Ty Zantuck’s mother says years of painkilling injections has ruined his life
Ty Zantuck’s mother sees her son’s pain at close quarters. As the former Tiger seeks damages for a crippling back injury, Karmene Zantuck is pointing the finger at the AFL system she says doesn’t give “a s---” about his struggles.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE mother of fallen Richmond hardman Ty Zantuck says football has destroyed her son’s life.
Karmene Zantuck, 60, has detailed a trail of destruction she says was inflicted on her family as a result of years of painkilling jabs used to keep Ty on the field.
She has accused the AFL system of mistreating and abandoning her son.
“Ty’s whole life has been ruined through football,” Karmene said.
NO RECORDS: ZANTUCK’S DAMAGES CLAIM HITS HURDLE
SUPERCOACH: START PICKING YOUR TEAM NOW!
NEW BLUE? VFL STAR TO TRAIN WITH CARLTON
“They knew that he had stress fractures in his back, but instead of giving him time off to heal, they kept pumping him full of drugs.
“He relied on any sort of medication that they were giving to him to get through daily life.
“We have had to endure watching him struggle through everything.”
Thursday’s Herald Sun revealed a damages claim brought by Zantuck’s lawyers had been hampered by the absence of medical records at the Tigers before 2004.
Zantuck, 36, alleges he was injected with painkillers and epidurals up to 50 times over three seasons under the care of then Richmond doctor Chris Bradshaw from 2001-03.
He played 77 games for the Tigers and Essendon before being delisted in 2005 with a chronic back injury and has since endured 17 operations on his spine.
“He’s never been able to keep a proper job and was forced to try and play local football to get money, because he was so desperate,” Karmene said.
“It’s been an absolute nightmare.
“He needed proper help. You wonder why he’s had all these surgeries and nerve damage to his back. It’s just shocking.”
Karmene said she had gone to the AFL Players’ Association headquarters in tears “virtually begging for help with his medical bills”.
“He needed more than just a handout,” she said.
“There was never, ever a phone call to say, ‘Oh, how is Ty going?’ No one ever gave a s--- about what happened to him.
“One day one of these kids will commit suicide, because you’ve got no idea what it’s like when players at such an early age get delisted. It was because he was struggling to play football. They wouldn’t give him time to heal and when he got to Essendon, after 12 months they turned around and said, ‘we don’t think you fit in here, see you later’.
“But they knew that he had medical problems.
“If a bloke does his knee, he’s out for 12 months, but he had a bad back and they wouldn’t even give him three months.
“He hasn’t been an angel … but there was so much pressure on him.”
Karmene said her son “lost everything after he got delisted from Essendon”.
“All of a sudden it just gets pulled from underneath them and the next minute they’re on their own,” she said.
“He lives for his two kids, and I think that’s why he tries so hard to be a good father to them.”
Ty’s father, Shane, played 149 games for North Melbourne, South Melbourne and Melbourne and his uncle Arnold Briedis played in two premierships for the Roos.
Asked whether following in their footsteps was worth the price her son paid, Karmene said: “No way.
“As all parents do, you send your kid down to play football and within three years he’s ended up like a cripple because they never gave him the right medical treatment.
“I’m just so disappointed in the whole system.”