AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson says Daniel Bell's predicament has highlighted why the league adopted the substitute rule and concussion guidelines.
Bell, who played 66 matches for Melbourne until his delisting in 2010, lodged a claim with the AFL Players Association after a neuropsychologist found his cognitive function had deteriorated significantly and linked this to his history of concussions.
Fronting the media on Thursday, Anderson said Bell's circumstances showed exactly why the AFL introduced the new measures ahead of the 2011 season.
"It really illustrates the importance of the concussion guidelines and the importance of the sub rule," Anderson said.
"The modification to the interchange rule in part is to prevent the speed of the game going to a new level. We've got medicos telling us that if we allow the interchange to remain unchecked you are running a higher risk of head injuries of this sort of nature."
Anderson said the amount of head and neck injuries are down to their lowest on record and that the AFL would continue to work to keep it that way.
He added that the AFL had not received a claim from Bell and ruled out any talk of compulsory wearing of helmets as a measure to combat concussions.
"The medical advice on helmets is equivocal at best, helmets are certainly not any panacea for concussion related issues," Anderson said.
"The NFL is a great example of that, where it can have the reverse effect. Whether or not to wear a helmet is an individual decision."
Bell isn't the first former league footballer to launch a claim for injuries sustained during a career with Adrian Whitehead, Shaun Rehn and Luke O'Sullivan past examples.