‘The AFL really don‘t give a sh*t’: ex-Demon Shaun Smith slams Brayden Maynard ruling

As a former player unloads on the tribunal ruling that exonerated Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard, a leading concussion expert says the AFL must appeal.

Jack Viney confronts Brayden Maynard after Angus Brayshaw was knocked out during the finals match between Melbourne and Collingwood at the MCG. Picture: Getty Images

In an emotional interview former Demons star Shaun Smith, who developed debilitating brain injuries from his playing career, says is it “unbelievable” the AFL tribunal has cleared Brayden Maynard.

Smith told The Australian the AFL tribunal’s “disgusting” decision to clear Maynard reinforced that the AFL “don’t give a sh*t” about head trauma in the game, added its current concussion protocols were “prehistoric”.

Maynard’s attempted smother knocked Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw out for two minutes.

Four AFL players – including the Swans’ Paddy McCartin – have retired because of concussion this season while AFLW Crows player Heather Anderson, who took her own life at 28, was found to have CTE post-mortem.

Smith, who had a 109 game AFL career, and who’s son Joel currently plays for the Demons, says the AFL is failing to protect its players.

“It just shows that the AFL aren‘t really serious [about] the concussion side of things,” Smith said.

“The AFL really don‘t give a sh*t. Or they just think that it’s going to go away or something. I really don’t know because I think as soon as they admit there’s an issue, they’re liable for money and that’s all they’re worried about is money they don’t care about player safety at all. And again, words are cheap. You are judged for your actions and even just return to play protocols are just prehistoric.”

After a nearly four hour hearing the AFL tribunal found that Maynard’s action was “reasonable” after his smother on an Brayshaw kick left the Demon unconscious.

“It‘s just unbelievable that the guy that does that to someone on the footy ground doesn’t get any penalty,” Smith told The Australian.

“I don’t think Maynard meant to hurt Angus, but it was a very careless act and there’s been less than that, and they’ve been given weeks, and that’s potentially a career ending injury for Angus.”

While the AFL tribunal cleared the Collingwood star, the 54-year-old Smith said what Maynard did was not a “footy act”.

“Maynard did something really careless and I don‘t call that a footy act; jumping four foot off the air, directly at someone running at you, I’ve never done that in my life playing footy and shirt fronting someone … to get nothing is it’s just absolute insult.”

One of Australia’s pre-eminent concussion researchers, Dr Alan Pearce, said the AFL tribunal had placed “football” ahead of player safety.

Dr Pearce, a Professor in the School of Allied Health at La Trobe University, said the head trauma issue plaguing the game had been ignored.

“I see Jeff Gleeson in his ruling cautioned the footy world against leaping to hysterical conclusions about what this would mean for the future of the game – you know I’m not concerned about the future of the game, but the future health of our players,” Pearce said.

Dr Pearce said while the AFL tribunal’s focus had been on the technicalities of why Maynard had escaped suspension, it should have been on player welfare first and foremost.

“We have to think about the player with a brain injury, it’s not about the footy incident and its technicalities, we have to think about this from a health perspective,” Dr Pearce said.

“There are two ex-football players and Jeff Gleeson on that AFL tribunal, for me is it a truly independent body? I believe consciously or unconsciously they may have a view that football comes first before player health. If the AFL doesn’t at least appeal this decision then that confirms that athlete and health wellbeing is not their top priority.”

Maynard’s hit on Brayshaw. Picture: Fox Sports

Dr Pearce also pointed out the number of footballers that had retired this year, plus AFLW player’s Anderson CTE diagnosis.

“In the context of Brayshaw’s history, this is his fifth concussion: we’ve quickly forgotten that four AFL players had to retire this year including the Swans’ Paddy McCartin. He is 27. This is all happening in the modern era of concussion protocols and management … we shouldn’t be seeing this, seeing players retiring prematurely,” he said.

“This has also been a year where the first female case of the brain disease CTE was uncovered – former Crows player Heather Anderson was found to have CTE. She was only 28 when she tragically took her life.”

More than 100 former AFL players have also launched legal action as a result of head injuries they sustained during their careers.