AFL welfare bagged
CONCUSSION victim Shaun Smith has launched a passionate plea for the AFL to consider a multi-million dollar compensation fund as he urged people to stop suffering in silence.
Smith said Victorian racing had stolen the march on the AFL after releasing a new 140page welfare report with 46 individual recommendations, including the formation of a new national welfare body for racehorses.
Former Melbourne highflyer Smith, known for his 1995 Mark of the Century, was awarded a record $1.4m insurance payout after a ruling he had suffered “total and permanent disablement” due to head knocks in his 11-year career.
Smith said concussion campaigner Peter Jess’s suggestion for a 0.1 per cent levy on betting on AFL football – which would raise $25m a year and $2bn over 80 seasons – would help safeguard past and current players.
Jess on Thursday said his proposal to the AFL in January
had received no response. He said the racing industry was more concerned about the welfare of its horses than the AFL was about its players.
Smith is sickened by the invasion of betting ads around AFL games and says the AFLPA’s hardship fund can only help so many players, given its limited funding.
“Money is going to help those guys, because a lot of guys like myself have made rash decisions (because of their current state). And then they need the guidance to get back into the land of the living, as I call it. They are walking around in a daze. A lot of guys don’t know where to go, they don’t know they have a problem or they don’t want to admit it.
“As far as a total (for the fund) goes, off the top of my head I couldn’t quantify a number but guys do need some financial help. And they need assistance and guidance with their health because you can have all the money in the world, but if your health is no good you are going backwards.”
Smith on Thursday implored
ex-players battling the fallout of concussion or repeated head knocks to speak to someone to get help.”
“Go and talk to someone,” he said.