Uploaded May 2018 | Updated September 2026, 14 hours ago
A defender for the AFLW Greater Western Sydney team, Nicola Barr is used to being fearless. She knows head knocks are a part of the game but feels lucky enough not to have had a serious concussion.
"You want to be really resilient; I think that’s a really important characteristic as a footballer," she says, "because football’s a pretty tough sport."
"I love footy because I think it’s a very complete sport. I played a lot of sports growing up. The camaraderie you have in a football team isn't like any other sport I’ve played in before."
But Barr also recognises the impact of concussions. "Concussion is a serious thing - any head injury is very serious," she says. "At the end of the day it's just a sport. And your head is more important than a game of footy."
She thinks concussion should be taken seriously by everyone. "In my opinion, if you think you have a concussion, you get off the field. And the doctors know that. It should be the number one priority, making sure you’re okay before you play again. You need your brain to do everything. So if you get a bad concussion and go on and get another one, it’s just brain damage and isn’t good."
Read more: https://qbi.uq.edu.au/concussion/ambassador/nicola-barr
https://qbi.uq.edu.au/concussion
Queensland Brain Institute | http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au
Facebook | fb.me/qldbraininstitute
Twitter | twitter.com/qldbraininst
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A defender for the AFLW Greater Western Sydney team, Nicola Barr is used to being fearless. She knows head knocks are a part of the game but feels lucky enough not to have had a serious concussion.
"You want to be really resilient; I think that’s a really important characteristic as a footballer," she says, "because football’s a pretty tough sport."
"I love footy because I think it’s a very complete sport. I played a lot of sports growing up. The camaraderie you have in a football team isn't like any other sport I’ve played in before."
But Barr also recognises the impact of concussions. "Concussion is a serious thing - any head injury is very serious," she says. "At the end of the day it's just a sport. And your head is more important than a game of footy."
She thinks concussion should be taken seriously by everyone. "In my opinion, if you think you have a concussion, you get off the field. And the doctors know that. It should be the number one priority, making sure you’re okay before you play again. You need your brain to do everything. So if you get a bad concussion and go on and get another one, it’s just brain damage and isn’t good."
Read more: https://qbi.uq.edu.au/concussion/ambassador/nicola-barr
https://qbi.uq.edu.au/concussion
Queensland Brain Institute | http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au
Facebook | fb.me/qldbraininstitute
Twitter | twitter.com/qldbraininst
Instagram | instagram.com/qldbraininstitute
SoundCloud | soundcloud.com/qldbraininstitute
LinkedIn | linkedin.com/company/queensland-brain-institute
