Richmond have responded to “inflammatory allegations” made against the AFL club’s medical staff during a coronial investigation into the death of Shane Tuck.
The former Tigers player died last year aged 38 after battling mental health issues.
Coroner John Cain was told on Tuesday that Tuck was allowed to keep playing with numerous concussions.
It was also alleged Tuck was treated poorly by Richmond club doctors.
“We feel compelled to defend the highly professional medical staff that managed Shane Tuck throughout his career in the wake of the inflammatory allegations made at a coronial investigation,” Richmond said in a statement.
“We are appalled at the suggestion our medical staff acted in a negligent or unethical way.
“We stand behind those medical staff who acted to the highest professional standards, and in the best interests of Shane during his career.”
An autopsy found that Tuck had severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can only be diagnosed after death.
The debilitating neurological condition, which is linked to head trauma, has also been diagnosed posthumously in fellow former VFL/AFL players Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer, Danny Frawley and Murray Weideman.
Cain said on Tuesday he intended to look at the concussion policies and protocols for the AFL and boxing, according to multiple media reports.
After playing 173 senior games for Richmond, Tuck briefly took up boxing until 2017.
Amid growing global concerns about the long-term health effects of concussion in sport, the AFL and AFLW strengthened their protocols at the start of the year.
Concussed players must have at least 12 days off under the guidelines, which also extend to state and local leagues.
A class action on behalf of concussed AFL players is being planned.
Greg Griffin, managing partner of Griffins Lawyers, has said he has been preparing a class action against the AFL for several years.
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Jack
Guest
Agree with that. Water and core the suburban grounds. Kids play on grounds that professionals wouldn’t train on. My son was hospitalised and gave up Aussie rules with a severe concussion after cracking his head on a ground that hadn’t been cored in 20 years.
Clear as mud
Guest
most of the ones I see, including in kid's footy, come from slam tackles. pay the tackler, early. water the grounds
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Maybe it should football club embarrassed and or concerned about how they handled concussion? OK so now they science is in the clubs and organisation knows whats required. I doubt it though. For all the money its still a very amateur game
IDeals22
Roar Rookie
Well lets hope you're as accurate as you have been with your previous predictions Thom.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
God was brilliant & the Great Doug Hawkins were my fav players of all time :boxing:
Boo
Guest
Drop kick fantastic in super rules you get nine points for a drop kick goal.Growing up a big wrap on a player if he could stab kick both feet .Footy should be a kick and mark game Ablett senior and Peter Knight used to take five or more speccy s a match .
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Very true mate but the problem with the rule committee they are like spoilt kids with no leash, completely out of control. I’ve always been puzzled about our code forever changing rules year in year out its bloody exhausting! Yea the drop kick was my fav kick as a kid with the Faulkner footy :thumbup:
Boo
Guest
Chanon Im old enough to remember practising the place kick in the backyard as a kid and the game wasn't as fast then .It is the rule changes that have sped the game up so maybe we need a re think on where the game is at .I take your point hard to slow down some players but the less chance for speedsters to clash the better .
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Nothing.
ScottD
Roar Guru
What does that have to do with concussion?
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Fair enough mate :thumbup:
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Re: it's coming to your state. That's not necessarily likely. A bit more vigilant than the Eastern seaboard. Anyway, we are not far off other states with vax...just slower because of the vastness and spread of the population. We're fine.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Nah. Light hearted banter with PtheS, initially. Since then a couple, not reading the full thread, have tried to make a political argument. Wrong site for that.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
You do know that Benny Gale is a lawyer as well as a brainiac and law abiding citizen. Pretty sure his understanding of contempt of court issues are far more accurate than your own clumsy attempt to belittle the RFC.
O M
Roar Rookie
Well, if the Court deems it as contempt then it is but really, I don't think they have anything to worry about. Good on Gale for sticking up for his staff members. It was a very unfair inference made against them.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Don that’s cruel we as Victorians didn’t ask for it & lots of Victorians have died & families are suffering don’t wish this predicament on any Australian but be warned mate it’s coming to your state eventually so vaccinated or not your community will have casualties! Your premier is doing everything humanly possible to avoid death by COVID but sooner or later you will have to open up to the rest of the country & to international travellers!
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
The case that is currently before the coroners court. "The Coroners Court has the same contempt powers as the County Court and the Supreme Court, including powers to deal with interferences with witnesses outside the courtroom and publications involving coronial proceedings." The statement was made in the court to the coroner. The other statement was a press release. This is not a team banter issue and I won't treat it as such.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
True & it depends on the player but when English was concussed by Nort with a knee to the head he was out for 4 wks & still wasn’t himself for the rest of the year he looked timid a bit muddled & lost his enthusiasm most likely from the concussion l presume it was the knock that concussed him & by R23 Bevo had him in F50 & gave him explicit instructions to not play in ruck contests while Young played his role. I was gobsmacked by his apparent lack of urgency & l wanted him demoted to reserves never to return. Looking back l may have jumped the gun & will give him the benefit of the doubt but if he returns next year in the same manner l’m certain Bevo will not be bothered if he heads West.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You're not enjoying the absence of lock down, the ability to work, shop, play? Limitless sport...with limitless spectators? I live in a state like that. SA is almost like that. Tassie, apart from 3 days when a NSW germpot came in, is also like that. Qld is pretty free too.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Just hope they nail it with their picks! Could be the nucleus of a flag tilt in 5 years.