A document submitted in the Supreme Court claimed that a medical staff member at Gumeracha couldn’t open a device that could have helped save a football player named Antonio Lo Iacono due to its locked condition.
The device, which was a defibrillator, was in a cupboard inside the football club’s oval when the 20-year-old player suffered a head injury during a match between Birdwood and Gumeracha.
Antonio Lo Iacono, 20, of Gumeracha, died on April 22, 2023, after suffering two head injuries during a football match.
According to Mr. Griffin, the device could not be found by the club’s medical staff due to its locked condition and because none of them had a key to it.
Delaying the deployment of the defibrillator on the field of play was cited as one of the factors that led to Antonio’s death.
The affidavit also noted that the CPR that was administered to the player during the incident was not of a practical use.
In response to the death of her son, Ms Smith is suing various entities, including the South Australian Football League and the football clubs of Gumeracha and Birdwood.
Mr Griffin also demanded the clubs to provide details of the training programs that they had previously provided to their staff members on how to use the defibrillators.
In response to the matter, Mr Griffin has asked the Supreme Court to order the SANFL to provide documents related to its policies on concussions.
According to the affidavit, after the death of Lo Iacono, the league removed its website’s concussion page and replaced them with less stringent regulations.
Before the start of the season, the SANFL had established certain regulations that required all players suspected of suffering a concussion to be assessed immediately.
They also required a medical clearance before they could return to play. In 2022, Lo Iacono had suffered a concussion while he was playing for Waikerie. He had another concussion before the season started in 2023.
In his affidavit, Mr Griffin demanded the documents related to the SANFL’s policies on concussions, including reports and medical certificates that confirmed that Antonio was allowed to participate in the match between Gumeracha and Birdwood, as well as documents related to the league’s discussions with the AFL about the issue.