AFL legend Gary Ablett Senior suing for brain damage
An AFL legend is taking legal action against two of his former clubs for injuries he sustained during his career.
Gary Ablett Senior is suing both Hawthorn and Geelong football clubs for concussions he suffered that have left him with lasting brain damage, according to a brain scan he underwent last year.
Ablett claims that the clubs breached their duty of care, as they "knew or ought to have known of the potential long-term consequences of concussion suffered by the plaintiff".
His lawyer Michel Margalit said Ablett was dealing with significant health problems as a direct result of his on-field injuries.
"He's not doing well. He's had significant illness over the previous years and he's finding that he's struggling more and more as time goes on," she told ABC News Breakfast.
"He has really significant medical and care needs, and there are just no funds available through the AFL Players Association or any other hardship fund to assist him with those care needs."
Ms Margalit would not say how much Ablett was seeking but said it was a significant claim.
"It is a very substantial case and could be really at the upper range of the allowance permitted by the compensation schemes in Victoria," she said.
"This could be multiple millions of dollars."
Ablett played his first VFL season with the Hawks in 1982 and was with Geelong for the remaining 13 years of his career, kicking 1,031 goals in his 248 games before retiring in 1996.
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