Maddy Proud

Maddy Proud navigates concussion in professional netball

New South Wales Swifts co-captain Maddy Proud knows only too well how important it is for athletes to correctly manage concussion after coming under friendly fire during a Diamonds test against England in 2022.

"I got an elbow to the face and hit the ground straight away. I instantly knew something wasn’t right," Proud said.

"I was a bit out of it for a few minutes, so I went off and into the changerooms to do a concussion test."

Proud said her symptoms became intense during testing, saying she felt like she was going to throw up when asked to follow a doctor’s finger movement with her eyes.

Following her concussion diagnosis, Proud also experienced persistent headaches, brain fog, and fatigue, and said her Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich, played a big role in her recovery.

“My coach was one of my biggest advocates for making sure I took enough time to recover because she knew what I was like when I was at 100 per cent, and she knew I wasn’t there yet.

"It's funny how your coaches end up being more in tune with yourself than you are."