Summit to tackle AFL concussions

An event will feature personal stories from former footy players and their family members – including Anita Frawley – but the AFL has declined to participate.

Former football players and family members – including the late Danny Frawley’s wife, Anita – will attend a concussion summit that the AFL declined to participate in.

Friday’s event is being held at the Community Hub at the Dock, in Docklands, and will discuss how concussion can be reduced in contact sports.

Ms Frawley, whose husband took his own life while suffering chronic traumatic encephalopathy which is linked to concussion, will be on the personal experiences panel.

She will be joined by others including former Geelong and Essendon ruckman John Barnes, who has memory loss and mood swings that he believes is linked to 12 concussions sustained in his 202-game career.

Danny Frawley’s wife Anita Frawley will speak on the personal experiences panel. Picture: Mark Stewart

Peter Venables, the father of West Coast Eagles premiership player Daniel, will open up about his family’s experience after his son was forced into early retirement due to brain trauma.

Other former players David King (North Melbourne), Justin Koschitzke (St Kilda) and Shaun Smith (North Melbourne, Melbourne) along with Jen Bromley, the wife of Alan “Dizzy” Lynch, will also be on the panel.

Ms Bromley has previously opened up about the struggles of her husband – a Geelong West 1975 VFA premiership-winning player – who suffers from Parkinson’s disease linked to repeated head knocks.

Koschitzke previously revealed he didn’t remember finishing AFL games he had played in because of heavy hits he suffered.

Former St Kilda player Justin Koschitzke is on the panel. Picture: Getty

Summit organiser Peter Jess, who has been outspoken on the issue of concussion in AFL, said he had invited several representatives from the AFL – including Andrew Dillon, who takes over as chief executive from Gillon McLachlan at the end of this season – but they would not be attending.

Jess, an AFL agent who has worked with lawyer Greg Griffin on a class action, said the league’s mantra was that the health and safety of past and present players was their priority.

“When you have 300 players who feel compelled to take legal action to get basic compensation, it says it all,” he said.

“Brain damage is an industrial disease.”

Smith is a lead plaintiff in a class action launched earlier this year by Griffins Lawyers against the AFL over concussion-related injuries.

It is the second class action against the league and clubs involving former players, with the other instigated by Margalit Lawyers and led by dual Geelong premiership player Max Rooke.

In the Supreme Court in June, Justice John Dixon opened the door to merging the cases into a mega class action. The summit begins at 10am Friday and is free.

The AFL declined to comment.