AFL legend Gary Ablett Sr reveals he has significant brain damage from football career

Football great Gary Ablett Sr has revealed he has ‘significant brain damage’ from his illustrious 248-game career.

Ablett, 61, said he had experienced ‘headaches and skull pressure’ from 2010, which then progressed into migraines, insomnia, blurred vision, significant memory loss, anxiety, fatigue and severe depression.

The scans revealed he had suffered ‘significant structural and functional brain damage’.

The AFL legend told the Herald Sun he went to get scans for CTE so he could at least identify the reasons behind his chronic headaches and fatigue.

‘From 2015 onwards, and almost every day, there were signs that things had changed, then about 12 months ago I started getting symptoms that alarmed me to the point where I contacted Peter Jess, whom I’m aware has been a concussion advocate for a number of past players,’ Ablett said.

‘I told him of my concerns and Peter helped organise a MEG scan that the American Military use. It showed I have significant structural and functional brain damage.’

Ablett has since seen a psychiatrist once a month and is receiving medical treatment for his headaches and depression.

The AFL legend who booted 1025 goals for Geelong between 1984-1996, found himself unable to work in recent months and approached the AFL Players Association for financial help.

Source of data and images: dailymail