"If I go to a football match, and they ask about Nick, I tell them [Nick] had CTE and they look at you and it's an unknown thing [to them]. The awareness, the education, that's what we want to see happen."
A recent gathering of football club presidents and officials in St Albans, Melbourne, has revealed a significant gap in understanding of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its distinction from concussion. The session, led by the FIFTHQTR Foundation and former Carlton player Ken Hunter, comes amid growing attention on brain health in Australian rules football, including the case of 23-year-old Nick Lowden, who died in 2023 and was later diagnosed with CTE.
Background on CTE
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head impacts. It is distinct from concussion and can currently only be diagnosed post-mortem. According to neuropathologist Michael Buckland, director of the Australian Sports Brain Bank, CTE is "a disease of exposure" and preventing it requires reducing exposure to head impacts.
Player Cases and Key Findings
- Four Corners reported that CTE has been found in 33 former Australian rules footballers across elite, semi-professional, and amateur levels.
- Nick Lowden, a semi-professional player from Traralgon, Victoria, died by suicide in July 2023. A post-mortem examination diagnosed him with CTE, making him the youngest Australian rules player to receive such a diagnosis.
- In 2017, during a game for Gippsland Power, Lowden collided with the ground and appeared unconscious for several seconds. He was returned to play, which his parents stated violated the AFL's concussion protocols. Following that incident, Lowden experienced memory loss, light sensitivity, mood changes, anger, and depression for 12 months. He sought treatment with medication and psychologists but did not improve.
- World-leading CTE expert Ann McKee from Boston University noted that CTE has been found in athletes under 30, including 18-year-old Wyatt Bramwell.
- Wyatt Bramwell's mother, Christie, urged sporting bodies to better protect players and advocated delaying tackle football.
Perspectives from Stakeholders
Parents of Nick Lowden: Tony and Kerry Lowden stated they were unaware of CTE before their son's diagnosis. Kerry Lowden argued that the risk of head impacts is "100 percent the AFL's responsibility."
AFL Executive Laura Kane: Kane stated that player health and safety is the league's highest priority and noted rule changes to protect the head. She said the AFL provides education on concussion risks and described responsibility for communicating research findings as shared among all involved in contact sports.
Neuropathologist Michael Buckland: Buckland recommended reducing head impact exposure through measures such as limiting contact in training and delaying tackling in youth sports.
Ann McKee: McKee advocated for delaying tackling until age 18 or older and for players to provide informed consent about risks. She predicted that a diagnostic test for CTE in living individuals could be available within three years.
Christie Bramwell: Bramwell said, "I want his legacy to make it safer for future players."
Ongoing Awareness Efforts
Ken Hunter and Peter Venables, whose son Daniel suffered a brain injury, continue to raise awareness about CTE at community clubs. The Lowden family has called for increased education and awareness, noting that many community football officials lack basic understanding of the condition.