Coroner calls on AFL for policy change on contact at training

The coroner who conducted an inquest into the death of former AFL player Shane Tick has called on the league to make some big changes.

Former Richmond player Shane Tuck suffered repeated head knocks during his AFL career.

The AFL has been urged to limit the number of contact training sessions allowed in time for the 2025 pre-season and also hire independent doctors to assess players who receive head knocks by the Victorian coroner in his findings into the death of former player Shane Tuck.

State Coroner John Cain made the recommendations among 20 contained in the findings aimed to limit the risk of significant head trauma to players in the men’s and women’s games.

Tuck, who played 173 games for Richmond, had been hearing voices, had suicidal thoughts and was forced to stay in a psychiatric ward in the years before he took his own life in July 2020, the inquest was told.

Judge Cain said it was accepted Tuck received repeated head knocks in his playing career and then while competing as a professional boxer after he retired from football.

The 38-year-old was diagnosed with a severe form of the degenerative brain condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death.

Shane Tuck received repeated head knocks during his 173-game Richmond playing career.

While he did not make any findings into the nature of Tuck’s death, Judge Cain instead looked at preventive measures to reduce concussion and made a series of recommendations to the AFL.

They included limiting the number of contact training sessions players participate in before, during and after the regular season and employing independent medical practitioners to attend every AFL and AFLW match to help club doctors assess players after head knocks.

Judge Cain recommended they should jointly decide whether the player should be removed from the game, but if there’s a disagreement, the independent advice wins out.

He also recommended the league’s concussions spotters, who monitor games from the arena, should be able to pull players from the field if they noted a potential concussion.

Responding to the findings, an AFL statement said the league had already made more than 30 changes to on-field rules and match review and tribunal guidelines over the past two decades to “further protect the head” and the were updated annually “in accordance with current and evolving science”.

“The AFL is constantly investigating further changes and initiatives that involve technology and equipment trials and exploration of concepts that are directed towards protecting the health and safety of our athletes,” the statement said.

“The AFL welcomes the input of the State Coroner in our ongoing process of the consideration of potential improvements in our strategic approach to the prevention and management of concussion and other head trauma in Australian Football.”

Shane Tuck went in to boxing after his AFL career.

The AFL has to formally respond to Judge Cain’s recommendations within 3 months.

In her response to the findings, Tuck’s sister Renee said she hoped the inquest, and the resultant recommendations, could help her brother leave a “legacy” from an otherwise traumatic experience.

“This is very important to my family as we were unaware of this disease while Shane was suffering so badly before his death,” she said in a statement.

“I would like to think he has had a huge part in helping those of the future from ever going through the traumatic experience that he did.

“He is forever our warrior and today is a very emotional day, however uplifting that Shane can have a legacy to help others in the future.”