Reports emerged on Wednesday night that Melbourne defender Heritier Lumumba is set to retire from AFL football and launch legal action against his club.
Lumumba, who did not play a senior game after Round 5 this season due to several concussions, believes that the Demons did not provide him with appropriate medical treatment to allow him to return more quickly from the head knocks he suffered during the year.
However, star Melbourne midfielder Bernie Vince says the club's medical staff does an outstanding job and he is disappointed by Lumumba's claims.
“We think we’ve got the best medicos in the comp and I know they are very cautious on that issue,” Vince said on radio station Nova 100.
“I think the AFL, the whole industry, is very careful on that now.
“It’s disappointing that he’s come out and said that because the doctors take more precautions — especially with head knocks — they leave you out for an extra week, or an extra couple of weeks, just to be careful, and for him to say they didn’t treat it right was a bit disappointing."
Vince said that while he is not certain of Lumumba's plans for the future, he thinks 2016 may have been his last season.
“It’s messy, how do you know if he didn’t play because of his head or because he wasn’t selected because he spent large amounts of the season last year away from the club.
“I’m not sure if he’s retiring or not but it looks like he is.”
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