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‘AFL has been an absolute joke’: Former Bulldog’s sad brain injury reveal as league’s efforts blasted
Former Western Bulldogs player Aiden O’Driscoll has blasted the AFL’s support for his ongoing concussion battles as “nothing but a joke”. The No.55 pick in the 2023 draft was medically retired before even playing a game after a head knock in a collision at training, which caused eight micro brain bleeds.
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He applied for a $600,000 severe injury payment but it was rejected by the AFL and AFL Players’ Association, which found he did not meet the criteria. But O’Driscoll remains seriously troubled physically and mentally, going public with his issues on Tuesday night.
“Through this period, I was grieving the most, it got to the point where I started questioning my life? If it was worth living? ” he wrote.
“I was so close to ending everything, I would’ve been free from all the pain/trauma. My family/close friends and partners honestly kept me here. ”“I experience brain fog, dizziness, depression, nausea, fatigue, memory loss. Only those close to me know what I’ve been going through and even questioned at times if I’m okay?
A few people have been genuinely concerned on my wellbeing and memory,” he said.
“I wish I could describe what it’s like in a nutshell, but I could only describe it like losing something in the family, except I’m the one who’s died and had to come back as a new version of “Aiden”. ”The last 2 years have been the most difficult period of my life. On going setbacks, depression on and off. Every single day experiencing a side effect from the concussion I received.
A lot of people don’t know my life experience in terms of every day living. The AFL has been an absolute joke towards helping me. Mentally I was so exhausted and drained, and it took 6 weeks for the AFL to find me a psychologist. Through this period, I was grieving the most, it got to the point where I started questioning my life?
If it was worth living? I was so close to ending everything, i would’ve been free from all the pain/trauma. My family/close friends and partners honestly kept me here. Without them I felt so lost/lonely.
I was truely trapped and I didn’t know where to go or how to get out of my depressive states. Why does something so cruel happen to an 18-year-old that had a bright future within the game he loved. It’s not just the fact that I can’t play AFL again, it’s more so the ongoing effects from this one hit. Weekly i experience symptoms, I can’t live a normal life.
I experience brain fog, dizziness, depression, nausea, fatigue, memory loss. Only those close to me know what I’ve been going through and even questioned at times if I’m okay? A few people have been genuinely concerned on my wellbeing and memory.
I wish I could describe what it’s like in a nutshell, but I could only describe it like losing something in the family, except I’m the one who’s died and had to come back as a new version of “Aiden”. The last couple of years I’ve experienced nothing but pain, and I’ve explained it multiple times to you. You’re supposed to help AFL players through hardship, not leave them with absolutely nothing.
The doctors described my concussion as “one of the worst” they’ve seen. With 8 micro brain bleeds, and fracture behind my ear. From a medical point of view, losing my career, my identity plus going through the symptoms I have you’d think the AFL would be useful with some support? Doctors have also said you could experience “long term” effects from the concussion, which I have been.
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