Geelong Cats scrutinised after reports of player concussion liability agreement
Geelong Cats have come under scrutiny after reports on Thursday that the AFL club struck a deal allowing a player with a history of concussion to continue playing only if he accepted legal responsibility for any future brain injury.
The Herald Sun first ran details of the arrangement on Thursday morning without naming the club, and by the afternoon multiple media outlets had identified the Cats; the club has been contacted for comment. AFL Players’ Association chief executive James Gallagher said the reported deal could be in breach of both competition rules and Australian law. “The game has a duty to provide a workplace that protects the health, safety, and wellbeing of players and all clubs hold this duty as employers,” he said. “Clubs cannot unilaterally contract out of their obligations under the CBA and standard playing contract, nor attempt to avoid their responsibilities under health and safety laws. “Importantly, no player is permitted to return to play or train unless they have been deemed medically fit to do so. We’re in discussions with the AFL to better understand the circumstances of this case and ensure this issue isn’t replicated further at the elite level.”
The Herald Sun described the arrangement as a so-called “secret deal” made two years ago that required a player who had suffered multiple concussions to assume legal responsibility for any on-field brain injury, and reported the arrangement was cleared by the board.
Former West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson told SEN the report had shocked him. “It’s hard to really fathom how you would get to the conclusion that this is a good thing to do, and how it goes up the chain?” he said. “I can’t see how you would accept that is the right thing to do for your son or your player.” Geelong’s chair at the time was Craig Drummond, who has subsequently been appointed chair of the AFL Commission.
A class action brought by lead plaintiff Max Rooke has been in Victorian courts for more than two years and now includes former Cats doctors who may be exposed to liabilities for their actions since 1985. The matter, which includes more than 100 former AFL players, is expected to go to trial next year.
The report arrives amid wider concerns inside the sport about brain health, concussion and CTE, issues the article says represent an existential threat for the AFL and have prompted changes in recent years intended to make the game safer and prevent brain injury. This year independent doctors watching games were given greater powers to remove a concussed player from the field; previously that responsibility fell on club doctors, a change made after a coronial inquest into the death of Shane Tuck in 2023 recommended it.
Another coronial recommendation was to limit contact training sessions, and that restriction is set to be applied for the first time in the coming pre-season. The AFL and Geelong have been contacted for comment.