The AFL is under mounting pressure to address chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after a recent ABC Four Corners episode highlighted the case of Nick Lowden, the youngest footballer diagnosed with the condition at age 23. The program examined the link between repeated head trauma and CTE, a degenerative brain disease first identified in boxers nearly a century ago. Lowden’s mother recalled his desperate question: “Why am I like this? What’s wrong with my brain?”
The issue extends beyond professional players. A coronial inquest into the death of Shane Tuck documented the devastating effects of CTE on athletes and their families. The report described how young men, drawing on their athletic instincts to fight, eventually retreated as the disease took hold. At the grassroots level, concerns are growing as lower-tier competitions lack access to medical help and quality grounds, increasing the risk of head injuries.
Peter Hanlon’s feature series on the 40th anniversary of a notoriously violent country grand final between Colac-Coragulac and South Warrnambool revealed that many former players have battled mental health challenges. “For every Danny Frawley and Polly Farmer, there are thousands who endured multiple concussions in the suburbs and the bush who are pondering a frightening thought – what if that’s me?” he wrote.
The AFL has been criticised for its slow response. For nearly a decade, its concussion guidelines were shaped by Dr Paul McCrory, who dismissed concerns about CTE in 2016. The league’s general manager of health and football operations, Laura Kane, admitted on Four Corners that the AFL still lacks a CTE policy, though she claimed commitment to research. Many of the coronial recommendations are “on track”, she said, adding that “repeated head trauma is extremely undesirable”.
Neuropathologist Michael Buckland described CTE as a “disease of exposure”, comparing prevention to reducing sun exposure for skin cancer. He called for significantly reducing contact training hours and increasing the age at which young players are allowed to tackle. The AFL’s words, however, have been deemed inadequate in addressing the existential threat the sport now faces.
