Details of players’ symptoms of traumatic brain injuries revealed in concussion legal fight

Former footballers Darren Jarman and Jay Schulz have been diagnosed with or are showing symptoms of traumatic brain injuries, court documents state.

Former AFL stars Darren Jarman and Jay Schulz have been diagnosed with or are showing symptoms of traumatic brain injuries, newly released court documents state.

It comes as the Herald Sun last week revealed the pair, alongside the widow of late Richmond hardman Shane Tuck, had been named as lead plaintiffs in a concussion class action lodged against the AFL and multiple clubs.

In documents filed to the Supreme Court and released to the Herald Sun on Monday, Griffins Lawyers, who are representing the ex-players and Tuck’s family, also said it should have been “foreseeable” to the AFL and clubs that their clients were young men who were “highly motivated” and would likely attempt to train and play in the days and weeks after concussion incidents.

The former players depended on club staff for management of their injuries and were “unlikely” to challenge opinions which gave them the green light to return to playing or training, the documents claim.

Darren Jarman with Adelaide’s 1997 premiership cup. Picture: Matt Turner

Jarman in his playing days.

The documents allege Jarman and Schulz had been diagnosed with or were showing signs of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) including cognitive impairment, memory loss, loss of executive function, behavioural changes, mood disorders and loss of motor functions.

It is alleged the AFL and the trio’s respective clubs – Richmond, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Adelaide – failed to implement concussion management protocols which left them with brain injuries.

The firm last week revealed Jarman, a three-time premiership star, was continuing to suffer from the impacts of “numerous head knocks and concussions” endured during his 230-game career.

Schulz, who played 194 games for the Tigers and the Power between 2003-2016, opened up on his battle with brain damage in an interview with News Corp last year.

Jay Schulz has been open about his battle with brain damage. Picture: Sarah Rhodes

Schulz in his playing days. Picture: Sarah Reed

Tuck, who played 173 games for Richmond, took his own life in July 2020 and was later found to have been suffering from the crippling brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The trio’s legal team allege the league failed to take steps to ensure players injured by head knocks were examined by qualified medical practitioners or when concussion was detected, failed to ensure they were prevented from returning to the field until they had been cleared to do so.

Allegations against the clubs included that they failed to monitor AFL games and training sessions for signs of head knocks, therefore breaching their concussion management duty of care.

The court documents allege the men were not warned that returning to the field after concussion could worsen their injuries, including permanent brain damage, and so they continued playing without having fully recovered.

After Tuck’s retirement from the AFL in 2013, the documents state he suffered neuropsychiatric and psychiatric injury, including depression, which hampered his ability to work.

Further details of Schulz and Jarman’s injuries are expected to be released ahead of an upcoming court hearing.