The children of rugby league player James Ackerman will receive more than $600,000 after a Supreme Court settlement, 10 years after their father was killed by a banned shoulder charge in a Queensland Cup match.
Justice Elizabeth Wilson ordered a $600,323 payout to be held in trust for Olliver, 13, and Milly, 12, after their mother Saraa Spaens sued former Brisbane Broncos forward Francis Molo, his feeder club Norths Devils, and the Broncos themselves.
Olliver will receive $283,376 while Milly will receive $316,947 when they turn 18.
All three defendants denied liability but agreed to settle the claim, which sought damages for nervous shock and loss of dependency.
The decision represents the first concrete legal outcome in a saga that began in June 2015, when Ackerman collapsed during an Intrust Super Cup game at Bishop Park in Brisbane’s north.
Ackerman, a 25-year-old prop for the Sunshine Coast Falcons, had just returned a kick-off when he collided with Molo.
James Ackerman’s children secured $600,000 settlement after their father’s tragic death from an illegal shoulder charge in 2015
Ackerman collapsed in a Queensland Cup game at Bishop Park after a shoulder charge from former Brisbane Broncos forward Francis Molo
The Queensland Rugby League judiciary suspended Molo (pictured) for nine matches following the fatal incident, the harshest penalty available at the time
Witnesses described the hit as a shoulder charge, a technique outlawed in the NRL since 2013.
The father of two was treated on the field before being rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Doctors confirmed he had suffered a torn carotid artery that caused catastrophic bleeding on the brain. He was declared dead two days later.
Ackerman’s organs were donated, and tributes poured in from across the rugby league world.
Within days, the Queensland Rugby League judiciary charged Molo with a grade-five shoulder charge and suspended him for nine matches, the harshest penalty available.
In 2017 a coronial inquest was convened. Deputy State Coroner John Lock heard evidence from referees, teammates and medical experts.
He ruled that Ackerman’s death was caused by rapid head and neck deceleration consistent with a shoulder charge.
Medical evidence showed that even without direct contact to the head or neck, the force of such a collision could tear an artery and cause fatal bleeding.
The 2017 coronial inquest found Ackerman’s death consistent with a shoulder charge but recommended no criminal charges be pursued
Each season, tributes continue to flow for Ackerman, who is remembered as a tough and respected Sunshine Coast Falcons prop
Sonya Ackerman (pictured) launched separate negligence proceedings in 2021, alleging PTSD and accusing the Broncos and Devils of tolerating repeated shoulder charges
Lock accepted Queensland Police advice not to press criminal charges, saying the evidence did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
The inquest closed with no recommendations for further action, leaving Ackerman’s family devastated.
In the years since, both Spaens and Ackerman’s mother Sonya turned to civil litigation.
Sonya filed a negligence claim in 2021, alleging she developed post-traumatic stress disorder and that both the Broncos and Devils knew Molo executed shoulder charges ‘not infrequently’. That case remains open but has not progressed since 2022.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sonya Ackerman for comment.
Spaens’ separate case, lodged on behalf of her children in July this year, advanced quickly.
Barrister Geoffrey Barr told the court the children had suffered nervous shock and a loss of dependency.
The settlement, finalised last month, closes one chapter of a decade-long fight. For Spaens,
it ensures her children will receive financial support in the years ahead. For Sonya, her case is still unresolved.
Each season, tributes are paid to the Sunshine Coast prop who was known for his toughness and leadership.
Molo, meanwhile, has continued his career. After serving his ban, he joined the North Queensland Cowboys, later moved to St George Illawarra, and now plays for the Redcliffe Dolphins. In 2021, he made his State of Origin debut for Queensland.
