One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on December 13, 2018, 08:57:28 AM
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Zantuck’s damages bid hits ‘laughable’ snag
Michael Warner
Herald Sun
13 December 2018
A damages claim launched by former Richmond hardman Ty Zantuck over a spree of painkilling jabs has been hampered by the absence of medical records.
The Tigers have told Zantuck’s legal team they are not in possession of any records relating to treatments on players prior to the 2004 season.
Zantuck, 36, alleges he was injected with painkillers and epidurals up to 50 times over three seasons under the care of ex-Richmond doctor Chris Bradshaw in a bid to overcome a debilitating back injury between 2001-03.
He has endured 17 operations on his spine since retiring from the AFL 12 years ago, can no longer work and is battling permanent pain and depression.
The Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre, where Zantuck was sometimes treated, has told lawyers its records for the 77-game defender were lawfully disposed after seven years.
The AFL Players’ Association said clubs were only obligated to keep records for seven years, in line with legislation.
Zantuck’s lawyer, Greg Griffin, said the seven-year rule was “extraordinary”.
“Everyone in international sport knows that long-term injuries are most likely to appear between 10 and 20 years after retirement,” Griffin said.
“It’s laughable and an indictment on the AFL that they have allowed clubs to have virtually no medical records and histories of players.
“It sits there and says it is the beacon of governance and the beacon of how to run a sport, but they’ve sold the players down the river.
“Ty Zantuck has been sold down the river. No ifs, no buts.
“There really should be a government inquiry into the medical treatment that was dished out by these clubs in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s.”
Griffin is also leading a looming Federal Court concussion case involving up to 70 ex-players against the AFL and clubs where club medical records will be sought.
Bradshaw, who has since worked at Geelong and Collingwood, had his medical licence suspended over an unrelated matter in October 2017 while employed at the Magpies.
Zantuck, who played 68 games for Richmond and another nine at Essendon in 2005, has warned the AFL’s next generation of players to steer clear of painkilling injections at all costs.
“I’ve laid in hospital for weeks at a time on ketamine and morphine drips and that can just drain the life out of you,” the father of two told the Herald Sun in March.
An AFLPA spokesman said: “We are not involved with Ty’s claim but continue to offer him support available to all past players through our alumni program.”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/former-richmond-hardman-ty-zantuck-seeking-damages-for-debilitating-back-injury/news-story/9fcdd3a6e1aff8f53eda69d19cdf7fa2
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Painkillers have had “catastrophic” effect on Zantuck
By SEN
13 Dec 2018
Ty Zantuck’s lawyer Greg Griffin has slammed Richmond for not possessing his client’s medical records following the injection of multiple painkillers during his stint with the Tigers.
Zantuck has sought a damages claim against his former club after being injected with painkillers and epidurals up to 50 times between 2001-03 to overcome a persistent back problem.
The 36-year-old has had 17 operations on his spine since calling time on his AFL career in 2005 that have had enormous consequences on his health and well-being.
“You don’t have to destroy records and you shouldn’t destroy records because players invariably who suffer from injuries, illnesses and affects from football, they don’t happen within seven years of retirement, they happen 10, 15 and 20 years after retirement,” Griffin told SEN Breakfast.
“For that reason, I’m actually quite appalled that these records don’t exist. He’s in a really difficult position.
“He’s had numerous operations, I think he’s quite frank about it, but he can basically barely work anymore, he’s depressed, he struggles to keep up with his children – it’s had a catastrophic effect on him.
“Quite frankly, I think his body is pretty well buggered.”
Zantuck, who made his AFL debut in 2000, played 77 games for Richmond and Essendon.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/12/12/painkillers-have-had-catastrophic-effect-on-zantuck/
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While I feel sorry for him, I wonder how many of the 50 were epidurals and how many were pain killers. I assume that the majority were pain killers. Over 3 years, that is only 14 to 15 injections per year or less than one per week in a footy season. He would have also asked or at least agreed to the pain killers because all players want to continue to play.....
Also blaming a club after 15 years is drawing a long bow. For all we know he could have had a car accident, gone sky diving etc, etc since.
Of course I wish him all the best. However our society always wants to blame someone rather than take responsibility for the position they find themselves.
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People might laugh but Zanners was actually somewhat important to us in 2002-03.
No idea what really happened, whether he wanted the injections or was assured it was all guchi. But I do know we were an embarrassment back then and it's a shambles that his medical records aren't available.
Good luck to him.
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While I feel sorry for him, I wonder how many of the 50 were epidurals and how many were pain killers. I assume that the majority were pain killers. Over 3 years, that is only 14 to 15 injections per year or less than one per week in a footy season. He would have also asked or at least agreed to the pain killers because all players want to continue to play.....
Also blaming a club after 15 years is drawing a long bow. For all we know he could have had a car accident, gone sky diving etc, etc since.
Of course I wish him all the best. However our society always wants to blame someone rather than take responsibility for the position they find themselves.
:clapping :clapping
On top of that, they said even back in Zantuck's playing days player's had to sign a consent form prior to any injection.. so supposedly he signed and agreed to the treatments :huh3
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It isn't the best situation but in reality many players are stuffed after their career, maybe that is why they get the big $.
In Ty's case he may not have rehabbed correctly, had an injury post footy, or just be predisposed to that condition.
Personally I think it should be move on nothing to see here.
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Clubs never forced painkilling jabs says Nathan Grima.
SEN
13 Dec 2018
Nathan Grima says retired players must be careful when lashing out at clubs long after their AFL career is over.
The former North Melbourne defender was forced to retire prematurely in 2015 due to a chronic back problem which required three bouts of surgery.
Grima managed to return for one season with Essendon as a top-up player in 2016, but his career at the elite level was over earlier than expected.
It has emerged that Ty Zantuck has launched a damages claim after he was allegedly injected 50 times while at Richmond between 2001 and 2003, but Grima feels it is dangerous territory to solely blame the club.
“I came out with three back operations and chronic back pain, but would I do it all again? In a heartbeat,” the new Sturt coach said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“If I didn’t want to put myself at risk of doing that, I would have done an office job.
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
“It’s a weird sport, I guess, because you do it at the front end of your life and achieve everything you’ve set out to by the time you are 30 so I think that’s why a lot of guys get to the back end and feel empty as to what comes next.
“They start feeling pity on things that have happened.
“I think you’ve got be careful coming out the back end. You are around good doctors, and managed as best you can. It’s a contact sport, there’s going to be injuries.
“It’s not the complete fault of the club, you are putting yourself out there like other sports.
“I would never go back at North. I still get best medical care if I need to, and for my wife and kids.
“I can see a club doctor from Essendon or North at any time. They genuinely care so much about you.”
Grima, who played a total of 88 AFL games for the Roos and Dons, said he always had a choice whether or not he received a painkilling injection.
“I got jabbed to play games I shouldn’t have played but it wasn’t the club wanting to do it, it was me as a player wanting to play as many games I could,” he added.
“If they gave me the option to play, even it was 50-50, if you are a competitor you want to get out there.
“Just don’t do it if you don’t want to do it. There’s no shame in not wanting to do it (get jabbed).
“I think it’s getting a bit of a trend for players to come out of the woodwork.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/12/12/clubs-never-forced-painkilling-jabs-says-grima/
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Zantuck’s mother lashes footy ‘nightmare’
Michael Warner,
Herald Sun
14 December 2016
THE mother of fallen Richmond hardman Ty Zantuck says football has destroyed her son’s life.
Karmene Zantuck, 60, has detailed a trail of destruction she says was inflicted on her family as a result of years of painkilling jabs used to keep Ty on the field.
She has accused the AFL system of mistreating and abandoning her son.
“Ty’s whole life has been ruined through football,” Karmene said.
“They knew that he had stress fractures in his back, but instead of giving him time off to heal, they kept pumping him full of drugs.
“He relied on any sort of medication that they were giving to him to get through daily life.
“We have had to endure watching him struggle through everything.”
Thursday’s Herald Sun revealed a damages claim brought by Zantuck’s lawyers had been hampered by the absence of medical records at the Tigers before 2004.
Zantuck, 36, alleges he was injected with painkillers and epidurals up to 50 times over three seasons under the care of then Richmond doctor Chris Bradshaw from 2001-03.
He played 77 games for the Tigers and Essendon before being delisted in 2005 with a chronic back injury and has since endured 17 operations on his spine.
“He’s never been able to keep a proper job and was forced to try and play local football to get money, because he was so desperate,” Karmene said.
“It’s been an absolute nightmare.
“He needed proper help. You wonder why he’s had all these surgeries and nerve damage to his back. It’s just shocking.”
Ty Zantuck in action for the Tigers in 2003.
Karmene said she had gone to the AFL Players’ Association headquarters in tears “virtually begging for help with his medical bills”.
“He needed more than just a handout,” she said.
“There was never, ever a phone call to say, ‘Oh, how is Ty going?’ No one ever gave a s--- about what happened to him.
“One day one of these kids will commit suicide, because you’ve got no idea what it’s like when players at such an early age get delisted. It was because he was struggling to play football. They wouldn’t give him time to heal and when he got to Essendon, after 12 months they turned around and said, ‘we don’t think you fit in here, see you later’.
“But they knew that he had medical problems.
“If a bloke does his knee, he’s out for 12 months, but he had a bad back and they wouldn’t even give him three months.
Ty Zantuck with sons Jagger and Zepplin earlier this year. Pic: Wayne Taylor
“He hasn’t been an angel … but there was so much pressure on him.”
Karmene said her son “lost everything after he got delisted from Essendon”.
“All of a sudden it just gets pulled from underneath them and the next minute they’re on their own,” she said.
“He lives for his two kids, and I think that’s why he tries so hard to be a good father to them.”
Ty’s father, Shane, played 149 games for North Melbourne, South Melbourne and Melbourne and his uncle Arnold Briedis played in two premierships for the Roos.
Asked whether following in their footsteps was worth the price her son paid, Karmene said: “No way.
“As all parents do, you send your kid down to play football and within three years he’s ended up like a cripple because they never gave him the right medical treatment.
“I’m just so disappointed in the whole system.”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/ty-zantucks-mother-says-years-of-painkilling-injections-has-ruined-his-life/news-story/5f71e3b27ad8aac127041ec30fcd4816
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How many clubs did he play for after Richmond including suburban clubs. How do we know the damage happened at Richmond? Can they prove it? How often did he injure himself playing footy after Richmond? How many weeks off did he have to take off at those clubs. You see he has no claim because my understanding is he played a lot of suburban football for years. If I am wrong on that someone will probably tell us on here.
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Epidural to play football? Surely not LOL
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How many clubs did he play for after Richmond including suburban clubs. How do we know the damage happened at Richmond? Can they prove it? How often did he injure himself playing footy after Richmond? How many weeks off did he have to take off at those clubs. You see he has no claim because my understanding is he played a lot of suburban football for years. If I am wrong on that someone will probably tell us on here.
You are correct. Played at quite a number of clubs after his AFL career. Last played a few games in 2014 I believe it was, which means he was obviously functioning well in life at the point to at least get a gallop going. Though his mother claims he only played footy after AFL because he needed the money due to his body not being up to standard when it comes to holding down a job.
I love Ty, always have. There's no doubt AFL had a massive impact on his body and our club treated him poorly, but the fact he's played footy a good 8 years after he left Essendon means this claim will go nowhere. Not to mention the medical records that no longer exist. That should be changed by the way, I see no reason for records to be destroyed after 7 years.
Zanners also could have gotten an education post footy that enabled him to work in a job that doesn't require him to put his body through the ringer.
I hope he gets some kind of assistance from the club but he wasn't the most popular human on the planet in 2004 down at the RFC
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For all we know he could have had a car accident, gone sky diving etc, etc since.
I'm sure there would be a medical record
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“He’s never been able to keep a proper job and was forced to try and play local football to get money, because he was so desperate,” Karmene said.
I would think that him not keeping a job had nothing to do with his back if he could go out and play footy :lol
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For all we know he could have had a car accident, gone sky diving etc, etc since.
I'm sure there would be a medical record
Where would you look for it? What if he had an accident overseas?
It's impossible to be certain despite your response.
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For all we know he could have had a car accident, gone sky diving etc, etc since.
I'm sure there would be a medical record
Where would you look for it? What if he had an accident overseas?
It's impossible to be certain despite your response.
I was taking the mickey...
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Zantuck case puts every club ‘on notice’: Dr Larkins
Michael Warner,
Herald Sun
15 December 2018
A top medico says rules allowing AFL clubs to dispose of player medical records after seven seasons are fraught with danger.
Leading sports physician Dr Peter Larkins said professional sporting clubs needed stricter record-keeping systems “in the current climate of litigation and concussion”.
A damages claim launched by former Tiger Ty Zantuck over a spree of painkilling jabs administered to him between 2001-03 has been hampered by the absence of any medical records at Punt Rd prior to 2004.
“I think every club should be put on notice,” Larkins said on Friday.
“Clubs and club doctors need to have a system in place — and we’re not talking about thousands of files here, we’re only talking about dozens of files — where those records are kept for much longer than the standard person in the street who has had a flu shot at a general practice.
“The law of the medical world for a patient is seven years, but AFL is a bit of a different circumstance because of the way things go with post-career problems, whether it’s knees or hips or an aggrieved player.
“When it comes to the head, who knows what sort of cases are going to be brought against the AFL over the next decade.
“So I’m surprised that clubs aren’t more in tune with that.
“There are many current examples of AFL players who have had multiple surgeries or injury-plagued careers, and I suspect clubs would be conscious of potential disability claims from them later in life, so records must be thorough and preserved.”
Larkins said record-keeping across the AFL had improved in recent years.
“When I started in footy, medical records at clubs were hopeless. A lot of footy club consultations were held in the carpark or on the ground,” Larkins said.
“Some clubs were really good at records, but some were awful compared to what we would do in our own office.
“Many years ago some clubs started realising with people suing over ground surfaces and other things, that they needed to have evidence of the injuries.
“But it’s likely we need to have a different set of rules for professional sport.
“Most doctors would be keeping good records today.”
Larkins declined to discuss the Zantuck issue but said “the concept of blocking pain and throwing needles was rampant in the 1990s”.
“I’ve always been very careful talking about medical practises at AFL level. It’s really front-line medicine and there are lots of compromises made in sport,” he said.
“It’s a different world and there’s still a very fine line with doctors trying to keep blokes on the park, and you’ve got to remember some of the players are pushing for this, too.
“It’s often the player requesting it: ‘Can you put something in my ankle at half time? Can you put something in my shoulder?’
“So in the current environment the doctor has to consent that and record it to protect himself.
“And in 2018 that should be in a medical record. But was it in a medical record in 2000? Maybe not.”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/afl-clubs-need-stricter-recordkeeping-systems-for-player-medical-files-dr-peter-larkins-says/news-story/6b26704d936aad527cc4d2f3bf09e069
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Some players can go to extraordinary lengths to keep their AFL dream alive even if it puts their post-footy quality of life at risk. IIRC, didn't Kel Moore have his hip surgically rearranged to try and overcome persistent injury (?). If you go back further in time, Royce's knees were shot by the end of his career and he was still a young man in his late 20s. Footy is a brutal game on the body, especially at the highest level.
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I would think he'd be better of suing the AFL rather than Richmond.
I think he would have to prove that our practices were significantly different to the common practice of clubs at the time, and that in doing so we breached a duty of care to the point of negligence.
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I would think he'd be better of suing the AFL rather than Richmond.
I think he would have to prove that our practices were significantly different to the common practice of clubs at the time, and that in doing so we breached a duty of care to the point of negligence.
His lawyer was on SEN last week when the story was in the HUN
He suing both, AFL & Richmond
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How come he waited so long? wouldn't be because rfc is now a successful club?
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I wouldn't give him much chance of winning.....
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How come he waited so long? wouldn't be because rfc is now a successful club?
No, wouldn't imagine that has anything to do with it, to be honest.
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This has hit the papers again.
‘Permanent pain’: Tigers hit with damages claim over jabs
A former Richmond player is battling pain and depression, allegedly due to a series of painkilling jabs administered by the club.
Paywall: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/news/richmond-hit-with-major-damages-claim-by-former-tiger-ty-zantuck/news-story/40a63ca07a90c3e7eac661b36fa809e4
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Ty Zantuck’s court case against Richmond looming as a test case for injured footballers
Michael Warner
The Australian
APRIL 23, 2021
A top sports medico says the Ty Zantuck Supreme Court damages claim against Richmond could open the floodgates for litigation against AFL clubs.
Lawyers for Zantuck, 39, lodged a statement of claim on Wednesday night alleging he received “15-20 epidurals” between 2002 and 2004 in a bid to get him on the field despite suffering a debilitating back injury.
He has since endured 17 operations on his spine, can no longer work and is battling permanent pain and depression.
It is understood the damages being sought against the Tigers and three club-affiliated doctors are in excess of $1 million.
Dr Peter Larkins said the verdict in the Zantuck case loomed as a “great test case” for the game.
“There could be an absolute Pandora’s box of litigation against football clubs opened up here,” Larkins said.
“There are many players going back over the last 20 years who now have chronic medical conditions — it might be a hip, it might be a knee or their back.
“I’m not surprised this is happening because I think footy players are now realising that there could be a way of suing doctors — but you’ve got to be shown to be negligent or doing something that is out of step with your peers.
“You’ve got to look at what was contemporary, accepted treatment at the time.”
Larkins said epidurals were common in football, but not usually within one or two days of a game.
“And that’s what Zantuck has got to prove — that what Richmond were doing was out of step with what other clubs were doing,” he said.
“If he gets up and can prove that for some reason that treatment should not have been done, you’ll have 10 other blokes saying, ‘Well, hang on. I’ve got a chronic back too and I’m now 50 and that is what happened to me? Why can’t I be successful?’.”
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said at a press conference on Thursday it was hard for him to make comment because the matter was before courts.
“But what I will say is no people look after the players better than AFL doctors,” he said.
“I know our doctors here, and I have incredible support for them. They will not put our players at risk at any stage.
“They look after the health and wellbeing of our players as well as anyone.
“With concussion, as we see at the moment, doctors don’t make any questions, at the end of the day they do what’s required to look after the health and wellbeing of player safety, so from that point of view all I can do is support the AFL medical industry and say they do a wonderful job.”
Larkins said he knew of another star player who once received an epidural on the morning of a game.
“I’m serious. Can you believe that? They are an accepted, effective treatment of back pain, but most people will lie in bed for two days afterwards,” he said.
“It’s the right treatment for the right injury but if you have an epidural, in my opinion, you shouldn’t be playing that week — perhaps even a week later.
“So if you reckon concussion needs a 12-day rule, if your back is so bad with pain and nerve pain that you are having an epidural — then the time frame for it to work is 7-10 days, and then you should train lightly.”
Zantuck, who played 68 games for Richmond and another nine at Essendon in 2005, has previously warned the AFL’s next generation of players to steer clear of painkilling injections at all costs.
“I’ve laid in hospital for weeks at a time on ketamine and morphine drips and that can just drain the life out of you,” the father of two told the Herald Sun in 2018.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/ty-zantucks-court-case-against-richmond-looming-as-a-test-case-for-injured-footballers/news-story/465d0934d426df2ff591a31389702c14
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Went to Essendon after Richmond went onto a number of suburban clubs for years afterwards, played game after game ... sorry but I find it hard to fathom how he blames Richmond. If he was that bad why did he go to Essendon? Why did he continue for years in suburban football which is rough rugged footy at best. How do we not know if he injured himself at those suburban clubs or made his injurues worse. He made tbe decisions to play which means he felt and his clubs felt he was fit to play a high contact sport. He has no case in my opinion.
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Great points Ramps, Case closed.
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Because Essendon and the suburban clubs are all poor as feck.
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Former Tiger seeks to lift damages bid with concussion claim
Jon Pierik
The Age
October 22, 2021 — 12.06pm
A former Richmond footballer is pushing to heighten his legal case against the club, claiming he suffered up to 30 concussions which have led to a range of neurological disorders and several suicide attempts.
In a week when state coroner Judge John Cain’s comments that he intended to embrace limited parameters in the investigation into the death of Shane Tuck left former AFL players angry and upset, it has emerged that another Tiger, Ty Zantuck, has filed an amended claim in the Victorian Supreme Court detailing how he has been left impaired by a number of serious head knocks.
But whether the amended claim, filed out of time, and in addition to the earlier allegations that he was left with chronic orthopaedic and back injuries, is accepted won’t be decided by the court until a hearing on November 16.
Zantuck, who played 68 games for the Tigers between 2000 and 2004, is already suing the Tigers and three former and current doctors, alleging they were negligent and breached their duty of care in the treatment of a back injury that he claims left him permanently injured, depressed and prompted him to attempt suicide.
The Tigers and the three doctors have all denied the original orthopaedic claims made by Zantuck. Sources close to Zantuck expect the Tigers, criticised by his lawyer Greg Griffin for not having detailed medical records from the time, to fight having the amended claim added to Zantuck’s earlier case. The Tigers did not wish to comment on the amended claim when contacted by The Age.
Former Richmond doctor Chris Bradshaw, current club doctor Greg Hickey and another doctor Vincent Healey have all denied the original allegation of negligence, along with the Tigers. Zantuck claims the back injury, the fall-out from it and the impact of the epidural injections left him medically unfit to train and play AFL football.
Among the statements lodged by the defence to Zantuck’s initial claim, the Tigers deny “that any act or omission on its part caused injury, loss or damage to the plaintiff”. Hickey denied that between January 2004 and August 2004 Zantuck had back pain which “incapacitated” him playing football, while Bradshaw said at all times he acted professionally as a doctor. Healey denied any negligence.
But the club and doctors are now facing more claims from lawyer Greg Griffin and Zantuck that the latter has short-term memory loss, is at risk of early onset dementia and is at greater risk of CTE, a degenerative brain disease.
“Mr Zantuck was drafted to RFC at 17 years old and recalls that the football he played in his teens leading up to his time at the RFC was relatively low contact,” the amended statement, seen by The Age, says.
“He does not recall significant head knocks or concussions before he commenced playing for RFC in 2000. Mr Zantuck estimates that he suffered between 20-30 concussions during his employment at RFC between 2000-04.”
Griffin and his team have analysed footage of many of Zantuck’s matches, and point out the serious knocks they believe he had in round 21, 2002, round one, 2003 and round 12, 2003.
“The clips of Mr Zantuck from round 1 played on 28 March 2003 are particularly relevant,” the statement says, adding he had suffered a broken cheek bone on February 13, 2003 in a non-football incident which required the insertion of a plate.
“Some six weeks after that surgery, Mr Zantuck suffered in round 1 what appears to be two serous head knocks to the side of his face the subject of the surgery.
“Of further evidence is that notwithstanding the medical advice given to RFC and Mr Zantuck that he should not engage in physical training or play competitive football for a period of six weeks after the broken cheek bone, he returned to running and swimming and then competitive training within weeks of the surgery thereby not complying with the medical advice he had received.
“RFC and the medical staff were aware of the time period in which Mr Zantuck should have not engaged in these activities.”
Dr Rowena Mobbs, a consultant neurologist, has compiled Zantuck’s detailed medical history which is included in the updated statement of claim.
In summary, it is claimed he suffers sensitised back pain, severe neck pain, chronic pain syndrome, major depressive disorder “with co-morbid anxiety and a history of suicide attempts”, post-traumatic stress disorder and a range of neurological disorders.
These include “short-term memory loss, the risk of early onset of dementia … an increased risk of the onset of CTE, an inability to control his temper over issues that previously were minor and of no consequence … ”
Zantuck also played nine matches for Essendon in 2005 but “does not recall any significant collisions or head knocks during his time at Essendon”.
In April, Griffin filed documents stating Zantuck was diagnosed with a back injury as a result of the club’s weight training and running program in December 2001 or January 2002. He had asked not to attend a training camp in the Grampians where players were due to hike with a 30-kilogram backpack.
Zantuck’s request was denied but the weight of his bag was cut to 15 kg.
He says he soon suffered back spasms, was diagnosed with a slipped disc and says he was injected with local anaesthetic. He says he then had between 15 and 20 epidural injections during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/former-tiger-seeks-to-lift-damages-bid-with-concussion-claim-20211021-p5920m.html
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Reported in the HeraldSun too.
Ex-Tiger’s startling concussion claim in lawsuit
Former Tiger Ty Zantuck has alleged he suffered up to 30 concussions during his five-year Richmond career as he seeks damages from the Tigers in court.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/shane-tuck-cte-case-lawyers-release-more-than-seven-minutes-of-footage-of-head-knocks-suffered-by-the-late-tiger/news-story/b7d4e02dc0e36df241e9b88712fe23a2
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30 concussions lol give me a break
This guy has a case of the sads because he was a spud and didn't make it
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30 concussions lol give me a break
This guy has a case of the sads because he was a spud and didn't make it
Probably the dumbest thing I've read on this site. The guy could play and if you knew him or the true extent of his injuries you wouldn't be bagging him. 30 concussions I find somewhat hard to believe but he was not looked after at all.
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This medical liability stuff is very unsettling.
Naturally we defend the clubs and AFL because of the lack of awareness and understanding. I can't see how anyone can be liable about concussions when the education on it wasnt what it was now.
As for Ty it seems if you throw enough poo around eventually some will stick.
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Then he went and played for club aftet club in various leagues after Richmond. How many clubs was it 12 or something. Passed fit to plsy at all those clubs. How many hits did he take playing at all thosr clubs.
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This medical liability stuff is very unsettling.
Naturally we defend the clubs and AFL because of the lack of awareness and understanding. I can't see how anyone can be liable about concussions when the education on it wasnt what it was now.
As for Ty it seems if you throw enough poo around eventually some will stick.
Defend the AFL mate? Maybe your getting confused with another site. It’s a shame as it’s those bastards who should be sued, not the club. After all, it’s they who set the guidance on how the game is played.
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This medical liability stuff is very unsettling.
Naturally we defend the clubs and AFL because of the lack of awareness and understanding. I can't see how anyone can be liable about concussions when the education on it wasnt what it was now.
As for Ty it seems if you throw enough poo around eventually some will stick.
Defend the AFL mate? Maybe your getting confused with another site. It’s a shame as it’s those bastards who should be sued, not the club. After all, it’s they who set the guidance on how the game is played.
Defend it - in that this has the potential to absolutely cripple the game. How many other past footballers have played on after a concussion. Be hundreds of lawsuits popping up cause some idiot lawyer has tapped up ex footballers and families for a pay day and exposure.
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Don’t really care about the impact on the AFL, after what blokes like Hocking has done over the last few years.
If there is a claim to be made then so what. Pay out those who deserve it. It’s actually that simple and is the right thing to do.
What happens to the competition matters little, especially when you have such a corrupt organisation like the AFL going around. If it’s the RFC that has to pay out, which I hope it isn’t then the same logic applies if determined by the courts.
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AFL subpoenaed in former Tiger’s injury case
Jon Pierik
The Age
November 21, 2021
Former Richmond footballer Ty Zantuck is seeking documents and footage from the AFL as part of his injury case against the Richmond Football Club.
The Age last month revealed Zantuck was pushing to have his physical injury case extended to include a range of neurological disorders and several suicide attempts he claims are related to the concussions and head knocks he had on the football field while playing 68 matches for the Tigers between 2000 and 2004.
Zantuck, who also played a further nine games at AFL level with Essendon in 2005, is suing the Tigers and club doctor Greg Hickey, former club doctor Chris Bradshaw, and another doctor, Vincent Healey, in the Victorian Supreme Court. The Tigers and doctors deny the original orthopaedic claims.
Late last month, Zantuck’s lawyer Greg Griffin issued a notice of discovery against the Tigers and the doctors. Griffin this month has issued a subpoena to five parties - the AFL, the Seven Network, surgeon and associate professor Alfred Nastri (who conducted surgery on Zantuck), Tom Gastin from the AFL Doctors Association, and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Through the AFL, Griffin is seeking footage of all AFL and VFL matches Zantuck played in seasons 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. He had also subpoenaed Seven, but that was pulled, given it was Ten, Nine, and Foxtel which shared the AFL broadcast rights between 2002-04.
The AFL has been asked to provide all records it has from Richmond detailing concussions any Tiger had through that same period. Griffin also wants all copies of the AFL regulations from 2000 to 2004. The AFL was contacted for comment.
The AFL has also been asked to hand over any “records relating to any process the AFL commenced or participated in to advocate for the rescission of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) publications, Football Injuries of the Head and Neck published in 1994, and Head and Neck Injuries in Football: Guidelines for prevention and management published in 1995, including all materials relevant to how the AFL promoted to the constituent AFL clubs in the period from 1995 to 2004”.
Griffin also wants all submissions to the NHMRC, relating to the NHMRC publications, by Dr Paul McCrory on behalf of the AFL.
McCrory, a neurologist who was once closely aligned to the league, has played down the impacts of repeated head knocks, including questioning research that found a link between repetitive head injury and neurodegenerative disease.
Griffin has also sought all records of “meetings between Dr McCrory and any person working for the AFL, including telephone notes, emails and facsimiles to Ian Denley, Health Advisory Section NHMRC, Florence Adofo-Kissi and Mrs Cathy Clutton, Acting Executive Director of Centre for Health Advice, Policy and Ethics”.
Nastri has been told to provide details on how long he advised Zantuck to avoid training or playing after surgery.
Gaston, of the AFL Doctors Association, has been asked to provide the guidelines for the management of concussion from 1983 to 2004.
Griffin’s bid to amend the original statement of claim and seek an extension of time had been due to be held on Wednesday. But Griffin said on Friday it had been adjourned for argument in February.
The Supreme Court said mediation between the Tigers and Zantuck has been slated for March 25. If that fails, a trial has been set for August 1.
Zantuck alleges the Tigers were negligent and breached their duty of care in the treatment of a back injury that he claims left him permanently injured, depressed, and prompted him to attempt suicide. The Tigers and the three doctors have all denied the original orthopaedic claims made by Zantuck, who claims the back injury, the fallout from it, and the impact of the epidural injections left him medically unfit to train and play AFL football.
Griffin and his team have already analysed footage of many of Zantuck’s matches, alleging the serious knocks they believe he had in round 21, 2002, round one, 2003, and round 12, 2003 have contributed to what they claim is his mental deterioration.
Dr Rowena Mobbs, a consultant neurologist, has compiled Zantuck’s detailed medical history, which is included in Griffin’s updated statement of claim.
In summary, it is claimed he suffers severe back and neck pain, chronic pain syndrome, major depressive disorder “with co-morbid anxiety and a history of suicide attempts”, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a range of neurological disorders.
Zantuck says he suffered back spasms, was diagnosed with a slipped disc, and was injected with local anaesthetic. He claims he had between 15 and 20 epidural injections during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Griffin is also acting for the wife of Shane Tuck, the former Tiger whose death is the subject of a coronial inquiry. Tuck, also a former boxer, took his own life in July 2020 and was found to have severe CTE when his brain was examined by the Australian Sports Brain Bank.
Tigers’ chief executive Brendon Gale has defended the medical care Tuck received during his 10 years as a senior player at the club between 2004-2013.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-subpoenaed-in-former-tiger-s-injury-case-20211119-p59aac.html
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Epidural injections to enable playing and training? That's absurd. Local anaesthetic I can understand but epidural surely not.
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Zantuck drops claim against doctor in injury case
Jon Pierik
The Age
March 26, 2022
Former Richmond footballer Ty Zantuck has amended his statement of claim in his court case against the Tigers, alleging negligence in their treatment of his back injury which left him depressed and with suicidal thoughts.
Zantuck, who played 68 games for the Tigers across five seasons between 2000-04 and a further nine games for Essendon in 2005, is suing Richmond and club doctor Greg Hickey and former club doctor Chris Bradshaw, in the Victorian Supreme Court.
However, in a revised claim lodged with the court this month, Zantuck has dropped his case against another doctor, Vincent Healey, who Zantuck, in his original writ, said had given him injections at Victoria House – a medical clinic used by AFL clubs.
The Tigers and doctors have denied the orthopaedic claims made in the original writ. The Tigers did not wish to comment when contacted about the updated writ nor about Zantuck’s neurological claims.
This came as Zantuck’s lawyer Greg Griffin prepares to again head to court on Thursday to push for an extension of time, arguing there had been delays in attaining the medical report he needed.
“We need an extension of time because by the time we were instructed, the period by which time proceedings had to be instituted under the rules, had expired some years before,” Griffin told The Age.
Another hearing involving the AFL and the AFL Doctors Association, each is a non-party to the litigation, are represented by lawyers from DLA Piper, and do not want to act on Griffin’s subpoena requesting information, has been adjourned until May 13.
Zantuck’s claims begin with a debilitating back injury, which he claims led to between 15 and 20 epidural injections to ease the pain. He argues the Tigers failed their duty of care and this had left him incapable of earning an income from “personal exertion”, depressed and prompted him to attempt suicide.
He also claims he suffered up to 30 concussions – of which he has presented footage of five incidents – which he says have led to a range of neurological disorders.
Griffin says Zantuck is suffering from traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, “being the in-life correlate of chronic traumatic encephalopathy”.
CTE, derived from brain trauma, including repeated concussions, can only be diagnosed posthumously although that may change within five years through new blood testing.
Zantuck was diagnosed with a bulging disc and two stress fractures in his back in late 2001 as a result of a weight-training and running program. A fortnight later, he claims he was given no choice but to attend the Tigers’ pre-season training camp in the Grampians. He said he was made to wear a heavy backpack “for lengthy times”, despite asking medical staff for an exemption.
Zantuck, in his writ, claims the Tigers’ medical staff were excluded from the week-long trip in what he argues was a “supervision breach”.
When the new season began, Zantuck said he had regular injections to ease the pain, then was told to have epidural injections at Victoria House. These were done, according to the court documents, by Healey. Bradshaw and Hickey then provided Zantuck with medical clearance to play after the injections, according to the writ.
Griffin, in the writ, argues Zantuck was not warned about the risks of epidural injections and the dangers of playing with a bad back and this contributed to his client’s football career being cut short.
Support is available from Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this story it was reported that judge Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou had ordered former Richmond footballer Ty Zantuck to pay the costs of former defendant Dr Vincent Healey. A subsequent legal document has confirmed no costs were ordered. The case continues.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/zantuck-drops-claim-against-doctor-in-injury-case-20220325-p5a7to.html
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Zantuck says Tigers failed on head injury
Liz Hobday
AAP
March 31, 2022 1:25PM
Former Richmond hardman Ty Zantuck claims the AFL club didn't have a system for properly managing head injuries, leaving him with suspected brain degeneration from repeated concussions.
Zantuck, who was drafted in 2000 and played with the Tigers until 2004, is suing the club over a chronic and debilitating back injury but has broadened his claim to include the effects of on-field concussions.
He says he's been left with severe back and neck pain, a major depressive disorder, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
He has a history of suicide attempts and wants damages for permanent loss of earnings.
Richmond allowed Zantuck to train and play with unhealed concussions, significantly worsening the effects of fresh head injuries and leading to suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), his lawyer told Victoria's Supreme Court on Thursday.
Zantuck's legal team looked through old videos of his games in late 2021, noticing he seemed dazed and slow to get to his feet after knocks to the head.
He then consulted specialist doctors and was diagnosed with suspected CTE, a progressive and fatal brain disease. It can only be confirmed after death.
"The state of science and medical knowledge at time he was playing meant the club had a duty of care to take reasonable steps to avoid cumulative damage associated with repeated concussion injuries," Zantuck's lawyer, Lachlan Armstrong QC, told the court.
Thursday's hearing is set to determine whether it is too late for Zantuck to expand his claim with new evidence addressing the effects of his head injuries.
Lawyers for the Richmond Football Club said they had not had time to respond to more than 150 pages of new material.
In his earlier claim, Zantuck said he was diagnosed with a back injury stemming from the club's weight training and running program in December 2001 or January 2002 and sought a dispensation from attending a training camp in the Grampians.
The week-long camp included daily hikes with a 30kg backpack. The dispensation was refused, but Zantuck was allowed to carry a 15kg pack.
It's alleged that when pre-season training began, he collapsed in pain suffering sudden back spasms during the first session.
Zantuck was diagnosed with a slipped disk on top of his earlier injuries, and he was injected with local anaesthetic on training and game days to get through matches in early 2002.
When that stopped working he was received 15 to 20 epidural injections in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, allegedly administered by former club doctor Chris Bradshaw and current doctor Greg Hickey, who are also named in the lawsuit.
The defender played 68 games for the Tigers between 2000-2004, and another nine games for Essendon in 2005.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/crime/zantuck-says-tigers-failed-on-head-injury-c-6273333
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And then he went played footy all over the countryside
Did he go boxing as well or was that just Tucky.
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No boxing for Zanners. Not in a ring anyway
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Not hard to see why the recruitment policy changed to include a players character
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Didn’t his old man Shane get millions when he sold off the Sportsco company?
Isn’t it strange he only wants to sue Richmond but continued his footy career with other clubs despite having a had a debilitating back condition that couldn’t allow him to even train and allegedly was subject to 30 concussions whilst playing for Richmond?
How does he remember so much details if he had 30 concussions?
Too many holes in this story.
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Not hard to see why the recruitment policy changed to include a players character
good to see a guy who played injured and was one of very few half decent players we had back then get slagged off . Probably the hardest player we had at the time :lol
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Not hard to see why the recruitment policy changed to include a players character
good to see a guy who played injured and was one of very few half decent players we had back then get slagged off . Probably the hardest player we had at the time :lol
Average player, had a few good games at best.
Nobody told him to jump off a cliff.
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Was a good player. Surely it doesn't take a crystal ball to see he was also poorly managed. Mr death has a few victims too
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If he was one of our better players it explain how bad we were. I didn’t think he was much better than average at best and a bloke who seem to argue with just about anyone.
He is not the only one in that era who got a concussion and who played for multi clubs but he is one of the only ones I know of who is targeting his club.
This should be an AFL wise issue as they were that governing body who set the rules.
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Have you even read, listened or done any research here, camboon? The blokes back was shot as a result of playing hurt + a pre-season camp, and we were pumping him full of drugs to get him up for games..why? Because he was an average at best player? You can't have it both ways. He was pretty important to our backline. Sure he was a headache but he was good for us in the early 2000s.
I think it's a worse look if he was a dud yet we still injected him on 20 odd occasions with a crook back.
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He was no Coughlan or N G Brown lol
He was a decent player at best and it speaks to how doggy door we were at the time.
Regardless his claim is bollocks IMO given that he was playing football well beyond AFL years.
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All we had back then was the enjoyment of watching the very few blokes that could play to an extent or were hard as nails.
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All we had back then was the enjoyment of watching the very few blokes that could play to an extent or were hard as nails.
It seems like he is a mate of yours and your loyalty to mate is commendable and honorable but if he was stuffed as you say how did he play on for years after he left Richmond. He must have passed a medical before Essendon recruited him and played him, he must have passed tests at all the country clubs he played for. The story doesnt stack up for mine, if he was knackered at Richmond then Essendon wouldnt have taken him and he wouldnt have been able to play country footy either. It doesnt stack up. Im sorry but it doesnt.
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"Did it end your football career?"
"No your Honour, it didn't."
"Case dismissed!" ... *clonk! ::)
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All we had back then was the enjoyment of watching the very few blokes that could play to an extent or were hard as nails.
It seems like he is a mate of yours and your loyalty to mate is commendable and honorable but if he was stuffed as you say how did he play on for years after he left Richmond. He must have passed a medical before Essendon recruited him and played him, he must have passed tests at all the country clubs he played for. The story doesnt stack up for mine, if he was knackered at Richmond then Essendon wouldnt have taken him and he wouldnt have been able to play country footy either. It doesnt stack up. Im sorry but it doesnt.
Understand what you're saying, but there is a difference between sitting in the square for Tourquay and playing AFL footy. I dont know if his case will get up, I doubt it well, but the club did have a duty of care surely and they definitely didn't manage his injuries well. Surely that's the main thing here whether or not he wins or loses? You want your club looking after blokes, not pumping blokes with injections non-stop. That's Essendon not Richmond
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If I was him, Id offer to withdraw the case if Richmond give me (him) a job as a scout or something of Junior talent for the womens program. He could stay in footy earn a fair salary and Richmond wouldnt have this law suit over its head. Everyone wins. Thats what I would do but thats just me. Even he doesnt want that then he can take his chances in court and if he loses hes gonna have to pay Richmonds legal fees on top of his own.
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I did my research which may be the problem. Football clubs don’t force people to take injections you have a choice. I played with injection in my last year to play finals which wouldn’t be his reason, was it for money .
He has an issue with people who were at the club at the time and the rules that allowed it to happen.
I get that ,but that was nothing to do with the majority of people at the now and the culture that doesn’t play injured players as a rule.
Sue the people and the AFL would make more sense to me.
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Emotional Zantuck claims Tigers got treatment ‘horribly wrong’
Jon Pierik
The Age
April 1, 2022 — 7.17pm
Former Richmond Football Club player Ty Zantuck was almost in tears on a day he told a court he believed the Tigers had got his medical treatment for a debilitating back injury “horribly wrong” but he faces a fight to have his case proceed.
Two days of cross-examination before Associate Justice Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou concluded in the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday, with Zantuck suing the club and two doctors, current club doctor Greg Hickey and former club doctor Chris Bradshaw, over allegations they breached their duty of care in the treatment of his back injury, when he played in 68 matches for the Tigers between 2000 and 2004.
Zantuck’s lawyer Lachlan Armstrong QC is arguing for an extension to be granted to the statute of limitations for bringing a civil claim.
In his writ, Zantuck, 40, claims doctors gave him more than 20 epidural injections to ease the pain and to keep training and playing, and that the club forced him to take part in a pre-season training camp which exacerbated his condition.
His lawyers also told the court that Zantuck had endured several concussions, leaving him with brain trauma. Zantuck has previously spoken of the suicidal thoughts he had.
Asked about a text message he claims he sent Dr Hickey of the “horrible feelings” he had about the Tigers’ Punt Rd home base, Zantuck said on Friday: “Just the treatment there, I wanted to be clear of there, and even … where the street where Victoria House is on, I still get goose bumps, anytime I go around there.”
The details of that alleged text message are also in dispute. Zantuck had epidural injections at Victoria House.
“I still love the Richmond Football Club, my two sons barrack for them. I just think they got the treatment horribly wrong,” Zantuck told the court via video evidence as he has contracted COVID-19.
He spent 2005 at Essendon where the court was told on Thursday that the Bombers refused to administer the epidural injections, prompting Zantuck to believe the Tigers had mistreated him. Zantuck’s AFL career ended after a fortnight of pre-season training at Carlton in 2006.
He sought to play community football as he needed the sign-on fees and match payments but he says his physical condition meant he couldn’t cope.
“I couldn’t (hold) down a job anywhere, I wasn’t able to drive, I was certainly medicated. I was just finding it hard to live any sort of life,” Zantuck, tears appearing to well in his eyes, said.
“I tried to get everything I could just to buy some food.”
The court also heard Zantuck had met with law firm Slater and Gordon for a consultation but Slater and Gordon told him they would not accept his case, with Zantuck on Thursday claiming the firm had said it was “too hard, too lengthy and too expensive to go up against the AFL”.
Lawyer Neill Murdoch, representing Dr Bradshaw, argues Zantuck’s claims may not be as clear as the former player has said. The defendants do not want Zantuck to be treated as a “reliable” witness because of the alleged different “accounts” of events he has given.
This included a Slater and Gordon letter of 2012, which says Zantuck had “three to four injections”, which the defence argues is “very much less” than what Zantuck now claims. However, Zantuck argues that not all medical records are available to the court.
All parties agree there are medical records which have been lost or are “scant” although there is an argument over why that is the case, including why Dr Bradshaw allegedly did not always keep detailed records of injections at training.
The defendants have questioned why it took until 2012 for Zantuck to meet with Slater and Gordon, and until April last year to launch civil action against his former club seeking damages.
Zantuck says he didn’t have the funds to pursue the case earlier but the defendants have questioned why there has been a “a 17-or-18-year delay” since he left the Tigers, with this impacting on the legal limitation period. However, Zantuck’s lawyers say his case only became clear when he was diagnosed with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) - “a ticking time bomb” - last year. TES suggests he has chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease.
Zantuck’s concussion case is only against the Tigers, and not specifically Dr Bradshaw and Dr Hickey.
The defendants, including Dr Hickey’s lawyer, say the deaths of three potential witnesses since Zantuck left the Tigers and Bombers, including former Tigers coach Danny Frawley and former Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid, could impact any further hearing, with their evidence “irreplaceable”.
The court was told on Thursday that the Tigers didn’t have a system for properly managing head injuries at the time. After closing arguments on Friday, all parties were offered the chance to head to mediation on April 8.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/emotional-zantuck-claims-tigers-got-treatment-horribly-wrong-20220401-p5aa29.html
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If his back was so bad how did he play games with Essendrugs?
So he couldn’t buy food to eat so he continued to play footy so he could eat?
Why didn’t his old man help him out?
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https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/7825440/ex-afl-player-can-pursue-damages-claim/
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‘Medical staff were excluded’: Zantuck case reveals why Tigers’ doctor quit
Jon Pierik
The Age
February 22, 2023 — 4.25pm
A former Richmond Football Club doctor claims he quit the Tigers after medical staff were excluded from a pre-season training camp where former player Ty Zantuck alleges he was ordered to carry a 30-kilogram backpack despite having stress fractures in his lower back.
Former Richmond doctor Chris Bradshaw’s declaration was quoted as part of a landmark case in the Victorian Supreme Court brought against the Tigers and club doctors Greg Hickey and Bradshaw.
Zantuck alleges the club breached its duty of care in the treatment and management of his back injury when he played in 68 matches for the Tigers between 2000 and 2004.
Zantuck has also taken action against the club alone in relation to brain trauma while playing.
In an email by Bradshaw to Zantuck’s solicitors, and quoted by Associate Justice Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou in her 49-page summation of why Zantuck had successfully been granted extra time to pursue his case, Bradshaw said the handling of the 2004 club camp to the Grampians had prompted him to leave.
It was on this camp that Zantuck alleges, having earlier been diagnosed by Bradshaw with two stress fractures in his lower back, and having failed in his bid to sit out the training camp, he was initially ordered to carry a 30-kilogram backpack on daily hikes. This weight was later reduced to 15-20 kilograms after he complained again of back pain.
In his writ, Zantuck, 40, claims doctors gave him more than 20 epidural injections to ease his back pain and to keep training and playing, but Bradshaw and fellow club doctor Greg Hickey have denied they provided epidural injections.
In a May 17, 2021 email, Bradshaw wrote: “As a doctor all I ever wanted to do was to assist the athlete to achieve what they said they wanted. I would do so safely. I would never do a procedure without the athlete’s consent (it’s very hard to inject someone that’s struggling).
“I don’t deny that the camp at the Grampians made him sore … but the medical staff were excluded from that camp and had no input. It was very frustrating and ultimately caused me to leave the club because I felt the conditioning staff were putting players at risk without our input. We did everything we could to help the players and nothing to hurt them in the short or long term.”
In late January 2004, it was reported in The Age that Bradshaw had left to take up a position with English Premier League club Fulham.
“It’s quite a good time for both [clubs],” Bradshaw, who had been with the Tigers for 12 years, said at the time. “Fulham has been without a club doctor since the start of the year, and it wouldn’t have been fair to Richmond to get too far into the regular season before departing.”
Zantuck alleges he was given injections in his back to “play numb”, a claim Hickey and Bradshaw deny. Zantuck and Hickey are at odds over a text Zantuck allegedly sent to Hickey about 16 years ago seeking access to his medical records.
“He has effectively had his life crippled by his back injury,” Associate Justice Ierodiaconou wrote.
Associate Justice Ierodiaconou added: “RFC, Dr Bradshaw, and Dr Hickey each filed a defence to Mr Zantuck’s first statement of claim. By these defences, it is evident that the defendants contest Mr Zantuck’s back injury and treatment claims.”
Hickey found Zantuck’s medical records of 2004, but “it appears from a review of those medical records that no written evidence was kept in regards to the injections administered or prescribed by RFC’s doctors. If medical records are missing, then it is not the fault of Mr Zantuck.”
Having filed his initial writ and statement about his back injury in April 2021, Zantuck amended his claim in March 2022, to include “a brain injury arising from concussions”. The brain injury claim is only against the Tigers, although the club says it could yet extend to Bradshaw.
Zantuck’s lawyers, from Griffin Lawyers, have used video evidence of several clashes from 29 games, leading to claims of multiple concussions and brain trauma involving a degenerative disease. Zantuck has previously spoken of having had suicidal thoughts.
Associate Justice Ierodiaconou wrote that “the footage of RFC’s handling of other concussion incidents involving other players is likely to be relevant and highly probative of the absence of a good protocol for managing concussion”.
“The video evidence will show that Mr Zantuck’s experience was similar to other players. It will show how RFC dealt with events that are assessed by medical experts as concussions. There is no evidence from any of the defendants that positively asserts or even suggests that RFC had a concussion management protocol in place at the time. There are just a couple of weekly notes,” Associate Justice Ierodiaconou said in her summation.
“The allegation against RFC in respect of the concussion claim is that it did not have adequate systems or policies for dealing with head injuries. RFC has not provided any evidence as to whether or not it has relevant documentary evidence.”
The AFL and Tigers did not wish to comment. The AFL’s concussion and health-and-safety protocols are now among the world’s best.
Reports by neurologist Dr Rowena Mobbs and neuropsychologist associate professor Jennifer Batchelor “identified the existence of criteria for suspected traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (‘TES’) and evidence of acquired cognitive impairment. TES is the ‘in life’ correlate of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (‘CTE’). The expert scientific evidence is that detectable symptoms generally only emerge later in a person’s life when concussion injuries are sustained in their 20s.”
The defendants argued the deaths of Danny Frawley, coach at the time, and Tigers physiotherapist Ian Macindoe, and former Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid should have led to Zantuck’s case for extra time being denied as their evidence was critical.
A post-mediation directions hearing has been scheduled for April 21, with a trial set to begin on July 17.
Zantuck spent 2005 at Essendon, claiming in court last year that the Bombers refused to administer the epidural injections, prompting him to believe the Tigers had mistreated him. Zantuck’s AFL career ended after a fortnight of pre-season training at Carlton in 2006.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/medical-staff-were-excluded-zantuck-case-reveals-why-tigers-doctor-quit-20230221-p5cmde.html
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I find the epidural injection thing a bit hard to believe myself given I've helped monitor and remove several catheters. It's a highly skilled job by an anesthetist, not for any regular physician.
Possibly local anaesthetic, sure.
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I find the epidural injection thing a bit hard to believe myself given I've helped monitor and remove several catheters. It's a highly skilled job by an anesthetist, not for any regular physician.
Possibly local anaesthetic, sure.
Agree on this Andy.
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Former AFL stars may merge concussion damage lawsuits
Emily Woods
AAP
15 June 2023
Agroup of ex-AFL stars suing the league and their clubs for concussion damage may have their claims merged, as lawyers call for the cases to be sped up.
Lawyers for former players Ty Zantuck, Liam Picken, Gary Ablett Sr, and two class actions involving Max Rooke and Shane Tuck faced the first Supreme Court of Victoria hearing about their cases on Wednesday.
All of the suits, except Zantuck's, have been brought against the AFL along with clubs including the Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Geelong, Melbourne, Adelaide and Hawthorn.
Among their claims, the players are seeking compensation for the impact of concussions on them during and post-their AFL careers.
Zantuck, Picken and Ablett have asked the court to allow them to pursue their suits individually, rather than as a group.
However, Justice John Dixon encouraged their legal teams to explore merging the claims, as they will overlap and explore similar issues.
"There are not going to be multiple trials of the same issue," the judge said.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/afl/former-afl-stars-may-merge-concussion-damage-lawsuits/ar-AA1cvPBt