Football stars reveal heavy toll concussions have taken on their lives

Retired AFL and NRL stars have made emotional admissions of the problems footballers face with concussion after they retire from the game.

Jamie Pandaram

@JamiePandaram

2 min read

October 8, 2019 - 9:33PM

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AFL great Shaun Smith has revealed he nearly jumped in front of a moving train, as he battled depression he believes was caused by concussions while playing.

Smith, who played 109 games for North Melbourne and Melbourne, made the emotional admission on SBS’s Insight program on Tuesday night, which delved into the problems footballers face with concussion.

“I was at Richmond Station, I was literally half a second away from making a really bad decision,” Smith said, choking back tears.

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Shaun Smith leaves the field after playing a game for the Melbourne Demons in 1996.

Last month, renowned AFL legend and commentator Danny Frawley died in a single-car accident after a lengthy battle with mental health issues.

Smith and fellow retired AFL player John Barnes are part of a group of former players suing the league for negligence over the treatment of concussion.

Smith said the several head knocks he suffered over his 12-year career has resulted in depression and anger management issues.

Rugby League legend Ray Price on concussions, memory loss and his family's fears that he might have dementia. He's just one of the former players on Insight this week talking about footy concussions. Not to be missed. #insightsbs pic.twitter.com/vYSMlvyHpE
— Jenny Brockie (@JenBrockie) October 7, 2019

“I just feel like a piece of crap,” Smith said. “That’s not me, I love life.

“I’m 50 years old, I’ve got a lot of life to live.

“I’ve had a couple of blues with friends, punched on – I’m not a fighter. It’s cost me a friendship just recently. I’m ashamed of it, I just can’t control my anger.

“You become very impulsive, make some very poor decisions.

“I’m pretty sure it’s cost me my marriage and quite a few relationships after that.”

Former AFL footballer John Barnes says his wife Rowena has ‘become like his babysitter’ as a result of the many concussions he suffered while playing football. Picture: Ian Currie

Barnes said his head knocks had caused epilepsy, and he is now so dependant on his wife Rowena he can no longer take showers on his own.

“My wife is like my babysitter,” said Barnes, who played 202 AFL games for Essendon and Geelong.

Barnes said he was seeking “justice” in the legal case against the AFL.

“There’s probably 7000 past players that need to be tested I would imagine, a lot of the players from the 60s and 70s who’ve got the symptoms that we’ve got, I think it’s pretty much the justice and to make sure the AFL knows where it’s at and what’s coming,” Barnes said.

TONIGHT: Rugby League great Steve Mortimer reveals the problems he's having with brain function and memory, and says it's probably connected to his footy concussions. He says recent scans show part of his brain isn't working properly. More on Insight tonight #insightsbs pic.twitter.com/2O0E4eCD3g
— Jenny Brockie (@JenBrockie) October 8, 2019

Smith added: “I’m sure if someone at the head office of the AFL fell down the stairs and had a nasty back injury the rest of their life they’d get Work Cover for the rest of their life, whereas we get nothing, we basically get kicked to the kerb and defend yourself.

“All we want is the AFL to say it does cause damage.”

The Insight program also spoke to former rugby league players including Steve Mortimer, Ray Price, and Brett Horsnell.