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West Coast Eagle Adam Hunter’s family say he has been posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy – more commonly known as CTE.
ABC South West reported Hunter’s brain was donated to the Australian Sports Brain Bank for research after his death in February.
Adam Hunter.Credit: Getty Images
Hunter was 43-years-old and suffered a drug addiction when he died.
“When you see your son run onto the football field, and within five minutes, he’s on the stretcher of being carried off, shaking and convulsing, and it’s pretty upsetting, but that’s the game,” Hunter’s stepfather Rod Brown told the ABC.
The circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated.
CTE is a condition commonly experienced by athletes following repeated knocks to the head.
Its symptoms include cognitive issues like memory loss, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and changes in behaviour.
“They often present with symptoms that overlap with mental health, symptoms such as anxiety, depression, rage, poor impulse control, or even post-traumatic stress disorder,” Australian Sports Brain Bank’s professor Michael Buckland said.
A number of AFL players have been posthumously diagnosed with the condition, including Graham Farmer, Shane Tuck and Danny Frawley.
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Frawley and Tuck died by suicide, while Farmer died from a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
On Friday, West Coast Eagles released a team statement acknowledging the diagnosis.
“The game has come a long way in implementing preventative measures for CTE, including extensive research into the condition, rule changes and attitude adaptions,” it said.
CTE can currently only be diagnosed after death.
A class action against the AFL involving 100 former players is currently underway.
Earlier this year, the league introduced an injury fund for past players, including those suffering from the impacts of traumatic brain injuries.
“Adam had given us the best day of our life and the worst,” Brown said.
“Just being there, just being a son.”
With 9 News.
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