.”

“Concussions shouldn’t be scary, we just need to manage it better, just like we do with all other injuries, to increase the level of care.

“This technology is available now but wasn’t around when I started playing.

“It provides players and parents with clear data as well as peace of mind and I believe all sports should embrace it.

“I have my EyeGuide baseline reading for this season, and I encourage all senior and junior players to get their baseline done as well.

“Baseline Your Brain is about educating players and parents about concussions to raise the level of care at a young age.

“When these kids grow into being professional AFL players hopefully this level of care will be the norm,” Selwood said.