Any move to protect players' long-term wellbeing must be supported and, based on early feedback to The Border Mail, it has been, with Ovens and Murray headquarters and league stalwarts Shaun Daly and Daine Porter joining Dr Peter Larkins in backing the concussion crackdown.

Now that the 21-day rule has been implemented, the biggest issue is, quite clearly, going to be enforcing it.

While AFL players have access to some of the best medicos in Australia, for country footballers, it's a different story and as Dr Larkins said, "the players have to be honest and have to take responsibility, there's a lot of life left after they stop playing footy".

Ovens and Murray clubs are better resourced compared to those in district competitions such as the Hume and Tallangatta leagues so, naturally, will stand a better chance of successfully managing the new guidelines.

"Every club will need to ensure they have the best available trainers and physios to assess the players on game day and during the week as we always have," Daly, Albury's co-coach, said.

What will be more difficult to assess is when a player lands heavily on a hard deck in the Hume league or cops a whack to the head in the more congested Tallangatta competition.

Finding volunteers is regularly raised as one of the biggest issues facing country clubs and with legal action regarding concussion on the rise, the latest changes could make it harder to fill roles.

The stakes will be higher in five months' time too, with finals just around the corner.

It's something that Porter, a Wangaratta stalwart, admitted "may cause some players to hide any concussion symptoms".

Dr Larkins warns players are flirting with danger if they're not honest about concussion, saying it's "a risk that shouldn't be taken for a number of reasons, including the recent litigation about long-term problems from multiple brain hits".

There's a lot of life left to live once football finishes.