A second concussion class action has been commenced.

[MC Extra Dollop]

Maybe. It's a physical, contact sport. If any professional player seriously acts like they didn't expect to get hurt they're unbelievably naive. And personally, lying through their teeth.

There may be players who were absolutely concussed, and forced to take the field when everyone knew they weren't right, that's one thing - and a legitimate concern. Players quite happy to keep playing - or even who insisted on playing - and no one knew at the time, no one can be blamed for that.

Can't help but think more than a few are there for a payday. As I mentioned, Rooke's retirement was because of his knee. I'm curious to see if any journalist dare do some actual journalism and uncover what it takes 5 seconds to find out.

It isn't about getting hurt; it's about getting some support for reduced quality of life for the five or six decades after your time as a professional athlete is up and hopefully, some better conditions, support and treatment for players in the future.

I'd have to assume that Rooke's case has slightly more merit than him trying to pass off a dodgy knee as CTE, but perhaps I'm biased. I guess we'll see in due course.

 

[The 747]

The defendant has every right to defend itself.

I'm not going to go back to precise years, but I'd suggest that for those who follow US sport (especially the NFL) it's around the 15-20 year range when we started hearing about the long-term impacts of CTE on former NFL players and that it wasn't a huge leap of logic to think that something like this would come up in the AFL sooner or later.

And it seems likely to me that the AFL (like the NFL) have been downplaying the effects of concussion deliberately for some time. For example their choice of (now discredited) academic to advise them and stalling on the previous long term study. Hence, lawsuit.

 

[stefcep]

Players accept that there's an inherent risk of injury playing the game but they also have a right to expect the club to act in good faith when treating them and in the case of Picken's allegations this may not have been the case.

It was only a matter of time that he would lodge a claim. Clear as that he was playing when he wasn't right.

 

[Sherrinator]

Based on the medical knowledge and societal acceptance at the time, the AFL owe a big heartfelt apology on national TV.

 

[Sentinel]

The NRL have this season introduced an independent doctor to rule on player concussions (not without controversy).

If, and it remains an if, the claims made by Liam Picken

Liam Picken

Age

37

Ht

184cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.0

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

9.1

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

4.6

5star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.6

4star

K

4.6

2star

HB

9.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

5.6

5star

G

0.2

3star

's legal team around the management and transparency of his issues by the Bulldogs, including club doctors, are substantiated then surely the AFL will be heading in this direction pretty quickly also.

 

[Partridge]

It isn't about getting hurt; it's about getting some support for reduced quality of life for the five or six decades after your time as a professional athlete is up and hopefully, some better conditions, support and treatment for players in the future.

I'd have to assume that Rooke's case has slightly more merit than him trying to pass off a dodgy knee as CTE, but perhaps I'm biased. I guess we'll see in due course.

You could argue they get extremely good conditions, support and treatment already. If you're making what professional footballers make, not even allowing for what the big names earn, it's not the league's job to make sure you save it and put it aside.

As I said, to me there are two main scenarios. Scenario one where a player has a concussion (or continuing effects of one/many), the club knows, doctors know, and let him play on anyway. I've got no issue with those clubs being in big trouble. From memory that's what was covered up in the US. How often that scenario has played out here, who knows.

Scenario two, a player feels the effects long after they've retired, and there's no documented instance where they had a concussion and the club forced them to play. Without a specific instance of a player being hurt and being told to play, I don't know how any club can be at fault.

 

[aj1992]

These are adults making adult decisions. They knew the sport was full contact and that has risks and dangers involved. This is just I'm broke and lawyers chasing $$$$.

 

[Slartibartfast]

These are adults making adult decisions. They knew the sport was full contact and that has risks and dangers involved. This is just I'm broke and lawyers chasing $$$$.

That has nothing to do with the AFL and clubs being responsible for the welfare of the players.
Being adult does not change that.

 

[jim boy]

They knew the sport was full contact and that has risks and dangers involved.

But their point is that they didn't know all the risks involved, and that the AFL did know or aught to have known the true risks and kept those at risk informed and taken appropriate steps to protect them.
To use an analogy, if a person gets sent into a dark room with a lot of trip hazards and are told the trip hazards are there, they go in knowing they could trip over and they act accordingly. If they go into that room and get mauled by the tiger that they didn't know was also in the room, and the person who sent him in knew about the tiger, then I would say the victim would have a fair case against the other person.
That's what this case is about

 

[VinnieB]

Don't know if it is still the case but in the US many wrestlers had insurance payouts (from Lloyd's of London) due to suffering injury and no longer being able to wrestle. I wonder if similar insurance is still available and could be built in to player contracts?

Wow….I’d laugh at my grandfather who thought wrestling was real. Looks like I’m the one to be laughed at….

 

[kreglze]

Depending how far you back, depends how much the AFL were aware of the effects of Concussion.

Honestly, the AFL has a lot of problems, but (without any insight) I believe they would have acted in good faith with the knowledge they had at the time, but I suppose this will all come out in court.

The Picken case is seemingly very seperate as it is aimed at club doctors? Hopefully I am interpreting that correctly.

 

[Back One Out]

All of us rank and file footy fans end up paying for it when the AFL raises the ticket prices to cover the settlement

Anyone hoping for the ex-players to win this case needs to understand that.

 

[Slartibartfast]

All of us rank and file footy fans end up paying for it when the AFL raises the ticket prices to cover the settlement

Anyone hoping for the ex-players to win this case needs to understand that.

Anyone hoping for the ex players to lose this case need to understand that the players incurred injuries in the process of their job and will suffer ongoing disability with sometimes fatal endings .

https://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/Finding%20D%20Frawley.pdf

Tucks coroners inquest is later this year, this article discusses that CTE has been identified.

Date set for coronial inquest into death of former AFL player Shane Tuck

The inquest has been delayed following an investigation into a neurologist who consulted the AFL on concussion.

www.abc.net.au

A post-mortem examination found that the hard-nosed midfielder had been suffering from a severe condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head.

The condition, which also afflicted St Kilda veteran Danny Frawley, can only be diagnosed after death and can lead to aggression, depression and paranoia in the years, and even decades, after the injury.

What price do you put on brain injuries to players?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

So wouldnt the defence simply ask to any claim have you since the time you were born fallen over and hit your head? Have you ever been hit in the head in a fight? Have you hit your head accidentally on a piece of wood, concrete, wall etc.
Any if these could have caused your issues.
it is just fanciful to blame playing footy as the reason why, it may of contributed but you might also need to sue your parents who accidentally dropped you as a kid, or a neighbour you got into a fight with. How long is a piece of string.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

All of us rank and file footy fans end up paying for it when the AFL raises the ticket prices to cover the settlement

Anyone hoping for the ex-players to win this case needs to understand that.

You would think this will be money from insurers that these players are entitled too, that will be paid to them.
So basically total and permanent disablement amounts would be paid out....

 

[Slartibartfast]

So wouldnt the defence simply ask to any claim have you since the time you were born fallen over and hit your head? Have you ever been hit in the head in a fight? Have you hit your head accidentally on a piece of wood, concrete, wall etc.
Any if these could have caused your issues.
it is just fanciful to blame playing footy as the reason why, it may of contributed but you might also need to sue your parents who accidentally dropped you as a kid, or a neighbour you got into a fight with. How long is a piece of string.

Any defence lawyer would use disclosure option to obtain all medical records and any other documentation that may indicate the player had been injured elsewhere Which would effect the claim .

 

[2 eazy]

Any lawyers here that can offer us any insight. From my perspective looks like afl can be in trouble. Just like nfl were.

 

[Square Peg]

What price do you put on brain injuries to players?

Depends on which player, obviously. Some of them playing for your mob, not a lot.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

If a player is permanently injured from playing AFL then I don't see it as unreasonable to try and obtain some funds to help them cope with their decreased quality of life, even if decades later.
From what I understand, the thing about this class action though is though while they are suing the AFL, the expectation is that insurance will pay the damages. Maybe less so that the AFL was negligent (which would be hard to prove before the 2000's) and more that the players simply were injured at work whilst performing their duties so should be compensated, just a work-cover claim effectively

Thanks but I was more asking why the class action stipulated players who had played within a specific time frame . Is it something to do with when the AFL started being determined as the payee of players ??

 

[aj1992]

But their point is that they didn't know all the risks involved, and that the AFL did know or aught to have known the true risks and kept those at risk informed and taken appropriate steps to protect them.
To use an analogy, if a person gets sent into a dark room with a lot of trip hazards and are told the trip hazards are there, they go in knowing they could trip over and they act accordingly. If they go into that room and get mauled by the tiger that they didn't know was also in the room, and the person who sent him in knew about the tiger, then I would say the victim would have a fair case against the other person.
That's what this case is about

But what if the people who sent them in had no idea about the tiger it's only come to light since Benoit or the NFL. Sorry but it's a full contact sport s**t happens.

 

[garlic munchers]

It isn't about getting hurt; it's about getting some support for reduced quality of life for the five or six decades after your time as a professional athlete is up and hopefully, some better conditions, support and treatment for players in the future.

I'd have to assume that Rooke's case has slightly more merit than him trying to pass off a dodgy knee as CTE, but perhaps I'm biased. I guess we'll see in due course.

Nice that these professional athletes can be compensated for their loss of quality of life.

Just a tad interesting that many of us have played just as many games of footy, often under far more brutal conditions than the sanitised AFL version and there doesn't seem to be the same prevalence of concussion related long term deterioration in quality of life in the non-AFL community.

Is it simply because it undiagnosed, or because there is financial benefit to overplay symptoms if you are an AFL player?

Bit of both I suspect.

Notwithstanding, an improved emphasis at all levels of footy on increasing an awareness about the serious effects of head injuries is welcome (particularly as a father to 18 year old now playing senior footy).

Sure changed from the days of playing footy at a well known club in Perth, when I got a broken jaw in three places and after sittings on the bench for 1/2 a quarter, the coach turned around asked if I was a man or mouse?

Obviously went back on and finished the game (and then had my jaw wired shut for 8 weeks).

 

[Slartibartfast]

A second class action has been commenced . Things are getting deadly serious for the AFL.

Key points:​

• This second suit, led by Griffins Lawyers, has been in the works for eight years
• It is estimated between 200 and 300 players could join the suit
• It comes a day after Margalit Injury Lawyers lodged an action seeking up to $1 billion in compensation from the AFL

Former Melbourne star Shaun Smith, Adelaide Crows premiership player Darren Jarman and the family of the late Shane Tuck

Shane Tuck

Age

42

Ht

189cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.4

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

12.0

5star

M

4.5

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.0

5star

No current season stats available

D

14.8

4star

K

9.2

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

are lead plaintiffs in the fresh action.

Shane Tuck's family among lead plaintiffs of second AFL concussion class action

Shaun Smith, Darren Jarman and the late Shane Tuck's family are the lead plaintiffs in a second class action launched against the AFL regarding concussion-related injuries.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Back One Out]

Anyone hoping for the ex players to lose this case need to understand that the players incurred injuries in the process of their job and will suffer ongoing disability with sometimes fatal endings .

https://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/Finding%20D%20Frawley.pdf

Tucks coroners inquest is later this year, this article discusses that CTE has been identified.

Date set for coronial inquest into death of former AFL player Shane Tuck

The inquest has been delayed following an investigation into a neurologist who consulted the AFL on concussion.

www.abc.net.au

A post-mortem examination found that the hard-nosed midfielder had been suffering from a severe condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head.

The condition, which also afflicted St Kilda veteran Danny Frawley, can only be diagnosed after death and can lead to aggression, depression and paranoia in the years, and even decades, after the injury.

What price do you put on brain injuries to players?

Why should ex-AFL stars receive huge handouts when thousands of other footballers won't? What about all the other footballers from suburban & country leagues who suffered multiple head knocks? What about all the junior footballers and school footballers who received concussions?

Footy is a rough game. Always has been. Nobody was ever blind to fact it is bad for your long-term health. Everyone knows about the crippled old arthritic ex-footballers getting knee replacements and hip replacements. We all know that playing the sport f**ks you up in long run. But we play it anyway because we love it.

Footballers choose to play. Nobody forces them. This isn't some avoidable condition in the workplace which blind-sided former workers, e.g. people in a building who were exposed to asbestos.

All my life, I've known that boxing f**ks you up. The slurring punch-drunk old boxer is a cliche. People still fight because they want the money and they want to test themselves. They are gladiators. Same with footballers. What weird state of denial are these ex-players living in that they thought football-related concussions are somehow less injurious than boxing-related concussions? They knew the risks.

Nobody ever forced a concussed player to return to the field. Felled players shook off the trainers, they told the club doctor to GAGF and they returned to the action ASAP because they wanted to help their mates and they wanted to win.

The AFL owes it to the former players who are suffering to take care of their medical expenses. But I'm not into giving a massive handout to everyone in the class action and their lawyers. F**k that. We're the ones who will pay. Why should we? They knew the risks, they took the risk and they got paid huuuge sums of money. This is pure opportunism. A bunch of people sniffing out easy money. They already got paid. Platten and Jarman (2 of the plaintiffs from my club) were among the highest paid players in the game. Now they want more...

What evidence is there anyway that these guys health issues can be solely attributed to playing AFL footy? Did they never play other sports? Did they box sometimes to keep fit? How many car or bike accidents have they been in? How many bad falls and miscellaneous head knocks have they received in their lifetime? How many beers have they drunk? How much cocaine have they snorted?


Anyway, that's how I personally feel about it. But it's got nothing to do with me, does it? Who the hell am I? Despite the wall of text above, I don't care that much. Nothing I say or post is going to have any effect on the outcome. So good luck to them.. Let's see them and their parasite lawyers squeeze a billion dollars from the AFL coffers and help kill the sport off in the process.

AFL Footy has been slowly losing me as a diehard fan over the past 10 years, so it probably won't be me who pays through the nose for tickets afters they hike the prices.





As for the whole tone of your post above... Spare me.

If you really care so passionately about this, then STOP SUPPORTING IT!!

You watch footy on TV, you consume the AFL media, you post on Big Footy
You buy your membership; you go to games. Sometimes you sit in a pricey reserved seat.
You eat a pie & a hotdog, maybe drink a few beers.
You pay extra for finals tickets...

If AFL football really is this inherently violent game with unavoidable collisions and head injuries, leading to irreversible long-term brain damage, then you are massive hypocrite to be lecturing anyone while continuing to follow the Dees and the AFL as a sport. You are literally part of the problem. You have blood on your hands.

 

[Back One Out]

You would think this will be money from insurers that these players are entitled too, that will be paid to them.
So basically total and permanent disablement amounts would be paid out....

Oh, if that's the case, then ignore all of my ranting on the subject

 

[Slartibartfast]

Why should ex-AFL stars receive huge handouts when thousands of other footballers won't? What about all the other footballers from suburban & country leagues who suffered multiple head knocks? What about all the junior footballers and school footballers who received concussions?

Footy is a rough game. Always has been. Nobody was ever blind to fact it is bad for your long-term health. Everyone knows about the crippled old arthritic ex-footballers getting knee replacements and hip replacements. We all know that playing the sport f**ks you up in long run. But we play it anyway because we love it.

Footballers choose to play. Nobody forces them. This isn't some avoidable condition in the workplace, e.g. people in a building who were exposed to asbestos.

All my life, I've known that boxing f**ks you up. The slurring punch-drunk old boxer is a cliche. People still fight because they want the money and they want to test themselves. They are gladiators. Same with footballers. What weird state of denial are these ex-players living in that they thought football-related concussions are somehow less injurious than boxing-related concussions? They knew the risks.

Nobody ever forced a concussed player to return to the field. Felled players shook off the trainers, they told the club doctor to GAGF and they returned to the action ASAP because they wanted to help their mates and they wanted to win.

The AFL owes it to the former players who are suffering to take care of their medical expenses. But I'm not into giving a massive handout to everyone in the class action and their lawyers. F**k that. We're the ones who will pay. Why should we? They knew the risks, they took the risk and they got paid huuuge sums of money. This is pure opportunism. A bunch of people sniffing out easy money. They already got paid. Platten and Jarman (2 of the plaintiffs from my club) were among the highest paid players in the game. Now they want more...

What evidence is there anyway that these guys health issues can be solely attributed to playing AFL footy? Did they never play other sports? Did they box sometimes to keep fit? How many car or bike accidents have they been in? How many bad falls and miscellaneous head knocks have they received in their lifetime? How many beers have they drunk? How much cocaine have they snorted?


Anyway, that's how I personally feel about it. But it's got nothing to do with me, does it? Who the hell am I? Despite the wall of text above, I don't care that much. Nothing I say or post is going to have any effect on the outcome. So good luck to them.. Let's see them and their parasite lawyers squeeze a billion dollars from the AFL coffers and help kill the sport off in the process.

AFL Footy has been slowly losing me as a diehard fan over the past 10 years, so it probably won't be me who pays through the nose for tickets afters they hike the prices.





As for the whole tone of your post above... Spare me.

If you really care so passionately about this, then STOP SUPPORTING IT!!

You watch footy on TV, you consume the AFL media, you post on Big Footy
You buy your membership; you go to games. Sometimes you sit in a pricey reserved seat.
You eat a pie & a hotdog, maybe drink a few beers.
You pay extra for finals tickets...

If AFL football really is this inherently violent game with unavoidable collisions and head injuries, leading to irreversible long-term brain damage, then you are massive hypocrite to be lecturing anyone while continuing to follow the Dees and the AFL as a sport. You are literally part of the problem. You have blood on your hands.

What a complete load of tripe. Absolute thoughtlessness.
Players in lower leagues would have suffered similar injuries but this has no impact on AFL players ability to seek compensation from their EMPLOYER.

People choose to go to work everyday knowing there are risks but this does not diminish the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe work place and also be culpable for any damage Thats happened at work.

No, the hypocrite is the one who watches and enjoys the game yet denies the players the same rights as any other employee like yourself.
I am here supporting the change against people who care zip for the players , why are you lecturing people regarding your apathy?

See I am not like you, i dont walk away when there is something I dont like. I will stay and happily advocate for change. If that means the game has to change so be it. Walking away is for cowards. Getting involved takes conviction.