Gary Ablett Senior - Acquired Brain Injury During Playing Career

[Young Gun #6]

Interesting.

He’s been getting heavily funded with medical treatment by the AFL and the funding just ran out recently.

Timing is everything when you have a bit more info than the general fan in a specific situation.

 

[PowerBaz]

I heard a caller on radio yesterday mention a comment that was something like this ‘so do all the old bricklayers and steel factory workers put a lawsuit together for their bad backs’.

I mean I get the difference but at the same time when anybody does anything for long enough their probably is some negative outcomes.

 

[The 747]

I heard a caller on radio yesterday mention a comment that was something like this ‘so do all the old bricklayers and steel factory workers put a lawsuit together for their bad backs’.

I mean I get the difference but at the same time when anybody does anything for long enough their probably is some negative outcomes.

Yes they apply for TPD via Workcover.

 

[The 747]

Or.....he turned to drugs as a way to 'self medicate' his concussion symptoms?

Pretty sure the drugs came first. Is the subject of an Underbelly short story set in his first years at Hawthorn bashing a bikie.

 

[RonnieRaven]

What a grub

 

[Cmarsh]

Is it still ethical to watch and gain enjoyment from footy?

Its becoming more and more apparent that blokes are suffering long term debilitating illness from what we regard as entertainment watching from pubs, lounge rooms and the grandstands.

 

[Cmarsh]

It’s a sad diagnosis for Ablett Snr.

We will probably never know if it was his drug abuse or the hits he took playing football that caused it.

Both?

 

[The 747]

Is it still ethical to watch and gain enjoyment from footy?

Its becoming more and more apparent that blokes are suffering long term debilitating illness from what we regard as entertainment watching from pubs, lounge rooms and the grandstands.

The AFL did nicely out of those videos highlighting huge hits to players.

 

[ThatsjustDappa]

I heard a caller on radio yesterday mention a comment that was something like this ‘so do all the old bricklayers and steel factory workers put a lawsuit together for their bad backs’.

I mean I get the difference but at the same time when anybody does anything for long enough their probably is some negative outcomes.

There's obligations around duty of care for employers (and employees) in ensuring a safe workplace. On top of Workcover compensation system.

Sure any group could file an action if they felt their employer didn't provide adequate duty of care resulting in harm, eg. asbestos, silicosis etc....

 

[darcytiger]

Next we’ll have rockstars suing their record labels for having tinnitus.

 

[ThatsjustDappa]

Next we’ll have rockstars suing their record labels for having tinnitus.

Relax mate, you're not really funny....

 

[sherb]

Yes and how much of that brain injury is due to all the drugs he would have taken?

I still feel for him regardless of how much drugs may have contributed to his current condition.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

did the opponents he concussed during his playing career also turn to drugs?

That's the first thing I thought of when I read this yesterday.

Ablett was directly responsible for plenty of concussions on opponents.

Do those guys sue the AFL, or Ablett himself? Or both.

The AFL/VFL had rules back then, and he was reported about 15 times - most for head high collisions that clearly would have concussed guys.

Is that the AFL/VFL's fault? Or his? He knew it was wrong, and illegal, but kept doing it to guys anyway.

 

[Simche]

Yes and how much of that brain injury is due to all the drugs he would have taken?

Causation I would have thought would be the significant issue for him to make out in any legal proceeding and no doubt this will be a key consideration of the defence.

 

[#23 Hill]

Why are people generally more worried about brain injuries to footballers than they are about brain injuries to boxers?

 

[Cmarsh]

Why are people generally more worried about brain injuries to footballers than they are about brain injuries to boxers?

Boxing is a sport where you literally volunteer to get repeatedly hit in the head hundreds of times. Slightly different. And its not like doctors havent been calling for boxing to be banned for decades.

Your also on a footy forum where people are going to talk about footy players more than anyone else.

 

[BringFevBack2021]

I was knocked out at least 3 times in under 15's and under 17's, always went straight back on as did all players and also knocked out a few more times in general life, Im 60 this year and so far seem to have my wits about me but it seems to affect people differently.

We need to put a lot more money into research in these areas but in reality life is a risk, I wouldnt have liked it if I wasnt able too play contact sports, people now fully understand the risks so have to make a decision if they want to take the risk of concussion in a contact sport or not, at this stage there is no way to completely erradicate concussion if you have heavy contact.

In my last game of local footy in 2016 a bloke got FLATLINED in the ressies on my team, stiff arms and everything and they put him back on 30 minutes later because he said he was fine. I was saying to the other boys watching that they need to get him off and the coaches caught wind of it and had a bit of a crack at me at training.

We’re talking Division 3 reserves footy and as recently as 2016 they were letting blokes go back out there..

Last night, Pickett SMASHED Smith and just because he didn’t go to sleep the commentary are acting like it wasn’t that big of a hit and were applauding Smiths toughness. I can tell you with almost certainty that he was concussed, or at the very least had copped a sub-concussive blow significant enough for there to be a risk in putting him back out there.

For the uninitiated, you can absolutely be concussed without going out:

Do You Have a Concussion? | Concussion.org

Concussions are a form of traumatic head injury caused by a blow to the head, or even a subtle, sharp jolt. Here are signs of concussion.

www.concussion.org

Also, I too struggle to have sympathy for GAS however, you do have to wonder if traumatic brain injury led him to more risk taking behaviour right? Would what happened at that hotel have happened if he didn’t suffer traumatic brain injury? We’ll never know, but the AFL needs to start taking some level of accountability for the injuries suffered on field.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Meh

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Why are people generally more worried about brain injuries to footballers than they are about brain injuries to boxers?

??

That's just such a weird post, I don't even know where to start.

 

[#23 Hill]

??

That's just such a weird post, I don't even know where to start.

You sign up knowing the risks.

 

[Tulip]

I am pretty sure that Ablett is the only player ever to have taken illicit drugs

he’d be one of the few to have had a heroin habit, such a reductive argument to list all “illicit drugs” as the same

 

[FrustratedTiger]

Pig of a human being who could play footy. I seriously could not care less. If his dealers had money, he'd sue them too.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

You sign up knowing the risks.

I have no idea what that has to do with your other post

 

[Sttew]

Yes and how much of that brain injury is due to all the drugs he would have taken?

What a dumb but predictable response.

 

[Sttew]

The article in the Herald Sun says, “Ablett underwent a MEG scan in November last year at the Swinburne Neuroimaging Facility, the same used by US military at an accuracy rate estimated at over 90 per cents.”

But the BF experts know better