San Francisco Frontiers - Aussie Rules player latest found with concussion-linked brain disease

West Coast Eagles star Adam Hunter died in February aged 43 with his parents donating his brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank.

His mother Joanne told national broadcaster ABC that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative condition linked to repeated concussions that can only be diagnosed after death.

CTE has afflicted players from other contact sports including American football, soccer and rugby, causing an array of behavioural symptoms including depression.

Joanne Brown said her son suffered countless head knocks and concussions over his life.

Though he retired from the sport professionally due to a shoulder injury in 2009, he continued playing until he died.

"We just hope that something can come out of the (brain) donations... (and) it can help young players in the future to find a cure before it kills them," Brown said.

CTE has been cited in a number of violent deaths involving former NFL players in the United States.

A 2023 study by the Boston University CTE Center said that of 376 brains of former NFL players, 345 of them were found to have CTE.

The AFL, the governing body of Australian Rules, said it had made numerous rule changes to better protect players and reduce the risk of concussion.

"The AFL takes concussion and the protection of brain health in all those playing our game extremely seriously," it says in a mission statement on its website.

"We're focused on supporting the wellbeing of all participants from the elite programmes through to community and junior levels."

The AFL is currently fighting a class action brought against it in 2023 by former Geelong star Max Rooke over concussion-related injuries, backed by more than 60 players.

It alleges Rooke suffered "permanent, life-altering concussion-related injuries and due to the negligence of the AFL".

H.Davis--SFF