Insurance giant Zurich has come under fire for using an AFL player’s wedding as evidence it should not pay out his insurance after concussion ended his playing career.
Melbourne premiership midfielder Angus Brayshaw was forced into retirement in 2023 due to ongoing concussion issues.
The 28-year-old suffered a sickening head knock during the 2023 finals series and was advised by medical experts not to continue in the sport.
Brayshaw stole the limelight at the 2024 Brownlow Medal ceremony, giving an emotional speech about being forced out of the game he loved for medical reasons.
‘I’m not going to lie, the absence of football has left a very deep void,’ he said.
‘Days that were planned to the minute and filled with purpose need to be replaced, and in time they will be.
Angus Brayshaw’s wedding day (pictured) was supposed to be the happiest of his life. Now it is being used against him
Brayshaw was forced to retire early after a sickening head knock in the Demons’ qualifying final loss to Collingwood in 2023
The ex-footy star’s powerful speech at the 2024 Brownlow Medal ceremony (pictured) is also being used as evidence against his insurance claim
‘Football is all-consuming, no matter how long your career was, how successful it was, or even how well you prepared for the next stage; the transition is difficult, and there seems no easy way around it.
‘Having said that, I think it’s really important on nights like this to reflect on what we’ve all achieved as a group.
‘We, the retiring class of 2024, should be incredibly proud.
‘We all achieved our dreams to varying degrees, which is a privilege we should never lose sight of. Equally as important is casting an eye to the future and the truth, surprisingly, is that there’s a life after football – which is a relief.’
A neurologist later cited the four-minute speech in a two-page report submitted to Zurich in April as part of Brayshaw’s health assessment – and used it against him.
The neurologist reportedly stated that Brayshaw’s speech ‘was in stark contrast to his subjective range of symptoms’.
‘I reviewed the extensive video from the ‘Best and Fairest awards’, 23 September 2024, where he seemed to perform normally from a cognitive perspective,’ the neurologist’s report said.
It got worse for the former Demons star.
Nathan Murphy (pictured being treated during a match) is another AFL star who has been forced to hang up the boots early after suffering concussion issues
Murphy’s payments have been suspended until he completes five medical examinations
The neurologist used images of his wedding to wife Danielle as evidence he could perform daily tasks.
‘I have also seen still photographs (not video) from his wedding to Danielle on 30 December 2024 where he seems to be functioning normally,’ the report read.
‘I would confirm I do not think there is any organic impairment of activities of daily living, no loss of independent functionality.’
Professor Alan Pearce is an Australian neuroscientist and concussion expert at La Trobe University who researches sports-related brain injuries and leads work with the Australian Sports Brain Bank.
He responded to the report by saying: ‘You cannot make an accurate clinical decision based on a video or still images.’
‘It is well-known that people who struggle with persistent post-concussion symptoms can mask their condition for short periods of time, such as giving a speech at an event or being at a wedding,’ Professor Pearce said.
‘A wedding, for example, is an artificial environment which can bolster the person’s mood anyway and probably the next day or day after they can be in bed and feeling totally exhausted.
‘It’s all masked, and I get this all the time in my research participants with persistent post-concussion syndrome.
The AFL is treating head knocks very seriously with Brayshaw (pictured after being knocked out in 2023) one of the most recent players to have his career ended
‘They say they try to mask the symptoms for short periods of time because people don’t understand how they are feeling.
‘So the fact a neurologist is using secondary information to help make a clinical diagnosis is really disappointing.’
The contents of that document are now being considered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which paid the neurologist over $7000 for the assessment.
Brayshaw’s career came to a sudden halt during the 2023 elimination final against Collingwood, when he was stretchered from the MCG after being knocked unconscious.
Medical scans later detected up to eight micro-bleeds on his brain and he later revealed that the AFL’s independent concussion panel urged him to walk away from the game because of ‘further deterioration of my brain.’
‘I am devastated that I can no longer play the game that I love,’ Brayshaw said when he retired early last year.
‘Concussion is a massive issue facing our game. I hope from this – a terrible result for me personally – can come some positive outcomes for the future of player safety.’
Zurich has engaged a company called ConsilAD to track and store personal information of AFL players, News Corp reported.
It is alleged the data collection company secured the personal passwords of former footy stars to access their social media accounts, streaming services and a host of other private information.
Former Collingwood star Nathan Murphy’s concussion claim has been paused without payment. He has been advised he will need to undergo five more assessments before it could possibly be reinstated.
The assessments need to be carried out by medical practitioners nominated by Zurich.
ASIC is investigating the claims made by former players.
‘In order to protect the privacy and confidentiality of our customers, Zurich does not comment on the specifics of individual cases or claims,’ a Zurich spokeswoman told the Daily Mail.
‘All cases are assessed individually in accordance with Zurich’s standard claims process and relevant policy terms, which may include consideration of available evidence and could involve engaging an Independent Medical Expert (IME) to undertake an objective assessment.
‘As set out in the Life Insurance Code of Practice, insurers, including Zurich, may rely on information that is in the public domain.
‘Publicly available online information could include material such as passwords.
‘However, Zurich does not, nor would it ever, specifically seek to obtain or use this type of material.
‘More generally, as an insurer with significant involvement across the Australian Football League (AFL), we acknowledge the ongoing work of the AFL and the AFL Players’ Association.
‘Including recent enhancements to the AFL & AFLW Players’ Injury & Support Fund and the introduction of a new Severe Injury Benefit.
‘[These] ensure that appropriate safeguards and support mechanisms are in place for professional footballers at risk of experiencing repeated head trauma, concussion and the subsequent development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
‘These are challenges facing professional contact sporting codes, clubs and associations across the globe, including in Australia.’
