Researchers are urging the AFL to take more action to reduce head knocks after Graham “Polly” Farmer became the first player diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Farmer has been posthumously diagnosed with Stage III CTE following tests on tissue from the former ruckman’s brain conducted by the Australian Sports Brain Bank run by Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
CTE is believed to be caused by repeated head knocks and concussions only able to be diagnosed after death.
The disease has become increasingly prevalent in NFL, boxing and soccer, while two former Rugby League players, including legendary Canterbury player and coach Steve Folkes, have also been diagnosed.
Farmer, who played 101 games for Geelong and captained the club from 1965-67, died last year aged 84 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
Head of neuropathology at the RPA and clinical associate professor at the University of Sydney, Michael Buckland, is the founder of the Australian Sports Brain Bank.
He applauds the AFL’s moves to tighten concussion protocols but says the sport must continue to evolve to further reduce the incidence of head knocks.
“There seems to be an exposure relationship between repetitive head knocks, whether they be concussive or sub-concussive, and CTE,” Professor Buckland said on Thursday.
“One thing we’d like the conversation to start focusing on is how we reduce exposure to these repetitive head knocks.
“This might be hundreds a year over many years just like smoking – it’s not one cigarette that kills you, it’s just that repetitive exposure.”
Professor Buckland added that it was still early days in terms of research into the incidence of CTE in AFL players, with more funds required to continue that work.
“Basically what (Farmer’s CTE) does is it tells us that the science has validated what we’ve been saying,” concussion campaigner Peter Jess told SEN on Thursday.
“This is the clinical evidence of what the outcome is from repetitive collisions in our sport. This is what we’re seeing now in the current cohort of players.”
Former AFL star John Platten told SEN the results were concerning.
“It is pretty scary but the good thing about it is they’re doing the research,” he said.
“I’ll still be getting checked up every year so hopefully things start getting better for us.”
As well as his three Sandover Medals, Farmer was runner-up for the Brownlow Medal when playing at Geelong and was three times named in the All-Australian team.
After winning a premiership medal in 1963, he was also the first indigenous coach in VFL/AFL history.
