Former Melbourne AFL player Daniel Bell believes helmets for footballers could help reduce the chance of brain injuries like the one he has been diagnosed with.

The AFL doesn't agree.

In fact, the league believes helmets could worsen the incidence of severe concussion - making players more likely to take risks with their heads.

"The medical advice on helmets is equivocal at best," said AFL football operations boss Adrian Anderson, citing research from American football as an example.

"Helmets are certainly not any panacea for concussion-related issues."

Bell gave up a helmet at age 15. He blamed peer pressure and the fact it made him stand out on the field.

Several concussions later - many of which were sustained during his 66 games with Melbourne - the 25-year-old is seeking compensation over a brain injury.

Doctors found Bell's cognitive function had deteriorated significantly and linked this to his history of concussions.

Despite recent improvements due to a brain-training program, Bell struggles to remember words and names when he is tired or feels strained.

Bell said he started to suffer concussion through sport when he was young and started wearing a helmet as a junior footballer.

"I was 15 and I didn't want to be seen wearing a helmet," Bell told ABC radio.

"In my mind I thought people were half targeting me.

"I think it's a first step (wearing a helmet) and when they get to 13 or 14, or anyone who is involved in injuries in sport should be involved in retraining their brain, like the brain training I have been doing."

The AFL has taken a rules-based approach to reducing head-related injuries.

Tougher tribunal penalties for players who hit others in the head and neck region have been in place for the past two seasons.

This season, there are new concussion guidelines ruling out a concussed player for the rest of the game, and the substitute rule.

The AFL is also banking on learning more from a new study into players who have suffered concussion over the past four years, tracking their long-term progress.

"That will determine what else, if anything, can be done to improve our concussion guidelines," Anderson said.

"(Bell's injury) illustrates how important it is we continue to address this issue."

Bell's former club Melbourne - who would have to foot the bill for any compensation - say they have supported and will continue to support a player they delisted at the end of last season.

"Our doctor's overseeing his whole treatment," Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab said.

"He's receiving great medical attention as it sits now and we're confident that the system, and the rules as they apply, will continue to serve him well."

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