An experienced sports doctor says it's just a matter of time before head gear becomes compulsory for all players in collision sports.

David Cannon is team doctor for the New South Wales Country Rugby Union side.

His comments come after a mid-north coast teenager died after being accidentally kneed in the head during a weekend rugby league game.

Fifteen-year-old Jake Kedzlie was league legend Tommy Raudonikis' grandson.

He suffered the fatal injury in a tackle where he knocked his head against an opposing player's knee.

He was playing in a Sawtell junior rugby league match, south of Coffs Harbour, on Saturday afternoon.

Dr Cannon says head protection is essential.

"I have two young boys that both play representative rugby, and I won't let them play without wearing head gear," he said.

"Because I do think that does offer some kind of protection to the head.

"Junior and even senior football, it should be a compulsory part now.

"There was a conference down in Sydney a couple of weekends ago looking at the ongoing damage that repetitive head knocks do do to footballers.

"I'm sure there's going to be guidelines coming out in the future about making head gear a compulsory part of contact sport.

"Footballers that are idolised like Johnathan Thurston - he's always wearing headgear.

"A lot of the other top-grade footballers are wearing head gear now, so I don't think it's going to be long before it is an accepted part of that type of sport.

"Like the rodeo riders, they used to just wear the soft hats and things like that, and the rules have changed there.

"They have to wear the vests and the helmets when they go and ride the horses or ride the bulls."